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How do you keep cats off a layout?

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How do you keep cats off a layout?
Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, April 20, 2005 4:05 PM
I just put up a layout but my two cats keep jumping on it knocking over everything. Any suggestions on how to solve this problem?[%-)]
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Posted by tschmidt on Wednesday, April 20, 2005 5:24 PM
I've got 2 cats and they don't jump up there anymore. Run over them once or twice with full railsounds and horn and they don't come back often.

Tom
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Posted by Frank53 on Wednesday, April 20, 2005 5:58 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by tschmidt

I've got 2 cats and they don't jump up there anymore. Run over them once or twice with full railsounds and horn and they don't come back often.

Tom


be careful with that solution, they are notorious little buggers as evidenced below:

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Posted by tschmidt on Wednesday, April 20, 2005 6:09 PM
Frank53,

Great photo! I'll keep an eye over my shoulder!

I wonder where they are now?!?!?!
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Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, April 20, 2005 6:20 PM
How high is your layout? Would it be posible to raise it to a level the cats couldn't jump? Mine shelf layout is 54" from the floor. I've had no problems with my cat Bayr with this one. I have another layout a foot off the floor Bayr will jump into the center of it once and a while, but he hasn't caused any damage.........yet! He loves to look into the Subway station. You might consider a pastic shield screwed or hinged to the front edge. If that fails, consider DJSpanky's solution. [C=:-)] [dinner] [:D]
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Posted by Roger Bielen on Wednesday, April 20, 2005 6:25 PM
A big dog??????
Roger B.
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Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, April 20, 2005 6:33 PM
As a person who is "owned" by 4 1/2 cats, there is only one surefire way. KEEP THE ROOM DOOR CLOSED! Anything else is just a lesson in futility.

Tony

Oh yes, my 90 lb.Malamute just loves the cats, so that is no help!
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Posted by locomutt on Wednesday, April 20, 2005 7:10 PM
The wife and I have three cats and a dog.
They conspire with each other,so the best
solution we've found,is keeping the door closed.

And Frank53,I would watch my back,that could be dangerous.

Being Crazy,keeps you from going "INSANE" !! "The light at the end of the tunnel,has been turned off due to budget cuts" NOT AFRAID A Vet., and PROUD OF IT!!

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Posted by spankybird on Wednesday, April 20, 2005 7:16 PM
You can set mouse traps on the table and cover them with newspapers. When the cats jump up on the table they will set off the traps under the paper. Then noise of the traps going off under the paper and the paper jumping up should scare them enough that they will stay off the table. It may take two or three times for them to learn.

And if they don’t, you will need to have a


Heart to Heart talk with them




tom

I am a person with a very active inner child. This is why my wife loves me so. Willoughby, Ohio - the home of the CP & E RR. OTTS Founder www.spankybird.shutterfly.com 

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Posted by Frank53 on Wednesday, April 20, 2005 7:37 PM
hire Howard Dean for cat control

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Posted by Dr. John on Thursday, April 21, 2005 9:47 AM
You didn't use kitty litter for ballast, did you?
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Posted by tschmidt on Thursday, April 21, 2005 10:48 AM
Originally posted by tonyh

As a person who is "owned" by 4 1/2 cats, there is only one surefire way.

Tony,

Which 1/2 of the cat doesn't own you?[:D]
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Posted by garyseven on Thursday, April 21, 2005 11:25 AM
I let my cats on the layout so I have never tried this, but, run a vacuum cleaner, electric leaf blower, (or other electrical cat annoying sound) off of a motion detector located on the layout. When the cats jump on the layout, the sound starts up - scares 'em off. A day or two and you will have no problems. The motion detectors with "alarm" and "chime" do not work. The cats just lay there while the alarm goes off...
Good luck and if you live in Wisconsin, happy hunting[;)]
--Scott Long N 45° 26' 58 W 122° 48' 1
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Posted by 1688torpedo on Thursday, April 21, 2005 11:56 AM
A Beagle stationed at the foot of the layout with ample dog treats should do the trick![:)][;)] Maybe BB the PB Beagle can volunteer for duty...................Keith
Keith Woodworth........Seat Belts save lives,Please drive safely.
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Posted by jonadel on Thursday, April 21, 2005 1:58 PM
I'm not much of a cat fan so I say..........

a 12 Gauge for the O Gauge solution.

Jon[;)]

Jon

So many roads, so little time. 

 

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Posted by ChiefEagles on Thursday, April 21, 2005 7:49 PM
My friend, S&W. Cats are climbing and jumping animals by nature. Hard to break them. I think the best suggestion was to keep the door closed. Good luck.

 God bless TCA 05-58541   Benefactor Member of the NRA,  Member of the American Legion,   Retired Boss Hog of Roseyville Laugh,   KC&D QualifiedCowboy       

              

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Posted by Anonymous on Friday, April 22, 2005 9:54 AM
There is a local stray tom who is a twin to my yellow fixed tom "Chessie". "Peake" stops by every couple days to stock up on good food and some catnip. So I only get to claim the front half of him.

If you like, you can claim the "other" half!

Tony
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Posted by FJ and G on Friday, April 22, 2005 10:36 AM
An attack beagle should solve the problem in no time

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Posted by spankybird on Friday, April 22, 2005 10:43 AM
The bigger problem is keeping Birdzilla off



But he will keep the cats off the table

I am a person with a very active inner child. This is why my wife loves me so. Willoughby, Ohio - the home of the CP & E RR. OTTS Founder www.spankybird.shutterfly.com 

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Posted by jonadel on Friday, April 22, 2005 10:46 AM
Tom, you just made my day, glad I didn't have a drink of coffee at the time. Thank You.

[:D] Jon

Jon

So many roads, so little time. 

 

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Posted by FJ and G on Friday, April 22, 2005 10:52 AM
or, a green alligator will keep the cats away

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Posted by Anonymous on Friday, April 22, 2005 3:37 PM
SPRINGLE SOME CAUYAN PEPPER IN WITH THE GROUND FOAM LOOKS REALISTIC,JUST LIKE GEORGIA RED CLAY. THAT WILL DO THE TRICK. EASTER
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Posted by 3railguy on Friday, April 22, 2005 4:22 PM
The simplest soltion is to enclose your trainroom with walls and a door which I did in our basement. I do not have that luxury yet with my new N scale layout. The cat stays off it until I run trains. Thats when he jumps on the layout and try to watch them run and I've had to pull strands of cat hair out of the gear boxes. I use a mini compressor I keep under the layout to blow dust off the track and I've found it handy for giving the cat a shot of air when he jumps on the layout. He takes off like a rocket when I do that.
John Long Give me Magnetraction or give me Death.
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Posted by Anonymous on Friday, April 22, 2005 10:15 PM

ELECTRIFIED CHICKEN WIRE!
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Posted by tschmidt on Saturday, April 23, 2005 4:27 PM
Well, I guess if you are going to get real drastic there's always a cattle prod....or stun gun[}:)]
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Posted by espeefoamer on Monday, April 25, 2005 3:18 PM
When I wasa kid,the entire living room floor was dedicated to the operation of toy trains.My orange fixed tomcat,Casper, would sit beside me and watch me run my trains.I used to claim he was a railfan.
Ride Amtrak. Cats Rule, Dogs Drool.
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Posted by rtraincollector on Wednesday, April 27, 2005 8:08 PM
The sugestion on keeping the door shut is the only one I can think of as I have a layout in my office which runs around the walls about 6 feet off the ground and my cats are know to get up there if I leave the door open.

Life's hard, even harder if your stupid  John Wayne

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Posted by tdetmer on Saturday, April 30, 2005 10:52 PM
I agree with Tony that the solution is to keep the door closed if a cat on the table is a problem. I have a cat which loves to jump on the train table when let into the train room. It doesn't matter how high the table is. She jumps onto a table 48" high. I suppose you could make your table 72" high and that might do it. Could be hard to see the trains though. [:D] In any case, we're lucky because she is nimble enough not to destroy anything when she does get on the layout. Basically though I keep her out of the room.
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Posted by Buckeye Riveter on Sunday, May 1, 2005 5:13 AM
Just teach the cat how to run the trains and then your problems are solved. [:D]

Celebrating 18 years on the CTT Forum. Smile, Wink & Grin

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TCA 09-64284

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Posted by scottsmith on Sunday, May 1, 2005 10:28 AM
Get a dog.
How do you keep the dog off the layout?
get an elephant?
How do you keep the elephant off the layout?
get a Mouse.
How do you get rid of the mouse?
Get a cat?
Scott Smith
[;)]

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