Televisions and kitties don't mix
October 18, 2010 7:54 AM Subscribe
How can I prevent my cats from destroying my new LCD tv?
After several months of denying that my 27 inch CRT was dying, I finally gave in and we bought a new 42 inch LCD tv.
But we have two kitties who are very curious, and I am ultra-panicked that they are going to try to jump on top of the television and knock it down. I am also slightly concerned about their scratching it, but don't think I have any control over that aside from buying a screen protector.
We can't mount the television on the wall because we rent and they don't allow that.
We currently have it in the bedroom, as that's where we do 90% of our tv watching, and it's on top of a long dresser with our cable box, dvd player and a Wii lined up in front of it. It's pushed back toward the wall as far as I can get it, but it's not touching the wall at all. I have already seen one of my cats, the most terrible one, on top of the dresser looking curiously at the tv, presumably planning the best way to jump on top of it.
At some point this week, I hope to try to secure it to the wall with some sort of cable, but I'm not too sure how to do that yet, so hints for that would be helpful. (We are not handy people by any means.) Temporarily, we are just closing the bedroom door, but I hate doing this because our cats sleep on our bed when we are gone.
Any suggestion is appreciated, as I am at the crazy point where I wake up randomly in the middle of the night to make sure our tv is still there.
After several months of denying that my 27 inch CRT was dying, I finally gave in and we bought a new 42 inch LCD tv.
But we have two kitties who are very curious, and I am ultra-panicked that they are going to try to jump on top of the television and knock it down. I am also slightly concerned about their scratching it, but don't think I have any control over that aside from buying a screen protector.
We can't mount the television on the wall because we rent and they don't allow that.
We currently have it in the bedroom, as that's where we do 90% of our tv watching, and it's on top of a long dresser with our cable box, dvd player and a Wii lined up in front of it. It's pushed back toward the wall as far as I can get it, but it's not touching the wall at all. I have already seen one of my cats, the most terrible one, on top of the dresser looking curiously at the tv, presumably planning the best way to jump on top of it.
At some point this week, I hope to try to secure it to the wall with some sort of cable, but I'm not too sure how to do that yet, so hints for that would be helpful. (We are not handy people by any means.) Temporarily, we are just closing the bedroom door, but I hate doing this because our cats sleep on our bed when we are gone.
Any suggestion is appreciated, as I am at the crazy point where I wake up randomly in the middle of the night to make sure our tv is still there.
I have the same worries about getting anything new period. I really don't understand how people have nice things like couches or vases or drinking cups. Anyway, we have our flat screen sitting on a table around 2 ft off the ground. It is pushed all the way back as close to the wall as possible. As long as they can not get behind it. Only one of my cats has tried to scratch the screen in a weird way but there was no damage.
I'm cracking up at "the most terrible one".
posted by mokeydraws at 8:09 AM on October 18, 2010 [1 favorite]
I'm cracking up at "the most terrible one".
posted by mokeydraws at 8:09 AM on October 18, 2010 [1 favorite]
I have two very bad kittens and an LCD TV. They've very, very rarely jumped on top of it, and have never even come close to knocking it over. Mine has a pretty sturdy base, though; I think unless it's a pretty flimsy setup you'll be okay.
posted by something something at 8:16 AM on October 18, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by something something at 8:16 AM on October 18, 2010 [2 favorites]
I wish I knew... I worry about the same thing. I've pushed my TV as far back as it'll go and have weighted it down. I've also considered trying to make some sort of wall anchor, similar to the ones that keep my bookcases from falling over. And although my three cats have yet to destroy my TV, what they *have* done recently is pull on one of the component cables, which in turn snapped the connecter-doohicky off the cable and it now is left inside the TV. I could live without one component connection, but somehow the stuck piece has also shorted-out the s-video, or something. So now I have to haul the TV beast to a TV repair shop... Just something else to be aware of.
posted by cgg at 8:27 AM on October 18, 2010
posted by cgg at 8:27 AM on October 18, 2010
Best answer: Flat-screen TV anti-tip device. Meant for people with small, destructive children; would probably also do the job for your small, destructive (and probably much cuter) cats.
You will need to drill holes in the wall, but that's really not a big deal; just buy a small can of spackle and when you go to move out, spackle the holes up. I doubt they'll be nearly as big as the holes from actually anchoring it to the wall on a wall-mount.
posted by Kadin2048 at 8:36 AM on October 18, 2010
You will need to drill holes in the wall, but that's really not a big deal; just buy a small can of spackle and when you go to move out, spackle the holes up. I doubt they'll be nearly as big as the holes from actually anchoring it to the wall on a wall-mount.
posted by Kadin2048 at 8:36 AM on October 18, 2010
How about a clamp for the base of the TV to the table. This could work depending on the space available underneath the table. It wont be cute but at least you'll have peace of mind. Cats provide enough cuteness.
posted by mokeydraws at 8:40 AM on October 18, 2010
posted by mokeydraws at 8:40 AM on October 18, 2010
Best answer: Eathquake straps would be my recommendation. Normally they attach to the wall but that one I linked to is, well, not rated for California. It should be ok for kittyquakes though.
posted by chairface at 8:48 AM on October 18, 2010
posted by chairface at 8:48 AM on October 18, 2010
I'd be more worried about the speaker grilles (little holes <> little claws) and their attempt to climb up those ...
posted by Xhris at 10:03 AM on October 18, 2010
posted by Xhris at 10:03 AM on October 18, 2010
Echoing contraption, we have five very bad kitties, and our TV would likely be in pieces by now if I hadn't screwed it into the TV stand.
posted by Tooty McTootsalot at 10:09 AM on October 18, 2010
posted by Tooty McTootsalot at 10:09 AM on October 18, 2010
Assuming you repair the wall - or pay someone a small sum to do it when you move out - there's no earthly reason why your landlord should not allow you to mount your TV where you want it on a drywall or plaster wall. Putting holes in antique mahogany trim is one thing, but this is just basic day-to-day use and enjoyment of your property.
posted by cyndigo at 10:35 AM on October 18, 2010
posted by cyndigo at 10:35 AM on October 18, 2010
I can tell you one thing - the ONLY thing - that is guaranteed to work as a cat training protocol. (Squirty water bottles, as we all know, are practically useless.) Based on your setup, this should work.
I learned this as "teach kitty not to jump on the kitchen counters" but it works for any flat surface.
1. Get a bunch of cookie sheets. You can buy them at the thrift store.
2. Lay them out along the edge of the dresser.
You want them to be hanging over far enough that when kitty jumps up, they flip up and dump kitty on the floor. (And the cookie sheet makes an alarming clatter.) But not so far that kitty is discouraged from jumping in the first place. A few inches usually does it.
3. Wait for nature to take its course.
This works best in the kitchen, because of the sound of the cookie sheet falling on the hard floor. For a bedroom, I would probably toss a handful of pocket change on each cookie sheet, just to give it that added noise factor.
posted by ErikaB at 11:25 AM on October 18, 2010
I learned this as "teach kitty not to jump on the kitchen counters" but it works for any flat surface.
1. Get a bunch of cookie sheets. You can buy them at the thrift store.
2. Lay them out along the edge of the dresser.
You want them to be hanging over far enough that when kitty jumps up, they flip up and dump kitty on the floor. (And the cookie sheet makes an alarming clatter.) But not so far that kitty is discouraged from jumping in the first place. A few inches usually does it.
3. Wait for nature to take its course.
This works best in the kitchen, because of the sound of the cookie sheet falling on the hard floor. For a bedroom, I would probably toss a handful of pocket change on each cookie sheet, just to give it that added noise factor.
posted by ErikaB at 11:25 AM on October 18, 2010
I had similar concerns regarding the HP monitor I watch movies on in my bedroom. I drilled through the base of it (not easy, btw, and required a metal bit and a good drill) and bolted it to the top of a cabinet.
posted by coolguymichael at 12:29 PM on October 18, 2010
posted by coolguymichael at 12:29 PM on October 18, 2010
Response by poster: Just wanted to pop back and thank everyone for the answers. I think we are going to try a multiple-pronged approach of bolting absolutely everything possible down and maybe some earthquake straps/child safety locks to boot.
And thanks to something something for linking to kitteh pictures.
posted by kerning at 7:28 PM on October 18, 2010
And thanks to something something for linking to kitteh pictures.
posted by kerning at 7:28 PM on October 18, 2010
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You could also make the top of the tv unattractive/ inaccessible, maybe by hanging a perchable shelf just above it.
posted by contraption at 8:01 AM on October 18, 2010