Cat Zap Fever

[counterjockey]

I need some wisdom from some of the "cat people" here, about a behavioral problem one of the kitties has been having.

To summarize the situation, a year ago, I split an apartment with my sister in Chicago while she was studying. Things didn't always (ever) go as planned, so we went our separate ways--she found new roommates and is still in grad school; I headed back to my hometown, and found my way back into the gas station gig I had before I left. One step forward, two steps back, I know. Since I had an easier time finding an apartment that would take the two kitties she'd wound up with, I took them home with me for a while until she was ready for them again.

So, tonight, I'm perusing CS and lamenting the fact that none of my pain-in-the-ass customers are worth a thread (yet) when I notice one of my cats gnawing on the cord to my surge protector.

Now, I've seen "Christmas Vacation" enough to know that cats gnawing on electrical cords = bad. I don't want to blow up a computer, or a kitty. (Lest anyone think I don't love these two, I assure you I do. At $30 for a 20 lb. bag of Science Diet, they damn near eat better than me!) I've had good luck keeping them off the stove and away from the front door by spritzing them with a water bottle, but water+surge protector=also bad. Has anyone else with cats had this problem? How do you get them to knock it the hell off?

[BusBus]

My youngest kitty had a thing for the computer cables when I first got her. I used the water spritzer, but not in "spritz" mode. A few water zaps taught her eventually. I also made the cables as inaccessible as possible. You may want to get some plastic covers for your cables as well.

-BB

[Mr. Rager!]

My cat learned when he actually chewed through our Christmas tree light cable. It must've shocked him because he hasn't done it since. Don't worry, he's fine.

Anyway, just before that happened, we had called the vet to see what they recommended. They said wrap wires and stuff in tinfoil.

We didn't get the tinfoil on in time...

[digilight]

Cats do some weird shit. We had a cat who used to play with dental floss, he ended up eating about 6 feet of it and had to have surgery to get it removed (the day before we were supposed to fly to florida. He came thru fine though. For your wire problem, I would suggest picking up some cable shielding, you can get it at places like bestbuy, and circuit city. I'm not sure exactly what its called, but its wide enough to put a run of all your cables in to hide them from view. Its ribed like a dryer vent for flexabilty, and is split on the back side to put the wires in. This way the cables are out of the cats way and are safe. You may also want to try and get a hanging rope type thing (make sure its a different color and different feel/texture from the cables) for him to play with.

[Geek King]

Also, most cats don't like tangerine peels (Don't ask me, I report, you decide). Try putting some around the area you want protected. Just the peel, no need to leave fruit out to rot. ;)

[MadMike]

It's because cats (for the most part) hate citric acid. I've heard many times of people doing things like putting orange or lemon peel in their plant pots to stop the cats digging in them.

For some reason, I read that backwards, and saw it as "pot plants." :o

Back on topic, I have the same problem with my big orange one. Fortunately, he either doesn't or can't chew thru anything as thick as an electrical cord. However, he has chewed up several phone cords, the thin cord leading to the outside sensor to the indoor/outdoor thermometer, and one of the wires that connect the speakers to the computer. I was going nuts the one day, trying to figure out just why I wasn't getting any sound of out the center channel. I checked all the settings, controls, etc., until I finally decided to check the wires, and found that the one had been severed.

It's no wonder we affectionately refer to him as "Orange Bastard."

[Silvercat]

Man I can sympathesize! One of our cats likes to chew on things too.

They lived with my sister before we moved in together and she never bothered to train them. A lot of her computer cords are chewed, the cat chewed through a phone cord.

I've considered getting something that would taste awful and putting it on the cords.

Besides spraying them with water, roaring, growling, and hissing at them works. Make the scariest animal sounds you can. I never found tinfoil to work - they like to play with it.

[Der Cute]

Abby the Dumbass loved chewing on anything plastic. Cords, bags, wires, .....you name it.

Well, she chewed thru 3 $14 AC Adapter cords, and I finally said OK thats enough.
Growling and hissing and yelling at her didnt work.

I had to hide the cords out of sight, and what ever was left open, duct taped them to the wall.

Frankly, I'm not a decorator, and if anyone complained, they'd get the rest of the duct tape.

Abby didnt chew any more cords.

Cutenoob

[MystyGlyttyr]

My dad uses cayenne pepper. If you can handle watching your cat do backflips and drooling for a couple hours...

[counterjockey]

My dad uses cayenne pepper. If you can handle watching your cat do backflips and drooling for a couple hours...

Hell, they already do that. Mal was a street cat, Nina was a street and then shelter cat who had two litters pretty early on, so even though they're about 2 and 3 respectively, they didn't really get to be kittens and so they act that out from time to time. Mal in particular will act like he's trying to nurse from people's armpits on occasion, which proves every point ever made about a cat's sense of taste or smell. (mmmm, musky!)

As far as the citric acid idea, I'm thinking of finding some orange-scented cleaner and wiping down the cords. Not that a single dude can't handle leaving food peels or wrappers around his apartment, but I'm trying to evolve from a feral to a domestic male here. Give me a little credit...;)

[protege]

My cat has been pretty good about cords. He'll paw at them, but he doesn't bite them. I think it's because if I see him doing that, I'll say "BAD KITTY!" and he stops. He does though, like to chew on the little chains for the blinds. Right now, he has a yellow bumblebee toy from IKEA...that he just *loves* to bat around.

[Tanasi]

To paraphrase my Dad "To solve any cat problem you can possibly think of can be solved with a rock, a grass sack and a body of water." :eek: Not that I advocate something like that, then again we don't allow cats in the house, they're welcome to the out buildings.

[Phoenix79]

Try rubbing some jalapeno juice on the cords where your kitty likes to chew.

One taste of the spicy jalapeno . . . kitty won't chew there anymore.

I have three cats, and it has worked for all of them. Hope it works for you as well as it has for me!

I've heard that you can also try bitter apple spray, but I've never personally tried it. You may also want to get kitty a few extra things to play with to keep him occupied and away from the cords. They chew the cords when they get bored, from what I've heard.

Phoenix

[Cia]

There's a product called 'Bitter Orange' IIRC that is made specifically to keep cats from chewing on electrical cords. I saw it advertised in Cat Fancy many moons ago. Coating the cord in a clear dishwashing liquid is also supposed to work. Although having your kittie run around foaming at the mouth might be a little disturbing. =^..^=

[Crosshair]

You may also want to get kitty a few extra things to play with to keep him occupied and away from the cords. They chew the cords when they get bored, from what I've heard.
Yea, chewing electrical cords gets interesting really quick.