How do I keep my cats off my amplifier?


Since my amplifier is too large for an equipment rack, I keep it on a seperate amplifier stand. There is nothing above it to keep my two cats from climbing on top when it is turned on, which they always do, attracted by the warmth. At first I didn't mind until my Rotel RMB-1095 Amplifier shorted due to a build-up of cat hair falling inside. Now my front right channel is gone. I just bought an Integra Research RDA-7 to replace it.
Is there a good way (short of the cat pound) to keep them off?
blakjava
Forgot to mention; serial killers start with torturing cats at a young age. I suppose you can call it a Gateway torture form. Many people have the urge to inflict the pain on the cat, serial killers give in to the urge and act on the impulse. Quite disturbing to see so many suggestions of poison, guns, bags with rocks, bats with rusty nails, etc... Live and let live guys.
Aw, c'mon Adidadi, I seriously doubt any of those suggestions were meant as anything more than for the sake of humor. Can't recall the author of the comic books published a few years back (was it B. Kliban?) titled "The I Hate Cats Book" or something like that. It was a hilarious depiction of some of the scenarios described here. I love animals myself. Not a cat fan myself. Would never raise a hand to an animal though, feline, canine or otherwise. Have donated money to non-kill animal shelters, and have owned some sort of pet most of my life..yep, even three cats among them. I am also posessed of some semblence of a sense of humor. For my own comments, I am sorry if they've offended you. I realize that you must not share the same sense of humor, but obviously some folks do. I seriously doubt we have any serial killers among us. They're all over there in a special ward on AudioAsylum discussing their latest victims ;-)!

Marco
I completely OVERDROVE my point. I do see the angle of humor. I was just surprised at how MUCH of it was here. It is like the cat killer convention. I am not much of a cat person even though I have a cat I took in 10 years ago since it was abandoned. It is just freaky how cats instill a desire in so many humans to inflict harm on them. I was merely cautioning people to not go overboard with their hatred of cats.
I am NOT suggesting Socratic deductive reasoning: Serial Killers kill cats, people here kill cats, therefore people here are serial killers. NO. Just pointing out that it is not the healthiest thing to have a LONG forum thread unfold about ways to kill or dispose of cats.
I appreciate your considerate response. I am not offended, I just typed my immediate thoughts. Did not mean to ruin the party, just meant to rein it in a bit.
Sometimes group collective reinforcement instills acceptance of certain behavior inadvertantly, then maybe one day someone winds up in a situation where they have a BB gun and see a neighbours cat in THEIR yard and subconsciously remove the hesitation to refrain from the impulse to shoot it with the pellet gun. I still have the image of the German Shepherd with the crossbow arrow in its snout.
Anyway, I am not offended. I have had to deal with the EXACT same situation with my amps and preamps and I'm sure cat lovers would have been shocked with some solutions I pondered on in my head.
My point was a little harsh, so also, take no offense guys.