Cat resistant speakers

[Roy_L]

Hello, I'm looking for new speakers (as I do from time to time). However, my cat has a history of ruining drivers- he likes to stab the woofer's surround with his claw.
It happened twice before (and was quite expensive to replace), so for the past few years I'm always with the grills on (which luckily the cat ignores). This time I want to be able to use the speakers "as nature intended" (grills off). For this purpose, I believe Kef speakers would be perfect due to their recessed drivers, in which the surrounds are hidden, so I'm considering the Kef R7 Meta. Does anyone know any other speakers worth checking with similar (or other) woofer protection? I prefer to have a few more options if such exist (passive only).

 

[Klonatans]

Canton Ergo 670 DC or Ergo 690 DC. Totally catproof.

 

[Flexecutioner]

The Wharfedale Linton is designed to be used with the grill on

 

[ahofer]

I have Revel f228be and Harbeth SHL5+, leave grills on, and the cat doesn't bother with either. The passive radiator in my old Thiels occasionally got some interest. Of course Genelecs or Neumanns would certainly do it.

You can also make the area on the floor in front of the speaker a little uncomfortable and invest in those corrugated cardboard scratch ramps. My cat uses those to the exclusion of almost everything else now.

 

[DSJR]

On returning home in my single days, accompanied by my sadly long deceased and much beloved feline pal, I turned the HiFi on (in the days of the ATC 100A's) and didn't realise the volume was set high. Titchpuss was blasted with sound just as he walked past one of the speakers and fled... I made it up to him and I don't think he held me to blame. Next night however, he came in giving said speaker a VERY wide berth and the benefit of his almighty displeased glare (anyone with cats will know *exactly* what I'm talking about ). I learned a lesson there and in fairness, neither he nor his younger and also much loved and missed mukka Ollie, ever touched any of the speakers I had subsequently. Lord I miss those two to this day.

My then two year old son however (when I had the bare ATC 20ASL Pros) was another matter, but I was able to un-poke the centre main dome and tweeters (good job they weren't metal foil domes).

Back on topic, anything 'ordinary looking' with a grille should help no end with luck. Maybe a quick sonic blast if caught going too near might help?

 

[Roy_L]

Thanks guys. Just a reminder- the whole point is to be able to use the speakers with the grills OFF. To be able to see the round thingies wobble a bit.

 

[GaryY]

Probably you already read this web pages, but just in case not..

10 Ways To Stop A Cat From Scratching Your Furniture &… | Klipsch

Cat owners know that stopping cats from scratching at speakers can be a real challenge. Learn how to "cat-proof" your speakers.

www.klipsch.com

 

[ahofer]

Thanks guys. Just a reminder- the whole point is to be able to use the speakers with the grills OFF. To be able to see the round thingies wobble a bit.

I would think that would be less of a problem. It’s the grills they like to scratch IME

 

[Sal1950]

If the grills are magnetically attached like my JBL HDI's, it's a 10 second matter to pull them off or
put them on for serious listening sessions. I worry less about my cats, (none now) than I do me with
the vacuum handle or other objects when housecleaning, etc. I just keep em on most of the time.

 

[Svet Angelov]

My cats need to see or feel the surface as something rough and able to catch their claws for them to even try to scratch. So I would advise against grills, or at least the regular fabric grills.This could of course not be the case with your felines.

Just about every time I add on the grills on my speakers, the cats try to grab them. The reflective, smooth surface of the bottom woofers doesn't seem so interesting to them.

Also, the best advice was already posted - make sure they have plenty of scratching posts nearby and they won't even notice the speakers.

 

[norman bates]

Mine will jump diagonally and launch themselves off them. I used jbl professional speakers with 18g steel. Probably not the best for reflections, but whatever

 

[Roy_L]

Probably you already read this web pages, but just in case not..

10 Ways To Stop A Cat From Scratching Your Furniture &… | Klipsch

Cat owners know that stopping cats from scratching at speakers can be a real challenge. Learn how to "cat-proof" your speakers.

www.klipsch.com

I did not, will do!

 

[lordhumungous]

There isnt a thing as cat resistant speakers or child resistant ones either. I found my grandson once going around the house pressing in all the dome tweeters
he could find.

 

[montyliam]

On returning home in my single days, accompanied by my sadly long deceased and much beloved feline pal, I turned the HiFi on (in the days of the ATC 100A's) and didn't realise the volume was set high. Titchpuss was blasted with sound just as he walked past one of the speakers and fled... I made it up to him and I don't think he held me to blame. Next night however, he came in giving said speaker a VERY wide berth and the benefit of his almighty displeased glare (anyone with cats will know *exactly* what I'm talking about ). I learned a lesson there and in fairness, neither he nor his younger and also much loved and missed mukka Ollie, ever touched any of the speakers I had subsequently. Lord I miss those two to this day.

My then two year old son however (when I had the bare ATC 20ASL Pros) was another matter, but I was able to un-poke the centre main dome and tweeters (good job they weren't metal foil domes).

Back on topic, anything 'ordinary looking' with a grille should help no end with luck. Maybe a quick sonic blast if caught going too near might help?

Moral of the story, blast your cats with high level music for a few seconds so they stay away, much like the hoover which my cat is deathly afraid of.

 

[lordhumungous]

Moral of the story, blast your cats with high level music for a few seconds so they stay away, much like the hoover which my cat is deathly afraid of.

That never worked with my cat . He loved the loud music

 

[Mikig]

my dog did something else to my speakers, mistaking them for a tree...

 

[lordhumungous]

my dog did something else to my speakers, mistaking them for a tree...

 

[lordhumungous]

Lmao . I guess that subwoofer got a little distorted after that .

 

[Mikig]

luckily it is very small in size….

 

[DMill]

My solution depends on which you like more, the cat or the speakers? In all seriousness, there are a number cat repellent products on the market that won’t hurt the speaker itself.