Cover your gear with towels.
How To Keep Cat Off Stereo Equipment?
We adopted a long-hair, one-eyed stray kitten. She is a very lovely cat, however, she likes jumping up on stereo equipment - tube preamp and mono block amplifiers. Am I right in thinking that cat hairs that fall inside the equipment can eventually fry things? Assuming so, I can't be the first person to have a cat AND hifi equipment. How do you keep the cat off? For the record she only jumps up there when she is alone in the room, so I think she gets that we don't want her up there, but just hasn't filed under "relevant info." I would greatly appreciate suggestions!
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All of my tube gear is located in a closed hall closet located behind the speaker wall (speaker wire runs through the wall to the living room). If this is not option then look into a closed/doored ventilated cabinet/rack. If a cat PP's on a live tube amp it could be toast for both. I once picked up an old pie safe to use in the spare bedroom (tube gear), but ended up using SS gear instead. Stray and rescue cats are the best.
DeKay |
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Cats don’t like certain scents, especially citrus such as lemon (and some other scents like peppermint you can look them up). Keep some fresh cut lemons in a glass or maybe a peppermint plant near your equipment. |
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they like the warmth. I agree, wrinkled aluminum you can put on when equip is still hot, in a way they cannot pull it off, i.e. rocks, center weights, or upside down baking pans that you can place on top and go. or spray adhesive on bottom of baking pan, dip into a bed of tacks, there you go. that should keep the bloody cat off! |
@jon_5912 Vick abused dogs and there is a special place in hell for him. |
@jeffstrick * 1000. @sid-hoff-frenchman I have my equipment on racks with enough clearance to prevent the equipment from frying but not enough for the cat. He loves to lay in front of the tube amps where it’s warm and I’m fine with that. It’s nice having him in the room while I listen. Personally I am using Pangea racks with the extended spacer post. Everybody who suggest or implies harming the cat, you’re why Audiogon needs a block button. |
Thanks for the input. I will try some sort of scatmat thing, see if she gets the message that way. The stereo system is in our living room, so no way to keep her out. When she originally arrived on our doorstep last year she was underfed and likely abandoned. Her ribs were showing, had only one eye as I said, but very affectionate. She is now healthy, happy and appreciative of the world class sound in our house. She's a little opinionated (don't get her started on the topic of audiophile fuses!), but we love her. |
I don't have a cat, but I cover my amplifier with a cover from Stan at Radio Dust Covers. https://www.radiodustcovers.com/
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We currently have three cats, so I empathize with your situation. We've tried lots of different solutions over the years, but have had very good results with "Pet MasterMind Claw Withdraw Cat Spray". It comes in a small pump spray bottle in either 4 or 8 ounces (get the larger size!) On equipment with top vents, I spray it kinda sideways so it doesn't go down into the vents. Leaves no visible traces, and has a slight lemony scent. They claim it lasts several days, but I generally use it daily. Cats definitely don't like it - they jump up and immediately down again. Fortunately, most cats learn quickly: after 3 or 4 days, they won't get up there anymore! Hope this helps - good luck! |
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@riie @shastasheen65 there is something wrong with you both. |
Whatever you decide to do, take the cats picture first and post here: https://www.reddit.com/r/Catsonstereos/ You are not alone. The struggle is real. Fortunately, for me, my cat likes to sit on my lap or my ottoman.
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@sid-hoff-frenchman Bonjour, mon ami! As a consummate lover of animals and having shared my home with 3 loving, beautiful Maine Coon cats and loving every blessed moment of it, I can say your kitty likes the warmth generated by your components. No matter how warm the ambient air temperature may be, kitties just love warmth. I would recommend covering your components with something that still lets the warmth or heat they generate dissipate and/or get your kitty some sort of heated pet bed or blanket that s/he will like better. Air horns and the like are cruel. Positive reinforcement and/or positive replacement behavior is much more effective. God Bless you for rescuing your furry friend. |
@jeffstrick plus 1 There’s a special place in hell for Vick! |
The rack suggestions work. If for whatever reason a rack doesn’t work, I have had great success placing a piece of equipment that is not ventilated (like a tuner, streamer, power conditioner, tape deck, etc.) above the ventilated equipment with some risers to allow sufficient airflow for the ventilated equipment. If you don’t have such equipment or it is too bulky for this approach, just get a properly sized piece of wooden shelving and use that as a cover.
This approach also works well as a way to handle family members who persist in placing things on top of ventilated gear without being a constant nag. |
I had a cat once about 50 years ago, only once. and this is why, I was laying on my bed listening to an album when all of a sudden the needle started to jump around! Naturally I leaped up and saw that my now gone cat was pouncing on top of the dust cover of the turntable! it seemed that the spinning record label had something to do with this odd behavior. |
I have three cats and top vented equipment, including a 532H sitting on the floor. They lay on the top of everything because the equipment is left on all the time. I have never seen chassis damage created by the cats or hair in the equipment. I have opened the equipment for small repairs and tube changes. The only drag were the scratches on the top of a pair of JBL speakers. I had inexpensive, custom covers made for them. |
Have 2 since they were +/- 2 months and were able to learn audio anything is Yes, in your turf but N/A for their amusement/vantage point(s)/napping/anything. Clio' is Ev's lap, Ginger reminds me of Tuxy, who was a reserved kinda guy. I want to build them a catio....but not so long ago lost Betty to a bumper. Zed suddenly Bridged with a GI issue suddenly and expensively. Reluctant to test Fate. Clio' has bonded to dog Sunny; 15 years of off/on again cats, she could give a squat. She and The G stay out of each others' food, cool with each other. Squirt gun if any critter forgets, hasn't occurred for quite awhile. *Raps skull* Knock on wood. ;)
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