Our cats do tons of weird things. Some of them are funny, but the rest of them can be really annoying sometimes. One of those things is definitely cats’ obsession with our electronic devices. So it makes perfect sense that you want to know how to keep cats off a flat-screen TV?
Well, I have some good news for you. You’re not the only one who had to deal with this problem. That’s why there are many answers to your question and I’m ready to share them all with you. So, let’s scroll down and help you win this war against your fluffy, stubborn roommate.
Here’s how to keep cats off a flat-screen TV
People have tried tons of different ways to keep cats off their flat-screen TVs. Many of them didn’t work, but there are still 11 things you can do to win a war I promised you to win. So let’s not wait any longer, your big victory is waiting for you.
1) Use the scents you know your cat hates
One of the best ways to protect your 50-inch 4k led smart tv from your furry pet is to use a scent. And of course, not any smells, such as the smell of fish.
You hate it, but your cat loves it. In the following, we bring you aromas that will allow you to watch your favorite show, at least for some time.
Scents that deter cats are orange and lemon peels, cayenne pepper, coffee grounds, certain essential oils, etc.
2) Distract your cat
Another way to save the TV for which you have been saving money for 3 months, is to distract your cat. Cat owners probably know that this is not particularly difficult, because they will more or less find something to do on their own.
You’re probably thinking “great, I don’t have to think about that now”. Well, not really, especially since that other distraction could be your new iPhone 13, which is certainly not a good thing. What you can do is order a mouse toy or a ball of wool, and your cat will be interested in it all day long.
It’s a cheap and easy solution!
3) Limit her access to the living room
Cats are like little children. They are interested in everything and will do anything to see what is happening and what is around them. However, like young children, if they are allowed to do whatever they want, it usually doesn’t turn out well.
Just like children, your cat needs to know certain boundaries. So for example, if there is a TV in your living room that you want to keep in the condition you bought it in, try limiting your cat’s access to it.
Don’t worry; just like a cat defends its favorite place, you can protect your living room from her too. They won’t take you for granted.
4) Keep the TV off when you’re not watching it
We all know that cats have amazing senses of sight, hearing, and smell. That’s why one of the good ways to reduce the chance of something happening to your TV is to turn it off when you’re not watching. There is a much higher chance that your cat will be interested in your TV if it is on and the sound is turned up.
That chance increases drastically if National Geographic is on with a documentary show about birds in the Amazon. At the first chirping of a bird, your TV will be under heavy attack by your cat.
5) Place your TV in a high-traffic area
Boxes, narrow passages, dark places… Everything that cats love. So one way to save your TV is to put it in a place where there are no things listed above. When cats are resting, they usually don’t like to be watched.
So they are more likely to choose your bedroom for an afternoon nap than your living room, where your TV’s located. And they are very likely to avoid the living room even when they are awake if there are too many people there. Because they will feel more comfortable in other places.
6) Control your cat’s diet
“Just one more episode.” How many times have we said that and then realize it’s 3:30 a.m. and we’ve just watched an entire season? In all the excitement of whether Daenerys Targaryen will become the mother of dragons, we can forget to feed our cats.
Your cat will not like that and of course, she will notice that you have spent a lot of time in front of the TV. So, she will come there herself to ask for food. Even if you have some snacks left in front of the TV, it can cause your cat to start sniffing around the TV.
Therefore, for the benefit of your flat screen and your cat, feed your cat regularly. It can be twice a day or several times during the day but in smaller portions.
7) Cover your flat-screen TV
If you’re still struggling to keep cats away from a TV, try covering it with a blanket or something similar. TV covers, as they are called, can be found on eBay or Aliexpress at very reasonable prices.
It may seem like an extra expense at the moment but think about it. It’s better to buy a TV cover than a new TV, isn’t it? Just make sure it’s not colored or it has any tentacles because it will cause a counter-effect.
8) Try to get a new TV stand
I will tell you from experience how I solved the eternal problem of the cat and the TV. I bought a TV stand that goes high on the wall. And you won’t believe it actually solved the problem until you hear my story.
Before we get to that day, I will tell you that I have a Russian Blue cat, who is very lazy and if she sees that something is out of her reach, she simply gives up. Then one rainy fall day I heard a meow coming from under a car.
Little kitten, no older than 3 months, completely alone, hungry, and cold. Of course, like any other cat lover, I took her into my home. Today, after more than a year, that same little starved kitten has grown into a ninja.
For her, there is simply no insurmountable obstacle, so she sees the TV stand as a challenge that she must overcome. Fortunately, she can’t win.
9) Use the reward system to train your cat
Given that we have already concluded that cats are like small children, they should be treated the same way. To some extent. Just as when children make a mistake, we should point it out to them. Also, when they do something good, we should reward them.
If you see that your cat is about to jump on the TV, but after looking at it, she remembers that it is not right, you should reward her. It doesn’t matter whether it’s her favorite food, or simply petting her, the important thing is to let her know that she did something good.
10) Use double-sided tape
Here’s another cool idea of how to keep cats off your flat-screen TV. Cats are one of the biggest haters of sticky things. So if you use double-sided tape and stick it around your TV stand and as near as possible to your TV, your cat will most likely decide that it’s not her favorite spot anymore.
Of course, she’ll first try to figure out what the sticky thing around “her” TV is, but as soon as it sticks to her little paw she’ll figure out that she doesn’t want to go there anymore.
11) Make the spot around the TV uncomfortable
And the last tip I have for you is to make the spot around the TV as uncomfortable as possible. There’s no one in this world who know your fluffy friend better than you do. Of course, you should always use it to make her the happiest pet ever.
However, if she does something like attacking your TV, then you can use everything you know about her to make her stop doing it. You can use all the things you know your cat dislikes and put them around the TV stand. Your final goal is to make her feel so uncomfortable there that she’ll need to find a new spot.
Why is my cat obsessed with my flat-screen TV?
Now that we know how to keep cats off a flat screen tv I think we should also talk about why they like them so much. We love watching TV because it helps us relax, escape our reality, learn something new, or hear the news about the world.
However, it’s kinda logical that cats aren’t obsessed with our flat-screen TVs for the same reasons. They (probably) don’t care about the newest gas prices or the new season of Stranger Things. What they care about is their comfort, and they have it next to your flat-screen TV because of these things:
1) She’s curious
Everybody knows that cats are adventurous animals. They are always running around your house looking for some changes and new interesting things. Your flat-screen TV is one of those things because there’s always something new streaming.
So she enjoys spending time near it and exploring those fun moving pictures. I mean we also spend lots of time in front of it, so can we really blame our fluffy friends for being curious too?
2) She loves the warmth
Kitties adore comfy places. And if you try to keep your cats off your flat-screen TV, she’ll probably come back again if she finds it comfortable enough. But what is it that makes the TV area so special to them? It’s the warmth they feel when they are close to it.
I like to imagine it this way: we also enjoy drinking tea in front of our fireplace, and just chilling there with our loved ones. So your fluffball might perceive the warmth that’s coming from your TV just like you’re perceiving fireplaces.
3) Your cat wants more attention
One of the most common reasons cats do anything that’s not considered usual is because they want you to pay more attention to them. They are pretty smart animals and they always remember the things you forbid them to touch or the places they aren’t allowed to go to.
However, cats will use that information if they miss you. They know you’ll come to them if they do something wrong.
4) She saw other animals there
There’s always something interesting going on on TV. But most of those things are not understandable to your cat. She can’t see it the way we do. Instead of fast movements, she’ll see fast-changing pictures and it will confuse her.
However, if you’re watching Animal Planet and she sees other animals there she’ll definitely come back to the same spot. And try to figure out how’s it possible that there are other animals there but she can’t reach them. Actually, that is one of the common reasons we can’t keep cats off our flat-screen TV.
She might even attack it or try to see behind it in order to find the “missing” animals. The thing that she also enjoys is the sound that’s coming from your TV. So that’s just one more reason for her to chill around your TV.
Final words
I wish more people were like you. Noticing a problem and trying to find the best solution for it. You did it, and now you know how to keep cats off a flat-screen TV and also why are cats so obsessed with them.
I hope you enjoyed this quick lesson and that the tips I’ve given you worked well. See you soon with the next interesting topic.
Find out more: Can Cats See Phone Screens: Are They Reading Our Messages?
