Cat proofing a layout

[blueridgehobo]

Getting a dog will not reduce the cat problem.  They will make peace with each other.  The cat will remain a problem.  We have a dog and a cat.  The cat not only jumps to the train board but delights in batting loose things off high places.  My answer to this is, before I have anything on the train board I don't want to challenge with the cat, I will replace the door to the train room with a wire fence door of the type used to prevent unauthorized entry to storage areas.  That doorway must remain open to air movement or else my train rrom will be too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter.

[wm3798]

I find it's helpful if you give him a martini and an ebay account... keeps him out of the train room...

Lee 

[ds137]

Too bad you are not modelling G scale- depending on the size of your cat it could make a wonderful hanging side of beef for your meat packing plant.

I know, sick, sick ,sick.

[Rotorranch]

 Wonder if that will work for Geckos and little brothers.

I'm not sure, but it would definitely do a number on every semiconductor in the house... 

I guess that's not DCC friendly!

Rotor

[SteamFreak]

 

 Wonder if that will work for Geckos and little brothers.

I'm not sure, but it would definitely do a number on every semiconductor in the house... 

[Rotorranch]

I recommend modeling the Butte, Anaconda and Pacific. Then it's just a question of aquiring an anaconda of suitable length for the layout room. That takes care of the cat problem. 

 

If anyone has any suggestions or tips on things they did to "Cat-proof" their layout I'd love to hear them.  I've threatened to return the beast to the great outdoors from where he came but that was met w/ less then enthusiastic approval from the rest of the family.  He's ripping up all of my trees on my n-scale layout & I'm at my wits end.

Yeah, but the loco takes a bigger risk in the tunnel with that than a cat on the layout. You might have to wait a bit for that 2-6-6-4 to be regurgitated.

Rotor

[highhood63]

 

 

Actually the Tesla Coil will scare the Beejejus out of the cat, but wouldn't really phyisically harm it...your wife would kill you though when you got your electric bill.....

[ronmcc]

Got a BB gun? Keeps you in pratice for deer season. Cats don't like em either.

[Anonymous]

 

ROFL! Muahahahaha!!!!!

[Newyorkcentralfan]

I recommend modeling the Butte, Anaconda and Pacific. Then it's just a question of aquiring an anaconda of suitable length for the layout room. That takes care of the cat problem. 

 

If anyone has any suggestions or tips on things they did to "Cat-proof" their layout I'd love to hear them.  I've threatened to return the beast to the great outdoors from where he came but that was met w/ less then enthusiastic approval from the rest of the family.  He's ripping up all of my trees on my n-scale layout & I'm at my wits end.

[tutaenui]

 

Yeah that should do it! and when its not scaring the proverbial out of the cats it could be used to apply static grass.

[Tracklayer]

My train room is away from the main house, so I never really had a problem with my cat or cats coming in contact with my layout. I know that a lot of other people use either a water pistol or a spray bottle. After a couple of well aimed shots all you'll have to do after that is grab for the gun or bottle and they'll run for the hills...

Tracklayer

[Kenfolk]

 N Scale Rules! 

I didn't know there were any n-scale rules. Hope I haven't been breaking any of them.

[Packer]

 

 Wonder if that will work for Geckos and little brothers.

[Packers#1]

I don't have a cat (both parents allergic), but i would say A: make a plastic guard that's high enough to stop him/her, B:raise up the layout, or C: if the layout's in a seperate room, keep him/her out.

 N Scale Rules! 

[Zandoz]

Get a dog!

Teditor 

 

Naaaaa....won't work.  We've got a pitbull and a dalmation...the cats allow them the use of their house, if they behave.  Attempting to influence the behavior of cats is slightly more futile than trying to trap sand with a chain link fence.

[larak]

 

[Anonymous]

I took time to build a enclosure on our porch with wire and the quality control boss... one of the cats will examine every single inch of my work. Any flaws he found allowed him to break out into the yard.

The time that little jailbreaker and his brother both examine the screen and fastenings. Each and every one. When given sufficient time, they will learn how to get out. Worse, they remember exactly which spot too. If you replaced a section with brand new wire and made sure of no flaws, they will go straight to that spot and bounce off trying to hop out.

Then patiently spend hours examining the situation. And then work together on a bad section. One will apply tension and haul and the other will throw it's 32 pounds and shove. Eventually that metal got tired and broke.

Now we have house birds that use these holes as access to a nest every year in one corner.

I was very happy for my cats for getting away for doing what they want to do not what we wanted them to stay in.

Unfortunately once inside cats get outside they can never be really happy inside again. They start examining the house for flaws to exploit to get out.

[Pruitt]

Easiest thing to do - eliminate the cat(s)!

[zeis96]

Here is what I'm doing to attempt to keep our 2 cats off the layout. My layout is in the corner of the basement with a good portion of it in the open. I bought some cheap fabric at Wal-Mart and made curtains with it. I think I have five 5' sections. I made sure they were long enough that material would be laying on the floor and the cats wouldn't be able to sneak under it. I then bought some velco to attach each section of curtain together and to the walls. This way I can open it up if I want to and it kind of makes a curtain wall or divider if you will. I also used 1/2" PVC pipe and J clamps for the 'curtain rod'. Also makes it easy to take down for cleaning or to let more light in. I can't say if it works 100% or not because I just got the velcro tonight so time will tell.

[G Paine]

Yesyesyes, this is a good cat thread just like I said yestrerday - keep them coming!!!!!!

Actually, jgotts, the guy with the cat problem needs to get together with railroadnut675 who has a mouse probem, see "MICE and VERMIN hiding out in tunnels"

[emdgp92]

My first cat didn't bother with the layout much, mainly because he was older, and wouldn't jump up there. When he was a kitten though, that was another story. He was *constantly* stealing things from my train room--bits of wire, string, an HO scale Jaguar E-type, etc. But, once I moved, and brought him home...even with the layout room open 24/7, he ignored it.

My new kitty, Snow, only got up on the layout once. She wanted to look out the window, jumped up onto the table. 3 months later, she's quit doing that.

[concretelackey]

SOMETHING NOT TO DO WITH A CAT---APPLY BEN GAY TO YOUR LEGS AT BED TIME!!!!! About 2 years ago we had a cat, rather nice one at that. It would tolerate us playing with her for about 45 minutes a day and when we were done she was as well. Anyway, I was having some muscle issues with my calf muscles so I decided to load up on the BEN-GAY to try and alleviate the pain a bit. About the time I started dosing off into the world of sleep I feel the cat climbing under the blankets. I figure ok, she is entertainin herself.....next thing I know is she had her legs wrapped completely around my one leg and she attempted to eat my leg! She spent the night in the basement. Next night she was sitting on the bed when I applied the BEN-GAY and she started acting like she overdosed on caffeine. Running around the bed (like a dog chasing its tail), jumping at the ceiling fan, attacking the alarm clock, etc.... It was at that point I put 2 and 2 together about the cat and BEN-GAY.

I think I still have scars on my legs......

[Flashwave]

More serious note, and possibly a good idea anyway, maybe you could try folding coversthat could collapse. also prevents cat drawers (mice etc.) from camping out in tunnels. 

^Not feasible on large island layouts

 

Maybe you can teach your cat to sneak through the tunnels and make sure they are unoccupied prior to running the trains.

 

Just a thought.

Where I have tunnels? not gonna work. Now, turning the sound all the way up on the biggest steamer you have, THAT will clear a tunnel.

[Phoebe Vet]

More serious note, and possibly a good idea anyway, maybe you could try folding coversthat could collapse. also prevents cat drawers (mice etc.) from camping out in tunnels. 

^Not feasible on large island layouts

 

Maybe you can teach your cat to sneak through the tunnels and make sure they are unoccupied prior to running the trains.

 

Just a thought.

[Flashwave]

More serious note, and possibly a good idea anyway, maybe you could try folding coversthat could collapse. also prevents cat drawers (mice etc.) from camping out in tunnels. 

^Not feasible on large island layouts

[easyaces]

Seems aw had a good cure in a squirtgun or larger supersoaker with a little ammonia in it. The minute the cat shows up, a good dousing with the foul-smelling fluid will run it off! Thats why I own a dog!!!!!!!!

[Anonymous]

One word to teach a dog:

Sit. (With a period.) spoken in the manner you would a kindergardener but with a tone of absolute certainty that the animal will sit and obey.

Otherwise they wag the tail, wag the dog, slobber all over the place, bang into everything and eat your groceries after they empty that 50 pound bag of ol' roy. Then at the night pant in your face as you try to sleep.

And that train? They take right off after it. They have to chase things....

Personally I like Shepards. They are obediant to command and know thier place.

But cats were easier to maintain and feed/water in exchange for occasional interception of that 8 legged spider as big as the dinner plate late at night.

[vsmith]

Dogs have thier own issues

[twhite]

Even though I'm always joking about my big Maine Coon caboose thief "Spooky", I don't have a problem with cats and trains (unless I'm working on the kitchen table).  The cats are STRICTLY indoor animals, and the MR is in my garage ("California Basement").   The fun only comes when I'm 'tweaking' a locomotive on the kitchen table inside the house (no room for that in the garage).  Then I have a considerable furry audience waiting to see if there's some stray part that they can hide from the guy that feeds them twice a day. 

And yes, Spooky has been known to run off with a caboose every now and then if I happen to be working on one.  No other cars, mind you, just cabeese.  Luckily, she picks them up by the cupola, so at least I don't have teeth marks on the side.  I used to get really upset at her, but since no damage has ever been done, it's kind of a running joke between us now. 

But cats on the layout?  They never go out there, so they don't even know what it looks like. 

Tom