How to protect dolls from cats?

I too have a doll room that the door pretty much stays closed all the day to prevent cat and dog shenanigans. I have let them in when I am working in there but the minute they do something disagreeable to me, they are kicked out and I close the door. I then endure either dog crying or cat scratches for a good 10 minutes until they finally stop. Since I am consistent when they do this, they have been fairly good and sit on the futon and chill when they are in there.

Otherwise display cases are great. Sometimes check Craigslist for store grade display cases. You can get good deals that way sometimes.

 

I used to have my doll in a room with the door shut but my cat dexter destroyer of crafting supplies figured out how to open the door :P anyway I use a spray bottle to keep my cats out of places or away from items I don't want them touching though everyone in your household has to follow through with this or it won't really work if you keep at it though they eventually learn to leave stuff be and will give you an ugly look anytime you pick up the spray bottle

 

I don't have cats- but I have a dog who has murdered a great many things. (Mostly game controllers, but she even tried to take off with a head cap of a tiny that had ejected to the floor. No actual damage, but gross.)
I personally opt for either placing dolls in places that can't be reached (admittedly easier with a dog), or in a room that is pet free.
But display cases sound amazing and I kind of want to get one when I move into a not apartment in June. Haha.

 

In my new house, I have a room dedicated to the dolls and crafting stuff, and it is a 100% cat-free zone (for the most part). Unfortunately, the foundation shifted a few months after I moved in, and the door no longer latches closed so I had to rig some ghetto tape "latch" to keep the door closed when I'm not working in there. However, when I am in there and the door is cracked, my cat will occasionally sneak in through the crack in the non-latching door (since I don't tape myself into the room, lol) and poke around for things to mess with. In such an event, I will chase him back out of the room (he knows he's not allowed in there, due to his ridiculous habit of swatting doll wigs off their heads, EVEN when I'm working on them) and then I'll spray a small mist of perfume near the opening of said non-latching door. That usually keeps him out for a good while longer. He HATES the smell of perfume.

 

Both of my cats are/were (one of them has since passed on) were masters of destruction and lovers of gravity--yet neither of them seemed interested in my dolls or their wigs. Both of them love to chew, especially my old cat.
Then again, I do keep my dolls safe around them. They are either on the bed, or towards the center of the table. I keep them away from any edges they might get knocked off of, and I never leave them unattended with the cats. When I am not hanging out with my dolls, I keep them in a wardrobe I have since converted into a two-story doll room for them (keeps them free of dust, sunlight, and cats).

I used to be really worried when I got my first doll, what with all the stories I've heard about people's mischievous cats, but I was rather surprised when nothing bad happened. I guess resin doesn't smell as yummy as plants, cardboard, plastic, rubber, or fingers.

 

Luckily my one cat isn't too into jumping and mischief . . . but a cat is still a cat, so precautions are necessary lol. I always made sure to display my dolls on very sturdy furniture that wasn't too low, and I used doll furniture (sofas, chairs, etc) rather than stands so they couldn't be easily knocked over. Also, I made sure not to let the cat in my bedroom where the dolls were displayed when I wasn't home, as he tends to be naughty more when he knows I'm not around to scold him. xD

Now at my new house, I am planning to get a display cabinet.

 

I've been lucky with my cat so far. He's really mainly interested in the wigs. That being said, I have two suggestions. One, is just to keep your dolls up high in a place your cats can't reach. I have a bunch of feather that I use for hats that I keep on top of a free stand bookshelf. I can still look at them, but the cat can't get them. I think the same thing could work for dolls. My second suggestion, is if you can't afford a full cabinet or don't have room (like me), look into glass terrariums for plants. They're usually very pretty and a lot of them would be tall enough for a doll. Even if you got a smaller one, I bet you could still fit a doll in it if they were sitting down.
Good luck!

 

Thanks for the suggestions and pics. I have a cat and will definitely need to think about how to display my first bjd. I hope my cat isn't too interested in playing with it. I love seeing the cabinets. That is definitely the safest option.

 

seconding all the posts about glass cabinets. but cats in photoshoots are so cuuuute!

 

I have two large glass curio cabinets from IKEA that my dolls have always been displayed in. Yes, they get a little more exposure to light, but at the same time, they are super safe & on a gorgeous display. :3

My cat is the devil. I trust her with NOTHING.

 

Glass cabinets seem like the ticket--I'd do that if my cat was still a hellraiser. Luckily she is roughly a billion years old and her interests are limited to naptime, sleeping, resting, snoozing, dinner, and scritchies. :3

 

I've been told I should build some sort of cage around them on one of my shelves to fit the decor, which includes lots of weird antique junk and evidently tidy glass cabinets would look stranger than some kind of ghastly metal wire enclosure. I guess an enterprising cat could probably still get a paw into that, so glass would likely be the way to go. The Ikea cabinets in this thread seem like a cool option.

Luckily my only cat who has shown any interest in the dolls likes one in particular and has claimed him to cuddle with when I take him down to play with or work on him (she pets herself with his hands, it's cute), but the rest of the time he's on a high enough shelf that somebody would have to really care to even attempt to access it. No one does. They're too lazy to cause much mayhem.

 

Hmmm... this thread makes me think I've been very luck - most of my cats ignore my dols. I had o ne who would curl up with the dolls, especially if she was in trouble with us ("The doll are my friends, They love me even when you're shouting at me!!!") or rub her head against a doll's outstretched hand for a fuss.

A friend's cat has a tendency to steal and destroy wigs, given half a chance, but she just keeps the door of her doll room shut and shoos out the cats if they walk in there when she's coming or going.

We'll see how my dolls cope when I'm allowed to get kittens, in a few months time....

Teddy

 

I don't have my doll yet but as far as figures, stuffed animals and the like, my cats only go after things I coo over. They're like "hey, attention back to us, woman!".

I guess if you want to spend time with your doll, give your kitty something to keep him busy. His own toys and, of course, give him attention when he asks for it while the doll is there. They get jealous too and when you're not looking, they might just give your BJD a makeover. I love my two boys but after 12 years, I know they can throw tantrums too. >< Lol.

So yes, cabinets and let them know you're still their number one fan.