Cat advice

[Sparkles22]

One of my cats is 3 years old, and one of her favorite passtimes when we are not home is to chew on electrical cords. Here is what I have tried so far to get her to stop:

* bitter apple
* "yuk" paste (vet''s advice, but didn''t help)
* hiding and squirting her with a water bottle
* covering my wires with plastic tubing (somewhat helpful, at least only the plastic gets chewed)

I am so afraid she is going to electrocute herself!

Her chin will get all red and bumpy (so I have to put cream on her, which she hates

). I don''t know what else to do. Does anyone elses cat do this? I don''t think she is meaning to be destructive. I have to watch what toys I leave around as well because she EATS them! I can''t let her free feed because 1) she''s a pig and would eat it all and 2) she has to be on special food to prevent bladder stones. She is a good weight for her now of 12 lbs 5 oz, she doesn''t get too much food only 1/3 cup wet and 1/4 dry per day. She isn''t very active, and if she free feeds she gets up to like 18 lbs and can''t clean herself (but doesn''t eat her toys)

. She also chews on my statues, she chewed the fingers off one of my ceramic pieces (aparently she didn''t eat them though because I found gnawed off fingers on the floor), and a string off one of my husbands figures

.

HELP!

 

[Mag00]

hmm, my cat chews on wires too.

best thing I found is to shoo them away.
she stopped after a while.

also putting that stuff over the wire so they just chew the plastic seems to be pretty good.

 

[Sparkles22]

Date: 5/2/2007 6:28:01 PM
Author: Mag00
hmm, my cat chews on wires too.

best thing I found is to shoo them away.
she stopped after a while.

also putting that stuff over the wire so they just chew the plastic seems to be pretty good.

You''re the first person that I''ve run into that has had the same problem. Good to know my cat isn''t half rodent

. The only problem with shooing her away is she only does it when we aren''t looking, so either we''re in another room or not home!

 

[Gypsy]

Short of going all wireless?

Wow. don''t know what I''d do. Hally chews A LOT. But it''s only important documents (IRS documents, resumes, signed court papers) and cardboard for her... and we''re just careful not to leave anything important around... and get her a box weekly to reek her vengence on.

I''d be terrified.

The tubing is good. At least it works.

How about putting everything on surge protectors and shutting them off when not in use. It''s a pain... but at least it''s just wone switch to shut on and off.

 

[Sparkles22]

Date: 5/2/2007 6:32:18 PM
Author: Gypsy
Short of going all wireless?

Wow. don''t know what I''d do. Hally chews A LOT. But it''s only important documents (IRS documents, resumes, signed court papers) and cardboard for her... and we''re just careful not to leave anything important around... and get her a box weekly to reek her vengence on.

I''d be terrified.

The tubing is good. At least it works.

How about putting everything on surge protectors and shutting them off when not in use. It''s a pain... but at least it''s just wone switch to shut on and off.

Most of our stuff is on surge protecters, but she chews those wires too! She already ruined the computer monitor, 2 fans, and a treadmill. DH says she BETTER not get his big screen TV.

 

[Gypsy]

YIKES!

Um... a TASTY chew toy? If she were a dog I''d tell you to distract her with something yummy. Even if she''s a cat it might be worth trying something flavorful and TOUGH to chew through instead. When she''s chewing bring her over to you and give her the chew strip... see if she goes for that.

 

[Sparkles22]

I tried the beef jerky crunchy strips that dogs can chew on for a while. Well since kitty teeth are much sharper, she got a chunk off an was gagging and almost choked!!! That was really scarry. It didn''t even last more than a minute either. I am actually afriad she would break her teeth trying to chew on something, rather than nibble on it or whatever.

 

[Aloros]

Bitter apple doesn't work?? Wow. That's some determined chewer!

You could try spraying them with some lemon juice. I haven't met a cat yet that could stand citrus. Also keep in mind that the bitter apple wears off after a while, I think. I have a palm plant that one of my cats thinks is very delicious food, so I spray it once a week or so.

Oh, and I've found that a squirt bottle doesn't work for my cats either. I had to get a pump-action squirt gun. It SOAKS my apartment, but it works! Now I have to just take it out and shake it a little when they misbehave.

 

[Sparkles22]

She is very determined! And the funny thing is she makes the weirdest faces with strong smells or anything. I think part of the problem is the bitter apple doesn''t really "stick" to the wires and just drips off. The yuk is a goo, but no luck with that either. Haven''t tried the lemon juice thanks for the suggestion...

 

[Gypsy]

Date: 5/2/2007 6:47:23 PM
Author: Sparkles22
I tried the beef jerky crunchy strips that dogs can chew on for a while. Well since kitty teeth are much sharper, she got a chunk off an was gagging and almost choked!!! That was really scarry. It didn''t even last more than a minute either. I am actually afriad she would break her teeth trying to chew on something, rather than nibble on it or whatever.

Wow.

Ooooooooooooooooooookay. I have no idea... but am fascinated at what the others come up with.

I was fostering a kitten once who used to suck his own tummy (was weanned improperly) and had sucked off all the fur on his belly. We tried bitter apple and it didn''t even slow him down. He''s suck right through the stuff. Honestly? Nothing worked for him.

 

[Sparkles22]

I think that the weening thing might be part of her problem. We got her when she was like 8 weeks old, and I don''t know a thing about the parents or anything

. One of my friends said their cat used to suck on his tail because he wasn''t weened properly either... but wires?

 

[FireGoddess]

I''ve heard of this problem but never encountered it. In reading though, they mentioned covering the cords in double sided sticky tape (like the stuff you put on your furniture to get them not to scratch it)...that might stop ''em.

 

[sumbride]

Your cat sounds like my friend''s cat "Gracie". She was a stray and she eats anything and everything. She''s been through so many cell phone chargers its ridiculous, and she eats every piece of paper she finds. Even ate my friend''s masters degree! That was an expensive replacement!

She tried a nylabone and it worked for a bit, but the only thing she''s been able to give her that doesn''t get destroyed are plastic zip ties. She doesn''t give them to her loose, but she loops them on the scratching post and on other things and the cat chews happily on those instead of her wires, but I think she''s wrapped the wires in plastic as well.

Good luck!

 

[Sparkles22]

Date: 5/2/2007 7:27:51 PM
Author: sumbride
Your cat sounds like my friend''s cat ''Gracie''. She was a stray and she eats anything and everything. She''s been through so many cell phone chargers its ridiculous, and she eats every piece of paper she finds. Even ate my friend''s masters degree! That was an expensive replacement!

She tried a nylabone and it worked for a bit, but the only thing she''s been able to give her that doesn''t get destroyed are plastic zip ties. She doesn''t give them to her loose, but she loops them on the scratching post and on other things and the cat chews happily on those instead of her wires, but I think she''s wrapped the wires in plastic as well.

Good luck!

I will have to try that!!!! Any ideas where to get GIANT zip ties though? Their scratching post and the smallest area is probably a good 5-6" in diameter!

Firegoddess: Another idea wish would work, but you know the lint rollers you get? Well when we pull a layer off she (and another one of mine) love to chew on it, so the fact that things are sticky aren''t a big deal to her

.

 

[JCJD]

Wow... OK, here''s my advice - good luck!!

I think you''ll need to attack this problem from multiple angles: Keep kitty from chewing on the cords and also give her something that she''s allowed to chew on. Could you double-plastic coat your cords? Maybe wrapping tin foil around the plastic covers would help a bit... Then you should put the bitter stuff on that and keep it thick for at least a full month after she kicks the habit and then touch it up every couple weeks or so. Have you kept any of the damaged cords she''s gotten to before? Maybe you could rub them with a bit of catnip (or - eww - canned cat food or soft treats) and put them in a place far away from all other cords - around the scratching post would work.

Now for the key part of this training process:
While you''re training her what cords are appropriate to chew and which are not, you''ll need to confine her to an area of the house without cords at ALL times that you can''t supervise her. That means locking her in the bathroom or carrier (with water and litter box) at night and while you''re gone during the day. Just because you''re not "training" her doesn''t mean she''s not learning something during those times.
When she''s allowed to roam free: Every time you notice her chewing on the appropriate materials, heap on the praise: "what a good kitty!! Good girl!" etc... ear scratching, lots of pats, treats if she responds to food rewards, the whole shebang.
Every time you notice her starting to chew on the inappropriate items, clap your hands or make some sort of short loud noise (Hey! works well) to grab her attention, maybe give a squirt of water at her, you can also tap her lightly on the nose (cats HATE that), or if she won''t freak, you can pick her up and physically move her away from what she was chewing. DO NOT PUNISH HER PAST THIS! It will not work. Then, after about 20 seconds, or the next time you see her if she runs and hides, lure her over to the appropriate toys/wires and try to entice her to chew them. When she does, heap on the praises.

You''ll have to do this pretty frequently until she really gets it and her behavior really changes, but hopefully the combination of teaching her what NOT to do and what TO do will be effective.

Also, when she eats her toys, does she actually swallow the pieces, or does she just tear them apart? It seems like she really needs an appropriate outlet for this chewing, so maybe it would be worth it to keep a large supply of destroyable toys for her. Better to buy a few toys every couple months than to replace your big screen... Good luck again, let us know how it''s going!

 

[sumbride]

Date: 5/2/2007 7:52:52 PM
Author: Sparkles22

Date: 5/2/2007 7:27:51 PM

Author: sumbride

She tried a nylabone and it worked for a bit, but the only thing she''s been able to give her that doesn''t get destroyed are plastic zip ties. She doesn''t give them to her loose, but she loops them on the scratching post and on other things and the cat chews happily on those instead of her wires, but I think she''s wrapped the wires in plastic as well.

I will have to try that!!!! Any ideas where to get GIANT zip ties though? Their scratching post and the smallest area is probably a good 5-6'' in diameter!

Hardware store! They should be in the electrical section!

 

[Sparkles22]

Date: 5/2/2007 8:49:13 PM
Author: JCJD
Wow... OK, here''s my advice - good luck!!

I think you''ll need to attack this problem from multiple angles: Keep kitty from chewing on the cords and also give her something that she''s allowed to chew on. Could you double-plastic coat your cords? Maybe wrapping tin foil around the plastic covers would help a bit... Then you should put the bitter stuff on that and keep it thick for at least a full month after she kicks the habit and then touch it up every couple weeks or so. Have you kept any of the damaged cords she''s gotten to before? Maybe you could rub them with a bit of catnip (or - eww - canned cat food or soft treats) and put them in a place far away from all other cords - around the scratching post would work.

Now for the key part of this training process:
While you''re training her what cords are appropriate to chew and which are not, you''ll need to confine her to an area of the house without cords at ALL times that you can''t supervise her. That means locking her in the bathroom or carrier (with water and litter box) at night and while you''re gone during the day. Just because you''re not ''training'' her doesn''t mean she''s not learning something during those times.
When she''s allowed to roam free: Every time you notice her chewing on the appropriate materials, heap on the praise: ''what a good kitty!! Good girl!'' etc... ear scratching, lots of pats, treats if she responds to food rewards, the whole shebang.
Every time you notice her starting to chew on the inappropriate items, clap your hands or make some sort of short loud noise (Hey! works well) to grab her attention, maybe give a squirt of water at her, you can also tap her lightly on the nose (cats HATE that), or if she won''t freak, you can pick her up and physically move her away from what she was chewing. DO NOT PUNISH HER PAST THIS! It will not work. Then, after about 20 seconds, or the next time you see her if she runs and hides, lure her over to the appropriate toys/wires and try to entice her to chew them. When she does, heap on the praises.

You''ll have to do this pretty frequently until she really gets it and her behavior really changes, but hopefully the combination of teaching her what NOT to do and what TO do will be effective.

Also, when she eats her toys, does she actually swallow the pieces, or does she just tear them apart? It seems like she really needs an appropriate outlet for this chewing, so maybe it would be worth it to keep a large supply of destroyable toys for her. Better to buy a few toys every couple months than to replace your big screen... Good luck again, let us know how it''s going!

Thanks for the advice. Let me clarify she EATS her toys, yes I''ve seen them pass through her entire system! I could care less if she just tore them up. Including those tin-foil looking balls (which worked for a while) she ignores the toys she can''t eat. If I do the tin foil around the wires thing, would that mean when I remove the tin foil to go back to the plastic coating she will go back to chewing the wires or plastic? Oh and the wires she destroyed have sharp things sticking out causing her chin to get all raw (you would think having chin pain would make her stop.. nope)

Sounds like a need a trip to the hardware store for cat supples!

I am so glad I posted this question I got so make good responses and new ideas it has brought back some hope! THANK YOU EVERYONE!!!!!!!!

 

[AmantdeChat]

Are you sure she''s not part rodent?!

I have had cats all my life and have never experienced a chewer. (Of course, other bad habits I have had, including FEMALE cats that mark!)

Anyway, here''s some tips I found on the internet.

Place double sided tape around the cords, not on them. Makes it unpleasant to walk on to get to the cords.
Rub clove oil or Vicks Vapor Rub on the cords.
Place glue or double sided tape on the cords and sprinkle with cayenne pepper.

Have a lot of dangling toys, climbing trees, etc. for her to occupy her time. Boredom may be the culprit as to why she is chewing so much.

Good luck!

 

[sumbride]

Oh, thought of something else... this behavior is very common in rabbits, so you might want to do some research on people with House Rabbits and see what they do to discourage bunny from chewing! There have to be some more tips out there for you!

 

[Sparkles22]

Thank you everyone, I am going to try these suggestions this weekend!!!!!!! I will let you know how it goes. Meanwhile if there is anymore tips or tricks out there keep them coming. Everyone has been so helpful and I really appreciate it. I love the little fluff ball and don''t want anything to happen to her!

 

[monarch64]

Wow Sparkles, sorry you''re going through this! The only thing I was thinking when reading through these posts was that they hate tin foil as someone else mentioned you might try wrapping foil around your cords. Also, for your own sanity, have you every read "The Cat Who Came for Christmas" by Cleveland Amory? Wonderful book and true story of a very neurotic but loveable kitty. You''ll like it, and it will have you in hysterics, I promise. Best of luck to you with your kitty!

 

[lumpkin]

I have nothing constructive to add, just that I''m sorry this is such a big issue you''re dealing with. You guys are really good cat parents to keep her.

 

[VRBeauty]

One of my cats liked to suckle on anything and everything when he was young. Another always ate the leather tails off his toy mice, and would have eaten rubber bands if I''d have let him. They both outgrew the habits over time. Of course I discouraged these habits, and also learned to change my habits to keep them safe! Both outgrew their habits over time... so there may be hope for your cat too! I always thing of 3 as the age when cats start shedding their kitten ways.

 

[Sparkles22]

Date: 5/3/2007 2:59:39 PM
Author: monarch64
Wow Sparkles, sorry you''re going through this! The only thing I was thinking when reading through these posts was that they hate tin foil as someone else mentioned you might try wrapping foil around your cords. Also, for your own sanity, have you every read ''The Cat Who Came for Christmas'' by Cleveland Amory? Wonderful book and true story of a very neurotic but loveable kitty. You''ll like it, and it will have you in hysterics, I promise. Best of luck to you with your kitty!

That sounds good I will have to read that once I am done with my exams for the semester! Thanks!

 

[Sparkles22]

Date: 5/3/2007 5:57:50 PM
Author: lumpkin
I have nothing constructive to add, just that I''m sorry this is such a big issue you''re dealing with. You guys are really good cat parents to keep her.

Thanks, but honestly I could never see myself getting rid of her. She''s my baby. I just worry for her safety, so I am hoping that these suggestions will work!

 

[Sparkles22]

Date: 5/3/2007 9:47:41 PM
Author: MINIMS
One of my cats liked to suckle on anything and everything when he was young. Another always ate the leather tails off his toy mice, and would have eaten rubber bands if I''d have let him. They both outgrew the habits over time. Of course I discouraged these habits, and also learned to change my habits to keep them safe! Both outgrew their habits over time... so there may be hope for your cat too! I always thing of 3 as the age when cats start shedding their kitten ways.

Well just this kitten way of her''s is fine! She is already 3 (she turned 3 in March) so any day now... I am trying to kitty proof the house and I am going to definately try the suggestions others posted. Hopefully it will discourage her and she will stop!

 

[Sparkles22]

I just ordered the The Cat that Came for Christmas book. I can''t wait to read it I am very excited. Thanks again for the suggestion Monarch!

 

[FireGoddess]

I saw that a local library has it and I am definitely going to pick it up when I return the books I have!

 

[FireGoddess]

Saw an ad for this in a magazine and thought of your dilemma! Don''t know if you''ve seen this product.

http://www.crittercord.com/critter_cord.html