Maggie's and cats

A lot has to do with how old your cats are & how you discipline them. I have no doubt that you know these cats well, and if some part of you suspects they will use your speakers to sharpen their claws then you can have some confidence in your ability to predict their behavior. Of course, making your system unaccessible would seem to be the best solution- the less negative attention given to these cats via your speakers the better. The less verbal interaction the better. I agree that the spray bottle- water, with or without added odor, is the best solution. The effectiveness of this really has to do with how dilligent you are, how consistant, because this is how they will make the association between the unpleasant sensation and your speakers. If you can manage to make yourself neutral in all this then the effectiveness is all the more. Even saying "no" may make this a source of attention and confuse the issue.
I used this approach with my cat. She was all over my speakers to begin with, but over a period of time she learned to stay off them. At this point I do not even have to watch her. Now, she will come and sit with me when I listen to music. She loves the attention she gets and I like her company.

Motorpsychos,

I got a pug that sits in the same position on the end of the sofa while watching TV. She makes little noises whenever she sees an animal. She's trained not to bark. And, she remembers which commercials have dogs in them. She'll be in another room and here said commercials and come running to make her noises at the TV.

If your having cat problems, you can try playing Ted Nugent's "Cat Scratch Fever" loudly though your system (like a burn-in cd) and I'm sure they'll stay far away.
Plato's idea's a good one, or you can try placing (don't laugh, it works but doesn't look too pretty) some orange peels (a few) around the speaker area on the floor, won't hurt anything, but cats HATE citrus !!!! Guaranteed

Why is it that the threads that have to do with cats are the funniest?

You can rent our Bullmastiff, Diesel, for a day (see my system page). He'll take care of your cat problems for sure. If you live outside of the Pacific Northwest then I bet there'd be some willing dog-owners in your own region.

The duct tape idea is great, but for better holding power go to a photography or cinema supply shop and as for Gaffer's Tape instead. Lill' precious won't doesn't stand a chance with Gaffer's!

Wil'E'Coyote might suggest an(Acme Brand) anvil placed strategicly atop the edge of each speaker. A spatula may come in handy there too.

Marco