Need Help Cat Proofing

[PiggySlave]

This morning I caught my cat laying on top of one of my piggy cages with one leg all the way through a grid, to his shoulder, and taking swipes at my piggies. I thought sure the cage was cat proofed. Obviously I was wrong. I don't know for sure how long he had been trying to get them, as I had been out of the room for about an hour. But my two boys in the cage seemed terrified. They were cowering in opposite corners.

This cage is a 3x3 grid cage, with shelving across the front 1x3 area and the the whole top, 3x3 has grids, that cover the back 2x3 area and also goes over the shevling area.

Can someone please help me find a solution to this problem?
If I can't fix it so the cat can't get to them, I will be looking for a new home for a kitty cat. LOL That won't be easy either, as he is my husbands cat.

I have searched the forum trying to find a better way to cat proof but have not been able to find a better solution. If I double the grid on top, I won't be able to lift the top to get to my piggies or clean it by myself.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[Percy's Mom]

I'm assuming your cat has his claws, or this wouldn't really be a problem. Eventually, the pigs will get used to the cat arm.

Do you have an extra piece of coroplast? Perhaps if you cut one to the size of the inside of your lid and attach it with cable ties. It would stabalize the lid should the cat still jump up, and he won't be able to get his arm through.

[Sabriel]

My cats used to swat the pigs all the time. Then they learned, and rather quick, that pigs have very big teeth. And they are't afriad to use them. Especially when the cats try to eat their hay.

Watch your cat next time you catch him swating them. Most likely he doesn't use his claws. Neither of my cats do. They are playing, not hunting.

If you really want to turn the tables on you cat, let youyr pigs out after him. All 5 of my pigs are obsessed with tails. They swarm the tail and nibble on it.

My cats seem to think now, that the pigs pick on them.

[Emmett]

You could replace the top grids with mesh type grids. Or maybe attach wire cloth or screen to the grids.
Regarding cats playing with guinea pigs I wouldn't trust most cats with them. I had cats that killed gophers and rabbits much bigger than any guinea pig. One cat killed and brought home a weasel. Cats are natural predators and cavys are prey. I did have one cat who was good with the pigs but still I never left him alone with them. I love my 2 cats but I'd never trust them with my piggies, it's just asking for heartache.

[Sabriel]

You can't paint all cats with the same brush. My cats have been housecats their entire lives and have no preditory drive what so ever. They think the pigs are kittens and treat them as such.

I leave my cage tops open for hours with no problems. All my cats want to do is hop inside, sleep on the SuperPet chair and eat hay.

My cats have issues killing flys. I am sure the guinea pigs are a bit hardier the insects.

The #1 cat/pig problem around here is Shampoo eating hay then leaving vomit/hay piles around the house.

[Percy's Mom]

I think this is more or less a better to be safe than sorry issue. You obviously have very gentle cats Sabriel. I do as well. Mine are scared of the pigs, but everyone isn't quite so lucky. If you're not sure of your cat, or think it might do something, catproofing the cage is a necessity for everyone's peace of mind.

[Sabriel]

Oh I agree with cat proofing. All my cages have lids. But the average cat would rather eat kibbles that taste better and don't run away then eat furry squirmy guinea pigs.

But I couldn't imagine living with a cat and not knowing it's personality. They aren't the shyest creatures. They tend to come right out and demand what they want. I trust my cat's becuase they have earned my trust.

My cat's are actualy quite, er, energetic. I wish they were as gentle with my toes in the morning as they are with the pigs.

[aqh88]

I've got barn cats that will kill rats and anything else they come across but they flee pretty darn quick when faced with a guinea pig. Even that black stray we named Pudding wouldn't mess with guinea pigs and she brought squirrels up to us many times. Squirrels are far more dangerous prey than any rats or rabbits. Guinea pigs may act like prey animals to us but if you really compare them they aren't like mice, rats, rabbits, and other things my barn cats catch. Many guinea pigs will go marching right up to cats and the cats are panicking about this good sized creature coming to get them. Carmel whacks them on the nose with no claws while flying as fast as she can the other direction and the guinea pigs just keep following her. I've had dozens of cats with guinea pigs and the only one that was trouble was 1 kitten. He went after Cinnamon when Cinnamon was a little 4oz baby that still ran away from everything. The other pig in the cage started chattering and attacked the cat. While I kept an eye on that cat he never ventured into the guinea pig cage again.

That doesn't mean you shouldn't keep a good eye on them incase you do have someone willing to use claws and if you can't keep the cat out of the room when you aren't there I would suggest just double gridding the cage. Off set another grid behind each of the first ones so the bars are half as wide. Then no kitty paws in the cage. While I would never let the cats near the pigs when I wasn't around watching I didn't have tops on my cages and Carmel would often lay in their hayloft or explore the pigs cage. Eventually someone would want to eat the hay she was laying on and either nip Carmel or just get near enough that she ran off.

[C&K]

If it is just the lid you are worried about, why not look fastening somthing like a wire mesh (chicken wire?) on the outside of the lid. It would be very light.

[AFROMANS]

My 17 year old cat seems to only care about a rodent sometimes. He might bring a shrew or something to the porch, but there's a mouse in our garage he won't get. He's a doof and sits under the birdfeeder as if a bird is just going to land infront of him or something. His sister used to catch birds, but she had to be put to sleep because of a tumor on her face. He won't go after guinea pigs because I suppose of their size. Unfortunately a long time ago we used to have gerbils, and they are more keen on escaping their cage than cavies, so if they would get out at night and aren't hiding, he would get them, never would eat them though.