How to Stop Destructive Chewing in Cats
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What do you do with a dead cat?
While it's normal for cats to chew on things, even things that aren't meant to be chewed, sometimes the behavior can get out of control.
It is potentially dangerous for the cat, not to mention damaging its property. However, as cats explore with their mouths, they will chew on things.
There are a few possible medical conditions that can cause excessive chewing in cats, including teething in kittens.
However, the main cause of chewing in domestic cats is boredom, which is relatively easy to remedy.
The reasons
Before settling for boredom as the reason for your cat's chewing habit, take him to the vet to rule out any medical issues.
- A cat with gum disease may gnaw on things to calm its mouth, and a cat with digestive problems may chew and drool on things to ease nausea.
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder, nutritional deficiencies, and early weaning are all possible medical causes of chewing.
- Periodontal disease, which is inflammation of the gums and tissue surrounding the teeth, is very common in cats and is usually treated with deep cleaning under anesthesia to remove plaque and tartar that are home to bacteria that lead to periodontal disease. In later stages of periodontal disease, affected teeth may need to be removed. How your vet treats a gastrointestinal illness will depend on the severity and nature of the illness - a cat with a digestive problem will generally show more signs than just chewing that it is ill.
If there is no underlying medical cause, you likely have a bored cat on your hands. It may not seem like a kitten has too much trouble chewing, but there are some serious dangers around the house that you may not be aware of.
Next stages
The most common things kittens chew on are thread and string, houseplants, and fabric or leather furniture. Each item requires a slightly different approach to preventing the cat from biting.
Wires and cords
Cats often find ropes and threads to chew on, especially if left alone during the day.
Try to provide plenty of 'play alone' toys for your cat or kitten, including wall or door mounted toys that they can bang or fight, cat towers to explore, with attached toys for added fun, interest, or even an arrangement of cardboard boxes on the floor to form a tunnel, with holes drilled in the sides.
Treat-feeding toys are a great way to satisfy your hunting instincts.
To deal with the cable situation itself, you have to find a way to cover the cables, discourage access to them, or make them unacceptable to chew on.
- Covering Cables - Many computer supply stores offer pre-cut hollow tubes to cover electrical cables and wires, as well as kits for managing computer cables. If you are comfortable with a knife, you can purchase flexible polyethylene tubing of various diameters at most hardware or construction supply stores. Cut one side of the tube and then cut it to the length of each strand. You can also try a larger "corrugated" tube to run multiple cables if that works for you.
- Discourage access to cables - Try applying multiple rows of double-sided tape to the floor surrounding a large tangle of cables (as is often the case with computers). Cats will hesitate to cross the strip.
- Make Laces Taste Bad: One of the best training tools for any kind of destructive chewing is bitter apple spray. It is guaranteed to leave a bad taste in your cat's mouth, a taste they will not forget for a long time. Note that you may need to reapply this to the area you want your cat to avoid, especially if you have a persistent cat.
- Try CritterCords Cord Protector, to cover the cables.
Inside plants
Cats have a natural desire to chew on vegetation, and your live houseplants could become a target. Some of these plants can be extremely toxic to cats, and for your cat's safety, you must learn to recognize and dispose of them.
Check out this list of poisonous plants to see if any of your indoor plants are there, then discard them or make those plants unavailable to your cat.
Fabric and leather goods
Chewing on wool is within the purview of OCD.2 For the type of chewing behavior we are talking about here, the best way to discourage such behavior is to offer other 'legal' sources of chewing for your cat, for example, soft chew toys.
If you can't sort out all the fabric and leather items your cat likes to chew on, try bitter apple spray on the area where it usually chews, but test it on a small, hidden seam first to make sure it 'does. do not stain.
Kittens
There is one item that works wonders for kitten teething: plastic straws, especially the large ones used for shakes. They provide the crisp touch kittens need and make a great interactive toy.
You can create many interactive games by teasing your kitten with the straw, then let him "catch" him and watch him proudly carry his "prey". Adult cats can remember their straws, so it is not uncommon to see one of them putting it on the ground.
Clicker training
Although it is usually effective with dogs, clicker training can be used with cats. Usually, with a small handheld device, the animal's trainer or owner will make a clicking noise when the animal performs the desired behavior.
For clicker training to be effective, the click must be immediately followed by a treat for the animal, so that the animal learns to associate the action and the click with a positive experience. Eventually, the treatment can be phased out.
Don't call and don't shout
It is not effective in most animals, especially cats, who will not associate bad behavior with the negative reinforcement you expect.
Enjoy The Video Tutorial about HOW TO GET YOUR CAT TO STOP CHEWING ON CORDS!
Source: ehow
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