Posted on: June 24th, 2022 by Dr. Dale Rubenstein

Tips for cats chewing electric cords

It may not sound appealing to you lot or I, but to your kitten, a loose or dangling electric string is a fun and heady toy to play with. Chewing on toys is part of the activity for young cats, but cats chewing electric cords is not something we want to encourage!

Buffy's Story…
Buffy is my son's roommate's cat. I worried about a immature cat with three higher undergraduates in an flat, but when you lot've been raised listening to: How many litter boxes do you have? How often practise you make clean the litter boxes? What are you feeding the cat? When was your cat's annual exam? – I know that Buffy has gotten excellent care. And, with unlike schedules of the students, Buffy probably sees her human being housemates more some of us more "mature" folks run across our own cats.

But, Buffy thought the best toys in the world were electric cords. And, in the modern earth of phone chargers and reckoner cables, this quickly became a very expensive, non to mention potentially very unsafe, habit.

What are the signs of electric cord injury?
Most commonly seen in immature kittens under 2 years sometime, injury from chewing on electric cords normally causes burns to the mouth and surrounding areas. If you didn't observe your kitten while it was chewing, but discover sores in or around your immature cat's rima oris, drooling, or reluctance to eat, it could be from electric string harm. Occasionally, more serious consequences can result, such equally heart and lung impairment. Evidence of a more serious problem could include coughing or difficulty breathing. Mild or severe, you definitely need to seek veterinary attention if y'all notice any of these signs.

Then how can I stop my cat from chewing on electric cords?
Most of the fourth dimension, we see our kitties chewing the cords earlier whatsoever impairment is washed to the true cat (although not always before the cord has to be replaced!). How can we finish them from chewing?

The solution in this instance turned out to be "Biting Apple", which is a bitter just not-toxic spray sold in pet stores. After tasting this a couple of times, the problem was solved (although re-applications were needed, and they had to make certain all cords, peculiarly anything new, was also treated).

Some other solutions I read about:

  • Encase the cord in plastic wire wraps (i.eastward. from Abode Depot). Just make sure the wrap covers the entire cord and that the cat doesn't like the taste of the roofing. In that location are specific cord covers made for protecting pets that are infused with a gustation pets shouldn't like.
  • Rub the cable wires with Irish Spring lather. dish soap, citrus oil, hot sauce, or sports liniment. Whatever of these may work like the Bitter Apple tree and the cat won't like the taste. They do like salty things, and then don't use anything with a high common salt content.
  • Tie upward excess cord lengths with velcro cord ties (available from function supply or hardware stores). Attaching dangling cords to table legs or the wall reduces their attraction.
  • Utilize plastic cord management covers. These are adept for covering the cords completely where they run along a wall or beyond the floor.
  • Wrap cords with double-sided record. Cats exercise not similar the stickiness of the tape, and then they wouldn't want to play with it.

Sadly, Buffy and her dad are relocating after graduation, but my son still has visiting privileges! And fortunately, her possessor hasn't had to proceed replacing his computer and phone cords.