Zannej's random projects

[zannej]

I have a few projects on my list that don't fall under other categories so I figured I'd share them here.
Of most import is projects involving finding ways to protect my computer from cats.

To explain my setup, I have a little broken desk directly next to my bed (the top lifted off and tilts). I have a monitor riser that protects the keyboard when not in use and I attached my speakers to it with Velcro (so the cats would stop knocking my stuff down). The subwoofer for the speakers is directly behind that riser and an empty cable management box is behind that. I hope to use the box to hold a power strip later on.
I have an oak board attached the the wall spanning 2 studs to which a wall-mount bracket for the monitor is attached. It extends out so I can have my monitor closer to me. The board is fairly thick-- probably a good 2" or at least 1-1/2". It was rough oak from the sawmill so it wasn't standard size.

Currently my old computer sits on a little wooden thing with wheels (that my dad built to hold computers) and the UPS (uninterruptible power supply) is next to it. The cats like to stand on the UPS and spray the side/top of the computer. They ruined some of the parts inside because of it. I had to duct tape an upsidedown basket to the top and tape over the side vents to protect it. (Yes, I know if I got rid of the cats I wouldn't have the problem, but I love them--- neutering the males *might* reduce the spraying but even the neutered cats-- even female-- started spraying to compete but I am reminding my brother to get his cats neutered). The spraying aside, the cats also cough up furballs and it comes with liquid & that has damaged some things. They puked down the back of my UPS and the saliva got between the plugs & the outlets on it and shorted some out.

Back to the computer thing: I have a wall-mount bracket to hold the computer. I plan to mount it on the wall above (but resting on) the oak board. The board should give it some extra support. To keep the cats from jumping on top of the computer, I plan to use pieces of an old glue-up surround that I tore down from my bathroom shower. It will be taped (with waterproof gorilla tape) to the wall so it is at an angle that will prevent the cats from jumping on it. I will also need to figure out how to create some sort of triangles to keep the cats from getting under it through the gaps. I'll probably use tape for that as well. Since I want it to be able to be moved if I remove the computer, I have a strap with velcro that came with a blanket that I could use to tether the flap down (still trying to figure out exactly how to accomplish that). I figure I can cut a hole lower down on the flap with an oscillating attachment or just use velcro on the flap and somewhere lower down. The triangle end caps can probably be cut out of the same wall surround thing.

What I haven't figured out yet is how to keep the cats off of the oak board. It is large enough of a ledge that they can walk on it..

Old photo of my desk top with the plastic thingy that covers the keyboard & holds the speakers. I added an extension to the back to support the subwoofer-- although now there is a small box behind to keep the subwoofer from slipping backward bc the desktop now tips backwards & velcro would not hold to keep it from slipping.

This is what happened before the extender was added

This is how the monitor is mounted to the wall:

I will be putting the wall mount bracket over the middle so it will have more support.
Can't remember the exact design of the bracket right now, but this is the general idea (I suck at drawing perspective & proportion): The part that goes up at the wall will secure to the wall. Pretty sure there is tongue-and-groove wood behind the wall but could be mistaken. I have drywall anchors (although the wall is wood paneling) just in case.

This was my original cruddy sketch of the idea. I entertained the idea of having some sort of foam coverings instead of the surround material.

That should cover the computer (no pun intended) but I still need to figure out how to keep them off the ledge. I wonder if I could do something similar with smaller pieces of the old surround and have them angled so the cats can't step on them.

So, any thoughts or ideas (aside from getting rid of cats?)

 

[zannej]

My 2nd related project is protecting the UPS. My proposed idea is to use this hood from a cpu fan set and a cheap basket:

The green bag up top kept bumping stuff and pushing them back to the left. Stuff will be over more to the right. The slimmest part of the green hood fits around the UPS pretty much perfectly. I need to figure out the best way to attach these things to the UPS in a way that they can be removed if necessary but will not be able to be knocked off by cats easily. I was thinking velcro, but it would have to be where the cats can't pee on the velcro. I know they will be wanting to sit on top of the basket constantly. I may be able to use the styrofoam (cut down obviously) to fit inside the basket and help hold it in place somehow. Maybe if I notch it or something...

I need to get a better pic of where the top vents are on this thing. (I'm more concerned about protecting the plugs/outlets at the back and the top vents than anything at the front or sides).
I'm thinking of butchering the fans or casing for the fans that came with the green hood and finding a way to attach them to the basket so that the green thingy can clip on to them the way it clipped to the fan holder. Or maybe finding another way to attach the hood to the basket but with a space between them (as there are no vents in the top that close to the back).

Any ideas on how to secure this setup?

 

[sonya123]

I think you need to get dogs instead of the cats
or a turtle, snake or panda bear......
JK!! but seriously I don't think I would put up with that
Can't you just keep them out of that room? I love my dog but he's no way sleeping on the bed at night

 

[zannej]

Sonya, my door is broken so I can't keep them out. But I also sleep better when I have them cuddling me at night. The dogs and the cats all pile on my bed (and even on top of me).

My brother's cats are the ones that started the spraying and he needs to get them neutered (which might cut down on the spraying). But they still vomit on stuff so I want to keep them off of my things. I will leave the old computer case with its basket around for them to climb on so it will encourage them to leave my new computer alone.

Had some dogs that chewed up my stuff in the past so they can be just as bad-- if not worse. Dogs we fostered chewed up my door.

 

[sonya123]

the dogs chewed up the door? Wow, Otto chewed up a few things but not a door
Well good luck with your project, I don't have any really good ideas on that

 

[Pearl]

I always just assumed that you cannot protect anything from cats!! Just give up, they will figure it out!!

 

[zannej]

I have some pretty dumb ones but also some smart ones. I'm going to do my best to keep the kitties off of my computer and far enough away that they can't hurt it. They will sit on top of the UPS but won't be able to puke on the plugs.

 

[zannej]

Ran into a small snag. The wall-mount bracket advertised that it would extend to 8.75". Computer is 8.6" wide. Just looked at the box for the bracket and it says it only goes to 8.3". I can see if it can fit-- it can't extend an further than that, Or I use it for something else (perhaps the UPS) and make a shelf out of a 1x10 board. I can paint it and add pieces up the sides for extra support-- get some shelf brackets and get it to the right size for the computer.

 

[Amish Heart]

Can you just throw a tarp over things you're not using so the cats don't puke and pee on everything?

 

[Pearl]

Can you just throw a tarp over things you're not using so the cats don't puke and pee on everything?

My mom had a cat that would go under her sheets to puke. They'll just go under the tarp!

 

[Amish Heart]

Gross. I love our barn cats, but sorry...no puking, peeing cats in the house. Or shedding ones. The last one that got a pass was old man cat, Raisin. He stayed in. But I vacuumed and swept every day, and he didn't puke and pee on things. Cats here are spoilt rotten...nice beds, cat house, good food, but it's all in the garage. They come and go. They do fine. And no mess on our things. I'd still try a tarp. Spray it with perfume, maybe they would hate the smell.

 

[Magpie]

I've heard cats don't like citrus smells or pine. I'd say if you could stop one male you'll stop them all. Could you get a little citrus oil, drop in some vinegar and wipe the shelf so the smell would keep them away from it? I have my three cats in during the day, and have never had them do that. I leave a towel on the end of my bed, a chair and the couch. They all go to them to sleep automatically. I didn't train them, (it was originally for a dog) they just do it.

 

[Magus]

I have a few projects on my list that don't fall under other categories so I figured I'd share them here.
Of most import is projects involving finding ways to protect my computer from cats.

To explain my setup, I have a little broken desk directly next to my bed (the top lifted off and tilts). I have a monitor riser that protects the keyboard when not in use and I attached my speakers to it with Velcro (so the cats would stop knocking my stuff down). The subwoofer for the speakers is directly behind that riser and an empty cable management box is behind that. I hope to use the box to hold a power strip later on.
I have an oak board attached the the wall spanning 2 studs to which a wall-mount bracket for the monitor is attached. It extends out so I can have my monitor closer to me. The board is fairly thick-- probably a good 2" or at least 1-1/2". It was rough oak from the sawmill so it wasn't standard size.

Currently my old computer sits on a little wooden thing with wheels (that my dad built to hold computers) and the UPS (uninterruptible power supply) is next to it. The cats like to stand on the UPS and spray the side/top of the computer. They ruined some of the parts inside because of it. I had to duct tape an upsidedown basket to the top and tape over the side vents to protect it. (Yes, I know if I got rid of the cats I wouldn't have the problem, but I love them--- neutering the males *might* reduce the spraying but even the neutered cats-- even female-- started spraying to compete but I am reminding my brother to get his cats neutered). The spraying aside, the cats also cough up furballs and it comes with liquid & that has damaged some things. They puked down the back of my UPS and the saliva got between the plugs & the outlets on it and shorted some out.
View attachment 117624
Back to the computer thing: I have a wall-mount bracket to hold the computer. I plan to mount it on the wall above (but resting on) the oak board. The board should give it some extra support. To keep the cats from jumping on top of the computer, I plan to use pieces of an old glue-up surround that I tore down from my bathroom shower. It will be taped (with waterproof gorilla tape) to the wall so it is at an angle that will prevent the cats from jumping on it. I will also need to figure out how to create some sort of triangles to keep the cats from getting under it through the gaps. I'll probably use tape for that as well. Since I want it to be able to be moved if I remove the computer, I have a strap with velcro that came with a blanket that I could use to tether the flap down (still trying to figure out exactly how to accomplish that). I figure I can cut a hole lower down on the flap with an oscillating attachment or just use velcro on the flap and somewhere lower down. The triangle end caps can probably be cut out of the same wall surround thing.

What I haven't figured out yet is how to keep the cats off of the oak board. It is large enough of a ledge that they can walk on it..

Old photo of my desk top with the plastic thingy that covers the keyboard & holds the speakers. I added an extension to the back to support the subwoofer-- although now there is a small box behind to keep the subwoofer from slipping backward bc the desktop now tips backwards & velcro would not hold to keep it from slipping.
View attachment 117616
This is what happened before the extender was added
View attachment 117617
This is how the monitor is mounted to the wall:
View attachment 117618
I will be putting the wall mount bracket over the middle so it will have more support.
Can't remember the exact design of the bracket right now, but this is the general idea (I suck at drawing perspective & proportion): The part that goes up at the wall will secure to the wall. Pretty sure there is tongue-and-groove wood behind the wall but could be mistaken. I have drywall anchors (although the wall is wood paneling) just in case.
View attachment 117621
This was my original cruddy sketch of the idea. I entertained the idea of having some sort of foam coverings instead of the surround material.
View attachment 117622
That should cover the computer (no pun intended) but I still need to figure out how to keep them off the ledge. I wonder if I could do something similar with smaller pieces of the old surround and have them angled so the cats can't step on them.
View attachment 117623
So, any thoughts or ideas (aside from getting rid of cats?)

A strip of molding inverted so its like a speed bump, hard to walk on, impossible to sleep on.

I had a cat that laid down on my keyboard and somehow erased two hard drives!

 

[zannej]

Re: the tarps: Cats shred tarps for one and I intend to be using these things. Don't want stuff getting shorted out. I've already been trying to figure out where the current UPS plugs in and forgot there is a whole little table under all that mess. LOL. I really need to clean.

But, I've come up with somewhat of a plan and I may already have some wood to use. Just need to look around the barn and workshop. I may also have the shelf brackets too. Unless I dreamed it, we have shelf brackets somewhere. Possibly on the top shelf in the tool closet. I know I saw them somewhere... Could also have been in the workshop. I need to go look.
I'm thinking if I put a smaller strip of the old glue-up surround at an angle over the ledge, the cats won't be able to step on it. It will be too slippery and at such an angle they will slide right off. I also intend to add some shelves or something in places where I'm ok with them climbing to give them more spots to sit on. Right now they like that I have plastic drawers stacked on top of my night stand. They like to climb on top of them. I'm not looking forward to removing the old UPS since I probably have to move the table its on and it is pretty well stuck in there. LOL. It is partway tucked under my desk.

 

[zannej]

I found a solution to some problems. Reviews say the adhesive sucks so I'll find a different way to attach or provide my own adhesive.
https://www.amazon.com/Maitys-Litter-Shields-Transparent-Included/dp/B0C5X4WWY4/

For the UPS I found a face shield that I loosely attached (will need to mount it to the inner edge of the basket with some velcro so it can be removed for any sort of maintenance). I tied the basket on somewhat with paracord. Wish I knew Frodo's tricks for braiding and tying it but I suck at that sort of thing. Will get my friend to help me with that. The basket can fall off even though I used Velcro strips on the ends (not blocking any vents).

I primed and painted the hood so it is gloss black and I'm quite pleased with how it turned out. It covers the cords on the back pretty well.
I moved the computer off of the rolling stand and placed the UPS on it (after I cleaned it up and put shelf liner on).

Sorry the lighting in my room sucks.

I will see about using those litterbox shields to protect the computer. I can tape them together. They might prove better at protecting the UPS as well.

Edit: Told the cat not to touch the basket.

Measured how far the board sticks out

Bracket mounted to the board/shelf.

Did a test fit of the shelf, marked the holes for the bracket, and drilled them.

I need to clean off the ledge. LOL.

 

[zannej]

The shelf is up. Brackets were installed underneath anchored into a hardwood board for extra support.
Tie-down anchors were mounted into studs on the wall as well as to the hard wood board and bungee tiedowns are stretching over the case to tether it more securely.
Litterpan shields were used to protect the computer. Thus far the cats have not shown an interest in it. I really need to get a long enough swiffer to clean cat hair off the walls.

My friend used small #6 screws to attach the top litter shields to the wall. I got a 20pack so I still have more for other things. I intend to put some sort of dust screens over the back of the computer eventually. The shields came with doublesided tape that my friend used to connect hte seam in the middle of two shields on top. Additional shields were tucked under to the sides.

The antenna that came with the motherboard disappeared. I think it must have fallen out of the truck somewhere. Fortunately, my old router had 2 antennas. I had removed them when we retired that router and I set the antennas on the shelf. I put both of them on the different ports (2.5Hz & 5Hz) on the back of the wifi card. I pointed them toward the modem in the next room.

I pushed the UPS closer to the wall and set a plastic drawer set next to it to offer more protection for the side and give the cats something to sit on. They like sitting on plastic so Itsy was happy.
I do need to tackle the tangle of cords eventually though.

Next step is to move some things nearby and move the old stinking computer case back in so the cats will have another spot to sit & target. A decoy to distract form the new computer.