subs and cats (1 Viewer)

[William_Gravem]

that doesn't work in a 1570 ft condo where the living room is in the center.

I also can't declaw them or make them outdoor cats.

I notice that the Hsu VTF-3 seems to be a down-firing sub that would sit on a carpeted floor... does anybody know if this is low enough to the floor that a cat would be unable to get a paw under it?

 

[PaulDA]

You might take a look at the Outlaw LFM-1 that has gotten good reviews. It too is a downward firing sub and might meet your needs. Unfortunately, it is only available on-line, so no way to see/hear it at a store beforehand.

There are good stores out there. I've found two (one in Ohio where I lived briefly, one in Ottawa, a couple of hours from where I live now) and each of them have given me outstanding service. You might have to do some legwork, but I think you'd be able to find a good store in the D.C. area.

Good luck.

P.S. Given the deal you got on the Onkyo, upgrading to a more powerful receiver or pre/pro/amp in the future won't be such a hit. (my bias) I have an Integra DTR 6.4 (based on the Onkyo 701) and I like it quite a bit. Will I keep it forever? Probably not. Does it serve me well right now? Very much so.

 

[Kevin C Brown]

William- I sympathize. I must be lucky, but here's what I've observed: I have 3 cats, and they seem to go after taller structures that they can scratch. I.e., I got new speakers a while ago, and I caught one of them going after one of those. But all I had to do, was to put a low box in front of only that speaker (why he never touched the other why, I have no clue) with crumpled up paper in it. (He'd have to be in the box to scratch the speaker.) Problem solved. I've never had a cat go after a sub grill. I always thought because subs aren't tall enough for them to stretch out and scratch... (My sub is 18" tall.)

Hee, hee. We also have one that plops on his back and claws the bed side as he drags himself across the floor. I thinks it's more funny than anything, although my wife didn't like him tearing up the bedskirts she bought. It's only an asthetic issue, and the bedskirt can be replaced. He can't be.

 

[Kenneth Harden]

My cat has sharp claws, but that just makes it so much more fun. It's like having a beak trap running around all day long

 

[Robb Roy]

William,

I should have mentioned my cats also go after furniture, but the stereo equipment has always been spared. I just wish my reclining wing-backed chair received the same respect from them...

I wouldn't try a homemade metal grill as that would probably rattle. Cloth would be better, but might actually attract their attention.

I see lots of concern about subs and cats, and while I've heard of the occasional grill on a tower speaker getting scratched by a cat, I've never seen someone post that their cat clawed up a subwoofer driver. It may have happened, but I'd bet there are lot more working subwoofers in cat owners' homes than not.

-Robb

 

[PaulDA]

No, but years ago I had a roommate with three cats and one of them "marked" one of my speakers over and over until the acid ate through the rubber surround of my woofer. Fortunately a skilled speaker repair guy was close to hand and 13 years later, that speaker is still going strong (albeit at my friend's house, not mine). Cats and speakers are not necessarily a good mix.

 

[Robb Roy]

If the concern is a cat spraying the subwoofer driver, then any downfiring subwoofer should do the trick.

-Robb

 

[JohnSmith]

Not all cats mark. A well trained/intelligent cat will not mark indoors. I guess a female cat during heat will most likely spray alot more too.

We've had five cats- three well mannered, two a bit wild. But none of them sprayed indoors o scratch the speakers. They all have clawed the carpet & sofa, but we're not bothered with that- and they hardly do anyway damage(old sofa & carpet)and quick rub on the sofa/carpet and the marks magically disappears.

 

[Kevin C Brown]

My 3 (all trouble-making boys) don't mark either. I had always thought that if they weren't fixed, that that's when marking happens?

On an ironic side note, I think I have convinced myself to go for the new PB2-Ultra in the textured black finish, so I'll get to find out in person if any of mine try to go underneath it.

 

[Mike Bassi]

Hey William. My wife and I are the owners or (owned) by 5 cats mostly of wild decent, meaning wild blood. Rub a little lemon on the speaker and or the area you wish for them not to go into, they will stay away from it. There is also a spray called "off" and you can use this as well. Hot sause works good too. Yes declawing is cruel to a cat and I'm glad you're not doing that option. Let us know how it works out.

Mike

 

[Jack Briggs]

Leave it to people who know absolutely nothing about cats to come up with nonsense about declawing cats. This is mutilation; claws are not like fingernails on a human; they are, in fact, the final joint of a cat's paws. To remove them is analogous to amputating your fingers at the final knuckle.

So, enough of that sort of talk.

Also, cats who live indoors exclusively live the longest. Outdoor cats in urban and suburban areas only have average lifespans of three years. Indoor-only cats average out to fifteen to twenty years.

So, please respond William's question within the groundrules of his post.

And here's my advice: Do what I did. I've kept all the plastic protective lining my speakers were covered with inside the shipping carton. When not in use, my subwoofers (two systems) are covered with the plastic. They would be even if I weren't living with a cat; the lining is great protection from dust.

If you've tossed the lining, go to an A/V store and ask if they have any lying around in the stock room.

 

[Mike Bassi]

I like the post Jack, and you're so right about declawing. Try a nice lemon first. All of my cats hate citrus and is a great deterrent for the kitty and non harmful at the same time.

Mike

 

[William_Gravem]

The lemon idea is good, I've never heard of that before this forum. I may try that for my sofa as well.

I'm looking at the picture of the Hsu VT3-MK2, and it looks like the little brass feet would sink into the carpet enough that it may be too low for a cats paw.

I've never heard Hsu subs before, but I may go with them based on reputation.

 

[Geoff McD]

I have the answers for your problems....SOFTPAWS.

http://www.softpaws.com

My wife and I have these on one of our cats - a cat that has been used to his claws for 7 years before we applied them. NO issues! and I mean NO ISSUES! He didn't even care, didn't do anything, just went right on living his life like he always did. Seriously...not even 60 seconds of agony!

Basically rubber caps for his claws that don't look weird, and obviously don't feel weird to them. Form fitting..just little mini gloves for each claw and EXTREEMLY easy to apply. He still goes to work on his scratching post, not having a clue at all that he isn't doing anymore damage to it! LOL

They last about a month before they shed off with his claws, at that point you just re-apply on the missing claws. They are CHEAP!

Anyhow...its worth more than just saving speakers! Furniture! couches, nice tables they might jump on, everything else! Well worth it!

 

[Paul Stanley]

No one answered the poor dude's question. Stop talking about his cats, the problem is already defined.

William - if you haven't noticed already, almost everyone in this forum is an SVS mark, so getting an unbiased opinion on a sub in here is like pulling teeth. Sounds to me like Velodyne or HSU would be your best bet, both are at the top of the heap. But HSU being downfiring and on spikes, your kitties might be able to hack and slash the open woofer. Velodynes seal up pretty tight, so go check some out and see if it would be cat proof!

Good luck!

 

[Greg_TSL]

Man I love my dog

 

[Brian Fellmeth]

I have 4 cats, and they have hit just about everything in the house to one extent or another. But they have NEVER touched the SVS cylinder. Not once, not any of them. They know that the thing can bellow with strange powerful sounds and they give it a very wide berth.