Acoustat 2+2 cat-proof coverings needed

[joel dickman]

Dear fellow audio enthusiasts:

I have an old pair of Acoustat 2+2 speakers that my beloved cat cannot resist using as scratching posts. The original black fabric coverings are shredded in various places, and consequently the speakers look beat-up. Rather than replacing the original fabric with some other cloth covering, I thought it might be better to use perforated metal sheeting or some other material. Like the Martin Logan speakers.

Some questions:

1) Have other Acoustat owners with cats had the same problem? Any good ideas? Not willing to get rid of the cat, remove the cat's claws, or banish the cat from my listening room. Maybe there is a chemical that would repel the cat, but not slowly poison it?

2) If I try perforated metal sheeting, will it degrade the sound?

Any helpful ideas will be welcome. Please, no jokes about murdering cats or the like.

Happy listening, and stay healthy,
Joel Dickman

 

[stokessd]

Could you build a wooden ring around the bases of them that would be a better scratching post? The cat would have that available to him, and it would be awkward to get over it and stand on a narrow top to scratch the speakers above and inside the ring?

I had a cat years ago that loved to scratch and the problem with scratching posts and such is that they are light and flimsy typically. I built a plywood rectange about 16" on a side and about 3" high with 2x4's inside to screw the panels to. I then took cardboard and wrapped it around one side so she had a cardboard edge to scratch and three wooden sides to scratch. It was way heavier and more stable than she was. She loved it and nothing else was touched.

Sheldon

 

[AVWERK]

Maybe their expressing how much they love the esl sound ?

In rebuilding a set of Apogee Divas and Scintillas , you could see the markings around
the magnet structure.

The previous owner of my set of Scintillas had 1/8” clear removable plexiglass made as covers to keep kids , pets , grandma, etc from leaving their signature on them.

They make a spray that works and have used it with success

Another way is to put their food at the speaker so they start to associate that this is not the place to mark and after awhile they will stop the behavior

Regards
David

 

[mattstat]

Many cats don't like the smell of citrus. There are sprays based on this, as well as suggestions to just leave some peels about or rub them on whatever item the cat is obsessed with. How well it works and how long it has to be done is likely cat-dependent.