I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this thread and have observations of my own regarding the feline presence before, during and after music listening...in this case I will relay my experiences with Lucy, my small but feisty tortoise shell Manx.
1. Yes, Lucy makes me feel all warm and fuzzy, which improves my listening experience. Maybe I feel all warm and fuzzy because she likes walking across my head while I am in my listening chair?
2. That head bump followed by a body side rub, then a circle pace before plopping down on the lap is a sign of dominance. Once Lucy has settled in, I am not allowed to move. If I do, the result is a loud, and slightly screechy, cussing out.
3. She knows the right spot for sure...it's as if she read up on the equilateral triangle placement theory and found it to her liking.
4. Unlike many cats, she never sits on components nor will she paw the speakers, lick the amps or climb into the rack. She will, however, on occasion wander around the back. I believe she is checking the interconnects to insure nothing is amiss.
5. Given her diminutive stature, she will never ever make a good bass trap or acoustic panel. I did make the mistake once of using her as an SP meter. She made it perfectly clear she will brook no such foolish behavior in the future. I'm sure I will eventually heal but the jeans are forever shredded in that location.
I am certain she has more to teach me and I must remain attentive at all times. This is hard, though, when the music is playing and she is in my lap, kneading my legs with her little claws.