Worth Getting A Fish Tank And Some Fish To Entertain The Cats?

[saleri]

Considering getting a fish tank to entertain my two cats. I had goldfish in the past and I know there is a good bit of work. Thoughts? It'll completely not be worth it if the cats don't care, and that's the only reason I would want to get one.

 

[Willowy]

If that's the only reason you'd want a fish tank, I'll say no. My cats tend to be fascinated by fish or rodents for about a week or so. Then they ignore them. It's a fairly short-lived diversion. A fish tank app on a tablet should have the same effect.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hmmm...if possible, you could maybe try running a software app of fish and see if they have any interest in that, before going through the actual tank/live fish situation? ...oh, willowy and I were typing at the same time LOL

 

[sabrinah]

I would also say no. My cat and dog were interested in the fish for like 2 days and that was it. If anything they don't like the fishtanks because I spend too much time on them. It gets to the point that they'll physically block my view of the tanks! My cat also learned how to scare the fish into hiding at the bottom of the tank when she decides she wants attention so I can't see the fish anymore. It's really irritating when she interrupts breeding activity. Oh, and then there's the issue of the cat drinking from the filter, despite having a water fountain...and cat hair somehow getting in the tank and stuck in a fish gill...and the cat knocking all the fish food on the floor. Then there's the possibility of the cat learning to open the lid and eating all the fish... OH and there's the fun times when the cat is sitting on the tank and starts making puke sounds and nearly throws up in the filter outflow which would be disastrous. An app would really be the better way to go if you're just looking for kitty entertainment.

 

[Furballsmom]

@sabrina, oh my goodness!!

 

[LTS3]

I wouldn't bother. Maintaining a fish tank is a lot of work and you need to check the water quality and parameters daily and know how to adjust if something is off. A small tank seems easier to maintain but it's not. It's at least double the work because it's harder to maintain the water quality.

Some cats will drink out if the tank which is a potential health issue because of fish poop and bacteria and whatever chemicals you use for water quality.

You can try one of those robotic fish that swims in a tank. It's marketed as a kid's toy.

 

[momof3b1g]

My brother has a cat who loves watching the fish in the tank. He even got him his own stool so he could watch. But he does not have a tank just for the cat. We have a tank. No fish in it, they died and in reality dont want any more pets. Its a pain to keep clean. Though if it would help entertain my cats and ease tension. Maybe i should.

 

[Kieka]

You could get a small tank with mechanical fish. genmine Robot Fish Swimming Fish Toy Water-Activated Magical Electronic Pets Toy Kids Children Gifts Pack of 4 (Random Color)
No live creature involved, no feeding (unless you count batteries), no chemicals in the water. Just colorful fish swimming around and you can just top off water as needed.... Probably change it once a week too.

 

[Furballsmom]

You could get a small tank with mechanical fish

This is brilliant!

 

[Purr-fect]

I agree with the others.

Cats will likely loose interest.

I use bird and mice videos on the desktop or tablets for the cats.

My boy's LOVE watching birds at the window eating from a bird feeder, you might try that.

 

[aliceneko]

I agree that getting a digital version of a fish tank or a tank with mechanical fish in sounds better than getting actual fish if that's all their purpose will be. I have a goldfish, which I got long before we adopted Toffee and Fudge, and the boys are fascinated in the fish (but their fear of water stops them from trying to get her, thankfully) though I'm in the opposite frame of mind to you and don't want them to go near her incase they harm her. She's 14 years old, so is incredibly old for a goldfish, so the boys aren't allowed near her tank.
There's an app called CatAlone: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.galbro.cataloneandroid&hl=en_GB that has entertaining images for cats. The channel RelaxMyCat on YouTube also has calming and videos for bored cats that you might find useful.
I also find that nature documentaries such as Blue Planet are very effective for this.

 

[TobiDaDog]

If you're really interested in having a fish tank, it can be a very rewarding experience! That being said, it's also extremely expensive, difficult to maintain at times, and requires a lot of attention. You'll probably be staring at those fish more than your cats do! I've had my goldfish tank for four years. Sir never showed a lick of interest in the fish and Reese tried to climb in a few times just for the filter water and ended up getting dunked.

 

[Pucks104]

Louie and Newman watch the fish tanks some as they watch TV some. I wouldn’t
get one just for the cats because the tanks require care too. However I enjoy ours - 2 five gallon tanks with a betta in each and a 29 gallon with 7 Tetra.