Pianotech

  • 1.  How to keep cats off of pianos

    Posted 05-15-2013 15:23
    I have a client who has a cat that likes to jump on thier small grand...high gloss black.  She does not want top put a throw on top of the piano because it might encourage the cat to jump up there. The cat has already put one scratch in the finish with its claws.Does anyone have any ideas of how to keep a cat from jumping on to the piano?

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    BD,RPT....FWA
    Fort Wayne IN
    260-417-1298
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  • 2.  RE:How to keep cats off of pianos

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 05-15-2013 15:30
    A dog! LOL!

    I have a piano faculty client with LOTS of cats!  Don't mind the scratches, mind the spraying or uninating ones on the inside of the piano!  Ouch!

    Paul


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    Paul T. Williams RPT
    Piano Technician
    University of Nebraska
    Lincoln, NE 68588-0100
    pwilliams4@unl.edu
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    Original Message


  • 3.  RE:How to keep cats off of pianos

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 05-15-2013 15:42
    Just got a new client who has cats.  They use a can of compressed air with a motion sensitive adapter on top that sprays air when the cat jumps up.  Talk to a pet store.

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    Larry Messerly, RPT
    Bringing Harmony to Homes
    www.prescottpiano.com
    larry@prescottpiano.com
    928-445-3888
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    Original Message


  • 4.  RE:How to keep cats off of pianos

    Posted 05-16-2013 15:05
    Sounds like the owners need training more than the cats. Cats are very smart and think they are superior to humans but they understand the word NO and respond to a quick gentle swat or spray from a bottle of water when necessary to startle them and get their attention.
     
    I tune a Yamaha grand, that I sold to a Veterinarian, nine years ago. I bought that piano new in 1973 for $2000, when I needed a car instead. We lived in 18th century houses in middle of two farms over the years where we had lots of cats. I never had a cat jump on the piano bench let alone the piano and that was why it still looked new when I sold it to a Veterinarian, for more than three times what I paid for it. All my cats were trained, like my Great Dane dog, not to jump up. Especially trained were the cats to never get on the piano or any furniture. Sadly, when I tune my old Yamaha now I have to vacuum cat hair from the Vets long haired exotic cat and remove the quilt placed on top to protect the piano. This is a fancy vet who works and lives in a landed gentry area. I would think he or his wife would train his cats not to get up on things.
     
    Cats are a bit harder to train than dogs but if my current indoor-outdoor cat ever got up on my grand or any of my many cars in my barn he would be in deep trouble with me. He has a few places in the house where we allow him to leap up to sleep. First is my lap in front of one of the fireplaces, or at the foot of the high four poster bed at night, on a rush bottom chair in my bathroom, where I lay my outdoor work clothes and on the bath mat in my wife's bathroom.
    Once he jumped onto the table where we eat Summer, Spring and Fall meals, on the front porch. I admonished him and he had to sit in a corner on the open deck until I told him he could come out again. Cats are smart, he never ever got up on that table again.

    Bob
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    Robert Highveld
    Nottingham PA
    717-529-0711
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    Original Message


  • 5.  RE:How to keep cats off of pianos

    Posted 05-15-2013 15:45
    A cat is a cat.

    When our family Steinway A arrived at my sister's, her cat instantly jumped up on it.
    So she put the lid all the way up. The cat jumped inside. This was far worse. So
    she put the lid on the short stick. The cat tried to jump up, slid, and put out his claws
    as he slid back off.

    She now keeps a thick quilted cover on the closed piano except when it is actually being played.
    If she covered the rest of the piano but left the music desk open, the cat would worm his
    way inside.

    Cats are essentially untrainable. That's part of their charm. Some like to get a view from
    high places. If a cat isn't interested in jumping on the piano, that's just luck.

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    Susan Kline
    Philomath, Oregon

    Original Message


  • 6.  RE:How to keep cats off of pianos

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 05-15-2013 17:00
    That's why we have doggies!  Our Husky is actually a great mouser too!  The Havanese is just a stuck up little pooch.  At the doggie free range park, Luna, the Husky howls with delight and greats everybody she meets. Kyushu, the little white fluffy puff has very little interest with anybody that doesn't have "treats". 

    We have had cats.  I'm about done with them.  They don't come when you call, go anywhere they see fit, (including piano insides), and I now understand the phrase of "herding cats".  They hear you, but just take a message and then get back to you if they feel like it!  I had to replace bass strings from one of their nasty sprays, and also my favorite bass guitar that also included new pick-ups.  I won't have a cat again.

    Only one cat I've had would actually fetch bottle caps and store them under a table and look for more!  Strange cat, indeed! Her name was Pie kitty.  Short for moon pie, like the icecream sandwich. such a love. had her for 20 years. Not actually mine, but I was "uncle Paul" when the owner needed me to hang on to her sometimes. She was the purrfect cat. she came when called, jumped on my lap and instantly started purring.  Such a nice kitty! RIP, Pi,,,

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    Paul T. Williams RPT
    Piano Technician
    University of Nebraska
    Lincoln, NE 68588-0100
    pwilliams4@unl.edu
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    Original Message


  • 7.  RE:How to keep cats off of pianos

    Posted 05-15-2013 15:51
    I had a cat that loved to scratch on the back posts of my upright piano.  One day while the cat was scratching, I  just banged the keys up and down the scale a couple times.  Cat lived to be 21 years old and never went near the piano again.

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    Stephen Grattan
    Port Huron MI
    810-984-2757
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