Our recent That’s Christmas 365 article about buying model railway gifts prompted a rather important thought in our own household.
We have an African Grey parrot and a very large Maine Coon cat.
Would introducing a model railway into that combination be brave, or completely foolish?
Fortunately, pet ownership doesn't necessarily mean abandoning dreams of miniature steam trains or classic vintage diesel locomotives winding through beautifully detailed countryside. However, some sensible precautions are definitely required.
The railway may look like a giant cat's toy
Cats and model railways aren't necessarily natural companions.
A locomotive moving around a layout could prove irresistible, while delicate trees, signals, telegraph poles and buildings aren't designed to withstand a large cat deciding to walk across them, or spend an afternoon catnapping on them.
Then there are tunnels.
What self-respecting cat wouldn't investigate something repeatedly disappearing into a hole or coming out again?
Rather than hoping your cat simply loses interest, it's better to design the railway on the assumption that curiosity will eventually win.
And don't underestimate a parrot!
African Greys are extraordinarily intelligent and inquisitive birds, equipped with a remarkably powerful beak.
Small model railway accessories could be picked up or chewed, while exposed electrical cables present an obvious hazard.
For households with parrots, wiring should therefore be properly enclosed and inaccessible. We'd also disconnect the railway from its power supply when it wasn't being used.
Tiny detachable scenery and accessories shouldn't be accessible to either cats or birds.
Consider a railway in a cabinet
One particularly attractive solution is building a layout into a cabinet.
Transparent acrylic doors or panels could allow everyone in the family, including the pets, to watch the trains while preventing paws and beaks from reaching the railway.
Open the cabinet when you're operating or maintaining the layout and close everything securely afterwards.
A folding layout offers another possibility. A compact OO, N or 009 layout could be brought out for an evening's railway operation before being folded or stored safely away.
A railway room?
If you're fortunate enough to have a spare bedroom, box room or other suitable space, turning it into a dedicated model railway room could solve most of the problem.
Simply keeping the door closed when you're not there provides an extremely effective first line of defence.
For larger homes, garages, lofts and suitable outbuildings can offer other possibilities, although temperature, humidity and security need considering.
What about a garden railway?
Going bigger could be another answer.
Garden railway equipment is generally much more substantial than its indoor cousins, and constructing a railway amongst real plants can become a fascinating hobby in itself.
However, cats may still regard the railway as part of their territory, while pet birds obviously shouldn't be allowed outdoors unsupervised.
Pets don't mean giving up the railway dream
Perhaps that's the important point.
If somebody in your family receives a model railway for Christmas, the presence of cats, parrots or other inquisitive pets doesn't mean trains and animals can't coexist.
It simply means thinking about where the railway will live, how it will be protected and how its electrical equipment and small components will be secured.
In fact, designing a pet-proof railway could become an interesting modelling challenge in its own right.
In our household, a substantial cabinet layout with clear protective doors sounds increasingly attractive.
After all, a model railway is supposed to provide relaxation and enjoyment.
Watching your lovingly constructed signal box disappear beneath the paws of an enthusiastic Maine Coon probably doesn't qualify.
And as for an African Grey parrot presented with dozens of miniature trees, buildings and telegraph poles to dismantle?
We suspect the parrot might regard that as the best Christmas present of all.
Merry Christmas, and happy (pet-proof) modelling from That’s Christmas 365!
