You might want to reinforce the top with "hardware cloth" (welded wire mesh from hardware stores), that's what I make my cage tops out of.
Your problem with cat reminded me of something I read long ago that might work to train your cat not to like jumping up there:
Basically you get a few sheets of newspaper & a few mouse-traps (snap traps, NOT the "humane traps"): set the traps- on top of surface you want pet
to avoid, then carefully lay the paper on top, so that when kitty lands on it, the traps snap & scare cat off without actually hurting the cat. Hopefully the
"scare" lasts. The trick with training animals is to catch them in the act of doing the wrong thing so they connect the act with the undesired consequence.
But personally, I'd keep the cat out of the room where the snakes or other pets are, because a determined cat may try something else that's worse.
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