Cat Owner Problems: Chewing on Cables

As pet owners, we encounter a lot of different problems. And when we do, it's normal when we try to look for a solution, which usually involves a Google search. You can usually find the answer to what you are looking for, but sometimes this answer or solution doesn't work for our pets. And when you are a "first timer", then you can start to freak out on what to do. Has this ever happened to you?

For me, it was with one of my furbabies, Nina. 

Ever since she was a kitten, Nina would love to chew on any and every cable she could find. Her favorites were the thin ones, like the phone charger ones. I believe I have bought over 15 chargers in these last almost 3 years. As soon as she started doing this I tried to look for ways to make her stop. I asked around to other cat owners, searched online for an endless amount of hours and tried so many things. Maybe a lot of these things have worked for other people, but not for me. 

I needed a solution as soon as possible not only to save a bunch of money but also because it is extremely dangerous for cats to chew on cables. They can ingest part of the cable and this is extremely dangerous for them because this is something they can not digest. Or they can also shock themselves if the cable is plugged in. The first thing I needed to know in order to solve this problem is why.

Why does my cat chew on cables and/or wires?

• Teething. It can be because they are teething and chewing on the cord/wire makes it feel good, so keep an eye out for kittens around cables/wires. 
• Dental Health. If they aren't teething then it may be because they have a discomfort in their mouth so chewing on cables relieves them. Cats can develop dental problems like periodontal and this requires immediate attention.
• OCD. Yes, you read right. Cats can also have OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) and this can involve chewing on cables or be gnawing on things.
• Genetics. Surprisingly cats of an oriental background like Siamese, Burmese, and Oriental Shorthair have a higher tendency to want to chew on things they really shouldn't.
• Nutritional deficiency. Your cat may be telling you that they are lacking something in their diet and that's why they start chewing on things they shouldn't.
• Stress. Your cat can be stressed and so they seek relief in chewing on something.
• Boredom. He/She can just be bored so chewing on a cable sounds fun, right?

These are just some possibilities on why your furbaby is chewing on cables/wires but the safest thing to do instead of guessing what it may be is to take them to the vet to make sure it isn't an underlying health problem. 

Home Tips That Made a Difference

As mentioned before, when Nina started chewing on cables I searched online for ways to avoid this. I also took her to the vet to make sure she wasn't sick, which she wasn't so I had to find solutions as soon as possible. Here are some tips that I read online and really helped me.

• Minimize cord exposures. Go around your house and look at the areas where there are cords. Usually, it's around the TV area or your office space, so once you find them, ask yourself: do I really need this cord? If you don't, then store it away in a safe place where your cats won't be able to reach them. If you do, then find ways to cover it. They sell some cord protection kits at a lot of stores. If not, go to Pinterest and they have a ton of DIY ideas for you that are not ugly.
• Habits. Get the habit of putting away all small chargers! It's hard at first but this really helped me a lot! Whenever your phone is charged, put it away. When you are done using your laptop, put the cable away. Once you get this habit, it makes a huge difference. 

Tips That Did Not Make a Difference

• Rearrange Furniture. This is if it is even an option for you because when you have a small apartment like me, you kind of need to leave things the way they are. However, if you are able to move things around, do it for your own good as well as your furbaby.
• Making cords unappealing with scents. This wasn't something that stopped Nina from chewing cords. I tried everything they suggested online: vinegar, Vicks, lime juice, dish soap, garlic and many more. I personally did not use anything spicy because I was afraid she would still bite it and then get sick.
• Tape. Dressing your cords with tape would, in theory, stop her from bitting, but it didn't. It seemed as if she enjoyed it even more. I did not use the double sided tape because imagine having a cord with double-sided tape in a house with four cats. Not nice at all.
• Distracting them. Now, I tried this, but with my busy schedule, I really could not be always seeing when she was going to chew on a cable. I tried buying more toys, giving her more boxes, giving her the cat grass, and nothing really made her forget about the cables. 

My Holy Grail 

After trying so many things with Nina I found this one thing that worked like a charm. Using something as simple as rubber scrunchies. This, plus the tips from above that helped me, has worked miracles with Nina. The great thing about rubber scrunchies is that they are extremely cheap. The ones I buy are from Primark, and cost only €1 for a pack. They look like this:

They have different colors, so it's up to you on what color you'd like your cables. They bring around 10 scrunchies. You just have to cut them so they turn into a "tube", like this: 

And then you wrap it around your cable. 

This will protect your cable even the times that your cat does try to bit it. I can now safely charge my phone at night without fearing she might chew it. I feel at ease knowing that my cat is safe and I also am not spending a lot of money on chargers anymore.

What has helped you the most? Any tips I did not mention on here?


If you would like to know more these websites have really good tips that helped me out:

* WikiHow-How to Keep Cats from Chewing on Electric Cords and Chargers
* The spruce Pets-How to Stop a Cat From Chewing Electric Cords
* Pet Health Network-Why Does My Cat Chew Electrical Cords?