# Cat sleeping in enclosure?



## chase thorn (Jun 23, 2012)

So I have caught my kitty sleeping in my Russians enclosure a coupe times now. I don't want anything to happen with her or my tortoise so I went to Lowes and built this contraption.





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I have no idea why she would sleep in there, either it was warm or she was waiting to get a little snack, Either way I am still not ok with my cat snuggling with my Tort 

Though this was funny and thought to share! Any one else have this problem?


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## wellington (Jun 23, 2012)

What's not so funny, is that you didn't get a pic of the cat in the enclosure before you kicked him out. My cat could get in the enclosure but doesn't just will watch in if my tort is moving. But the cat quickly gets bored. Does the same with my bird.
I like the chicken wire curtain/door, smart idea.


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## Blakem (Jun 23, 2012)

Before I made a new top for my enclosure, one of my cats always tried to. I have woken up in the middle of the night to my cat trying to jump into the enclosure. Now, I have my Russian outside and both of my cats hang out with my tortoise for an hour or more sometimes. They just watch him walk around. They will also lay next to him while he is sometimes sleeping. I have 3 pictures that are comical that I will post tomorrow. I cannot post through my phone unfortunately.


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## chase thorn (Jun 23, 2012)

The door is made with PVC and some chicken wire and zip ties! I wish I got a picture!


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## N2TORTS (Jun 23, 2012)

ya mean like this ...?


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## chase thorn (Jun 23, 2012)

Looks just like her!!  hahaha


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## bigred (Jun 23, 2012)

My cats have been sleeping with my redfoots for YEARS.


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## chase thorn (Jun 23, 2012)

My tort is pretty tiny. And she is a killer of many small animals  She would either sleep there or sit right in front of his hide. Just looking and waiting.


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## ascott (Jun 23, 2012)

Well, I don't have any cats D) but my neighbors brought to their house a couple cats that are now about 6 cats (which includes the neighborhood tom cats a time or two a month).....so anyway, one of the cats had her kitten inside of one of the CDTs burrow/hide....

Well, this tort is the most sensitive of them all and apparently was not going into his burrow/hide for a few days and then I stumbled across him in a place he would not normally be as it was getting dark during my nightly bed checks...which prompted me to get the flashlight and peek...and found that the kitten was in there...so over the last few weeks some nights he would sleep in his brumation box in the house instead of out in the open...

Recently he has claimed his burrow/hide again during the day and some of the nights...so I just go and check his back up spot and if he is there, I just scoop him up and into his back up bed and if he is not then he is in his burrow/hide....the cats do not seem to try to cause him harm but rather I believe he is just annoyed (human emotion input here) with them....so, both he and myself will be happy when the kitten moves on with the mom out of his burrow...

Ingenious idea with the wire screen....ok so I am nosey P) why is your tort in the closet...do you have to hide him from time to time....lol


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## chase thorn (Jun 23, 2012)

In the winter, It stays warm, and in the summer, it stays cool! haha I live in a apartment so I have 0 room anywhere else! Moving in a couple months so this is kinda temporary! Plus he has all the peace and quiet! My apartment landlord... IF thats what you call them... Has no idea I have a tortoise, so I don't want to find out if its ok or not


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## ascott (Jun 23, 2012)

> Has no idea I have a tortoise, so I don't want to find out if its ok or not




LOL....funny, this is what I was thinking...but good idea on the temp controlled "room"....nice


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## chase thorn (Jun 23, 2012)

He seems to love it  I also grow cacti from seed in there so those lights give off some heat as well. About 70-75* in the summer and 75* in the winter! Pretty stable temps throughout the year!


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## ascott (Jun 23, 2012)

> I also grow cacti from seed in there so those lights give off some heat as well



Nice....When I was young, I knew a guy who grew things in a closet...lol....


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## chase thorn (Jun 23, 2012)

HAHAHA now if my Landlord saw my little grow setup, they would flip and I'd be on the streets! I only grow cacti  Here in Colorado, you can't go down any street without seeing at least three medical centers... I don't think people grow that as much as they used to here! lol


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## lisa127 (Jun 24, 2012)

They do it because it's warm. I used to have an open top enclosure for my blue tongued skink. I found my male cat in the enclosure sleeping directly under the heat lamp, and my blue tongued skink lizard snuggled up under the substrate on the cool end.


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## N2TORTS (Jun 24, 2012)

ascott said:


> > I also grow cacti from seed in there so those lights give off some heat as well
> 
> 
> 
> Nice....When I was young, I knew a guy who grew things in a closet...lol....



<heh> .....Back then ... We might actually have known each other .. "Ange" ..


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## ascott (Jun 24, 2012)

> ascott Wrote:
> Quote:
> I also grow cacti from seed in there so those lights give off some heat as well
> 
> ...



LOL....


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## chase thorn (Jun 25, 2012)

So last night I was watching tv and noticed my cat snooping the new door I made. Either it was too dark in the room or she had no idea there was chicken wire there... Long story short, she ran and leaped into the wire and it became a trampoline... she bounced back quite a few feet!! she is ok and my sides still hurt from laughing! taught her a lesson!


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## Jacqui (Jun 25, 2012)

My cats take any chance they can to get in with the tortoises to sleep, be it inside or out.  It also seems like if we have any feral cats we are working with in the house, who end up with kittens, that giving birth in with the tortoises is the place they are choosing. Since we are talking redfoots and hingebacks, I have been surprised that none of the tortoises bother the newborns at all.


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## ascott (Jun 25, 2012)

> feral cats we are working with in the house, who end up with kittens, that giving birth in with the tortoises is the place they are choosing.



This is interesting....I have a stray cat that has decided that one of the outdoor burrow hides served as the chosen spot for her one kitten...so far during the day the tort now goes into his hide and the kitten seems to lay against him sleeping....although he does not seem to appreciate when she bumps his head as she goes past him in the tight quarters....the mom cat I figure must not be hurting him either because he checks out all ok each day?????


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## tortoisefriend (Jul 1, 2012)

hi, 
much to my dismay, my roommate is bringing her two adult cats to live with us in our tiny apartment! i am fearful for my wonderful collection of potted plants, and most of all, for my 3 tors. 2 russians, one redfoot, all in separate indoor enclosures. we are top floor apt. and we dont really have access to a yard or patio or anything. anyway, all of my enclosures are closed but these cats are smart and curious, and love to get into things. they like to eat things, and probably have an insatiable blood thirst. is there any advice to be offered with regard to cat repellent/ control? tortoise friendly modes of keeping them the eff out of my plant/tor area? cats and tors living together, in general?
i like cats, but only when they have enough space to be happy and entertained without having to destroy/pee of everything in sight. 
ive heard citrus peels and bitter apple works for plants. bring on the clementines.


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## Jacqui (Jul 1, 2012)

tortoisefriend said:


> hi,
> much to my dismay, my roommate is bringing her two adult cats to live with us in our tiny apartment! i am fearful for my wonderful collection of potted plants, and most of all, for my 3 tors. 2 russians, one redfoot, all in separate indoor enclosures. we are top floor apt. and we dont really have access to a yard or patio or anything. anyway, all of my enclosures are closed but these cats are smart and curious, and love to get into things. they like to eat things, and probably have an insatiable blood thirst. is there any advice to be offered with regard to cat repellent/ control? tortoise friendly modes of keeping them the eff out of my plant/tor area? cats and tors living together, in general?
> i like cats, but only when they have enough space to be happy and entertained without having to destroy/pee of everything in sight.
> ive heard citrus peels and bitter apple works for plants. bring on the clementines.



All I can say is in the years of having tortoises and cats, none of the cats have ever hurt or even seriously bothered a tortoise. Not saying they can't or won't, just saying odds would seem to be in your favor. Small tortoises would run the biggest risk, but more with being carried off for the cat to play with them some where else or even given a good swat by the felines. 

One big warning I have for you is to get covers on all the tortoises. Heavy duty ones. The permade ones like for tanks, my cats break the screens in. Watch out for those heat lamps and CHEs even. I had a cat catch her fur on fire with a tortoise lamp. 

As for plants.... sorry no advise as I have given up having inside plants with my cats.  Hard enough to bring in leaves and other goodies from outside and get them fed before the cats start stealing them.


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## N2TORTS (Jul 1, 2012)

Ok gang .... I'm going to give ya a little " family secret" ....
To keep your fury feline friends away from plants, tort enclosures or any unwanted spots . Try this ... mix 50/50 water and listerine mouth wash (the gold stuff) put into spray bottle and mist areas you want the kitties away from. It usally works well , safe and non toxic , plus will freshen up the room ~


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## chase thorn (Jul 16, 2012)

Here she is!

View attachment 24273


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## RonHays (Jul 16, 2012)

I just adjust the nozzle that I mist my baby sulcata with to jet, and squirt the cats. They run off and stay gone for a while. Lol. I first tried this trick to keep cats out of the Christmas tree and it worked. Of course my indoor enclosure stays covered completely at night anyway to keep the baby warm at night.


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