My cat chews cables in half

pmcdn2007

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Hello all,

I am new here and thought I would run my issue by you to see if anyone here might have a solution for my problem. My cat, Salem, is a 4 yr old fixed male who is a very good pet except for one problem... he chews cables (speaker cable, shoe laces, etc) right in half and very quickly. Funny how he hasn't tried any power cables. I guess he knows better ;-) When he does it, it is so fast I don't even notice right away. This is VERY frustrating.

How can I get him to stop doing this?

Regards,

David

Houston, Tx
 

renovia

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Hi David,

Welcome to TCS! That is a very frustrating problem to have and can be really hazardous to your kitty, kudos to you for seeking advice!

Some members on this site will have tried some of the same techniques that i'll give to you and may be able to offer more info too.

You can try rubbing citrus (lemon or lime) on the cables that he likes to go for. It sounds like he is doing it where you can't see him and doing it quickly. Cats don't like citrus so that may help, just with the smell. But I think your best option may be to invest in a lot of aluminum foil and wrap your wires tightly with it. I'm sure this is probably breaking some fire hazard rule but you could also have a fire hazard or health hazard if your kitty chews on live wires! The feel of tin foil is yucky in their mouths and if everything he tries to chew tastes like that he'll try to find something ELSE to chew. Thats when you can find some chew toys and leave them out - kirby sticks may be really good, they are thin and filled with catnip so kitty can really get a good bite on them!
 

cntrygrl

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ditto the foil.....works like a charm and it's cheap!
 

goldenkitty45

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Easy, spray the cable wires very well with Bitter Apple spray!

Foil may or may not work - lots of cats like playing with it and chewing on it. We don't give ours foil balls!
 

captiva

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Try Bitter Apple. I have even put those foam pipe insulator tubes around wires. I have a chewer, too. Except he plays with electrical cords for attention. Welcome to the site!
 

zissou'smom

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Hi!

To add to the above, once you find out what works (tobasco, bitter apple, citrus, etc) rub it on the power cords as well. It's likely your cat stays away after being shocked, but may try it out again-- also examine all the power cords carefully and wrap any gnaw marks with eletrical tape.

I don't know that I own anything without gnaw marks.
 

pookie-poo

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All of my electrical cords in my house are now protected by those corrugated cord organizers that you can purchase for taming computer/electrical cords. Nothing else (bitter apple, Tabasco sauce, dish soap or Ro-pel) worked to keep Maggie away from them. I just got tired of replacing the cords to my lamps. The corrugated cord covers aren't too high on style points, but they effectivly protect my electrical cords from her sharp little teeth.
 
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