Cat Breeds
How to prevent your cat from chewing electrical cables
We love how playful and curious cats are, but those traits can also present serious risks for their safety. A behavior is particularly worrying, and that is when cats chew electrical cables.
Understand behavior
Pain relief. With kittens, reason may be due to the discomfort of the dentition. With major cats it could be to relieve the pain of several dental problems, such as periodontal disease.
Boredom. If there is not enough stimulation in the environment, cats can chew electrical cables such as an activity to relieve boredom.
Stress. When there is an overload of stress, cats can trust displacement behaviors, such as overloading, licking things in the environment or chewing objects. Chewing the gumous texture of a cord can be a way of calming.
Play. What you can initially start as a batting in a hanging cord can bite it. The ease of cord movement, as well as texture, can imitate damage enough to be an attractive objective.
Pica. This is the term used to describe chewing in non -food elements. Some cats can chew clothing, hair ties, laces laces or other house items. Chewing in electrical cables is also common. PICA may be due to nutritional deficiencies, but in many cases it is the result of stress or boredom. Pica, and especially wool chewing, is frequently seen in certain races, such as Burmese and Siamese.
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The signs that your cat has been chewing electrical cables can include:
- Excessive baboo
- Burning or around the mouth
- Cough
- Difficulty breathing
- Singed mustaches
- Lethargy
- Lack of appetite
- Vomiting
- Seizure
- Chewing electrical cables can lead to electrocution
Prevent cats from chewing electrical cables
Address health problems. Make the veterinarian examine his cat to verify any dental problem or other health concerns that may be the cause of chewing. Your veterinarian may recommend a change in your cat’s food, an increase in fiber or advise the addition of dental treats. If the problem is periodontal disease, its veterinarian will recommend cleaning. If the behavior is due to stress, identify the underlying cause so that it can work in a behavior plan. If you need help, your veterinarian can give a derivation to a veterinary behavior or Cat Certificate Behavior.
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Ensure cables. Reduce temptation ensuring the cables properly. Use cable containment devices, clips and cable organizers to keep them hidden and out of reach. You can find many variations for cable containment in your local office supplies store, home and online improvement store. There are many types of flexible cord protection sleeves that can fit around a single cable or can combine several cables in an orderly and flexible tube. These sleeves come in various materials, such as rubber, plastic or cloth. You can even run cables through the PVC pipe cutting along and fitting the cable. Replace damaged cables. If a cable cannot be easily replaced, communicate with a qualified professional.
Use deterrence. Apply a bitter tasting product to discourage chewing. You can find bitter tasting deterrence in your local pet supplies and online store. Make sure any bitter deterrent element you use is safe for cats. Use disposable gloves when applying the product and re -apply regularly, or according to product instructions. Keep in mind that there are some feline mascoters of a hard core that will endure the dirty taste of the deterrent to continue their obsession with cracking the cords. If possible, use the cable containment method as your main security method.
Create safe load areas. For wireless electronics that must be charged with a cable, cover the load cables in flexible protection sleeves or configure load locations in areas where your cat has no access. If you are loading a device in your cat’s neighborhood, ensure the cable so you are not hanging and squatter where your cat cannot see it.
Play with your cat. Participate in interactive game sessions with your cat at least twice a day. Whether the chewing behavior of the cord is due to boredom or anxiety, this energy release will be beneficial. Use a fishing post toy so you can imitate the movements of the dam and let your cat have many successful catches. Each game should last approximately 15 minutes. Be consistent in your game schedule.
Provide safe and attractive solo toys. Establish toys that cannot be chew and place in interesting places so that your cat discovers during the day. There are also chewing toys available. Consult your veterinarian if you have questions about what chewing toys would be more appropriate for your cat. Puzzle feeders are another option. Look online and find many different types of puzzle feeders where your cat can get a food reward for manipulating or moving the toy in a certain way. If your cat chews electrical cables because you like gumous texture, try some small chewing toys of rubber puppies.
Improve your cat’s environment. Create an environment that is stimulating, comforting and safe. Provide a cat tree so that your cat can look out the window and enjoy outdoor entertainment. Use peromonous diffusers to help relieve stress. Doubleck that the sandbox configuration is comfortable and convenient and that keeps it clean. Make sure the food time is free of stress (especially if you have a multi -house home). Does your cat have attractive places to scratch? If not, buy a high and resistant scratch post that is covered with sisal. If your cat likes horizontal scratches, dispense some corrugated cardboard scratch pads.
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Christmas security Ensure the lights in the Christmas tree so that they do not hang without problems. Cover the cords with a bitter deterrence element. Do not put the lights in the sparkling environment so that they are not so attractive to a playful cat. Ensure the cable end in a protective sleeve or PVC pipe.
Cultivate Greens. Grow a safe Greens container to give your cat a chewing alternative. You can find Kitty Grens Kits in your local pet supplies and online store.
Keeping a spring cat of that behavior will require continuous supervision, being proactive with safeguards and using positive and effective training and attractive alternatives.
Do you need more information?
If you have questions about your cat’s health or you are worried about the chewing of the electric cord, contact your veterinarian. This article is not intended to replace your cat’s personal veterinary care and does not seek to be a medical diagnosis. This article is only for general information purposes.
To obtain information on the behavior and training of the cat, see the best-selling books of PAM Johnson-Bennett. PAM’s books are available in bookstores and online. We have included Amazon links here on our website.
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