Can my animals get stuck in my heat vents?

[Jonny2184]

I just bought me a house maybe a week ago and have been living there for almost a week.
I have oil heat in the building and I have all kinds of plastic vents in every room for the heat to come up.

My questions is can my cats or dog or maybe even a rat or snake lift them up and get into them??
One is really big like 3 feet long and 1 foot wide (and it's metal) but the rest are like 1 foot long and 1/2 foot wide (made from plastic).
I'm worried my cats can lift them up and get in. They are not bolted down and are light plastic?? I could screw them down but I need to take them up now and then and clean them out. They would probably have to lift them maybe 3-4inches before it comes out but I can see a cat doing that perhaps...Velcrow maybe?? I have new click flooring and didnt really want to ruin it just yet...
any suggestions???

[Patrick Long]

maybe electrical tape

[Jonny2184]

maybe electrical tape

I could do that. It might make the floors around the vents look a little ugly but that is an idea!

[wolfy-hound]

Use industrial velcro, or the best way is to drill and put in screws.
You can use liquid nails, but only if you never intend to take them up again. That stuff don't release.
Be aware that snakes can also squeeze in without lifting the whole vent in MANY cases. Always watch your snakes and reptiles while they are not contained.

[Jonny2184]

Thanks for the tips...
I think I will go with the velcro because it can be hidden under the vent and I can still get it up...

I plan on watching them closely, dont you worry about that one!

THANKS!

[Jonny2184]

or the best way is to drill and put in screws.

I was gonna do the screw thing but if I have to clean them like twice a year or whatever I think the screw holes would become weaker and weaker because I would always have to take them in and out, right??? I could put some plastic butterflies in the holes that could help! Then it would hold better after I take them in and out constantly! Plus the screws will hold much stronger then velcro I would think... ah I'll figure it out somehow! lol
Cheers for the input!

[Patrick Long]

can you snap a picture of it?

[Jonny2184]

can you snap a picture of it?

I suppose I could If you wanted one!
It's just a plane white plastic heat vent that is 1 foot long and 6 inches wide.
The gaps in the grid are maybe half inch wide or less. (a baby BP or Corn could get threw them no prob I would think. And a full grown BP could probably break the plastic if it pushed hard enough)
It doesnt have screw holes in it rigth now so I dont think it was ment to be screwed down.
and it's just laying on top of some laminate click flooring...

If I can dig my camera out of the boxes I'll try to get a pic later sometime!

[Patrick Long]

its all good you dont gotta dig i was just thinkin it might be easier to come up with a solution if i saw it. no worries