Do you have a magnet of unknown quality in your RV?

Topic: Do you have a magnet of unknown quality in your RV? (Read 378 times) previous topic - next topic

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July 08, 2019, 06:44:45 pm

Maybe one of the engineers in the forum can explain this unusual situation.
And anyone else who has one of these unusual magnets can share how they handle it

We have a TK. The largest open area is the kitchen area - with the standard kitchen setup on one side and opposite it the wardrobes and refrigerator. This is (very roughly) a 3.5' X 5' area.

Our cat water bowl (a small Pyrex dish that has an interior diameter of about 4"x6") is kept in the corner of the kitchen by the kitchen sink. It seems a good place for it, out of the way and not something we bump into with our feet.

However, there seems to be a very strong unusual magnet that resides in that spot under the cat bowl.
Whenever anything is dropped/bumped in this open area, it ALWAYS goes right into the cat bowl (not hitting the edge and then falling out of the bowl, but right into the bowl, sometimes hitting the bowl rim first). The magnet must be unusual as it attracts plastic and other materials, not just metals.

It doesn't matter if it is knocked off the kitchen cabinet 2', 3', or even 5' away. It doesn't matter if it is knocked off the couch cushions at the edge of this area (again diagonal from the cat bowl). 95% of the time it lands INSIDE the cat bowl.

Things that have landed in the cat bowl: of course bits of food being prepped, even from the stove several feet away, silverware, cups, etc. handled by the sink, an iphone, and more. Then this last weekend a small square flashlight that just fits inside the bowl that went flying in from the couch area to land squarely in the cat water bowl (just fitting inside) and just to add insult about 15 minutes later the main part of the flashlight (disassembled to dry) went flying into the cat bowl again. It was like watching things in a sci-fi moving flying across the room. We joke about it, but this situation is also frustrating though it makes finding this easy - our first look at the floor is always the cat bowl now.

It is an odd phenomena to observe, as often the trajectory seems to be a straight diagonal line that is mostly horizontal. Other times it is something that seems to start dropping straight down and suddenly skip sideways to drop directly into the cat bowl.

No, we are not taking any drugs that would cause hallucinations and yes it might be our eyes trying to explain the blur as things are moving fast. No, the cats are not on the floor batting falling things into the bowl. The only explanation seems to be some unusual very strong magnet that attracts plastic and food as well as metal.
I have not tested things by putting the bowl in different locations (other spots seem to get in the way of feet, so it doesn't last there long).

I have often marveled how things get "lost" so often in such a small space (even when we just set it down a few minutes ago) and I have heard others say that happens to them.
So I was wondering if anyone else had an usual magnet like this.

Or at least I figured the post was worth a laugh to others.

Jane

Re: Do you have a magnet of unknown quality in your RV?

Reply #1 – July 08, 2019, 09:24:33 pm

Sounds like a corollary to the Butter-Side-Down rule......

Re: Do you have a magnet of unknown quality in your RV?

Reply #2 – July 08, 2019, 09:48:41 pm

Try moving the cat’s water bowl to see if the problem persists.

Re: Do you have a magnet of unknown quality in your RV?

Reply #3 – July 09, 2019, 12:09:01 am

If the cat or dog bowl has a lip - it will be tipped over. If it has just a rim, you will step on it. Sometimes multiple times per day. The animal secretly laughs.

Re: Do you have a magnet of unknown quality in your RV?

Reply #4 – July 09, 2019, 03:11:40 am

Joel, I agree. Luckily we usually get "butter side up" in the LD, I guess that is using all the luck which creates that dratted magnet.

Greg, there is not really any other good spots, unfortunately, where it doesn't get kicked /dumped - like Matt says. I did try a different spot yesterday knowing it wasn't good and sure enough it got kicked & water dumped out within an hour, so it went back to the usual spot. A TK doesn't have as much floor space that is not walking space. In or forever rig (larger, but not planned for a year or two) we will have more space and can test different spots.

Matt, in this one spot, we actually don't kick into it/step on it - or at least only about once every couple weeks. (no real lip or rim, just the edge of the pyrex). Other spots, yes it gets kicked, dumped, etc. on a regular basis. But that darned magnet -

.
If the only thing that got pulled into the water bowl was things the cats liked (e.g. chunks of raw meat/fish unseasoned) I would believe the cats were masterminding the whole thing. But nope, it is things that make their water not nice for them - today a large spoonful of yogurt went in. At least it is easier cleaning then if it went splat on the floor.

I have thought about putting a small shelf above the spot, but I think we would just bang our shins on the shelf a lot. And it if was smaller so less likely to bang shins, I think things would somehow manage to get under that shelf into the bowl or hit the shelf and then the floor making a mess.

I am just amazed when I see things fly over from several feet away to land in that darned bowl every single time.

At least it makes easier cleanup - just dump out cat bowl and clean it. A towel under the bowl catches most of the water but sometimes things splashed enough I need to replace the towel/wipe the floor/cabinets.

Jane

Re: Do you have a magnet of unknown quality in your RV?

Reply #5 – July 09, 2019, 08:47:12 am

Understood, Jane. On a bit of a sidetrack, where do you keep the litter box in your TK? Shower?

Re: Do you have a magnet of unknown quality in your RV?

Reply #6 – July 09, 2019, 08:57:36 am

All I got to say is never trust the cat -- they are sneaky........

My guess is your cat has put a spell on the bowl so they get a chance to observe what ever falls on or toward the cat feeder.

On a side note a In/Out take out tray found its way into our LD. It holds the water feeder. We use two bowls <smile> one for Dylan one for Syman. Their daily soft food is served in separate assigned spots (assigned by the cats). Cat box is located in shower area with a hook system to keep bathroom door ajar at all times. (will post images if desired).

glen

Re: Do you have a magnet of unknown quality in your RV?

Reply #7 – July 09, 2019, 12:19:54 pm

Strange conversation, starting with mysterious hidden, non-existant magnets, transitioning into the issues of watering a cat and how cats may control the dropping of objects with psychokinesis.
The range of topics never ceases to amaze.

Larry

Re: Do you have a magnet of unknown quality in your RV?

Reply #8 – July 09, 2019, 12:41:26 pm

"The range of topics never ceases to amaze."
---
And, often in a single thread!

Re: Do you have a magnet of unknown quality in your RV?

Reply #9 – July 09, 2019, 02:03:50 pm

Quote from: Joan - July 09, 2019, 12:41:26 pm

"The range of topics never ceases to amaze."
---
And, often in a single thread!

I'm guessing you guys are not cat slaves. Just saying.

Re: Do you have a magnet of unknown quality in your RV?

Reply #10 – July 09, 2019, 02:12:59 pm

Hey, cats are people too!

Re: Do you have a magnet of unknown quality in your RV?

Reply #11 – July 09, 2019, 02:15:41 pm

Quote from: HiLola - July 09, 2019, 02:12:59 pm

Hey, cats are people too!

I don't think I've ever heard a cat claim that. None of the ones I've known would stoop that low.

Re: Do you have a magnet of unknown quality in your RV?

Reply #12 – July 09, 2019, 02:42:37 pm

Quote from: joel wiley - July 09, 2019, 02:15:41 pm

I don't think I've ever heard a cat claim that. None of the ones I've known would stoop that low.

Yes, it was always my impression cats consider us a lower life form, to be tolerated for the sake of slavish attention to the provision of food/H2O & manipulation of various items for the entertainment of said feline overlords.

Lynne

Re: Do you have a magnet of unknown quality in your RV?

Reply #13 – July 09, 2019, 03:16:15 pm

Quote from: Lynne Broyles-Greenwood - July 09, 2019, 02:42:37 pm

Yes, it was always my impression cats consider us a lower life form, to be tolerated for the sake of slavish attention to the provision of food/H2O & manipulation of various items for the entertainment of said feline overlords.

Lynne

I recall a discussion among anthropologists on the questions of when were dogs domesticated and when will cats be

Re: Do you have a magnet of unknown quality in your RV?

Reply #14 – July 13, 2019, 08:53:43 am

Greg, I am a big fan of finding an exterior bin that holds the cat litter box and an entrance to that area from inside the coach.
Since our current RV is temporary for us, I am not making holes for this.
But my first choice would be checking out the exterior bin under the battery bin and making an entrance into it from the entry way step area.

Jane

Re: Do you have a magnet of unknown quality in your RV?

Reply #15 – July 13, 2019, 11:15:22 am

That’s an interesting idea. As I recall, the TK already has such limited exterior storage as it is, so not sure I would want to sacrifice the storage. Are you targeting a MB for your next LD?

Re: Do you have a magnet of unknown quality in your RV?

Reply #16 – July 13, 2019, 02:41:10 pm

When I had my midbath, I kept a covered litter pan in the space between the cab seats. I made a slit in my cab blanket (used in both cold and hot weather) so the cat could get through. This worked pretty well, although having the pan in such close proximity to the dinette meant I had to keep it scrupulously clean to avoid odors. In my current rig (an Airstream), I keep the litter pan in the shower.

Re: Do you have a magnet of unknown quality in your RV?

Reply #17 – July 13, 2019, 06:40:17 pm

Greg - it is all a matter of choices and how you want to live, especially for fulltimers (our choice).

We do like Andy now, when we are stopped the litter box is between the front seats. We use crystal litter (less smell) and scoop/clean it often. We leave our blanket a couple of inches up front the floor so the cats can sneak under as that is their alone space when we are parked. We just push it into the back some when we drive so we can use that spot for the stuff we want close while driving.

Jane

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July 08, 2019, 06:44:45 pm

Reply #1 – July 08, 2019, 09:24:33 pm

Reply #2 – July 08, 2019, 09:48:41 pm

Reply #3 – July 09, 2019, 12:09:01 am

Reply #4 – July 09, 2019, 03:11:40 am

Reply #5 – July 09, 2019, 08:47:12 am

Reply #6 – July 09, 2019, 08:57:36 am

Reply #7 – July 09, 2019, 12:19:54 pm

Reply #8 – July 09, 2019, 12:41:26 pm

Reply #9 – July 09, 2019, 02:03:50 pm

Reply #10 – July 09, 2019, 02:12:59 pm

Reply #11 – July 09, 2019, 02:15:41 pm

Reply #12 – July 09, 2019, 02:42:37 pm

Reply #13 – July 09, 2019, 03:16:15 pm

Reply #14 – July 13, 2019, 08:53:43 am

Reply #15 – July 13, 2019, 11:15:22 am

Reply #16 – July 13, 2019, 02:41:10 pm

Reply #17 – July 13, 2019, 06:40:17 pm

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