Cats vs. Speakers

Mark Korda · « **on:** 15 Mar 2016, 04:07 pm »

Hi Frank, I have the opportunity to adopt this real cool cat thats 3 years old . The only thing holding me back is the fear of the cat clawing my speaker grills. I'm good at re-grilling the fabric but worry about the drivers. I don't care as much about the furniture. It's an Hifi hobbyists nervousa. I know you love cats as I do so I'd like to ask someone with experience if you have any secret tricks. I won't de-claw and intend to give the cat outside freedom if I take it. Thanks, and I welcome any forumers ideas....thanks Mark Korda

rockadanny · « **Reply #1 on:** 15 Mar 2016, 04:20 pm »

First, not every cat is wildly interested in the grills. I've not had a cat yet even look twice at mine, although I've never had grills which go all the way down to the floor.
We do have multiple scratching posts scattered about the house and often encourage the cat to use them.
We also put on nail caps (glued on). Installation takes some patience and treats, but at least our furniture is not shredded.

FullRangeMan · « **Reply #2 on:** 15 Mar 2016, 04:30 pm »

You should insist for him to use a scratching post, they love it.

mcgsxr · « **Reply #3 on:** 15 Mar 2016, 04:39 pm »

I have owned cats for 15+ years, often more than 1 at a time.

I usually get rescues that are around 3-5 years old at the time I adopt them.

I currently have a 5 year old male, and 2 new kittens. And Maggies.

The 5 year old was 1 when we got him (at the time we had a 15 year old male that passed 2 years later) and he has never, ever given a piece of audio equipment a 2nd look.

The 2 new kittens are different. In spite of MANY scratching posts, they have climbed the Maggies on more than 1 occasion. I have a water gun I spray them with when they get caught. The smarter of the 2 new ones picked up on that after 1 event. The more rambunctious caught on after 3 events.

The socks on the Maggies have been mildly damaged (a couple of pulls, no holes, and no damage to the drivers or speaker functionality).

I now leave the kittens locked in the basement overnight. That is where the Maggies live too.

So far so good. I basically decided early on that because we all wanted cats, and only I wanted huge speakers that appear to be large black scratching posts I was going to have to suck it up. I resigned myself to replace the socks in the future should they suffer from the cats.

I would not worry much about mostly wood speakers with grills, unless they start "marking their territory" beyond simply wanting something to stretch on, or climb once or twice.

Now, they could knock speakers off stands, so blu-tack might be critical for stand mounts.

srb · « **Reply #4 on:** 15 Mar 2016, 05:06 pm »

I've had cats claw at speaker grills, but never on a speaker with grills off. The drivers themselves don't seem to interest them.

I've also had many types of scratching devices - rope and carpet wrapped posts, corrugated cardboard, etc., but the very best in attracting my cats away from any other surfaces has been the Petlinks System Dream Curl. They can't get enough of it and use it for curvaceous lounging as well.

Unfortunately, they made a materials change and the bottom fabric is no longer the same carpet as the top but instead a thinner more easily destroyed velvet fabric. Damn.

But I think the key is to get them in the habit of using some type of horizontal scratcher and to avoid upright vertical scratching posts, doorknob hangers, wall corner scratchers, etc. - which too closely simulate the action of scratching upright speaker grilles.

Steve

avahifi · « **Reply #5 on:** 15 Mar 2016, 05:58 pm »

Berkeley, my BIG grey tabby, has left my speakers alone fortunately.

However he has manged my leather furniture with a vengeance over the years.

I keep a spray bottle of "catbegone" (water) around for when he forgets. Generally just a shake of the bottle will do it.

Otherwise he is a loving and smart and super good friend.

Frank

Mark Korda · « **Reply #6 on:** 15 Mar 2016, 06:27 pm »

Thanks for the tips guys. I'd like to show you the email about the cat sent from a freind, but when I copy/paste to this thread it shows too many letters and symbols for anyone to bother typing out.
I have Windows 8 and it's thrown me back to the stone age. I will send the email from Frankie, my freind,to Frank Van A. and maybe he can forward it to the forum. I want to do this because I need a push. I understand if you don't have time Frank, but you cat lovers should get a look.
Thanks again to all of you.....Mark Korda

NIGHTFALL1970 · « **Reply #7 on:** 15 Mar 2016, 07:43 pm »

My four cats have not clawed my Maggie's or my subwoofer grills, but I keep cardboard in front of them when not in use. I don't want to take a chance.

JLM · « **Reply #8 on:** 15 Mar 2016, 07:47 pm »

My old 5 pounder knocked a 10"x10"x20" speaker off a 12" stand years ago and broke a binding post.

My current 4 pounder knocked a friend's small speaker off a 30" stand and slightly dented a corner.

*Scotty* · « **Reply #9 on:** 15 Mar 2016, 08:06 pm »

In as much as one has decided to share their environment with a cat, some attempt at meeting their needs must be made. Cat poles are a good place to start as well as small scratching posts in most rooms. If you start out by trimming their front claws as kittens, then they are much less likely to scratch as frequently, once a week is about right.
I got Willie when he was 9 months old and because he was used to being handled I could easily place him on his back in my lap and trim his front claws I could also check how much tarter might be building up on his teeth.
Scotty

Mark Korda · « **Reply #10 on:** 15 Mar 2016, 08:42 pm »

This is the best I could do to forward a picture. The email to Frank did not work...sorry to bore you all to death but I wanted to just show you...Mark.(https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/1537a85996c8b5ec

)

srb · « **Reply #11 on:** 15 Mar 2016, 08:58 pm »

Quote from: Mark Korda on 15 Mar 2016, 08:42 pm

This is the best I could do to forward a picture. The email to Frank did not work...sorry to bore you all to death but I wanted to just show you...Mark.(https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/1537a85996c8b5ec )

It looks like the link might be to a message in your Inbox, but without being able to log into your account, it just takes you to the Gmail homepage.

What were you trying to do previously with copy and paste - were you trying to copy and paste contents of a message but were getting special characters ...... ?

Steve

G E · « **Reply #12 on:** 20 Mar 2016, 01:12 pm »

I have a 92 pound Weimeraner and he doesn't claw the speakers, lay on the amps or have a smelly box.

And he is an effective security system.

Steven Stone · « **Reply #13 on:** 20 Mar 2016, 02:47 pm »

I had a problem with kittens climbing the front of speaker grills. I made a cardboard grill cover that protected the spaekers and could be removed in a fraction of a second. http://audiophilereview.com/amps/animals-and-audio.html

Mike-48 · « **Reply #14 on:** 2 Apr 2016, 06:52 pm »

I've trained my cat to stay away from the stereo gear. I put four or five small coins into a metal tin (e.g., an Altoids tin). When the cat started approaching the gear, I shook the tin, and he turned around. It only took twice -- the noisy rattling is a strong deterrent. If he sees me even reaching for the box, he backs off wherever he is headed. At this point, I can leave him alone in the room with the gear, with no problems.

HTH

mav52 · « **Reply #15 on:** 2 Apr 2016, 07:09 pm »

Well in our house our cat, is , cool. She will set there and listen to Neil Young and CSN for hours and never touch the speaker. Now if you play some metal, she gets up and finds herself a nice spot in some other part of the house. Come to think of it she has never gotten near my tubes or speakers or for that matter my TT. You put on some nice non-violent music and she will walk in and lay down in the sweet spot.

Phil A · « **Reply #16 on:** 2 Apr 2016, 07:11 pm »

Some people have trained their cats very well

glynnw · « **Reply #17 on:** 2 Apr 2016, 08:01 pm »

About 15 years ago I bought a pair of Maggie 1.7s. I had 2 young kittens who, I swear, were timing each other to see who could climb them the fastest. Ruined the covers and I sold them within a month because of the kittens. I bought some Waveform speakers which only had cloth on the top half, thinking that would work. The kittens started launching off a nearby higher floor in order to reach the cloth. Ruined those grill covers too. When they grew older they just started ignoring all my gear, much to my relief. I just adopted a new kitten, who at 5 weeks was really too young to leave her mother, but there was no choice - the original owner wanted all the kittens gone immediately. So I have kitty proofed my entire system with metal screening. Placed doors on the rack with screens and a frame behind it as well. Covered front and back of my open baffle subs with screening and just yesterday finished the last of it - putting screening in front of a pair of 12" drivers that are too low to the ground for the kitty to ignore. I took my time and the screening really doesn't look bad at all. Kittens just cannot be controlled when they are as young as mine - she now uses the front of the subs as a scratching spot, despite there being both a real scratching post and a kitty condo in the room. It was a bit of a job, but now I no longer have to worry. Now if she would only quit biting.

As an aside, when she first started playing with all the cables I was worried she would get electrocuted. Then when she went after my Auditorium 23 speaker cables, I found I was more worried about the cables than her. I covered each cable in a plastic sleeve like you see used to organize loose wires. Priorities.

Phil A · « **Reply #18 on:** 2 Apr 2016, 08:30 pm »

I knew someone who had cats and they never bothered the grills but would jump on top (a scratch near the costs several hundred to get it fixed). He then put pillows on top and they stopped jumping up there.

Guy 13 · « **Reply #19 on:** 2 Apr 2016, 08:36 pm »

That's why I don't have cats and dogs and only (Un-invited) mice in my house...
Period !

Guy 13
By the way, I don't like cats and I love (Small) dogs.