How To Stop Chewing
Take your cat to the veterinarian for a checkup if it displays inappropriate chewing behavior so that any underlying health problems can be discovered and addressed. In the meantime, take steps to keep your cat safe.
- Cover electrical cords by running them through PVC pipes. You can also make them less appetizing by painting them with hot sauce or a commercial bitter apple substance.
- Smear the cordswith a menthol-containing substance,like Vicks VapoRub, to keep your cat at bay since the smell can be quite off-putting. The Ssscat motion detector, which hisses if the kitty comes close, can also be a humane kitty deterrent.
- Offer the cat alternatives to chew, such as cardboard. Some cats also enjoy gnawing on the smallest-size canine rawhide chewsdip them in warm water and zap them in the microwave first to soften them a bit.
- Add digestible fiber to your cat’s diet, which prompts some cats to reduce their chewing activity or even stop altogether. Fresh cat greens, green beans, or lettuce added to the cats food bowl may do the trick. Some of the hairball formula commercial diets may also work, as they provide increased fiber as well.
- Reduce anxiety to help eliminate the need for chewing. Consider trying a synthetic kitty facial pheromone to relieve stress and soothe your cat. Otherwise, make sure your cat’s litter box is spotless and that it has enough toys and playtime with you to stave off boredom.
The Spruce / Ana Cadena
Why Does My Cat Chew Electrical Cords
A dangerous household item cats often chew is electrical cord and wire. As with plastic bags, cats can find the oral sensation of chewing on cords pleasant. Kittens in particular can chew cords as part of their exploratory development. Chewing on cords is a dangerous activity that should be actively prevented as it presents a choking hazard, as well as the possibility of injury and death from electrocution. It also can obviously damage your household electronics and cause electrical fires.
Whats so great about chewing cords?One reason that cats will chew cords can be related to their dental health, and if you find your cat engaging in these activities, a trip to the veterinarian to make sure her teeth are in good order is important. You may also want to discuss with your veterinarian your cats diet, as chewing on odd objects can be a symptom of insufficiency in daily dietary needs. Finally, boredom can be a major factor in habits like these. You should adopt a plan combining management and enrichment .
Tips to keep your cat from chewing cords.
For some additional resources on cat enrichment ideas, the American Association of Feline Practitioner provides a helpful list. If you need more help, find a professional through the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists, the Animal Behavior Society, and the IAABC.
Make Sure Your Cat Is Getting All Nutrients Needed
You probably already feed your cat wholesome food that at least meets the AAFCO guidelines for minimum nutrients.
But if you are feeding a homemade diet, check your recipes carefully your cat may be missing a nutrient and this can cause pica, an attraction to munching unusual things.
I hope these suggestions give you more peace of mind by keeping your little chewer gnawing on more reasonable things like cat food.
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Protect Your Wires And Cords
If you dont need it, get rid of it. I said goodbye to the DVD player, home phone, computer monitor, blender, electric grill and an extra laptop.
Go wireless. Kinda obvious. My home phone is gone and I use a cell phone instead. The computer mouse and keyboard are both wireless. I wanted wireless lamps, but the best I could do was a nice lantern with a scented candle. Okay for the living room, but not practical as a bedside table lamp.
Hardwire it. Its expensive, but you can install wall sconces and pot lights in some rooms to eliminate the need for lamps. Some homes have hardwired lighting in every room, but my condo doesnt which means too many lamps and too many wires.
Cover it. You can buy split loom tubing from hardware stores. Its a bendy plastic hose with a slit in it. It comes in black, white or grey and in various diameters. You cut it to the length you need using scissors and then slip the wires through the slit. It protects your wires by covering them completely.
Make it taste bad. Unfortunately, Leo still chewed on the tubing covering the wires. Less dangerous, but I wasnt convinced he wouldnt make his way through to the wire. So for added protection hot sauce!
Dont think that wires tucked behind furniture are safe. Little Leo cut the power to my computer monitor by reaching his paw down behind the desk to grab the wire and chew through it. I had a live exposed electrical wire hidden from view for days a scary fire hazard.
Deter With Bitter Apple Spray
At first, I wanted to make Bitter apple spray on cords my number one recommendation because its the fastest and easiest way to quickly keep your cat away from all cords. Typically, after a couple encounters with bitter apple on a previously tasty cord, cats will avoid all similar cords.
However, heres the caution: You dont want your cat to eat much of this! The issue is that it has herbal extracts in it, which are much more mild and dilute than essential oils. But because essential oils are toxic to cats, some cat guardians may want to avoid anything with herbal extracts too. I dont think theres much risk a cat would keep eating this yucky stuff, but if your cat keeps going back to it, wipe it off of everything and stop using it.
Tip: The most popular option for cats and cords seems to be the Grannicks Bitter Apple for Dogs Spray. Though the spray version is packaged for dogs, its easier to apply to cords than the cat version, which only has a dabber top.
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Do Cats Eat Car Wires
It is very possible for cats to chew on car wires, but it is very unlikely. Most cats like to hide underneath a car, or under a wheel well. It not common to find a cat in the engine bay since it is a very small and cramped space. Cats are not the animals that you need to be looking out for when it comes to car wires.
If you have damaged wires under your car hood, it will most likely be caused by rodents. Chipmunks, squirrels, rats, and other rodents are usually at fault for damaging car wires. The best way to stop rodents from damaging your carâs wires are to set traps and use repellents on and around your vehicle. It is very unlikely that your wire damage is coming directly from a cat.
Just ask yourself, how often do you find a cat inside of a carâs engine bay? I donât think I ever witnessed the event. Not saying that itâs impossible, just very unlikely. Rodents also like to leave little surprises near and around where they are at. Look for small droppings or any other clues to see what type of rodent you are dealing with.
Tips To Stop Your Cat From Chewing Wires
See files for Cats
To a cat, a hanging cable or wire is an enticing toy. The same goes for cords, rubber bands, ropes and ribbons – any hanging household item! For your cat it is the best distraction to play and do its thing with them. Your cat is probably a specialist in munching through electrical cords. They will have broken computer cables, headphone cables and connectors of all kinds. You probably don’t know how to stop this behavior. And you will be concerned that this can this hurt and even kill your pet, or cause a home fire.
In this AnimalWised article we will give you some tips to stop your cat from chewing wires so you can eradicate this habit.
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How To Prevent Cats From Chewing Cords
In order to prevent a cat from chewing wires, you might try a variety of ideas, depending on the reasons I listed earlier.
Wires look fun There really is nothing more to say there. Wires look like fun to play with, especially when your cat paws at them and they snap back, like real prey in the wild might. The solution is very simple, hide the wires.
Stress Is there something which could be bothering your cat? Is there a lot of arguing or excitement going on around the house lately? The solution is very simple. You should remove what is bothering your cat or give your cat its own space away from what is causing it stress. Another good idea might be cat calming pheromones. These work great to calm cats who are stressed out.
Boredom Does your cat spend too much time by his/herself? There are a variety of solutions here.
Dental issues When was the last time you checked your cats teeth and gums? Cats chewing on cords and wires may occur when its suffering from pain or an irritation they are trying to get rid of? The solution is to take your kitten to the veterinarian for a check up.
Improve Your Cats Diet
Improving your cats diet by adding foods rich in digestible fiber can reduce the chewing activity of cats with nutritional deficiencies. Healthy foods include:
- Cat greens
- Lettuce
- Peas
Cats rarely eat these foods freely, so mix them into your pets regular food to mask the taste and smell, enabling it to consume these essential nutrients.
If you have a long-haired cat, hairball formula diets or supplements can help uncomfortable hairballs sweep through the system instead of getting stuck. Hairballs can also drive the urge to chew on inedible objects, and cats sometimes need a helping hand getting rid of them.
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Dangers Of Chewing Wire
A serious concern is if they like chewing electrical cords, Dr. Elston said. If a cat bites through a power cord and contacts both wires at the same time, it can cause a short circuit which may burn or electrocute your cat.
Video: Cat Chews on Air
Yikes! No one wants that.
And thats not even the only danger to chewing cords. Its also baaaad news if your cat swallows any wire.
Chewing and ingesting long pieces of thin wires like headphones can cause dangerous obstruction issues similar to if they swallowed string.
The issue with swallowing something long and thin like yarn or wire is that it can get caught in your cats intestinal tract and cause whats called linear foreign body, a life-threatening surgical emergency.
This can cause serious blockage and damage to your cats system, and can lead to intestinal bunching . Material like wire could even end up sawing through his intestines!
Why Do Cats Chew Electrical Cords
It can be baffling to owners when their cat develops a habit of chewing on cords. Here are the main reasons cats do this:
- Kittens often chew many things, including electrical wires, when they are exploring and learning about their environment and the world.
- Some cats like the way it feels to chew on a cord, which gives them positive reinforcement and encourages them to chew wires in the future.
- Some cats chew on cords and get into other trouble in the home because they are bored and need more enrichment in their daily routine.
- A cat that has never chewed on a cord before and suddenly begins doing so, especially an adult or older cat, might have a dental problem or a nutritional deficiency.
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Teething And Dental Health
Kittens teethe when theyre around 3-4 weeks old when the incisors and primary canines start to grow through. When this happens, the process is usually uncomfortable and sometimes even painful. Signs of teething include:
- Excessive chewing
- Irritability
- Inability to groom
Chewing on things provides relief from the discomfort. The feelings satisfying for some felines, so cats will chew a cord if its the first thing they see. Similarly, dental disease causes cats to gnaw and chew on cables and wires to relieve pain and distract themselves from the discomfort.
Nutrient Poor Or Nutrient Deficient Diet
In some cases, cats will chew on things because they are not getting enough nutrients from the food they eat.
For example, an insufficient amount of vitamins, minerals, protein, and other nutrients can increase your cat’s risk of dental problems. This may contribute to a dental health issue, as discussed above.
A nutrient deficient diet may also impair your cat’s physical, cognitive, and immune health, all of which may trigger chewing behaviors.
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Heres A Few Methods To Get Your Cat To Stop Chewing On Cords And Wires
First off, be mindful of how the cords are exposed
Obviously our cats are naturally curious and out of sight out of mind doesnt always work. However, be mindful of the cords which are exposed. Your cat is instinctively drawn to things that they can play with, and to them those cords can be too tempting to pass up. In order to conceal the wires and cords in your home, consider purchasing some rubber or sleeve covers to hide them. You can even use PVC piping from your local hardware store, too. There is a theory that suggests that your cat is drawn to these cords because in their eyes, it might resemble an animals tail. And, as we know, cats love to chase and hunt things. Do yourselfand themthe favor of not confusing their minds with something that can seriously harm them by covering the cords as best you can.
Combine those cords with dancing lights and ornaments, and its easy to see why many cats are so interested in Christmas trees
Cats are all about scent
Spanking your cat or yelling at them for chewing on the cords will not curb their desires to chew on them. Additionally, cats are very sensitive and disciplining them in a such a way is harmful to their delicate psyche. To stop your cat from chewing on cords, instead try covering the cords in a scent in which they do not like. Cats are not attracted to citrus or bitter smells, and there are sprays available designed specifically with naughty cat habits like this in mind.
Offer your cat more enrichment
Cats Chewing Electric Cords: How Can I Get Her To Stop
Posted on: June 24th, 2016 by Dr. Dale Rubenstein
It may not sound appealing to you or I, but to your kitten, a loose or dangling electric cord is a fun and exciting toy to play with. Chewing on toys is part of the action for young cats, but cats chewing electric cords is not something we want to encourage!
Buffys Story Buffy is my sons roommates cat. I worried about a young cat with three college undergraduates in an apartment, but when youve been raised listening to: How many litter boxes do you have? How often do you clean the litter boxes? What are you feeding the cat? When was your cats annual exam? I know that Buffy has gotten excellent care. And, with different schedules of the students, Buffy probably sees her human housemates more than some of us more mature folks see our own cats.
But, Buffy thought the best toys in the world were electric cords. And, in the modern world of phone chargers and computer cables, this quickly became a very expensive, not to mention potentially very dangerous, habit.
So how can I stop my cat from chewing on electric cords? Most of the time, we see our kitties chewing the cords before any damage is done to the cat . How can we stop them from chewing?
The solution in this case turned out to be Bitter Apple, which is a bitter but non-toxic spray sold in pet stores. After tasting this a couple of times, the problem was solved . Some other solutions I read about:
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Give Him Something Better To Do
If you just block your cats access to electrical wires and phone cords, youll still end up with a bored and unhappy kitty. Most likely he will find something else to destroy. You need what my vet calls environment enrichment.
Toys. Buy your cat toys . Leo enjoys empty toilet rolls, empty paper bags , empty boxes, wine corks and long blades of oat grass. Rotate the toys and buy or make new ones when he gets bored of them.
Playtime. You cant just buy toys, you also need to be involved in playtime. Interactive play will make your cat very happy and without it, he might ignore all the toys. Aim for 10 minutes twice a day. This will also keep your cat fit.
Outdoor time. Not all cats can be leash trained, but I started with Leo when he was fairly young and just took him out every single day until he got used to it. It took three weeks, but now he goes for a daily walk which is really just a trip down the stairs and out to the condo garden where he likes to watch the birds and chase the bees.
I dont recommend letting your cat out without a leash cars, dogs, other cats, racoons, poisonous plants and household products and mean people all pose a very real threat to a city cats life. Balconies can be quite dangerous dont assume your cat wont fall or jump off, especially if a bird flies by.
And thats how I cat-proofed my home from Leo the wire destroyer.