Question for those who have small animals in aquariums

oceanbreathes

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I'm trying to decide where to put my gerbils' current aquariums. One is a 20 long, the other a 29 gallon. I have a metal shelving unit and am considering buying a cheap metal aquarium stand. However, I worry my largest cat & 12lb+ kitten could possibly knock or push the aquariums off the stands/unit by jumping against them or jumping on top. Has anyone heard of this happening?
 

1CatOverTheLine

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I'm trying to decide where to put my gerbils' current aquariums. One is a 20 long, the other a 29 gallon. I have a metal shelving unit and am considering buying a cheap metal aquarium stand. However, I worry my largest cat & 12lb+ kitten could possibly knock or push the aquariums off the stands/unit by jumping against them or jumping on top. Has anyone heard of this happening?
Even a cursory sampling of YouTube videos will reveal multiple instances of cats knocking over:

Christmas Trees

Really Large Televisions

Small Children

A Fawn

Multiple Dogs

A Bowling Ball

10, 15, 20 and 55 Gallon Aquaria

A Bookcase (Fully Laden)

A Stand-Up Room Air Conditioner

A Food Processor

A Toaster Oven

and countless other things you'd never really expect cats to have any interest in knocking over.

I'd guess that gerbils, displayed in a glass box like some sort of exotic cat toys, just might pique their interest.  I'd approach the problem starting with the premise, "Super Glue the aquarium to an anvil," and go forward from there.

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oceanbreathes

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Good point. I've always kept the aquariums positioned on tables/stands/etc where this would be impossible but I think I'll look into bungie cords, glue, etc. They generally don't get too crazy with their gerbils(who enjoy the cats/have zero fear of them) but I wouldn't rule out the possibility of a catastrophe of that nature with these boys.

Edit: one of the aforementioned boys looks like your avatar kitty. :)
 
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1CatOverTheLine

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Good point. I've always kept the aquariums positioned on tables/stands/etc where this would be impossible but I think I'll look into bungie cords, glue, etc. They generally don't get too crazy with their gerbils(who enjoy the cats/have zero fear of them) but I wouldn't rule out the possibility of a catastrophe of that nature with these boys.

Edit: one of the aforementioned boys looks like your avatar kitty.
Ah... was he made by the Devil just like mine?

.
 
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oceanbreathes

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Ah... was he made by the Devil just like mine?

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I have to laugh because he had major aggression problems when we adopted him. He's improved dramatically but remains a moody guy. He's also a clown who is very affectionate & social with me/his feline brothers.
 

1CatOverTheLine

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I have to laugh because he had major aggression problems when we adopted him. He's improved dramatically but remains a moody guy. He's also a clown who is very affectionate & social with me/his feline brothers.
Snowshoes are, by and large, affectionate with both Humans and with other cats as well.  Still, their intelligence and inquisitiveness makes them appear to have been made by some twisted God straight out of Blake's nightmares.

Mine (Moo Shu Snowshoe) can and does open every cabinet in the house, and sees doors not so much as barriers but as challenges.  She, "catches" - dependent upon the season - snowflakes, leaves, bugs and tree pollen, through the window glass as each drifts past on some errant breeze, often standing up and slapping against the glass for long stretches, until she's convinced that she's beaten whatever it was that she set out to.  She's also an inveterate kisser, and woe betide me should I stumble down to make coffee in the morning without first picking her up and saying, "hello."  They're definitely 'high maintenance' cats, and retain a large proportion of their hereditary Siamese reflexes and agility.

I'm sorry to hear that you got stuck with one glad to hear that you have one too.

.
 

Draco

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How about supporting the stand to the wall? 

Screw two screws with eyelets (screw with an open circles) into the the studs behind the aquarium and then use wire or a nylon rope to attach the screws to the frame. I would attach the screws in the studs even with the base of the stand to make it more structurally secure.
 

arouetta

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I'm trying to decide where to put my gerbils' current aquariums. One is a 20 long, the other a 29 gallon. I have a metal shelving unit and am considering buying a cheap metal aquarium stand. However, I worry my largest cat & 12lb+ kitten could possibly knock or push the aquariums off the stands/unit by jumping against them or jumping on top. Has anyone heard of this happening?
When I had a roommate she had a mouse in an aquarium.  One of my cats (only two at that time) was fascinated by watching the mouse.  He would even lie on top of the metal screen on a regular basis.  One time the roommate accidentally left the top off and she found the mouse happily running in its wheel as the cat had his head in the aquarium watching.

And one day he actually did end up pushing on the aquarium hard enough that it was pushed off the tiny cabinet it was on.  The mouse survived the fall without a bit of trouble but I think the crash traumatized the cat as he ran out of the room like his life depended on it and he never laid on top of it again.
 

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I keep my daughters hamster cage on the floor because I am afraid of it being pushed over. The cats spend slightly decreasing amounts of time watching lollipop, as the novelty wears off.
 
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