Re: Iguanas and Cats: The ongoing battle

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Posted by reptileluvr on August 16, 1999 at 09:48:50:

In Reply to: Iguanas and Cats: The ongoing battle posted by Kitty on August 16, 1999 at 00:22:35:

I know that some people may disagree, but I went with negative reinforcement with my cats....I've trained three of them to have nothing but respect and fear for lizards.

There are a few ways that I do this.

I put the lizards on the floor (one at a time) and when the cats invariably get near, I make a loud noise that the cat finds unpleasant. (They are trained to jump at a hissing noise)

The other way is that if the cat is lying down, I'll take a lizard and put it near the cat, let the cat smell it and tell the cat, "no". I guess your cat has to be trained to know what that means.

Last...if the lizard is ever out and the cat gets ANYWHERE near it, you use a water gun or squirt bottle....two or three times and they never do it again.

As it stands now, I have seven lizards and if any of them are ever out, the cats are completely trustworthy with them. They can be left for hours without any incident.

I guess all-in-all, you have to have your cats trained first and then dealing with lizards is just an extention of their obedience training.

Of course, as much as my cats are trained....I can't keep em out of my plants....I guess you win some and lose some. :)

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Re: Iguanas and Cats: The ongoing battle Lola and Harry's Mom 8/16/99 (0)

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: I know that some people may disagree, but I went with negative reinforcement with my cats....I've trained three of them to have nothing but respect and fear for lizards. : There are a few ways that I do this. : I put the lizards on the floor (one at a time) and when the cats invariably get near, I make a loud noise that the cat finds unpleasant. (They are trained to jump at a hissing noise) : The other way is that if the cat is lying down, I'll take a lizard and put it near the cat, let the cat smell it and tell the cat, "no". I guess your cat has to be trained to know what that means. : Last...if the lizard is ever out and the cat gets ANYWHERE near it, you use a water gun or squirt bottle....two or three times and they never do it again. : As it stands now, I have seven lizards and if any of them are ever out, the cats are completely trustworthy with them. They can be left for hours without any incident. : I guess all-in-all, you have to have your cats trained first and then dealing with lizards is just an extention of their obedience training. : Of course, as much as my cats are trained....I can't keep em out of my plants....I guess you win some and lose some. :)

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