I’m about ready to start throwing cats outside! 😦
This is what I discovered, this morning.
The long piece of insulation across the top is what had been blocking the opening on the back of the tank lid. You can even see the claw marks in it!
Some nasty little beast managed to pull one of the trays up!
The peat stayed in most of the cells, though a few at the very back were empty when I straightened it out. I found the plugs and put them back as best I could, and gently took loose peat off the cells it had fallen on and put it in the emptier cells. I will give it a day or two, then plant new seeds in the cells that didn’t survive.
Eventually, the seedlings will reach a height were I can take out the box that is keeping them closer to the light, and the cats won’t be able to reach the trays anymore, but for now they trays need to be this high. They should probably be a bit higher, but that would just make it easier for a cat to reach. The opening in the back is where I’m going to set up the tiny fan we have, to blow over the seedlings and help them get stronger, but for now, I’ve basically put a sheet of foam core over the tank’s lid and weighed it down. It should still have a bit of air circulation, but we’ll have to keep a close eye on it.
I am not pleased with the kitties! 😦
The Re-Farmer
The Re-Farmer 
Do you think one of the cats might be jealous of your gardening? They are quirky like that.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Some of them just really, really like digging in dirt. We’ve had to “cage” our house plants, and they’ve still managed to kill off several. Right now, that little gap in the lid is the only access to soil they have, and they’re going for it! Of the ones that like to dig in the dirt, only two are adult size (that we’ve caught in the act) and have legs long enough to reach the trays.
I do wish we could get them to stop; onions are toxic to cats. As it is, we haven’t been in the room to catch them doing it, so we can’t even be sure which one(s) are responsible.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Flushable wipe jokes aside, I wish I had some idea beyond move it to a room the cats aren’t allowed in. It’s got to be frustrating having all that work trashed.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks. It certainly is.
The light can be removed from the underside of the cover. I’ve been trying to think of a way to make a wire mesh cover, like for the big tank, but this tank is so much smaller, I would need something much thinner to make the frame than the wood I used for the big tank. We just don’t have anything that I know of, and it’s not like I can walk into the hardware store and look around for something, because they don’t honour medical mask exemptions. Ordinarily, I’d go prowling through the sheds and barn, but there’s still too much snow.
We hadn’t bothered to shovel paths to all of them.
I’ll figure it out! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I dunno… Heavy wood is probably just what you need. Weight is what will keep the cats out, and the only other alternative is to put something heavy on top. THAT will cause the screen to sag sooner or later. I’d consider 2 x 4s as a frame.
I’d suggest bungies for the screen as another alternative, BUT my cats LOVE chewing through cords of any type.
LikeLiked by 1 person
For the frame, it’s not about the weight – I can secure it other ways – but the light. I used up the narrower wood I had on the frames of the big tank. The same wood on the little tank would cause to much shade, as the light fixture would end up on top, rather than under. The only wood I have left is even bigger.
Something narrow for a frame and I could attach the fixture on the underside again.
I did not expect the smaller tank to be more of an issue than the big one! Lol
LikeLiked by 1 person
I was thinking run the wood frame around the outside of the tank actually, not on top of it. Let the screen be all that’s on top. IIRC you’re using wire mesh strong enough to hold up the wood.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think I can picture what you mean. The tank is too small. Especially if all I’ve got to use is the old 2x4s I’ve got in the basement right now. Plus, the gap between tank and wall would be just too tempting for the kitties. When the tank was full of water, and there was a gap to fit the external portion of the filter, it wasn’t too much of a concern, but with just seed trays inside, the destructive buggers would knock the whole tank right off the shelf.
LikeLiked by 1 person
LikeLiked by 1 person
OK what about this:
https://www.chewy.com/zilla-fresh-air-screen-cover/dp/129542?utm_id=401427328&msclkid=e82c72bedfa71626602612864baf31d5&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Shopping-Product%20Targets-Consumables-SSP-DDG&utm_term=4585581968222739&utm_content=All%20Products
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh, I just looked at the comments. Someone asked about a 13 pound cat sitting on it. Should hold, but not recommended. 🤣🤣
LikeLiked by 1 person
ROFL. I give up 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
🤣😄
LikeLike
Ooooh!! Yes. That is very much like what I had in mind to build!
I wonder how it would handle the weight of a cat sitting on it? Lol.
LikeLike