Stop kitty from chewing your power cables.

Cables are everywhere in our homes. From phones and computers to appliances and TVs, power cords keep our home and all its gadgets up and running. But that conglomerate of intertwining and dangling cords, while useful to humans, can pose a real threat to your four-legged feline friend.

Loose or dangling cords can translate as chew toys for some kitties, creating for them a risk of electrocution or injury and causing damage to your property.

If you’ve got a cat who’s biting on your household cords, you need to understand why he might be chewing in the first place. Once you have determined 5 reasons why your cat might chewing on cords, then you can decide on a solution to deter him from engaging in this harmful activity.

Here are some reasons why cats like to chew on cords:

• Dental health – Younger cats especially enjoy chewing on things when they are cutting new teeth. Older cats, however, could have an issue with their teeth, which might lead them to nibble on things other than their toys. A visit to the vet to ensure your cat’s teeth are healthy would be a smart first step.
• Dietary reasons – If your cat’s diet is missing something, they might chew in an attempt to replenish what’s missing.
• Can’t help themselves – Some cat breeds, such as Oriental breeds, are prone to obsessive compulsive behaviors, so they chew for no other reason than to satisfy the urge to nibble on things.
• Boredom – Your curious cat might not have enough stimulation via playtime with her human or she may lack a booty of engaging cat toys, leading her to investigate her surroundings for something that looks interesting such as a dangling cord.
• Stress – A stressed cat can wind up acting out in unusual ways like chewing on electrical cords. The very act of chewing alleviates anxiety and appears to calm the cat down.

Now that you have some inkling about why cats might be led to chew on cords, here are a few ideas you can try to curtail cord chewing:

• Wrap the cords in PVC tubing or rubber covers, which can be purchased from a home supplies store.
• Make the cords distasteful by coating them with solutions like homemade citrus or vinegar paste, lavender oil, or lime juice. You can also try “Bitter Apple,” a non-toxic deterrent spray sold in pet stores and online.
• Provide your cat with rubber chew toys to enrich his pool of playthings, keeping in mind his attraction to the texture of electrical cords.
• Amp up playtime with your kitty using toys that inspire her hunting and predatory instincts like “fishing wands” or “dangling feathers.”
• Disguise the cords with foil or double-sided tape, both of which cats dislike.
• Use cat grass as an alternate chew source. Cat grass can be found in pet stores or on the Internet. 
• Tape all cords together in a clump so they lie flat and don’t dangle. The dangling is what attracts your kitty. You can also use Velcro fasteners or cord clips, all of which you can find at a home-improvement store.
• Arrange furniture so that your cat can’t access the cords. Close up gaps to deter your cat from entering into spaces where cords are located or put appliances in cupboards when not in use.
• Go wireless wherever possible!

With a better understanding about why cats like to chew on cords, you can determine an effective course of action to prevent your kitty from getting hurt yet maintain your cat’s need for stimulating interaction by simply providing more playtime, more entertaining cat toys, and eliminating the health hazard wherever possible.