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Cat chewing through cords...

post #1 of 10
8/22/09 at 4:44pm
Thread Starter 
I have a cat that chews on electrical cords. She has completely destroyed several phone chargers, an XBox controller, and who knows what else we haven't found yet. Honestly, I'm very tolerating of most of my animals' bad behavior and this normally wouldn't bother me very much since she hasn't ruined anything too terribly expensive; the issue is that every cord I have found chewed through was sparking when I found it. This is a problem. She could electricute herself, not to mention she is putting our other cats and us in danger if the house should catch fire. What am I to do?
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post #2 of 10
8/22/09 at 9:02pm
Don't leave cords exposed where she can get to them??

Seriously, you need to be a bit proactive. Get those sponge noodle things and slit it down the side. Wrap it around the cords to keep them from being exposed. They also make this plastic stuff that already has a slit in it designed for hiding cords around computers. You might look to see if you can find that. Also, train the humans in your house to not leave cords exposed.
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post #3 of 10
8/22/09 at 9:33pm
a good old fashion spray bottle?
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post #4 of 10
8/23/09 at 6:30am
Thread Starter 
Last night we discovered that she has also ruined an expensive laptop cord. Most of the cords in my home ARE hidden, wrapped up, taped down, etc. to prevent chewing (I did this before I got my puppy, but as it would turn out he's not the chewer in the family), but in my bedroom the wiring is all screwed up and one wall will shut off entirely if the light switch is turned off so there is a power strip and about 3 10-15 foot extension cords that run under my bed and along the walls to correct it, and our phone chargers, etc. also plug into the power strip. Those are the ones she's getting to. I am going to look for those plastic things to protect them, but I would like to correct the behavior, as opposed to just preventing it. Plus when you've got that much cord to cover, I'm sure it won't be cheap. The spray bottle would work if I caught her in the act, but I usually don't since it all happens under the bed, and it's impossible to watch her every minute. I have tried keeping her out of the bedroom, in the main part of the house that is chew-proofed but with 6 other cats coming and going it's hard to do and not fair to the others if they get shut out too.
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post #5 of 10
8/23/09 at 6:38am
Sometimes all you can do is take away the enticement so that the kitty decides it's not worth it to continue the behavior. Also, you might consider bitter apple spray on the cords.
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post #6 of 10
8/23/09 at 6:48am
Thread Starter 
I have considered the spray, problem is there are 3 week old kittens that have left their box and hide under there. Will it make them sick or will mommy not bathe them after they've been rolling around in the stuff?
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post #7 of 10
8/23/09 at 8:04am
I can tell you from experience, that it is probably a behavior you will not be able to change. My Maggie is a cord chewer, and has been her whole life (she's 8 years old.) Nothing has worked to prevent this, and I've tried Bitter Apple spray on the cords, Tabasco Sauce and also Ro-pel (rabbit repellant spray.) I have learned how to replace the cord in my table lamps (I'm so good now, I can do it in about 15 minutes!)

Here's an old picture of her handiwork!


I've since replaced that cord, and covered it all the way with the corrugated cord covers. I have them covering every single exposed cord in my house......Not real fashionable, but certainly functional. It's a little pricey, but it keeps Maggie from hurting herself (she's tripped the circuit breakers twice, before I got it.) I purchase mine from CABLEORGANIZER.COM. I've been very happy with their service. Actually, I need to get some more, as I've run out. I just bought the girls a pet fountain, and I need to get that cord covered!

Good luck! I hope you find something that works for you!
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post #8 of 10
8/23/09 at 8:33am
I have a cat who loves to chew electrical cables as well, and yes it drives me nuts too! I have the same cable covers. We get it from our local Fry's (electronics) store, and it's called convoluted cable there - it's the same thing, it's plastic covering with a slit down the side to slide over the cable. We buy a few packs for a couple of dollars each and have gone through the house and covered every single cable with it. The single cables (laptop charger, phone chargers etc.) have the smaller size, the bundles of cables have the larger size covering all the cables like pookie-poo above.
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post #9 of 10
8/27/09 at 5:36pm
I use aluminum foil. Cut it into strips & wrap it around all the exposed cords & cables in the house.

Ku Ku LOVES chewing cables, too - she still does it whenever she sees exposed cables(such as the one for my computer) and I have to stop her everytime. The thing I found out is, though, she only goes to thinner cables that fits in her mouth but rarely goes for thick cables such as the kind for TVs or cable boxes.
She never goes for those already covered with foil either. Once in a while, you'd have to check & make sure no foils are loosen and no cords/cables are exposed, though.
Hope this helps.
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post #10 of 10
8/27/09 at 5:54pm
I wound up stapling several DC power cords, phone lines and a TV coaxial cable to the wall to keep my cats off of them. If they can't pull it free from the wall enough to get it in their mouths, they will leave it alone.
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