All I wanna do is listen to Cheap Trick ive at Budokan

January 12, 2008 10:01 AM

Does anyone else have problems with their cat attacking the record or the turntable every time they try and play vinyl? She likes that it spins.

If so, any way to combat this? I prefer not having to lock my dear little in a separate when I want to listen to vinyl. Yes, I have tried moving the turntable... but she finds it.

posted by travosaurus to pets & animals (8 comments total)

We keep our turntables relatively high on a surface that doesn't allow for walking around them. Our cats seem to take the hint that the turntables are important because it isn't possible to even come near them.

This has worked with two different groups of two cats.

Warning: they're all fairly well behaved in general, if you have a clutsy little brat, it may not work!
posted by sunshinesky at 10:05 AM on January 12, 2008

Cats can be trained. Have a little squirt gun or water bottle handy the next time you play a record and give her squirt if she goes near. With a dog you might yell too as they respect your authority. Yelling at the cat might be counterproductive. Just let the connection between a squirt and approaching the moving turntable set in her mind.

My cat never bothered as I have the old style cover that stays down during play rather than being removed. The cat liked to sleep on it though, that is until I a taped a few thumbtacks to the top (tips blunted), kind of like the treatment for railings, planters and other inviting sitting surfaces in the city. After a short while I removed the tacks but she never went back.
posted by caddis at 10:31 AM on January 12, 2008

Play Metal Machine Music on it constantly with the cat locked in the room - the problem will sort itself out unless kitty is a feline Lester Bangs.
posted by zemblamatic at 11:13 AM on January 12, 2008 [1 favorite]

Can you put some sort of cover over it? Back in the days when vinyl was all there was, many record players had see-through lids.
posted by Carol Anne at 11:28 AM on January 12, 2008

Most turntables come with covers...check and see if yours originally did, and whether you can order a replacement from the manufacturer or search ebay, etc. Low-cost option would be to buy a transparent cake stand lid...a nice heavy one...to place over the spinning record and arm.
posted by Quisp Lover at 12:17 PM on January 12, 2008

1. Put on a record you don't like.
2. Videotape the cat trying to discombobulate it.
3. Send video to cuteoverload.
posted by Sara Anne at 1:51 PM on January 12, 2008 [2 favorites]

Most turntables come with covers..

not any more, at least the good ones. you can buy a cover, but it is not intended to be on during play, although mostly because it detracts slightly from the sound.
posted by caddis at 2:53 PM on January 12, 2008

My cat only has an iPod.
posted by cjorgensen at 7:13 PM on January 12, 2008