You gotta muffle it with a pillow.

This clock radio we keep in the basement is defective. (That's one reason we keep it in the basement.) The volume knob no longer works gradually, like any decent volume knob. Now it has two distinct volumes: inaudible and way too loud. We leave the radio on when we're fostering feral cats in the basement, so they can have some "company." But we have to muffle the sound with a pillow, or else it would drive the cats crazy. They've got enough problems.

Thanks a lot, stupid radio.