Speaker protection from a CAT!

[ematthews]

I have cats. Not by choice... Does anyone have any suggestions or do they make any type of mat for the top of a speaker to prevent scratches? Right now I have to put stuff on top of them when not in use and then take them off while using. It's a bit annoying but I have to do it. Right now I got voted down for declaw, and that wouldn't help the rear claws anyways. I was thinking if they made something like a mouse pad that I could trim to fit. Since they are non skid on the back that would be perfect. Any help?

 

[j_garcia]

Put something on them that keeps the cats from jumping up there (leaves them no room to perch). Mine has yet to do that, but she has scratched some grilles that were in reach so I moved the speakers further away.

 

[slipperybidness]

I have cats. Not by choice... Does anyone have any suggestions or do they make any type of mat for the top of a speaker to prevent scratches? Right now I have to put stuff on top of them when not in use and then take them off while using. It's a bit annoying but I have to do it. Right now I got voted down for declaw, and that wouldn't help the rear claws anyways. I was thinking if they made something like a mouse pad that I could trim to fit. Since they are non skid on the back that would be perfect. Any help?

So, the basic problem is "cat jumping on top of speakers"?

There are a few ways to deal with this, and they tend to work pretty well!

1) Double-sided tape. Stick it where you don't want the cats to perch, or stick it where you don't want them to scratch. Cats don't like the stuff sticking to their paws, so they will leave it alone.

2) Get one of those "office chair mats" for carpets. This is a plastic mat that is smooth on one side for your chair to roll on easily, but the other side should be covered in plastic spikes that dig into the carpet to hold the mat in place. Cut this to the size of the area that you don't want the cat, then attach it upside-down where the spikes stick up. This is also very effective. It will only take once or twice for the cat to jump up on that. You may leave it for a few weeks, but then you can likely remove it and the cat won't try to jump up there again, as it learned its lesson.

3) Place loosely crumpled Aluminum Foil up there. Cats don't like the sound when it crumples, scares them off.

4) These are nifty little devices that have a motion sensor and let out a "hiss" when set off. I have not used these, but they seem to be quite effective. https://www.amazon.com/PetSafe-PDT00-13914-SSSCAT-Spray-Deterrent/dp/B000RIA95G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1488827999&sr=8-1&keywords=cat+deterrent

I have used #1 and #2 in the past with great results.

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

I was gonna say what slippery, and jgarcia said. We have decorations on our mains, and the cats have never even looked at them for a perch. The tape and Matt ideas are good. Maybe a real cat perch close by as to be more attractive than speakers?

 

[j_garcia]

I have a cat tree and mine does tend to use that. It is also a lot taller than the speakers. Not that I don't like cats, but this cat is left over from the previous relationship. She sort of grew on me.

 

[ematthews]

I will give a few of these some thoughts. I also own the JBL Studio 530 and can't just put something on top of these since they angle down. I saw one of my cats jump up on these and realized she could sit there. So she slipped off and the claws came out. Cats. What a pain in the ass.

 

[KenM10759]

I have KEF R500 speakers with a nice smooth flat top. My wife has two cats, while a third cat seems to have me. All of them have all their claws and we'd never do that declaw thing again for a number of reasons.

One of my wife's cats (the Turkish Van cat) did jump up on top when I first got them. A squirt of water hit him immediately, he jumped right down and has never been seen near them again. Not a scratch.

 

[MrBoat]

Mine gets on the subwoofer. Thinking about getting a box of those snap-n-pop things to throw when he does it. Of course then he'd probably pee in my shoes or something.

 

[MR.MAGOO]

find some music the cat hates and play it.

 

[KenM10759]

I have yet to find a single piece of music nor volume level that deters any of the two cats willing to be in the room. (The 3rd one holds down the bed all day.)

The very best deterrent is to have a perch for the cat which is higher than the speaker top. They always seek the highest point in the room. Make it with short nap carpeting they can dig into, and they will never go anywhere else!

 

[Littlefoott]

play a dog barking clip when they jump up

 

[Darenwh]

Try a Catapult...

 

[Halon451]

Solution: get rid of cat, get a dog.

 

[psbfan9]

Cats like to be up high and on things that are warm(ish). but, they're also easily distracted.
Spraying with water, yelling or whatever will make the cat associate those things with 'YOU' and not the speakers. So, they will go to where they feel safe, up high, to get away from you.
Placing something on top of the speaker may seem like a fun challenge or toy to the cat so distraction and affirmation is what works best.

Try both of these and scent the scratching post with catnip or favorite treats and it should work. I've used both and they worked.

Feliway Spray

http://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/comfort-zone-spray-with-feliway-for-cats

Scratching post. Yes, it's large but it's also stable to give the cat confidence that it won't tip when giving it a good hard scratch.

https://www.amazon.com/SmartCat-3832-Ultimate-Scratching-Post/dp/B000634MH8/ref=zg_bs_2975247011_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=DDHN4GR69MBBP2K30M31

 

[j_garcia]

Solution: get rid of cat, get a dog.

My dog did more damage to my speakers than the cat. Knocked a few of them down more than once. As long as they still work, no worries.