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!

sid-hoff-frenchman

@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.

Scents that cats hate are:

  1. citrus
  2. rosemary
  3. thyme
  4. bananas
  5. mustard
  6. strong menthol
  7. assorted bath oils

Just like hanging garlic for vampires, try one or two of the aforementioned around and/or atop your gear and see if that works.

All the best,
Nonoise

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.

Cat scat mats worked great for me.

They come in rolls or tiles.

I put them around my Maggie 1.7 speakers and put the in front of my audio cabinet so the cat couldn’t get to a spot to jump up on equipment. They worked great for a few years until we re-homed the cat.

Cat scat mats on Amazon

 

I don't have a cat, but I cover my amplifier with a cover from Stan at Radio Dust Covers.

https://www.radiodustcovers.com/