Cats usually have a chewing phase.
Kittens eat wires and whatever else they can get their teeth into.
As a result of curiosity, they often expose themselves to danger.
Here, we discuss tips that will get your pet to stop chewing electrical wires.
What are the basics?
Cats are naturally curious and like to get their teeth into things.
They are generally attracted to thin and not thick wires.
There is a period when your kitten is more inclined to do this.
It’s usually around the teething age up until your pet’s first year.
During this phase, you’ll have to be alert.
What problems come along with your cat munching on electrical wires?
Overall, it is hazardous because these wires are hot and can cause problems with respiration.
The burns can injure your feline friend, cause cardiac arrest, and lead to death.
With our cat, we experienced problems like these too. Cats are more attracted to thinner wires.
Sadly, they are usually more expensive than thick ones. During this phase, he would chew mostly on thin cables.
These often include wires from essential gadgets.
Our kitten destroyed an earphone, a computer mouse, and keyboard wires within a few days.
We purchased a $100 WiFi cable, and this, too, wasn’t spared.
So, we determined to tackle this dilemma. Getting our pet to quit this habit cost us more than we expected, a bit over $300.
However, that lovely kitten is over a year old now and doing well.
So, how did we do it?
How do you get your cat to stop its lousy chewing habit?
First, prevent your kitten from having access to these wires. Use electrical tape to stick them on the wall.
Ensure that your kitten is unable to see them. You can wrap these wires with flexible safety cables.
Tin foils would also do a great job because cats do not like them.
Your pet will pay a lot of attention to a dangling wire.
Cats are attracted to sights like these, so they’re like toys to them.
Place excess wires in positions that will keep them hidden. Roll them behind a piece of furniture or some appliance.
You can also use your pet’s taste against it. Wrap thin wires with wires too thick for your kitten to chew.
They will find it discouraging. You could also cover these electrical cords with contact paper.
Place them with the sticky side up. Your cat will stay away from them.
A friend told us about exploring certain substances. She would apply unappealing substances like menthol or chili on these wires.
She also tried apple spray, lemon juice, mouthwash, and spices.
None of these are recommended, though, because your feline friend may react badly to them.
You can also choose to purchase critter cords for cats. However, take note because some are for killing rats.
Distract your kitten with toys, just like with children. Keep it occupied with as many toys as possible.
This step will keep it away from electrical wires and prevent it from being bored.
Keep your pet out of rooms that have these kinds of cables.
Seal them off until you are sure that cat has outgrown this phase.
How else can you get your pet to quit this habit?
The soap technique is a preference. It can take some time, especially if there are a lot of wires present.
However, it works. Lather a bar of soap first, and then rub it around the cables.
Eventually, we had to replace damaged gadgets with wireless ones.
We also got new earphones, and these came with more durable, thicker wires.
As for the other headset, we had to keep it in a drawer, where it would be if it were not in use.
Our living room had so many thin wires in them. So, we would keep the doors closed whenever we were away.
Our kitten is over a year old, and it was able to beat this nasty habit.
We don’t even worry about closing the living room doors anymore.
Have you been experiencing similar problems with your cat?
Share your experience with us!
