I have a 10 x 2 foot shelf layout all the way around a 10 x 10 - foot square section of my hobby room. Has one duckunder/ lift-up bridge section (which I generally leave down). I could shut my two cats out of the room, but I enjoy their company, they love to watch the trains, and they love the sun from the two big 4 X 4 foot south- facing windows. Although I have found they are very adept at using their claws to distress unfinished layout foamboard (seriously! you ought to try it -works better than a wire brush!), the hair and application of claws to finished areas is not exactly a desirable option. I would like to enclose it, but still be able to operate it with them in the room, and not worry about cat-de-rails . Any ideas? I thought of plexiglas, but that stuff has gotten ex-pen-sive since I priced it last. My maximum scenery height is about 18 inches, as this is a western prairie flatland layout. I would also like for them to be able to lie on top of whatever case, especially on the sunny south side.
Good luck! I haven't ever been able to get mine to stop jumping on anything no matter what I do. I tried locking them out, but that failed because they start crying until I let them in. I enjoy having them in there with me, especially when I'm home alone most times (I work nights, wife works days). I use an empty spray bottle when I see them getting ready to jump. We had to use it with water when they were kittens because they loved to sharpen their claws on everything except their scratching post until they took the hint. Now I just use an empty spray bottle (or one with something else in it). Just point it at them and they don't go anywhere they find somewhere else to hang out in the room. Also being empty, I'm not giving anything in the room a shower. I also found that putting an old blanket folded up on an old dresser from the previous owners that I use for storage I have in there gives them somewhere to hang out with me and stay out of trouble.
I've found it easier to pull cats away from things than to push them away; in other words, rather than struggle to "cat-proof" something, add "cat-friendly" things to the environment to draw them away from daddy's trains. Plenty of comfy sleeping places, toys (with catnip!), maybe a snack station, etc. If it happens that a clear plastic fascia is still required, there are cheaper alternatives to the Plexiglas you find in the big box stores. Check out the materials available through a professional plastics supplier, such as eplastics. You can get thinner stock that's easier to cut, and saves weight. Also recommend using Lexan instead of Plex, the latter being more brittle and prone to cracking.
I agree with David on this one. Exactly what I do with mine, I have my space and he has his with all the comfort creatures in the same room. We are best buds and really all I have to do is say the word and he knows that he is not to encroach on the train space. Took some training but not a lot and I think we both respect each other for that.
I tried this for about a month before I gave up. My three 'house ninjas' will find ways into just about anything i've managed to throw at them. I thought I had a good thing going when I put a plexiglass cover on a shelf switcher, which they promptly all attempted to attack my switcher as i ran it back and forth. it was cute, until 30lbs of cat was on it (all three... no joke... the one called for backup!) I now keep my stuff in a spare bedroom, with the door closed. We do not go in there, and I can make as much of a mess as I want
Somebody put a simple motion sensor on his layout, hooked to a buzzer that made a noise that his cats didn't like. As soon as they landed on the table, the buzzer scared them off. After a few applications of this, they decided to spend their time in other places than on the layout.
I used to think it was cute for my cats to walk around on my layout before I started scenicking it. I taught them bad habits by not training them to stay off, and when one of them ate every scratch-built telegraph pole on the layout, I decided it was time to get the cats out of the layout room and keep them out. Eight years later, it's not a problem. They know they're not supposed to come in and they don't really persist like they did at first (yowling and scratching under the door). Problem solved. Easy as pie. However, the buzzer solution is good if you just can't bring yourself to evict your fuzzy kids. Several sources for similar solutions are available commercially specifically tailored for keeping cats off couches, cupboard tops, etc...anywhere they are not allowed to be. Cheers! Bob Gilmore
