I swear my cat is going to electrocute himself!

[binny]

this cat will find ANY electrical cord and chew it!!

any ideas to keep my poor kitty static free?

 

[perdidobay]

Sorry Binny, I've got no answers for you, but thanks for putting the image
of a burned chair with charred kitty under it from Christmas Vacation into my head

 

[binny]

LOL
Sorry about that!

He really likes my cell phone cord for some reason. If it werent so dangerous, it would be funny.
Can this really hurt him do you think?

I mean he cant be the only cat who does this ( is he?)

 

[Rajah]

BITTER APPLE, and quick.

The possibility of your cord-chewing kitty electrocuting himself is very real. I'm lucky it hasn't happened to me (Skye occasionally likes to chew a cord as well), but it has happened to a couple of friends.

What you need to do (and yes, it's easier said than done) is 3 things.

First, get to the pet store and find a product called "Bitter apple". It'll be in either a spray or a cream, you want whichever you can find. I personally like the spray, but whichever you can find is fine. If you get the spray, unplug the cords before you spray it, but spray directly on the cord, wait until it dries, then plug it back in. The cord will then have a very, very, VERY bitter taste that *should* keep him from chewing them for a while. It does wear off, but if you're lucky, you'll break him of the habit by the time it wears off. I've found it at both Petco and Petsmart.

Second -- minimize the exposed cords. For phone cords, get the retractable handset type or go cordless. For computer cords, go to the office supply store and find these covers that allow you to tuck away cords. Have as few cords as possible "dangling" as those really attract attention.

Third, might be a good idea to take him to the vet and have them check his teeth and gums. Probably are just fine, but sometimes cord chewing is a sign of aching teeth/gums so it's always worth a check.

Good luck!

 

[binny]

Thanks rajah! I had forgetten about Bitter apple I will look into that. Right now were training him with a water bottle ( hes only 4 months old) and that is really effective, I just didnt want to use it around the cords. He hasnt chewed through anything yet but we have several around and I think its only a matter of time.

 

[KimR]

My MIL lost a little Sheltie puppy some years ago when he chewed on an electrical cord...it was so sad. So yes, it is a very real possibility!

Kim

 

[December99]

Don't let it play in the water!!!!

 

[GeorgeG]

Our cats are horrific chewers. If they can get their teeth on it, they chew it. They go more for the smaller cables and destroyed my surround sound system speaker wires.

We tried the bitter apple spray and that didn't even slow them down. We found two things that work. As Rajah pointed out, you need to minimize the exposure as much as possible. For anything that's left, you can go to Radio Shack and get plastic shielding to put on the wires. It comes in black or white and is coiled. It's hard enough that they can't bite through it. It may not look so great in all applications, but it's better than toasted kitty and may even prevent a fire.