Quick answer: To keep a terrarium out of reach after a move, let the cats settle for a week or two first, then use a closed, lidded terrarium fixed to a high, stable shelf with no easy jumping route. Choose plants on the ASPCA non-toxic list, keep it out of direct sun, and give the cats a cork-tile climbing area of their own nearby.
Moving house unsettles cats. New rooms, new smells and boxes everywhere encourage them to explore every surface, including shelves you had planned for plants. A sunroom is especially tempting: it is warm, bright and full of interesting things, and it is often where a terrarium ends up.
With more than one cat, the risk multiplies. One cat jumps up, the other follows, and a glass box of soil and plants comes down. This guide shows how to place a terrarium safely in a new sunroom, using the move as a chance to set good habits from the start.
Let the Cats Settle Before the Terrarium Arrives
Cats Protection's advice on bringing a cat home recommends starting cats in one quiet room and letting them explore the rest of a new home gradually. Follow the same idea after a move. Unpack the sunroom, let the cats explore it for a week or two, and watch which surfaces they jump on. Only then choose where the terrarium will go. A spot the cats ignore naturally is far easier to protect.
During those first weeks, keep the cats' food, water, litter and beds where they were in the old home's routine, so the move feels less disruptive and they are calmer when you add new things.
Choosing a Terrarium That Keeps Cats Out
Closed terrariums with a fitted glass lid or a sealed jar are safest: cats cannot reach plants or soil, and nothing spills if they sniff around it. Open terrariums and glass bowls invite paws and can be knocked off by a curious tail. Pick a wide, low terrarium rather than a tall, narrow one, as it is harder to tip.
- Closed, lidded or sealed glass
- Wide base, low centre of gravity
- Thick glass rather than thin decorative bowls
- No dangling moss or trailing plants outside the glass
Placing the Terrarium Out of Reach for Good
Out of reach means more than high. Cats can reach most shelves by jumping from a chair, windowsill or cabinet. Stand in the room and trace every route up: sofa back, plant stand, radiator cover, bookshelf. The best spot has no launch point within about 1.5 metres and a narrow surface around the terrarium so there is nowhere to land. A wall shelf above a door or a closed glass cabinet works well. Our terrarium out of reach in a townhouse sunroom guide shows another layout.
Anchoring and Stabilising
Fix the shelf into studs or with fixings rated for the load, and add a non-slip mat or museum putty under the terrarium so it cannot slide. In a multi-cat home, assume a cat will try to land on or next to it at least once. If the shelf sits above a hard floor, put the terrarium towards the back against the wall.
Cat-Safe Plants Only
Even in a closed terrarium, choose plants that are not toxic to cats, in case the glass ever breaks or a lid is left off. Check every plant against the ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant list. Our cat-safe houseplants list and toxic plant swaps guide give good terrarium choices such as some ferns, peperomia and small orchids.
Check that the plants stay small enough to sit fully inside the glass.
Building the Terrarium for a Cat Household
If you are making your own terrarium, a few choices make it safer. Use a heavy glass jar or tank with a lid that fits snugly or clips on. Layer gravel, a thin layer of activated charcoal and potting soil, then add small plants and a few smooth stones. Skip glass marbles and small decorative figures, which a cat could swallow if the glass broke. Keep the finished terrarium compact so it fits well back on its shelf. Our beginner terrarium build walks through the layers step by step, and the spring refresh guide covers replanting.
Using Cork Tiles to Guide Climbers
Cats climb because they want height and a view. Give them a better place to go. Cork tiles fixed to a wall at different heights, or a cork-covered board beside the window, create a climbing and scratching area that is more interesting than the terrarium shelf. Cork is light, grippy and easy to replace. Place it on the opposite side of the room from the terrarium so the cats' route up never passes it.
Managing Several Cats
In a multi-cat household, cats often follow each other. If one finds a route to the terrarium, the others learn it quickly. International Cat Care's advice on multi-cat households recommends plenty of high resting places so cats do not compete. Give every cat at least one high perch of its own in the sunroom, and they will have less reason to explore your plant shelf.
Giving the Cats Their Own Greenery
Cats are often drawn to plants because they want to chew or sniff something green. A tray of cat grass on the floor of the sunroom gives them a legal option and makes the terrarium less interesting. Our grow cat grass indoors guide shows the simple tray method. Place it near the cork climbing wall, so the cats' favourite area has everything they want: height, a scratch surface, a view and something to nibble. Swap the tray every couple of weeks so it stays fresh.
Many owners find that once the cats have their own corner, they stop exploring the plant shelf within a few weeks.
Heat and Light in a Sunroom
Sunrooms can overheat, and a closed terrarium in direct sun becomes very hot inside, which kills plants and makes the glass hot to touch. Place it out of direct afternoon sun, or use blinds. Check the temperature of the glass on a sunny day; if it is too warm to touch comfortably, move it.
Store watering cans and misters in a cupboard, as cats sometimes drink from them or knock them over.
Watering and Maintenance Without Opening Access
Closed terrariums need little watering, but when you do open them, shut the sunroom door first so no cat jumps up while the lid is off. Remove dead leaves promptly and do not leave tools, fertiliser or moss in the room. Wipe the glass rather than spraying cleaning products near the cats.
If a Cat Still Reaches It
Move the terrarium rather than trying to deter the cat. Double-sided tape or foil on the shelf edge can discourage landing in the short term, but the long-term fix is a better spot and better alternatives for the cats. Our cat-safe plants and indoor garden hub has more placement ideas, and our plant shelf cats won't knock over guide covers shelf styling.
Move-In Checklist
- Let the cats explore the sunroom for one to two weeks
- Note which surfaces they use
- Choose a closed, wide terrarium
- Pick a spot with no launch point nearby
- Anchor the shelf and add non-slip under the terrarium
- Check plants against the ASPCA list
- Add cork tiles or perches on the other side of the room
- Keep it out of direct afternoon sun
Terrariums, Sunrooms and Multi-Cat Homes: FAQs
Are terrariums safe with cats?
Closed terrariums are usually safe if they sit on a stable, high spot with no easy jumping route and contain only cat-safe plants. Open bowls are riskier because cats can reach soil and plants or knock them over. Always check plants against the ASPCA non-toxic list in case the glass breaks.
How long should I wait after moving before adding a terrarium?
About one to two weeks is a good guide. Let the cats explore the new room and see which surfaces they use. You can then choose a spot they naturally ignore, which is much easier to protect than one they have already claimed as a perch or lookout.
Do cork tiles stop cats climbing on shelves?
Not on their own, but they give cats an attractive alternative. A cork-covered climbing and scratching area placed away from the terrarium satisfies the urge to climb and look out. Combined with a terrarium spot that has no easy launch point, it greatly reduces the chance of cats reaching the plants.
Can a closed terrarium overheat in a sunroom?
Yes. Sun through glass heats a closed terrarium quickly, which harms plants and can make the glass hot. Keep it out of direct afternoon sun or use blinds, and check the glass on a sunny day. If it is too warm to touch comfortably, move it somewhere shadier.
