Racks and other animals

No I'm not asking what other kinds of animals can live in a rack. I'm asking about the racks ability to keep other animals out. I use my living room for QT and the main collection is upstairs in the "Animal Room" where we keep our rodents, sugar gliders, and snakes. That room is off limits to the cats but the living room is not. Currently in QT we have two ball pythons and a corn snake all in tanks. Soon I will be getting two racks and the ball pythons will go into the racks but the little cornsnake will have to stay in a tank.

The thing is, my cats have already showed they can open the kind of screen lid I have on two of the 3 tanks in QT. I used to own anoles and when I left the house one day I forgot to shut the door to my room and my cats went in and tore open the screen and injured both anoles. I have two tanks like that now but the cats have been seperated from the living room since we moved into the new apartment. Now its time for them to start being allowed downstairs and we'll be getting racks. If I move the ball pythons into racks, how easily can a cat get into a rack? Is there anything I can do to the rack to make it cat-proof? What should I do about the corn? Its lid is made of the same screen as the one the cats could tear open.

If you use the sort of locking mechanisms that slide down from the top to cover the lid of each tub, or use wood dowels drilled into the bottom, then the cats would have to know enough to lift these out before pulling the tub forward in order to get into them. I've also seen pictures (i think someone here did this) where they've screwed a hole in each of the shelves of the rack and then slide a long wooden rod down it so that the entire rod needs to be lifted out before the tubs can be pulled out.

I'd think that would baffle a cat for awhile... But I don't have the highest opinion of cats other than they will do anything in their power to annoy and drive you crazy (I've severly allergic).

A lot of rack manufacturers provide small plastic tabs that keep the tubs from sliding open, that would effectively make it impossible for the snake to escape or anything to find its way in, assuming that the tabs are in place.

The other way would be to take a long metal, pvc, or plastic rod to fasten in place in front of the rack. It would be a pretty easy DIY mod...look at Ralph's video with his racks and you can get an idea of the concept:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YAK1If9rnA

Notive that there is a long metal rod that runs the full height of the rack that secures the tubs in place. You could do something similar to a plastic rack with basic tools and a little imagination.

Even without the locks in place though, I can't see how a cat would be able to slide open a tub...

You underestimate my cats. lol. They will find their way into anything and if they can't get into it they will work at it every chance they get. The rack I have and the racks I'm going to get all have little locking pins (plastic pins that fit into a hole in each shelf) I will try just using the locking pins that the rack came with. If I see any evidence of the cats even getting close to opening a tub, I'm going to make a better security device to keep them out.

If they can get it, I'd try the long rod that slides down infront of all of them.... The only thing is, you have to take out the whole bar to get to any of the tubs underneath. Here's my version of a picture that doesn't involve actually finding one for you:


Pin^
Pull up
to remove Pin^ Pin^
_______|_______|_______|__________ < Shelf
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'''''''''''''''''''|'''''''''''''''''''|'''''''''''''''''''|
_______|_______|_______|__________ < Shelf
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'''''''''''''''''''|'''''''''''''''''''|'''''''''''''''''''|
_______|_______|_______|__________ < Shelf

Unless your cats can push the back end of the tub out from the back end, there is really no way for them to get into the rack...

Are you getting an open rack (vision) or a closed rack (Boaphile)?

Closed rack would be almost impossible... Open rack a bit more simple..

Its from reptile basics, the 32qt sweater rack (I already have one and am getting another) and the 41qt thats just like it.