What are some ways of how to stop cats from chewing cords?

Original Question: Hi I love your show and listen on CJBK London. My 5-year-old cat loves to chew on cords. He usually does it when nobody is home but will also do it even when someone is home. The cords obviously have to remain plugged into the wall all the time. What do you suggest for this silly boy? :) Thanks - Kathy

Aug 2, 2017

Hi Kathy,

Thanks for your question.

I really like it. It’s especially important to me because I just adopted two 8-week old kittens and I’m worried about the same thing.

There are lots of different ways of how to stop cats from chewing cords. You can order pet specific cord-protecting tubing from sites like Amazon. Type ‘pet cord protector’ in any search engine and it will bring up a list of similar products.

I also had a radio listener text in during a show and mention something called ‘wire loom.’ If you Google: ‘image of wire loom’, you’ll see that this is a product that would work. You may be able to find it or something similar in the hardware store or online.

Lastly, you could try spraying the electrical cords with bitter apple to deter biting, or other noxious substances, but I really don’t like this plan myself. It is a bit more like punishment and the odour can be picked up by your cat even if they are not near the cord and this could cause stress. I would avoid it but I wanted to mention it.