Any of you have cats that hang out in the shop?

[Dan Forman]

If so, do they go chasing flying shavings, and do you worry about them eating something they shouldn't, or having a reaction to shavings or dust?

Dan

[Richard Jones]

I somehow "inherited" my daughters cat. He sleeps in the shavings under the lathe. Has several little "nests" under there. Is only bothered by the air nozzle and sometimes the shop vac. Has exhibited no signs of being bothered by much of anything else........ If he eats something bad, well, that's his fault, sorry.........

[John Keeton]

Dan, I am sure there is a marked divide amongst folks, but I don't want cats hanging out anywhere! We enjoy seeing the various wildlife - domestic cats and wildlife do not mix well.

I apologize in advance to all you cat lovers, but do the rest of us a favor and don't let them roam outside in rural areas.

[Richard Jones]

Must agree with John. This cat stays indoors all the time, is actually scared to go out...... Feral cats here are simply target opportunities. They do far more harm than most realize.

Rich ( a cat sitter, not a cat lover) in VA

[Doug Herzberg]

We have barn cats and house cats. Neither variety likes to be in the shop while I'm working, but the barn cats will go in when I'm away if I leave an opening. I've tried setting up a pet bed near the woodstove for one house cat, but she just wanted to go home. The only chemical I worry about is antifreeze, because of warnings I've heard about it tasting good to some animals. They seem to know to avoid the other bad stuff.

As far as wildlife, the barn cats know their place in the animal kingdom. They hunt low flying and stupid birds and pocket gophers and other rodents, tolerate raccoons, leave the koi alone and hide from most larger animals. We have a wide variety of birds at our feeders, even though it is a favorite hunting area for the barn cats.

In the cats' world, our roles are those of servants. My main duty is to provide a warm lap for them to sleep on. My wife also has to provide food and water and clean their toilet. In the shop, I'm too busy to tend to their needs.

[John Coloccia]

My neighbor's cat comes by and hangs out all the time. This is the time of year when I can open the door, and she just waltzes right in and wants a bit of attention. Cats a pretty smart. They seem to keep themselves out of trouble for the most part.

[Bill Holland]

As far as cats go, I would use the rule of thumb. If they are smart enough to know what is good for them, let nature thin the herd. They got 9 lives & always land of their feet.

[David C. Roseman]

Our house cat and three dogs are family, and all cruise through the basement shop from time to time. One of the litter boxes is there. It's a big reason I try to keep shavings and sawdust swept up. Don't want the animals tracking it through the house, or the cat getting other ideas. Air-borne dust is probably not a long term issue with them because of life span. But short-term airway irritation from wood that causes sensitivity in us, I don't see why not.

I agree that cats are more destructive to wildlife than many of us think. But Richard, target opportunities?!

David

[Richard Jones]

I agree that cats are more destructive to wildlife than many of us think. But Richard, target opportunities?!

David

Feral cats, yes. Not house cats. Big difference.

[Curt Harms]

Yup, basement shop and 4 cats. The only 'issue' I've had is with a wood storage rack whose legs used to be 2 X 3 'til one female designated it her scratching post. Better that than the furniture for sure. My 'girlfriend' Maine Coon will come down to supervise and patrol the premises, do some bump 'n' rub, hang around a while then go back upstairs. I was surprised that she's not intimidated by the dust collector or jointer/planer.

[Brian Ashton]

My cats have asthma so they're kept out of the shop at all times.

[Rod Sheridan]

Ellington at Work.jpg

Here's Sir Ellington Snodgrass III inspecting the shaper for proper setup.

Ellington is an indoor cat with a dog personality.

The little girls in the neighbourhood ring the doorbell, take him out for a walk and he comes home smelling of baby powder.

He likes all animals and people and made friends with the local skunk, just before dusk the two would get together on the patio, then walk up the street together, and Ellington would walk back home.

He loves being in the shop, and noise doesn't bother him...................Rod.

[Stephen Tashiro]

I think the biggest hazard to cats and dogs around the house and shop is having something dropped or splashed on them. I've had cats that naturally avoided falling objects. They would move away if you were holding something over them and they would favor being under a table or chair. Others are not sufficiently cautious.

[Dan Forman]

Thanks for the replies. I have a basement shop with no door to isolate it. My previous cat would come down now and then, but really didn't like it all that much. She was an elderly stray that adopted me last fall, was fairly timid. She had a tendency to get into places she could not easily get down from without knocking things over. My shop is not really very cat friendly, as it evolved without a cat to think about. Here is Shakti in the one spot that I cleared out for her where she couldn't get into too much trouble. As you can see, she was watching my every move with rapt attention...

She died suddenly and quite unexpectedly a couple of weeks ago, and I now have another younger cat adopted from a local shelter. He will be an indoor cat, as I agree about the harm that outdoor cats can do to the local wildlife. He is quite the explorer, and seems to like the basement, but has not been exposed to any of the machinery noise yet, so we shall see how he tolerates that, perhaps today if there is time. I remember reading a post some time ago in the flatwork forum about a dog that was playing with a walnut shaving from a hand plane, had an adverse reaction and nearly died, which is what inspired this post. I have also heard of cats eating string and other such items, so was concerned about the possibility of him trying the same with a shaving flying from the lathe. being animated and all. I also wondered about the possibility of him thinking that shavings would make a good litter alternative.

Dan

[Dan Forman]

Ellington at Work.jpg

Here's Sir Ellington Snodgrass III inspecting the shaper for proper setup.

Ellington is an indoor cat with a dog personality.

The little girls in the neighbourhood ring the doorbell, take him out for a walk and he comes home smelling of baby powder.

He likes all animals and people and made friends with the local skunk, just before dusk the two would get together on the patio, then walk up the street together, and Ellington would walk back home.

He loves being in the shop, and noise doesn't bother him...................Rod.

Sounds like quite the cat. Better (for all concerned) to befriend a skunk than the alternative! Nice shop too, by the way. I was the only one my former cat would tolerate, she would hide and remain hidden for quite a while after anyone would visit.

Dan