New hobby: pulling out refrigerator plug

Jamie has always been a technophile - he makes phone calls, prints out test sheets, makes the tray of the DVD player open and close, switches the floor lamp on and off.... Now I'm beginning to think he's taking revenge on us for pulling plugs on electronic devices when we're not home or at night.
On Monday, I found the fridge unplugged when I got home from work. I figured that he might have squeezed between the refrigerator and wall, and pulled the plug by accident, though it's a good "fit", i.e., not in the least bit loose. My husband got home this afternoon to find the fridge/freezer unplugged. Another "accident"? A couple of minutes ago I went to the kitchen to get a Coke, and the fridge was unplugged again. I doubt that gremlins have suddenly moved in here, or that it was "accidentally" unplugged.
Anybody have any ideas on how to stop him from doing this? The refrigerator is supposed to be a few inches from the wall, and I can't stuff anything back there because of the danger of a heat build-up. I just taped the plug into the outlet with electrical tape, but that probably won't hold.

LOL Trish! What a character your cat is. Let's see, we need to out-think this little devil... How about some sort of decorative trellis cut to fit to slide into the space? With the holes in the pattern (make sure the cat can't fit through the holes) you will have adequate ventilation for the appliance, I don't know if you have such a thing available in Germany, but if you do that is the route I would go. I would be sure it was a snug fit too so he couldn't climb over the top of it-

Jamie is a tachno nerd?
This calls for desperate measures.

I would be afraid to tape plugs to the wall because Jamie might bite them harder in an attempt to pull them from their sockets. He might get shocked.

Large hardware stores carry cord wraps that my kitties don't like. I wonder if something like that might help.

Another idea...spread hot sauce on the cords & see if that stops him.

The problem is that nerds can be very tenacious & so can cats. That might be an unbeatable combination.

You might have to give up using all electricity forever.

Originally Posted by hissy

LOL Trish! What a character your cat is. Let's see, we need to out-think this little devil...

How about some sort of decorative trellis cut to fit to slide into the space? With the holes in the pattern (make sure the cat can't fit through the holes) you will have adequate ventilation for the appliance, I don't know if you have such a thing available in Germany, but if you do that is the route I would go. I would be sure it was a snug fit too so he couldn't climb over the top of it-

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That's a great idea, M.A.. As a matter of fact, I think we might even have a bit of trellis in the garage. Now that you've got me thinking, I could use cat net, provided that I figure out how to attach it to the fridge (maybe those stick-on hooks you can buy anywhere). I've got a piece left over from redoing the balcony. Or I could stretch the net over the trellis, and wedge it into place.

Originally Posted by xocats

I would be afraid to tape plugs to the wall because Jamie might bite them harder in an attempt to pull them from their sockets. He might get shocked.
Another idea...spread hot sauce on the cords & see if that stops him.
You might have to give up using all electricity forever.

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Yes, that's another problem with the tape. I wasn't thinking clearly, and that was the first thing that occurred to me. I don't know if the hot sauce would work - crazy cat has been known to eat hot peppers (preferably on pizza)!
Thanks for the tips!

Jamie! The more I hear about this cat the more I love him...he has so much personality.

That trellis sounds like a good idea. Does bitter apple spray deter him? If so, you could try the bitter apple to keep safer until you can set up the trellis to physically block his access.

Originally Posted by tuxedokitties

Jamie!

The more I hear about this cat the more I love him...he has so much personality.

That trellis sounds like a good idea. Does bitter apple spray deter him? If so, you could try the bitter apple to keep safer until you can set up the trellis to physically block his access.

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I've never seen that sold here. My husband has off tomorrow, so he can keep an eye on him till I get home tomorrow afternoon and get this worked out. He says we definitely have trellis in the garage, which can be cut to size with wire cutters.

I can't tell you how much I'd love to meet Jamie. What a character!

Cats seem to have a special attraction to anything electric. My boss recently "complained" about the two Sweeties (our school cats). They love to lounge on the upstairs photocopier, provided it's on, and Sweetie #1 will sleep inside the microwave in the lunch room whenever somebody leaves the door to it open. Our last cat slept in the washer, so I used to put a thick towel in it for him.

Your Jamie sounds as rowdy as my Josie. If he has a fascination with electric things, get him a Panic Mouse toy, or something similar of the sort. My Josie loves it and will even go over and paw at the wand when she wants me to turn it on.

Okay, I know I'm ultra-cautious, but -- be VERY careful using liquids (like hot sauce or bitter apple spray) around an electrical outlet. YIKES!

The trellis idea is great, although I know MY kitties would just hop on top of the fridge and climb down the back! You may have to put it up there, too.

What might be even easier is going to a hardware store and finding one of those clear plastic wall-mount covers that are usually used to protect thermostats in public places. Unless your MacGyver kitty learns to use a screwdriver, your perishables should be safe! :-)

Originally Posted by HBrady

Your Jamie sounds as rowdy as my Josie.

If he has a fascination with electric things, get him a Panic Mouse toy, or something similar of the sort. My Josie loves it and will even go over and paw at the wand when she wants me to turn it on.

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I got him a Panic Mouse for his fifth birthday, and he ignores it. That really surprises me, because he loves his Weezil Ball, battery-operated mouse and piglet (he pretends the latter is stalking him), and remote-controlled racing car.

Originally Posted by CarolPetunia

What might be even easier is going to a hardware store and finding one of those clear plastic wall-mount covers that are usually used to protect thermostats in public places. Unless your MacGyver kitty learns to use a screwdriver, your perishables should be safe! :-)

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That's a great idea, too!

Originally Posted by Yosemite

I can't tell you how much I'd love to meet Jamie. What a character!

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Me, three!! Wonder what new challenge he'll take on once you solve this one!

Me four...what's next Jamie?

Originally Posted by rapunzel47

Me, three!! Wonder what new challenge he'll take on once you solve this one!

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And I thought I had problems. My cat just likes to sit in the dryer while its still warm. This little Jamie is a hoot!

Problem solved! Our electrician was next door re a bathroom renovation, and my husband asked him if he had any suggestions. He came over a while later and put the plug behind a removable plastic panel and the cord in a rigid tube that's attached to the wall (behind the fridge, so at least it doesn't stick out like a sore thumb). That should do the trick.
Jamie going to have to find something else to play with.

Glad the problem is solved and can't wait to hear what Jamie comes up with next!

Originally Posted by jcat

Problem solved! Our electrician was next door re a bathroom renovation, and my husband asked him if he had any suggestions. He came over a while later and put the plug behind a removable plastic panel and the cord in a rigid tube that's attached to the wall (behind the fridge, so at least it doesn't stick out like a sore thumb). That should do the trick.
Jamie going to have to find something else to play with.

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Excellent! Never a dull moment, eh?

What a little stinker. In the US, they sell cord covers to baby-proof the house. They are little plastic boxes that cover the entire outlet and plugs, with a hole in the bottom for the cord to stick through. They are attached by a screw, which goes in the center of the outlet, where the outlet cover screw is located. That might help with your other outlets. But you probably need to cover the cords, too, so he doesn't play with them.

Festie prefers toys that are hidden or stuck somewhere. She is always shoving crinkle balls under the stove so she can dig them out later, even if another one is in plain sight! It was probably more fun to play with the cord behind the fridge than the other wires!