Cats frequently chew on things that aren’t meant to be chewed, but occasionally the behavior can get out of hand. It could hurt your valuables as well as the cat, if it doesn’t already. However, because they explore with their mouths, cats will bite on objects. Cats who chew excessively may be suffering from a few medical conditions, such as teething in kittens. However, boredom is the primary cause of chewing in domestic cats, and it can usually be easily remedied.
Reasons
Before presuming that your cat’s chewing behavior is the result of boredom, think about taking it to the vet to rule out any underlying medical issues.
- While a cat with gastric trouble may chew and slobber on objects to treat motion sickness, a cat with gum disease may bite on objects to reduce mouth discomfort.
- OCD, dietary deficiencies, and early weaning are a few possible medical causes for chewing.
- In order to remove the plaque and tartar that serve as a haven for the bacteria that cause periodontal disease in your cat, periodontal disease, an inflammation of the gums and tissues surrounding the teeth, is extremely common in cats. If periodontal disease has progressed further, affected teeth may need to be extracted. Your veterinarian will advise a course of treatment based on the severity and type of the ailment. When a cat is sick, it usually shows more signs than just chewing if it has a digestive disorder.
If the cat’s behavior doesn’t have a medical explanation, you most likely have a bored cat on your hands. Even while it might not seem like a cat would have much trouble chewing, your home contains some serious threats that you may be disregarding.
Future Actions
The things that kittens seem to chew on the most frequently include wires and cords, houseplants, and fabric or leather furniture. Use a slightly different tactic to prevent the cat from chewing on each item.
Wires and Cords
Wires and cords are regularly chewed on by cats, especially if they are left alone all day. Try to give your cat or kitten a variety of toys that they can use to “play alone,” such as toys that are mounted on walls or doors that they can bat or swat, cat towers that they can explore and that have toys attached for added interest, or even a tunnel made out of cardboard boxes with the sides cut out. Toys that offer treats are the most effective way to satisfy their cravings.
In order to handle the chord issue itself, you need to find a way to hide the cables, prohibit access to them, or make them unpleasant to chew on.
- Cover the cords: A lot of computer supply stores sell pre-split hollow tubes for covering wires and cords as well as kits for arranging computer cords. If you’re skilled with a tool knife, you can get flexible poly tubing in a range of diameters at most hardware or construction supply stores. After being slit on one side, the tubing needs to be cut to the proper length for each cord. If that works for you, you may also try running many wires through larger “corrugated” tubing.
- Don’t allow anyone to touch the cords: Try wrapping a big cord tangle in multiple rows of double-sided adhesive tape (such as frequently happens with computers). Cats won’t be tempted to readily cross the tape.
- Make the cords taste bad: Unquestionably one of the best teaching tools for any form of destructive chewing is bitter apple spray. Your cat will surely have a bad taste in his mouth from it and won’t quickly forget it. Keep in mind that you might need to reapply this to the area you want your cat to avoid, especially if you have a stubborn cat.
- Consider utilizing CritterCords Cord Protector to keep cords safe.
Houseplants
Your cat, who has a natural tendency to chew on greenery, can decide to target your living houseplants. You need to learn to recognize some of these plants because they can be quite toxic to cats, so you can safeguard your cat by doing so.
Check your indoor plants to see if any are on this list of dangerous plants to decide whether to remove them or make them completely inaccessible to your cat.
Fabric and Leather Items
OCD behaviors include chewing on wool. The best way to stop the kind of chewing activity we’re talking about here is to provide your cat more “legal” chewing items, like chewable soft toys.
Try spraying some bitter apple on the area where your cat usually chews if you can’t store all the leather and fabric items it likes to chew. Test it first on a tiny, concealed seam to ensure that it won’t leave a stain.
Kittens
One thing that helps kittens that are teething a lot is a plastic drinking straw, especially the large ones used for milkshakes. They are an excellent interactive toy and provide kittens with the necessary crunchy contact.
In order to pique your kitten’s interest in the straw, tease it about a bit. Then, allow him to “catch” it. One of the older cats may frequently be observed batting a straw around the floor because they may still be familiar with their use.
Exercising clicking
Despite the fact that dogs are the most commonly successful clicker trainers, cats can also profit from it. The trainer or pet owner would often use a small, hand-held device to make a clicking noise when the animal displays the desired behavior. In order for the animal to successfully learn to associate the activity and the click with a pleasurable experience, the click must be swiftly followed by a treat. The treat might finally disappear entirely.
Never hit or shout.
The majority of animals find it useless, particularly cats who do not link undesirable behavior to the intended kind of punishment.
If you suspect your pet is sick, call your vet immediately. For health-related questions, always consult your veterinarian, as they have examined your family pet, know the pet’s health history, and may make the best recommendations for your pet
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