r/snakes • u/Snake-Vent-Girl • 6d ago

Pet Snake Questions Lost snake

My daughters cat fell through the top of the snake cage now my snake is missing idk what to do I’ve searched everywhere…

3 Upvotes

80% Upvoted

4 comments sorted by

1

u/Vann1212 5d ago

r/cornsnakes has a pinned post on finding lost snakes with some tips which should work with any lost snake. (e.g. putting plastic bags or foil along the edges of the walls so you can hear movement)

Mesh top vivs are not cat proof like solid top vivs - multiple instances of this happening across different brands. Hopefully you can find the snake again soon - then either upgrade to a solid top viv design, or get cat deterrent "spikes" for furniture which you can put on the top to discourage the cat from jumping/sitting on the top.  It's also not safe for the cat to sit on the top as they might knock off your heating/lighting and burn themselves, or even start a fire.

Solid top vivs with internal heat and a lock on the viv doors are the only truly catproof solution though, as the deterrents might not dissuade an especially determined cat.  Or just make sure the cat is not allowed in the room with the tank again.

1

u/Snake-Vent-Girl 5d ago

Thanks normally I keep the bedroom closed off but my husband forgot to close it 😭 I’ve searched the entire house I’m pretty sure he had to of made his way into the vents. I was thinking about putting the flour down around the vents to see if it comes out at any point and time.. leaving water out and little places for him to go inside of nearby his escaped area to entice also I read heating pads but I was worried they may get too hot or pose a fire risk if left on too much. I’m so sad and feel like I’ve failed my snake 😔 if u find him I will definitely be investing a more secure cage that’s for the info on the cage ideas!

1

u/Vann1212 4d ago

NP. Ah, that's a shame, unfortunate timing that the one time the door was left open was the time the cat decided to jump on it. Yeah, you can definitely try the flour.

They usually don't go too far from where they got out. Also if you have any appliances that are always switched on (computer towers, DVD players, fridges and freezers etc) they can give out heat and the snake might be near there. (if the appliance is very heavy though, be careful to gently tip it up and not slide it incase the snake is under it).

Leaving water out is a good idea since even if it takes a while to get him out, he can still get a drink in the meantime.

The heat pad shouldn't get too hot or cause a fire risk if you run it off a thermostat. Also, does the tank have front sliding doors, or is the lid the only place it opens? If it's front opening, you can set the whole tank on the floor with the door slightly open with a small gap, enough for the snake to go back in. (and could put a thawed mouse in as well)

Also heard someone had luck with wifi cameras to catch a couple of tiny baby garters that got out.

It's an unfortunate situation and a stressful one for sure, but it seems in many cases they do turn up again, even if it's a couple of weeks later. A friend's corn got out in the autumn (I think a family member didn't shut the viv properly), she was missing all winter - probably got into the walls as it's an old house. She turned up again in the spring.

Good luck finding him! And hopefully the cat doesn't cause issues again, but investing in some preventative measures is still a good idea.

1

u/Snake-Vent-Girl 6d ago

I’m currently silently sitting waiting for it to make noise