# Cat-Proofing Mouse Environment



## YuukikoOgawa (Jul 26, 2013)

I've just started on my mouse breeding adventure, and have come upon a sudden (though not entirely unexpected) issue: My cat, Shinji, figured out how to knock one of the glass 10 gallons (containing a pregnant doe and the buck she was paired with) off the shelf!

I got incredibly lucky, managed to get both mice into the one plastic RUB cage I had ready, despite having to rush out there without my glasses, in the dark, and immediately after stumbling out of the shower, and with unknown quantities of sharp glass everywhere*. Epic timing, that cat has. So far, both mice appear to be okay, though I'm still worried about the doe. 

I had already been working on converting all the cages to RUB cages, and getting some better shelving, but now I have the dilemma of trying to make sure the cages and shelving are cat-proof. Shinji has already managed to knock over the RUB cage twice now; this morning he knocked it completely off the kitchen counter (I had hoped it would be more stable there), and when I got home from work it was tipped over on its side.

The RUB and Sterilite cages themselves seem to be fairly cat proof, as the locking mechanism on the lid combined with the sturdier material means it's not going to break open or shatter everywhere. However, my concern is this: when I get the shelving set up, how do I go about securing the cages so they can't be easily knocked off the shelves, but are also reasonably easy to pick up and clean?

Before anyone asks: space is at a premium in my living situation, so no, I haven't found a way to completely lock Shinji out of the room the mice are in. 

*Mocha (the pregnant doe) was so scared stiff that I thought she was dead until I picked her up and THEN she started very carefully sniffing around. Captain Kirk (the buck) has thankfully proven that satin RYs nearly glow in the dark, and I was surprised to find that he wasn't scurrying about madly. More just wandering around in confusion.


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## gyri (Nov 20, 2012)

My cats have not knocked mice tanks off of shelves but they did once knock a two and a half gallon fish tank off a desk. It was a total loss. My solution was to tape the bottom edge of the replacement tank to the desk surface. My mouse tanks, of course, have latches that hold the lids to the tanks.


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## YuukikoOgawa (Jul 26, 2013)

Someone on another forum mentioned bungie cords: enough give to make it easy to pick up the bins for cleaning time, but stiff enough that the cat can't really push the bin too far off the shelf before it bounces back.


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## Supertwo (Jan 29, 2014)

You might also want to consider something like this: http://www.amazon.com/Ssscat-PDT00-1391 ... B000RIA95G
It's a motion activated air spray to teach cats to stay away from an area. The only problem with them is that if you forget it's turned on it'll scare the pee out of you when you accidentally set it off!


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## YuukikoOgawa (Jul 26, 2013)

YES! I remembered seeing that at the local pet store, I just couldn't remember what it was called for some reason. Thanks!


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## Autumn2005 (Apr 21, 2010)

You could try putting a lip on the edge of your shelves to make it harder for the shelves to fall off. Depending on the size of your RUBs, put a brick on top of them to give them more weight and stability? It sounds like you have a really determined cat though!


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## YuukikoOgawa (Jul 26, 2013)

He is, he really is...freakishly intelligent too! Every time I think I've found a way to outsmart him, he proves me wrong!


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## Miceandmore64 (Jul 16, 2013)

Awwwh!


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## Oakelm (Oct 17, 2009)

Even in a small space you need to make some separation between mice and cat, feeling unsafe for the mice is going to cause you issues which munching of litters, flighty mice or death from a fall let alone the cat getting hold of them.

Only thing that spring to mind is a cabinet the size of a wardrobe with shelves in and the front panel of the door replaced with mesh then it can be locked, i recommend if it isn't heavy to attach it to the wall in case the cat climbs the front. This will mean you can use whatever tubs you like without fear of them going flying.

If you only have a few tubs so a wardrobe would have lots of empty space then something smaller like a reptile vivarium again with a section (ends or back) replaced with mesh. A viv has the advantage of being simple and flat and can be used as a surface in limited space.

I don't think any other method would really work in your situation as a cat staring in the top of a tub all day long isn't good for the mice even if there is no chance of the tub going flying.


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## YuukikoOgawa (Jul 26, 2013)

Regarding litters getting munched, I've been pleasantly surprised so far. The switch to the plastic bins seems to have had a huge impact on the mice's confidence, as they seem to be opaque enough that the mice think they can't be seen. I've also had some luck with securing towels over the bins with litters in them; had to place a heavy book on top to keep the cat from yanking the towel off, but so far they seem much more comfortable with that. The cat can't see them, and he gets squirted anytime someone catches him sticking his head underneath the towel, and I also found a couple of those automatic hissing cans to help establish a perimeter that he's not allowed past.

I have considered the cabinet with the glass door idea, but have yet to find a design that would actually work. It would have to be light enough that I can get it up the stairs to my apartment, at least in dis-assembled pieces, and put together on my own. Then I'd have to bolt it to the apartment wall to make sure Shinji still can't get behind it and push it over or something. There's also local climate issues; we have an active volcano looming over us, which means frequent mild earthquakes punctuated by a big one about once every five years or so, assuming that this volcano or one of its siblings doesn't decide to blow a fuse sooner than expected (in which case the big quakes come much more often).

That, combined with extreme windstorms AND my crazy cat, had led me to effectively swear off anything involving glass.

For now, my plan is to try the chrome shelving, sturdy plastic bins that are at least semi-opaque, bungie cords to secure the bins to the shelving (which will be attached to the wall itself), and the hissing cans. And maybe encouraging the dog to keep the cats away from that area; he's a retired herding dog, and we've caught him snapping at the cats for getting too close to the mice cages before.


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