Eating/Chewing Linear Objects

I know this is something that has been discussed here before, but I was wondering if anyone else had any problems with cats that chew/bite/eat linear objects.
Our Oliver has a history of it, with a couple of emergency vet visits and one exploratory surgery. We've gotten to be experts at Oliver proofing the house--though every once in awhile he finds something we've overlooked.

Other than simply trying to keep him away and keep his mouth off of the linear objects (string, ribbon, blind pulls, shoelaces, that kind of thing) is there anything we can do proactively to try to correct the behavior? Anyone know what this behavior stems from/ is indicative of? Or is it just a quirk, not something that can be "cured". I've contemplated contacting an animal behviorist but don't know a reputable one in the area and, quite frankly, would rather get some FREE advice from you all than give an animal behviorist my hard earned $$ only to tell me there's nothing that can be done!
I just worry for his safety--and would of course like him to be the happiest cat possible, so if there's something I could do to help satisfy this urge he has, it would be great!
Thanks!

well I dont know how to keep him from doing this, but I have some tricks for keeping stuff away from him. Cj loves blind pulls, but I had a friends cat who hung herself playing with these. So to keep Cj from meeting the same end, I went to hobby lobby got a silk flower that matched my curtians and glued an aligator type clip on back. This way I can fold up the blind pull string and clip it on my window valance ( or whatever is handy) and not have a big ugly tangle of string, most people dont even notice the flower. Another thing he likes to chew on my flip flops and other shoes, so when I take them off I put them behind closed doors in my closet. ( lost a really cute pair of steve maddens before I learned this) Or if its a pair of shoes you wear everyday, you could get a little chest that you can set your shoes in when you get home, the next morning get them out, sit on the chest and put them on. (saves your carpet too!) If its something you dont want them chewing on but cant do anything about where its at (electric cords) they have stuff at petsmart that you spray on it but I dont remember what it is called, someone else will come through with a name i am sure. If not cj used to climb this big ugly fake tree of my roomie's and when she wasnt there i soaked a cotton ball in lemon juice and rubbed it on the trunk (i heard they dont like that smell). Hope some of that helps.