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So I recently adopted a cat and I'm not sure how to "secure" the piano when I'm not around. I'd like to train her to stay off of it, but I don't know if that'll work, especially when I'm not home. For now, I closed the lid, flylid and fallboard, so she's not getting inside, but I noticed little paw prints on it this morning (yeah, my lid was kinda dusty ) I'm hoping she's just in the "exploring" phase now, and will eventually just leave it alone.

I was also thinking that if I left the lid wide open, she definitely couldn't walk or lie on it, but then she might go in the piano. Any suggestions?

Leave the lid down when you're not at home. Your cat will walk around inside the piano, and it's not good for the strings.

You could perhaps try squirting her in the face with a water spray bottle whenever you see her getting up on it. Cats find that pretty aversive.

My cat pretty much leaves my piano alone, but there are times I have to intervene. It's just what you put up with for sharing your household with a pet.

Yes, DEFINITELY close the piano. I think about all you can do is hope she doesn't slip and put the claws out! Hopefully the novelty will wear off. If she can see out a window from the piano it will be harder!

This is a common topic at Piano World.

When I saw your avatar photo, another solution came to mind.

Just kidding.

I don't like to make my cats neurotic, so I don't try to train them to stay off things. I close the top of my piano when I'm not playing it, and when I leave in the morning I put a cover on so they can play on top of it all they want.

You don't want kitty walking around inside. (But encourage her if she sits on the bench and plays nicely!)

Those that think they can train a cat to not go on things are delusional. You only train them to not do it when you're looking. Better to just save the hassle and close the lid and cover it when it's not in use.

It's sort of odd but my cat loves to hang on the piano. I close it when it's not in use and use a "piano shawl" that the cat lays on. I have caught her inside twice when I was home and banged on some bass clef notes to scare her out of it. I would just keep it closed when it's not in use. What is their obsession with the piano? I wonder...

Our cat isn't the least bit musical. He never jumps onto the piano, though it would be easy to do from the entry landing. Cat or no cat, it's best to leave pianos all closed up when you're not playing.

My cat will once in a while go inside my piano. I have the strings covered with felt and he really thinks that's a nice box for him to sleep in. When he does that I close it, but he hasn't done it in a while so I can keep it open.

You close the piano with the cat inside ?!?

Tom jumped on the keys a couple of times and the noise scared him so much he stayed off ever since.

Yes, that teaches him not to go in it LOL. No, I REMOVE the cat and close the lid

Haha, I'd lock mine in if I thought it would work. I use the short stick so she stays out but then she likes to still lay on the top! That also freaks me out. I just envision her sliding off off the polished ebony and trying to grab hold ! Gulp...

They probably think that this kitty condo is the best what comes from pet stores

Haha!

Thanks for the tips, everyone. Well, I've been leaving it completely closed when I'm not playing. She is so new to the house that she still hides most of the time. I do know that's she's been "exploring" because tiny paw prints have magically appeared on the lid. I'm a little worried about scratches on the finish, because I don't have a cover. I could get one, but opening and closing the piano all the time is enough of a PITA. Having yo cover it too would be worse.

I guess if it gets some scratches, it's only cosmetic and won't affect the piano's sound. It would be nice if she would just stay off it, though. I might try one of those motion sensor things, or what if I left some aluminum foil on the lid (just until she learned to stay off)? I've read cats don't like to walk on certain things.

I wouldn't put aluminum foil on it, that might scratch the finish. Why not use a heavy blanket on it until you can get a good cover?

I don't see how opening and closing the piano is such a pain. It takes all of what 15 seconds to do? Probably 30 with a cover.

A side note: I leave mine open because the lid is extremely heavy (my piano is over 9') and the lid/hinges were damaged in a freak door/mirror/file cabinet accident. We've repaired it pretty well and it stood up to being moved halfway across the country, but I'm still afraid to move it a lot. Cat hasn't desired to go in it, so it's not really much of an issue anymore.

Well mine is a 7' piano and although I don't have to strain to lift the lid or anything, it's not exactly light. Before this, I'd just leave the lid on full stick all the time, so closing the big lid, the fly lid, the fallboard and then also covering it seems like a lot more of a hassle...especially when it gets played frequently.

I would just leave it on full stick all the time, but I really don't want her on the strings. I wouldn't think a cat would like to walk in strings anyway, but who knows.

My tuner said a cat fiddled with the dampers on a piano he worked on and bent them way up, also have had reports of hairballs INSIDE of the piano. Keep the cat out of the piano !!!

Here's a few good reasons to not let your cats get on or in your piano. This is a 1956 Yamaha G3 that I'm doing some work on (replacing the pinblock, strings, and generally cleaning up and regulating):