Hello everyone. I'm thinking about getting back into the hobby with HO trains as i did when I was a kid. My concern is that my daughter has a cat that is free to roam our basement as she pleases. For those who have cats, how do keep them from destroying your layouts?
CS1971 For those who have cats, how do keep them from destroying your layouts?
By making the layout inaccessible for cats.
Happy times!
Ulrich (aka The Tin Man)
"You´re never too old for a happy childhood!"
Welecome to the forum!
Putting the layout about four feet off the ground helps keep cats away.
Depends on the catch. One of our cats is too bulky and clumsy to jump very high, but the other guy is one of those cats that can seemingly get anywhere. 48 inches would be trivial for him.
CS1971Hello everyone. I'm thinking about getting back into the hobby with HO trains as i did when I was a kid.
Welcome to the forums! Your first posts are delayed, but after several days, what you write will show up immediately.
Sorry I can't help with the cat issue. Unless you can keep the cat out of the layout room, it will probably find a way to jump onto the table.
There are a lot of smart people on this forum who can probably help with any question you have, including about cats, electricity, track-laying, etc.
Hope you check back and take part in the discussions!
York1 John
Trade the cat for a dog . My dog could careless about the trains. Regardless of pet choice I would keep them out of the train room. Too many small parts and other materials that could hurt them if ingested.
Joe Staten Island West
The previous thread on cats is here
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
I would avoid things like telephone poles with artificial thread wiring, and of course catenary. Don't leave loose parts like figures around. I would make sure nothing can be knocked off the edge of the layout in the middle of the night. No loose ballast or coal.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
The only thing that really worked for me ,was a closed door.
I believe cats belong outdoors. but others living here feel different, so I keep the door shut
The layout I was building in the late 80's, the cat was up on it once. He learned, never went there again, actually avoided it all together, and stayed out of the room.
Mike.
My You Tube
mbinsewi The layout I was building in the late 80's, the cat was up on it once. He learned, never went there again, actually avoided it all together, and stayed out of the room. Mike.
shocking experience?
Welllll, lets just say he was a smart old tom, and learned quickly, along with being on the kitchen counter, that only happened once, also.
We love our cats, but they have a door between them and the trains. My main issue is extensive hidden track. It's reachable, but mass derailments would be difficult.
That said, it depnds on the cat. One of our cats is fat and she's not making the leap required to reach things. One cat is very careful about lurking around and wouldn't be much of an issue if it wasn't for the hidden track. The young one is four-footed trouble around the layout. So they all stay out, except once in awhile during ops sessions when the presence of people tends to keep them on the floor.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
Tinplate Toddler CS1971 For those who have cats, how do keep them from destroying your layouts? By making the layout inaccessible for cats.
Thats my solution. The basement has a door and it is normally closed.
UNCLEBUTCH The only thing that really worked for me ,was a closed door.
Closed door is best solution.
Cat's out doors is a recipe for road kill. Both our cats are rescue cats and we signed contract that they would be kept in-doors.
We have a neighbor that has a cat we feel very sorry for. I spoke with her while mowing the lawn and she said the cat didn't like to be inside more than 5 minutes. We've discovered the poor things actually does like being in side when we had mercy on it a few times it seemed to like to be warm. It lives in the gutter across the street - I think all they do is put food out for it, but it's always hungry so not much food. We'd call a cat rescue center but he is so old and gerriatric, they would probably put him down. We call him Frodo.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
We accomadate our cat. There is one place in the corner were she likes to lie down. We left that bare except for a small towel for her to lie on, and she has been happy with that. Of course she does like to play Catzilla every once in while by striding Down Clay Cove's Main St. , normally she doe not knock anythung over.
Cats are individuals. Some are very destructive and others are not...just like people.
UNCLEBUTCH I believe cats belong outdoors. but others living here feel different, so I keep the door shut
We always let the cats out when I was a kid, but predators are just more common now. Coyotes will destroy any cat population they encounter.
We read a story just a couple of months ago that they discovered a rabid feral cat, and destroyed that whole litter. Probably the right thing to do. We have a curious kitten that might try to run out, but the older cat won't go near the door.
CS1971 my daughter has a cat that is free to roam our basement as she pleases. For those who have cats, how do keep them from destroying your layouts?
my daughter has a cat that is free to roam our basement as she pleases. For those who have cats, how do keep them from destroying your layouts?
Alton Junction
For whatever reason over the years our cats have expressed interest in (and jumped up onto, and lightly damaged things on) the layout but thus far (knock wood) not the two workbenches where they could do more costly damage if they had a mind to and also hurt themselves. I wonder if the lingering odors of paint and plastic cement in the workbench room are a deterrent?
Dave Nelson
LouC Of course she does like to play Catzilla
My wife actually got a catzilla, a stuffed cat toy the looks like a dinosaur sort of. The kitten really loves it.
dknelsonI wonder if the lingering odors of paint and plastic cement in the workbench room are a deterrent? Dave Nelson
My wife has read that cat's don't like the smell of oranges or lemons, citrus. So we've been cutting them up and spreading them in areas where out door cats have been pooping at the side of our house. Seems to be working. Try it on your work bench!
MisterBeasleyWe have a curious kitten that might try to run out, but the older cat won't go near the door.
Our older cat is about 7 or 8 years, a half maine coon. Very mellow and sweet. She was a rescue cat. Just a few weeks ago we got a 6 month old kitten, another half maine coon and she's full of energy but settling in pretty well. Basement door remains shut.
When our current cat was a youngster, I could not keep her off my basement layout. My solution was to screen both sides of the staircase from the first floor to the basement and install a screen door at the bottom of the stairs. That finally solved the problem.
In another example, when my daughter and her husband built their new home, the contractor installed undercabinet LED tapes in the kitchen by pressing the tapes up against the underside of the cabinets and running 20 gauge wiring behind the wall and down to a 12VDC wall wart plugged into a basement outlet. Their two cats immediately tore down the tapes. So, recently, I installed new LED tapes inside aluminum channels and diffuser covers and nailed up outside corner moulding to conceal the 20 gauge wiring. Problem solved!
The fact of the matter is that you cannot stop an inquisitive cat. You have to outwit it. And to that, I say, lots of luck.
Rich
Hello All,
What size pike are you talking about?
On my 4'x8' I just drap a sheet over it. A fitted sheet works.
Our cat hasn't done any damage but the hair gets in the mechanisms of the motive power and causes sporadic running.
The sheet just keeps the pike clean.
Hope this helps.
"Uhh...I didn’t know it was 'impossible' I just made it work...sorry"
Cats?
What cat?
Roundhouse_cat_sm by Edmund, on Flickr
§ This was years ago while the layout was still under construction. These days all of our five cats stay out of the basement. They have enough to entertain them without the need to chase trains.
Cheers, Ed
Yea- put it up high enough- nah not going to happen. As a teenager I had a layout that was in the garage and we cranked up to the ceiling with a winch- both cats managed to find their way clear up there. On a later layout I had hand carved an eagle on a globe for my Case tractor building on my layout. Our last cat is still the prime suspect in its disappearance.............To be safe go G scale- they stand half a chance against them.
NO CATS EVER is the best way to keep them off your layout.
I wouldn't have the filthy, arrogant, disease-carrying bags of fur anywhere in my home. Been there, done that, done with that!
Wayne
doctorwayne NO CATS EVER is the best way to keep them off your layout. I wouldn't have the filthy, arrogant, disease-carrying bags of fur anywhere in my home. Been there, done that, done with that! Wayne
richhotrain doctorwayne NO CATS EVER is the best way to keep them off your layout. I wouldn't have the filthy, arrogant, disease-carrying bags of fur anywhere in my home. Been there, done that, done with that! Wayne Wayne, I ran your comments past Gracie and she began hissing. Later, when I went to clean her litter box, I discovered that she had taken your avatar and blown it up to a full sized 8 1/2" x 11" color photo on my printer and used it to line her litter box. She asked me not to remove the color photo so that she can think of you every time she goes to perform her duty. Rich
Wayne, I ran your comments past Gracie and she began hissing. Later, when I went to clean her litter box, I discovered that she had taken your avatar and blown it up to a full sized 8 1/2" x 11" color photo on my printer and used it to line her litter box. She asked me not to remove the color photo so that she can think of you every time she goes to perform her duty.
''Merrily We Roll-along,''.....LOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL...
Poor Pussycats.......
Take Care!
Frank