Cats vs. Rockets: Seeking Suggestions

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Giggles

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Hello, rocketry community.

My husband and I have an entire room in our house dedicated to model rockets. We used to display some of the models throughout the house as well. The trouble is, we have cats. There is no shelf they can't reach, and when they get up on the shelves, the rockets get knocked down and sometimes chewed on. So, we rounded up all the rockets and have them relegated to the rocket room. We keep the door shut, to keep our beloved fur babies safe. (Super glue, Exacto knives, and elastic shock cords don't make good cat toys.) But with the door shut, we find that we don't use the room that often. The rockets are collecting dust. We hesitate to build new ones because we're running out of shelf space in the rocket room and it would be a shame to just pack them up in boxes. Then, no one would ever see them. My husband is losing interest in the hobby.

I want to remodel our rocket room so it becomes an inviting work space for us.
It needs...
1) a place to display up to 200 low-power model rockets where the cats can't reach them but we can still see them and show them to visitors
2) two work tables for my husband and I, plus safe storage for tools and rocket parts so the door can remain open
3) to cost no more than $500 - I priced getting clear acrylic cut to make display shelves and DANG! It's really expensive.
4) BONUS if there's room for a cat tree
5) BONUS if there's room for a large aquarium

The room we have now is about 9 feet wide by 11 feet deep, with an inset closet by the door that's about 5 feet wide and 2 feet deep. There is a window on the opposite wall - across from the door - that's about 4 feet wide.

Please help! I am in need of ideas. I wanted to do acrylic display shelves, but my husband said it was too expensive. Then, I thought of building cupboards with fence material and he pointed out that the cats would just climb up the fencing and the cupboard doors would come off. Any ideas are welcome, but please no disparaging comments about cats. They are part of the family and that's not about to change.

Thanks!
 
Perhaps just picking out the favorites to display and store the remaining due to waning interest might be a better compromise. I personally do that myself. It 'hides' the clutter.
 
You have to choose between the vast expensive collection of rockets with many man hours invested, to the fur wrapped critters wreaking havoc in said room. They cost a fortune to keep up/feed/vet bills/ marking territory/ and that chewing habit you mentioned....... yadda yadda. :confused2:
 
It won't display 200, but you could put a lot on those wall-mounted coat racks that have dowels at ~15 degrees up from horizontal. You could put those both in the main part of your house and the rocket room. I would try to pare down the displayed number a little and then box up the rest to take to launches.

You'll probably need to keep the cats out of the rocket room when you're not there just to keep them out of tools, glue, ongoing projects, etc.
 
Can you get a display case with a glass front to display some of the nicest ones in the living room. And then set up your rocket room and keep cats out. If you have 200 rockets do you really need to build a lot more?
 
How old are the cats? younger cats tend to be the ambitious explorers & will do what they can.. Older cats are more relaxed..

Cats can jump 5', and will try any ledge, at least once.. So, you need to make sure there's more than 5' from their initial take-off point. or make so the edge / ledge is less than their foot can hold.. And, from the sounds of it, that's not gonna happen.. 9x11 is small..

I have a tool caddy, and a tool box (tool chest actually) to store tools & such. a small Tupperware on the desk for the sanding bar, the X-Acto, the pencil, etc.. works. just be diligent about putting eh stuff away.

I feel you have two options: Display the few you want / cherish. or, get a cabinet to keep them LPRs protected.

I have three cats. Never a problem. Well, one can be as she jumps onto my work table for luvs.. I don't display, but have my LPRs in a box on top of a book case.
 
You have to choose between the vast expensive collection of rockets with many man hours invested, to the fur wrapped critters wreaking havoc in said room. They cost a fortune to keep up/feed/vet bills/ marking territory/ and that chewing habit you mentioned....... yadda yadda. :confused2:

If I was going to choose, the rockets would lose. As I said, the cats are part of the family. Expensive and sometimes inconvenient, yes, but so are human children and no one would suggest getting rid of them!
 
The only way to avoid dusting them is by enclosing them. That's going to blow way beyond your budget.

Shelves also gather dust and really aren't ideal IMO. So based on your $500 price your going to have to make something yourself.

If I were asked to design something what I would do is use something along the idea of a chair rail like you would see in a dining room. Lets call that board a "rocket rail".

This rocket rail design should match the decor of the room, similar to the base boards in the room (painted, stained etc.)

For instance our home here in the mountain has a lot of polyurethane coated stained pine. I would start with a pine 1 x 4 installed along the wall, probably at about eye level, but for sure above cat jumping height level. That board would have holes drilled in it, at an angle upward and to the right (or left, your choice). These holes accept 1/2" diameter wooden dowels (1/2" dowels being slightly smaller than the diameter of B/C series rocket engine(s).

The rockets would slide over the dowels. Thus they would be up high, but easily removable.

Make sense? This is similar to boatgeeks wall mount coat rack idea, but wouldn't look like a bunch of coat racks...

You'll probably need a floor model drill press and a 1/2" Forstner bit to drill the holes accurately into the board. Have access to a floor model drill press?

But if you only had a few rockets.. the coat hook idea is a good one.

DSCF4165.JPG

DSCF4164.JPG
 
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It won't display 200, but you could put a lot on those wall-mounted coat racks that have dowels at ~15 degrees up from horizontal. You could put those both in the main part of your house and the rocket room. I would try to pare down the displayed number a little and then box up the rest to take to launches.
Like this.
33926403770_9617615a9d.jpg


And speaking of cats and rockets,
26277966212_738b3333c6.jpg
 
If I was going to choose, the rockets would lose.
I was felicitously promoting the rockets. (just a ribbing) I know how folks are about their pets. If my landlord would let me, I'd have some too. I love animals to pieces and to my advantage, I have a work shop with a door that would keep em out.
 
I have had only one rocket with a little chew. I caught the cat in the act and shewed him away and that was it. I think the most important thing is to make the rocket area their turf and run by the cat rules they establish. (The King is the King and the Queen is the Queen and all others must follow) I let them rub up against them and get their scent on them - no spaying allowed! Somewhere in the house get a kitty condo, scratching post, toys, cat nip if needed. For really bad behavior get a simple squirt bottle and a good squirt seems to work wonders with our cats. I have not had to squirt them when it comes to rockets in the basement. Spend quiet time with them in the rocket room. Make a special high "spot" for them in the rocket room. Avoid leaving unattended food and drinks on the table. Accept the fact they will get curious and every once and awhile something is going to be knocked off the shelf. Discourage kitty frenzy behavior in the rocket room. If you are building and the kitty demands you pay attention to him rather than the rocket, take 30 seconds and appease the cat.

Automatic watering stations are a must:
SH Kitty 5.jpg

Appeasement is the best strategy:
SH Kitty 7.jpg

Foster their love of scale rockets at a young age:
Mikes Rockets 004.jpg

Build rockets that will scare them straight!:)
SH Kitty 2.jpg

Let them lick off the powder residue from your scary rockets.
Kittylick 3.jpg
 
I was once brush painting a rocket when the cat jumped up on the table. I quietly put the brush in the thinner and gave him a chin rub and said "here cat, give this glass of paint thinner a smell." He did and kind of backed off but stood his ground - he is the King. So I then said if you are so curious why don't you give this a smell. A bit of CA fumes and he was off the table and has never bothered me painting again. I have tons of rockets on the floor and precariously balanced on crowded shelves. Four cats, two small dogs and very minimal damage over the years.
 
Or fishing line and hang them from the ceiling??? Different lengths means they could be close together but still be visible. Just a thought...
 
Or fishing line and hang them from the ceiling??? Different lengths means they could be close together but still be visible. Just a thought...

This method works well to keep away cats and kids. I just use an old-fashioned thumbtack to hold a length of line with two loops. One loop goes over the nosecone, the other over the engine hook or a tail fin. The rockets slip off easy for launch day but will require an occasional treatment with a feather duster.
 
Oh what a feeling... hanging from the ceiling...

[video=youtube;AEjJ_QAx5JU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEjJ_QAx5JU[/video]
 
I like the ceiling mount idea.

Also, while many would certainly argue “you can’t have too many rockets”, trying to DISPLAY all of them at once, particularly in a small area may be self defeating, you may not be able to see the trees for forest. I don’t worry so much about dust, but that’s me.

Pick out your show pieces and display those, rest put in protected covered storage. Rotate them out if desired.
 
If I was going to choose, the rockets would lose. As I said, the cats are part of the family. Expensive and sometimes inconvenient, yes, but so are human children and no one would suggest getting rid of them!

Oh that's not true at all. I have suggested to many that they get rid of their kids.
 
When my brother and his wife had a baby, they installed an interior screen door on the baby's room to keep the cats out. You could still see in and feel like the room is not totally closed off. Baby and cats lived together fine, but they did not have any rockets though.
 
Your only solution is to get a dog and make your rocket room the dogs den. This will keep the cats out...well, that will only work if your dog hates cats. I have had dogs that licked kittens clean after birth and treated the kittens as their own. Re-grouping and going to plan B, either build an addition to your house, or, hang everything from the ceiling as stated above. Dusting could be a pain but at least the cats won't knock them off the shelves or chew on them. I hope you find a solution that works for you.
 
There is this wonderful invention called a door, put one of these in every opening to the rocket room and close it. The cats wont get inside.
 
Get some A4 sized sticky printer labels, peel them and leave them sticky side up on the cabinets where the cats jump. You might come home to find a gift-wrapped cat, but they hate the idea of sticky things on their paws and get the idea of where not to jump really quick :wink:

Smaller stickers might work just as well and be easier to remove.

I have a couple of cats, and one is obsessed with pushing things off tables and benches. He has never attempted to push my rockets off though, not even my easily accessible Saturn V LEGO model. Never had to resort to the sticky paper trick.
 
For the Ceiling idea, *IF* you don't have an engine hook to use, you can always use a length of dowel inserted in the engine mount, and then tie the line to that. Of course if you want to get really creative, create a mobile. :wink:

To the OP... Will I be seeing you at the July OROC meeting at Giovanni's?
 
...
I have a couple of cats, and one is obsessed with pushing things off tables and benches. He has never attempted to push my rockets off though, not even my easily accessible Saturn V LEGO model. Never had to resort to the sticky paper trick.

q0S8SVU.jpg
 
...if you want to get really creative, create a mobile...

When I was a kid I strung up some thread to my ceiling and hung the Buck Rogers Earth Forces Starfighter and the Draconian Marauder in perpetual dog fight with each other. The breeze from the air vent on the floor beneath them would gently move them around slightly when the AC/furnace would kick in.
 
My daughter bought this for my birthday:
s-l500.jpg

Around $40, motion-activated. My cats no longer like our kitchen cart, and they're becoming suspicious of the dining room table ;-)

According to some reviews, it's a bit iffy; the distance at which it activates may vary from unit to unit.

You can also get a kind of double-sided tape that will remove from most surfaces fairly easily. Cats don't like to walk on it. I tried one roll but there wasn't enough tape to do a good job. Several rolls might work.

Best -- Terry
"...the cat that sits down on a hot stove lid. She will never sit on a hot stove lid again--and that is well; but also she will never sit down on a cold one anymore." -- Mark Twain
 
[QUOTE="prfesser, post: 1834797, member: 26378]"You can also get a kind of double-sided tape that will remove from most surfaces fairly easily. Cats don't like to walk on it. I tried one roll but there wasn't enough tape to do a good job. [/QUOTE]

I've used plain old duct tape, sticky side up. I put several pieces where I didn't want the cats going. One was chasing the other and ran across a piece of tape. It was like he hit a land mine. He fell over and rolled for several feet with it stuck to his paw. He wasn't hurt, and the tape came right off (now thoroughly covered in cat hair). Almost as good as stopping a cat as a laser pointer is for making them go!
 
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