Cat Chewing

Some cats, and especially kittens, love to chew at things. Often they chew things which they should not chew like electrical cords!

A cat chewing an electrical cord could, of course, be disastrous, not only from the danger of shock but also of choking. Small pieces of cord can get lodged in your cat's intestine with very serious results.

If there is any sign that your cat has swallowed a piece of the cord she or he has been chewing, it may be best to have your cat checked at the vets as soon as you can.

So how do you stop a cat chewing?

As far as you can keep electric cord out of the reach of your cat. Probably not possible to make every cord unreachable, but if you try you can deny your cat access to a lot of it. You may find that by moving furniture and appliances around you can keep kitty away from some electric cords, remember though that cats can squeeze into some mighty small spaces.

Most cats will chew on the thinner cables rather than the thicker ones. Where practicable, you can try grouping and tying thinner cables together so as to make them too thick for your chewing cat's fancy. Alternatively, tie thin cords to thicker ones.

There is split tubing that you can cover cords with that your cat should not be able to chew through. These are often used by computer and electronic geeks who would otherwise have a maze of cables going everywhere.

You can also try winding double sided sticky tape around the cords, cats don't like 'sticky' and you could find that this trick does the job nicely.

Something else to try is lightly spraying the cords with citrus or bitter apple, (keep in mind they are electrical cords, so unplug first and for heavens sake don't soak them!)

Many cats are repelled by citrus or bitter apple so they won't go near the cable. But fruit spray may not stop your feline chewing. In which case try something hot! Make up a paste using cayenne pepper or chilly powder and smear it on the cords. After one taste of that your cat should be disinclined to chew the cord, possibly forever but you may need to reapply the paste occasionally.

There is a manufactured product that incorporates both the repellent citrus scent and the protective cord cover. CritterCord (TM) is a flexible protective cover designed to keep cats and other pets from the danger of chewing on electrical cords. The citrus scent is infused into the cover it won't wear off. CritterCord (TM) can be easily cut to the length you need yet is tough enough to resist a cat chewing on it.

Cat chewing on your house plants.

Many cats like to have a nibble on houseplants and for the cat owner that is proud of her indoor greenery that can be very annoying. The citrus and bitter apple can be a help here as well as keeping your plants out of the reach of kitty, (if possible.)Other than your cat chewing and ruining the look of your houseplants, there is a danger. Some plants are toxic to cats.

The reason your cat chews could be simply because she is bored, in which case providing plenty of cat toys could be the answer. Cats do need to play. It is often their only opportunity for exercise, especially for indoor cats, and it helps keep them in tip top shape. Playing also helps relieve boredom.

Teething is something that all kittens must get through, thankfully it does not last long. Some kittens chew to help themselves through the process and their little baby teeth can be very sharp. A teething toy, or three, is often the answer to a kitten chewing things they should not.

A cat chewing on itself could have problems, possibly fleas or perhaps an unhealed wound, and should be checked by the vet.

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