Never blame the cat. It is a cat's natural instinc to attack any thing small that moves. N scale trains are a popular target. Not only are N scale trains subject to cat attack, N scale engine gearboxes are magnets to airborne cat hair. The only practical solution is to completely seal the train area off from cats.
My cat has a train of his own. A TT sized cast metal battery powered set from Wally World for ten bucks. It's taken quite a beating and still runs.
My cats like to sit under the layout, on a shelf. It took me 2 days until I figuired out why my wiring was dissapearing.
We looked under the washer/dryer. Sure enough. With the mouse toys, there was probably 20ft of 12ga wire. I now solder and electrical tape all of my connections, and tack them to the posts, so they can not be torn out.
Phil
Neither one of our cats does anything other than sit under the layout on the small shelf and let you know that they want attention too. Sitting at a corner of at the work bench and having a cold nose shoved into your hand or set of claws ever so delicately inserted into your thigh is a gentle reminder that your railroad shouldn't be the only object of my attention. Mostly it's just pet, pet, pet, tap the nose and they go curl up by the space heater.
With all of the cats I have ever own none of them have ever cause damage to a layout. Kali (the previous owner and I have had long chat about naming critters after things that are about or cause damage...) would sit on the back of the couch and watch the trains go by, she would sometimes walk on the layout itself, but because she was so dainty in her means, nothing was ever damaged. What she didn't like was my sound equiped engines. Didn't like the bell or the whistle at all.
I have two cats. They are onery little children. I totally ban them from the room with the workbench and trains stuff. The thunder and lightning that comes down on them should they even set a paw into there if the door is open is enough to make them think twice.
My solution will be to add onto the home, there the cats cannot get into the new room and have the rest of the place to run as they will.
Springtime is coming and they are much more insistent on having access to a open window or screen door to monitor the activity outside. Otherwise they are flat bored. We also have plants in another room and once or twice they got into it. The wife takes care of the punishment.
Fortunately one is too fat to get into trouble (Close to 30 pounds) and the other is a showboat that must have attention all the day and half the night.
One other thing. Having the big BLI engine HISS provoked a very interesting response of a hostile nature from both cats. They definately need to stay out of the room then.
beaver3365 wrote: I had nearly the same problem except I'm HO. The way I (so far) broke my cat from roosting on my layout was simple. I have a Broadway 2-10-4 w/ sound. I left it idling one evening near the favorite spot of my cat. The sounds didn't bother him enough for him to move until I clamped down good on function #3. After I removed him from the ceiling, all it takes is a quick toot of a whistle and he's up the stairs and out of my train room.
I've had a few cat problems in my world. My cat likes to sleep on my workbench and if stuff is in he's way he's big enough to move it. The other 3 cats like to steal stuff. The thing I found that works the best to keep them away is oranges. Sounds weird but it works. Anything that smells like an orange totally freaks my cats out. You might want to test it out by letting your cat smell and orange peel and watching the reaction.
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Good day all. My cat just likes to watch and make sure that the quality control is in check.
Take care.
Scott
3 cats, no problem. Two Maine Coons, house cats, and they both have come to realize that the moment they go out into the garage, their position on the Food Chain changes drastically, model trains or not. No thanks, we are STRICTLY house-kitties.
Third cat (Wiley) is too busy skulking around the living room, or batting at the aquarium. He's just not the brightest light in the harbor.
Female Maine Coon (the Infamous Spooky) will occasionally steal a caboose if I'm working on the kitchen table (my workbench), but other than that, largely ignores my hobby, now that she's had five years to get used to it. Male Maine Coon (Lowell) would much rather sleep on the top of my grandfather clock or watch Law and Order reruns on TV.
Life is good.
Tom
Tom View my layout photos! http://s299.photobucket.com/albums/mm310/TWhite-014/Rio%20Grande%20Yuba%20River%20Sub One can NEVER have too many Articulateds!
Again, it depends on the animal. I have 5 cats and 4 could completly care less about trains. Then there is the Chief Railroad Inspector. Her job seems to be quality control and making sure everthing is well put together. She loves to watch trains run and the horn does not bother her one bit. Here is her inspecting the the latest layout (alas soon to be torn down).
Great posts though.
phugo wrote: Hello everyone,I have spent the last year very slowly building an N scale layout. My three cats have barely even noticed. Last weekend I finished the last bit of track laying for the main line and wired it up enough for a test run. Well my cats are now very interesested in trains. I came downstairs one day to find they had completely destroyed a laser cut wood structure that I built, knocked several cars off the table, chewed the back end off of the caboose, and chewed on some of the wiring. I now have to build some kind of doors to separate the cats from the train room. Anybody out there have cat/train issues?
Hello everyone,
I have spent the last year very slowly building an N scale layout. My three cats have barely even noticed. Last weekend I finished the last bit of track laying for the main line and wired it up enough for a test run. Well my cats are now very interesested in trains. I came downstairs one day to find they had completely destroyed a laser cut wood structure that I built, knocked several cars off the table, chewed the back end off of the caboose, and chewed on some of the wiring. I now have to build some kind of doors to separate the cats from the train room. Anybody out there have cat/train issues?
WOW! I have never had that problem from any of our cats. Mine comes runnin when he hears my trains start up while the others start runnin (away). Challenger loves watching the trains, but does so at a distance like a good little kitty.
Lionel collector, stuck in an N scaler's modelling space.
tatans wrote:I see some of you people let cats in your train room, the result is likely the animal will leap upon the display and thrash the the layout to destruction, obviously to the delight of the cat owner(otherwise, why would you ever even think of putting a cat NEAR a model layout?) Anyway, my question is, I have a 2400 pound brahma bull who is bit nervous, do you think it would be wise to allow him access to my model logging layout??? thanks, I await your responses.
Tatans--Egads, YES!! You could use him as extra motive power in case one of your Shays throws a rod, LOL!
steamage wrote:My old cat Erie has never climbed onto the layout. He has been trained that only the furniture is okay to be on, and only when I'm in the layout room. Otherwise the train room door is closed.
I Did the same thing. I started with my cay as a Kitten,And she knows not to go on the layout ,I even leave the Train Room and come back and she is sitting on the chair,Or if im working on something she has her own fluffy rug she lays on while im out there.But 99.99% of the time if im not out there with the door open she wont be in there if im not.
Carl.
A baby-proof gate might also work. I have three ten+ year old cats in my house who will readily climb on on my kitchen table or counter. However, I recently installed two baby gates in the entrances of my living room in order to control the travels of my 14 month old grandson. These gates can be opened or locked with one hand by an adult but have also proved to effective barriers against the cats. These gates bar access to their food, water and litterboxes even though the gates are lower than my kitchen table and countertops. Had the cats been younger, they might have realized that they can jump over the gates. Instead, they sit there and meow in order to be let through. The gates are left open if the baby is asleep. The advantage of the gate for a model railroader is that the gate can be used without drilling holes in the woodwork for hinges or locking mechanism that would be required to mount a door.
Leon Silverman wrote: ... Instead, they sit there and meow in order to be let through. ...
... Instead, they sit there and meow in order to be let through. ...
Sound like the cats are training YOU
There has been a box of Unitrack sitting on the table for a few days. Spunky Kitten has already taken to sleeping nuzzled up against the box. I don't know if that is a good sign or a bad one.
Reality...an interesting concept with no successful applications, that should always be accompanied by a "Do not try this at home" warning.
Hundreds of years from now, it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove...But the world may be different because I did something so bafflingly crazy that my ruins become a tourist attraction.
"Oooh...ahhhh...that's how this all starts...but then there's running...and screaming..."
Zandoz wrote: There has been a box of Unitrack sitting on the table for a few days. Spunky Kitten has already taken to sleeping nuzzled up against the box. I don't know if that is a good sign or a bad one.
Zandoz--
Spunky Kitten, bless her febrile little furry soul, is nuzzling the box to find out exactly what scale and gauge the track is, and whether it will fit her mouth when she decides to take off with the individual sections and hide them somehwere under your bed. When you go looking, you might find several packs of new underwear, coils of speaker wire and quite possibly the two new shirts you bought the other day and thought were actually in your closet. I know from experience. Oh, also check to see if you're missing any Cabeese (Cabooses). Cats seem to LOVE dragging them off by the cupolas.
twhite wrote: Zandoz wrote: There has been a box of Unitrack sitting on the table for a few days. Spunky Kitten has already taken to sleeping nuzzled up against the box. I don't know if that is a good sign or a bad one.Zandoz--Spunky Kitten, bless her febrile little furry soul, is nuzzling the box to find out exactly what scale and gauge the track is, and whether it will fit her mouth when she decides to take off with the individual sections and hide them somehwere under your bed. When you go looking, you might find several packs of new underwear, coils of speaker wire and quite possibly the two new shirts you bought the other day and thought were actually in your closet. I know from experience. Oh, also check to see if you're missing any Cabeese (Cabooses). Cats seem to LOVE dragging them off by the cupolas. Tom
So far, the ornery little snot has shown no interest in the box contents, thank goodness. But he does live up to his name...once he sets his mind to something there is no deterring him. He got his name at a couple months old, by boldly and repeatedly strolling into the yard and crawling in the dogs (lab mix and pit bull) food bowl, while they were gulping away...totally oblivious to any threat they may have posed. When it comes to keeping him from doing anything he sets his mind to, I may as well proceed directly to talking to and beating my head on the nearest brick wall.
Welcome to the Wonderful World of Cats. Spunky Kitten and you will probably have a long and fun life together. I'd say that if he hasn't already gotten into your model railroad, he probably won't--at least in a destructive way--cats seem to get their particular little obsessions early in life. He may, however, want to supervise you when you're operating the MR, just to make sure you're putting the right cars on the right spurs, LOL!
You two have fun, y'hear?
Pathfinder wrote: Leon Silverman wrote: ... Instead, they sit there and meow in order to be let through. ...Sound like the cats are training YOU
I agree. They dont need to waste all that labor hopping the door when they can get a nice Owner to open the way.
I was once stalled by one of those years ago. They actually had to gaurd it 24/7 because I was hunting for the lock starting at one corner and working around. I never did find the lock but they never put it up again =)
One of my cats has mastered the art of the "Door Thump" and at 4 in the morning you believe someone is actually trying to break in. Oh.. it's kitty wanting food.
Safety Valve wrote: Pathfinder wrote: Leon Silverman wrote: ... Instead, they sit there and meow in order to be let through. ...Sound like the cats are training YOU One of my cats has mastered the art of the "Door Thump" and at 4 in the morning you believe someone is actually trying to break in. Oh.. it's kitty wanting food.
Yep, I haven't had a good night sleep in 5 years. I have tried to train, discipline, or even just shout, but he keeps bugging me until I give in and get him some food.
At 3 am, I have found that he can hold out longer than I can.
As for the trains, I have learned that if I don't make room for him to lie and watch, he will juat lie on top of something. That is why my layout will include Mt. Kitty, which has a cat sized plateau for him to lie on and observe.
The gates are closed only when my grandson is roaming around in the living room (so that he does not wander around the rest of the house). Otherwise, the gates are left open, particularly at 4 in the morning.
twhite wrote: Zandoz--Welcome to the Wonderful World of Cats. Spunky Kitten and you will probably have a long and fun life together. I'd say that if he hasn't already gotten into your model railroad, he probably won't--at least in a destructive way--cats seem to get their particular little obsessions early in life. He may, however, want to supervise you when you're operating the MR, just to make sure you're putting the right cars on the right spurs, LOL! You two have fun, y'hear?Tom
So far, so good. No actual layout yet...still in the planning stages...but last night I broke out the Unitrack for an experimentation session. No incidents, but I did get a sassy "Mew" when I told him "No".
1) Never,ever allow cats in the train room.
2) If #1 can't be avoided buy a "scat mat". It gives the little boogers a shock when they jump on it. Don't forget to turn it off, it will bite you too!
Ernie C
I've been a cat-person nearly all of my life. Now, that's out of the way so you already know this is going to be somewhat pro-kitty...
<>We have 3.6 cats in our home and they generally allow us to peacefully co-exist herein including graciously enduring the construction of what was (in their opinion) without any doubt a wonderous opportunity to explore the rafter and top of the foundation of their house!
They actually don't bother much on the railroad except for one corner (near Lenox Tower) which was originally intended to be a wooded area but now seems to be more of a brush patch thanks to Possum (the #0.6) and Gracie (#3). Chessie (#1 kittyboy) usually just wanders in seeking affection and stays out of central Illinois pastureland. Samson (#2) was originally my railroad kitty and he still likes to get up and wander around looking at everything.
Only Possum seems interested in tasting the bushes or the occassional telephone pole.
<>All four cats though have a knack for peacefully walking around the layout and have an uncanny ability to walk right through a yard and never touch a car, break a telephone pole or signal, or get in the way of any pending movements. They clearly practice safe-railfanning and know to stay well back from the tracks when a train is approaching!
I spend time vacuuming the layout frequently simply because I need to keep the dust off from above and that also means that cat hair isn't much of a problem!
Bottom line (before I tell a funny story) is that I enjoy their company and they seem to respect the work I put into the railroad.
Now, the story...
Prior to moving into our new home I had a much smaller railroad which could handle about 6 operators. Now usually Chessie, being the classic 'fraidy cat, usually heads for the under-regions of the bed whenever somebody strange comes in the house or anywhere nearby except on the day that a group of operators from Kansas City (including Chuck Hitchcock, the dean of KC model railroading, for whom I have great respect) came down to operate the old GM&O Western Division.
I had carefully planned the session, all of the switchlists were printed, the trains were made-up, MU's assigned, and the railroad room dutifully cleaned, polished, and ready to roll!
I was ready for a good session! The DS sat down, the yardmaster was busily classifying cars, and westbound train #97 (Chicago-K.C. drag freight) sat awaiting the highball from the DS at Roodhouse...
Of course you KNOW who took out the first train.... Mr. Hitchcock, of course! Off I went to the computer to print the next set of switchlists for the crews when 97 calls the DS with a most unusual and weird message...
"Dispatcher.... This is train 97. We're stopped just west of Pearl with a wildcat on the tracks."
The Dispatcher replied with something like "huh"? and I got on the radio (a superintendent's prerogative ) and asked him to repeat which he did.
Now, I thoroughly expected some sort of tease at some point in the session so I laughed it off until Chuck asked me what I wanted him to do. I said "highball". He did then reported back that he was unable to get the wildcat to get off the track. Now, I'm getting curious so I head out into the railroad.... There's Chuck with a huge grin on his face and immediately ahead of #97 was Chessie firmly planted in his favorite deep cut snoozing away!
Needless to say, I was red-faced, grabbed Chessie, apologized profusely and hastily got him to the bedroom and closed the door with him safely under the bed!
The good news is that the rest of the session went off pretty well and we all had a laugh about it as we did the post-mortem report! I suspect that somewhere deep within my psyche remains an irrational fear that Chessie will again repeat the sleep-in-the-cut routine. I am quite certain that that sub-conscious phobia is the reason I became interested in modeling the Eastern Division of the GM&O (which is mostly located on flat, alluvial plain)!!!
Jim Duncan
www.gulfmobileandohiorr.com
We share our home with four cats.
After the requisite moment of silence, I will now mention how I solved the cats-on-the-layout problem: I put up a screen door. It's worked out very well - it allows for sound & air circulation, and the cats can see me and what I'm doing without getting into trouble - which happens to be the name of one of our cats - which should tell you why I installed the screen door. :o)))
Steamer1
Steamer1 wrote: We share our home with four cats. After the requisite moment of silence, I will now mention how I solved the cats-on-the-layout problem: I put up a screen door. It's worked out very well - it allows for sound & air circulation, and the cats can see me and what I'm doing without getting into trouble - which happens to be the name of one of our cats - which should tell you why I installed the screen door. :o))) Steamer1
I installed chicken wire on my porch, my two cats managed to get out after testing EVERY nail and staple and finding the one or two that can be worked on with a claw or fang. They only need about 4 inches to get out.
One day that porch will be demoed and a addition put on that will be the end of the jailbreaks.
Interestingly enough they never tested the regular window or door screen, they both know how to get out through that.