Question

How can I get my kitten to stop chewing on electrical cords? I keep finding electrical cords that my eight-month-old kitten is chewing. I’ve concealed the cords as much as possible and removed the ones I could, but he is persistent in finding them and chewing on them.

Answer

It sounds like you have a normal, inquisitive kitten. But chewing on electrical cords is quite dangerous. The good news is that he should start outgrowing this behavior soon.

Have you tried putting something distasteful on the cords? Cayenne pepper spray or bitter apple spray can deter some cats from chewing. You can also cover the cords with paper towel tubing or PVC pipe. Your kitty should lose house privileges unless someone is home to supervise him. When you’re not at home, put him in a room with no cords.

Also, make sure that your kitten has plenty of appropriate toys to play with. One way you can make his toys go further is to put a few out for him to play with, and put the rest away. A few days later, hide the toys that were left out, and leave out some new toys that had been put away. Even old toys will look new to your cat after they’ve been hidden for a few days.

With a bit of persistence, your kitten will start to leave the cords alone. If, in spite of all these precautions, you catch him chewing on the cords, chase him away with a squirt of water from a spray bottle. Don’t yell at him or spank him; just calmly squirt him until he leaves the cords alone. Good luck with your kitten!