As I plan my model railroad, I have one major concern- our two cats. The railroad will be placed in an area that will allow easy access for my elderly father in law (we are hoping he will get into the trains as well since he get’s VERY bored during our Canadian Winters!). This is also an area that I can’t “close a door” to keep our cats out. Do any of you guys have any tips to keep the cats from getting up onto the layout? Would a tall facia that extends beyond the top of the layout discourage them? I’m trying to get into their feline heads and determine that if I were a cat on the floor and looked up at the layout and couldn’t see a place to land (due to the facia), would I be inclined to jump?
you may want to do a taller fascia–but the best way i found to deal with the one in my avatar is to keep the rolling stock/ locos in storage when not in use.
Another way? Have sound equiped locs around–one blast of the horn and he goes backwards and gondie!! Spring doesn’t like trains that talk I guess----[:-^]
I agree with Barry. Try taller fascia. I will have to try it myself. We have 3 cats and they never touched the layout, but…lately a car or two have been turned over. I think its our fat cat (25lbs of cat). The wife said maybe box out all of the lower part of the layout. That gets me worried that he might jump up and over the backdrop. Which is a high jump, but cats can jump.
I haven’t caught any of them yet!!! Plus it helps to have a BIG dog. When Zeus (a boxer) heres us say “get them” he’s after the cats. Doesn’t hurt them, but more “rounds them up”.
Ahah, here we go again! Actually, the point of this thread is NOT how to get rid of the cats, but keep everyone–model railroaders and their feline companions–happy and un-intermingled. If the poster wanted to get rid of the cats, he would have. He obviously doesn’t, he just wants to find tricks to keep everyone happy and the model railroad out of their territory.
I won’t go into it in a lot of detail, but most of you know that I have two (now three) Traincats, two of which are rather large (Maine Coon and Norwegian Forest Cat, respectively). Okay, I don’t have a problem with them on the train, because my railroad is in the garage, and Spooky and Remington are strictly house cats (they wouldn’t go outside if they wanted to, their position on the Food Chain around here would change far too drastically for their liking). I won’t go into what they like to do helping daddy with his model railroad kitchen table projects, however.
However, I do have a couple of neighbor’s cats who like to laze around in the garage. And I have had trouble with one particular little gal who thinks it’s fun to hop up on my layout and sprawl in my yard. She doesn’t do any damage, she only weighs about five pounds, but I have an under the table sound system, so anytime I’m out there and she wanders in and looks like she’s getting a yen to pace a train, I turn on the sound system. She’s down on the garage floor looking up, very confused, wondering where all of that STEAM is coming from. Works for me.
So my thoughts would be to installing some kind of sound system, if your locomotives don’t have it already. The SIGHT of a train running is enough to make a cat salivate–“ooh, PREY!” The SOUND of one running seems to be a kind of Anathema: “oops, BIG nasty Prey!” Soundtraxx makes a good under the table system, you can get it for eithe
I don’t have too much of a problem with the “Fat cat” as my daughter likes to call him. He’s Bishop and he’s about 25-30lbs. He doesn’t bother the trains at all. It’s not that I don’t think he can jump up on the layout, which is about 50 inches off the floor, but he’s half chicken too so everything scares him. Here’s some perspective, I’m very happy he doesn’t cause he’d do some major damage.
As you can see on my wpf post, I haven’t been able to do anything about my cats. I don’t care yet because I haven’t done any scenery yet. George, our cat, didn’t go on the old layout very often. The unpleasant textures of scenery did quite a bit to stop him from laying around. My layout right now is in the warmest room of the house with large, elevated sections of foam to lay on. I don’t blame my cat one bit for laying up there.
I´m really lucky that my cat is a bit afraid of my model trains. When the train stands still, she might sniff a little bit at the train, but she will never actually touch it. But she is somehow fascinated by steam locomotives, because whenever one of my steam locos is steaming, she always stares at the smoke. Here I catched an unique moment with my camera, where my cat was crossing the train while it was running! I was surprised, since she always leaves the room whenever I turn on the sound of my SP Alco PA-1, because my PA has a VERY loud sound! She stood beside the tracks, and when the loco reached her she crossed the train in a total cool way, as if there was nothing going on… But it never happened again so far.
Stress, in almost any situation, can be avoided (or mitigated) when one understands the dynamics of the stressor. Cats [Felis catus] are reputed to be the third-most intelligent species after humans (although recent events puts human’s status in question). We have a doormat that reads: “Four cats - and their cleaning staff - live here”…enough said. If you are going “head-to-head” with a cat you WILL lose (try sleeping in on a Sunday when Tigger wants to get up and eat). So what is the answer to the layout question?
Go with the flow: make the layout as uninviting as necessary. Sounds, such as escaping steam, alarm the animal and will lead it to think it has intruded upon another’s territory. Stiff shrubbery is a negative tactile stimulus and will also make an area “less inviting”. Try to figure out why a specific area of the layout is so attractive to the animal - and, if possible, eliminate the attraction.
I had occasion to assist another modeler in the construction/scenery of his new layout. He was frustrated with his two cats as they loved to lie on one particular section of the pike. After some careful observation I noted: 1) they always lay in that one area, 2) they never disturbed the trains - whether running or not, and 3) it was obvious they enjoyed the companionship of humans in that location. I suggested that he leave that “sacred portion” of the layout unfinished - to be used as their (the cats’) place. He followed my advice and has had no further problems to date (my clients should be so diligent). Eventually the cats “moved on” and took over his wife’s sewing table…but that is her problem.
“Dogs come when called…cats take a message and may get back to you later.”
Some good advice guys. I ran a loco on a test track today and it really peaked their attention! One cat is named Taz (as in Tazmanian Devil) so now you know what I’m up against! I’m worried my layout will look the the set of one of those Japanese Godzilla movies from the 50’s except it will be Tazzilla doing the damage!
I have 5 cats and only one that would get on the layout, and only did it a couple of times. I would scold him and he would get down and get in a chair that I have in the layout room, that became his chair and when I would go down to the layout he would follow and get in his chair and that is were he would stay until I went back up stairs (the layout is in the basement).
As for the 4 other cats they just did not attempt to get on the layout, never had a problem with them.
This question has been lingering in the back of my mind for ages. My two older girls just like to hang around sleeping, eating and receiving their massages. They don’t present a problem when it comes to my (shelf)layout, The young boy likes to see whats going on - he does regular check-ups on whats happening around his property noting any changes that may require more thorough investigation. When I am working on my models he likes to check up on that as well - mainly for some affection actually.
Most layouts are not a really attractive places for most cats to want to be although thay may do some very unwelcome damage in the process of finding this out though. I think I would show my cat the layout as it’s being built - they need to do this to determine than any changes in their territory are not going to hold any surprises for them and be the possible source of any danger. They do need to do this - its programed into them and part of their survival mechanisims. If they see that there are no threats to them and it’s just you engaging in some strange human behaviour that constantly bewilder cats then they will usually forgo any further explorations on your layout. If they are just seeking your companionship they will after a little while settle close to you and if you provide a blanket or a freshly laundered towl in a chair close to you while you are working on the layout that should be enough to serve your cats immediate needs.
Cats are as different to one another as we humans so you need to spend some time observing your cats personality and work out distractions for him/her that will be useful and accepted as a strong enough diversion to keep your cat off of your layout. You need to show your cat that any adventures on your layout is an excersise in deminishing returns.
It’s either cats or trains, the two do not mix, and who in their right mind would allow a cat (or a water buffalo) near train set? sort of like opening up your prized stamp album and letting the neighborhood kids loose with scissors. Train layouts were never intended for animal use, unless you don’t really care about your hobby.
Ha, 55 years ago I learned that cats and model trains don’t mix. If my cat could derail Lionel stuff, he could sure play havoc with HO or N! I haven’t had a cat since then, and to be honest don’t have a clue how to keep one out of the trains - other than shutting the door or doing something “permanent”.
Don’t KNOW that this will work, but it’s worth a try…
Suspend a clear plastic barrier along the fascia line from the ceiling down to well below the top of the woodwork. If you use a layer of shower curtain material you can simply step inside it to work or operate.
I imagine that it wouldn’t take many encounters with the ‘force screen’ to convince even the densest cat that jumping on the layout is effectively impossible.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - without resident wildlife)
When I just had Chessie, he only tried getting on my layout from the stairs a couple times. After realizing he was going to get the water bottle if he kept that up, he would stay on the stairs and either sit or lay down and either sleep or just watch the trains.
When I got Casey Jones, I stopped letting them in the basement after a couple times because together they tend to get into things, and it quickly got to a point where I was getting them out of things more than I was working on the layout or running trains.
With my Lionel, I have it setup on a loop on the floor of my office behind a closed door. The cats only get in there when I let them. They don’t bother the Lionel, and if it’s running, they either ignore it or sit/lay down and watch it.
