What It Means if Cats Are Chewing on Wood

All of the corners of your coffee table are chewed up and your fluffy companion is the one to blame. Cats chew on wood for all kinds of reasons; maybe she̵7;s bored or has some kind of nutritional deficiency. Because she can get slivers in her mouth or swallow a chunk of wood, leading to a bowl obstruction, let your vet know about her peculiar behavior. He̵7;ll help you get to the root of the problem so you can live in harmony with your fur ball, without her destroying your furniture.

  1. Getting Attention

    • You just purchased a top-of-the-line dining room set with all the bells and whistles. Naturally, you want Maya to stay away from it. When she needs your focus, she̵7;ll weave in and out of the chair legs, but that doesn̵7;t get you to come over. So she̵7;ll open up her mouth and start chewing. Of course, that gets your attention and makes you come right on over. She just learned that for some reason, gnawing on the table makes her human give her attention. Maya doesn̵7;t care that it̵7;s negative attention, she just likes that you̵7;re focusing in on her. Rather than getting frustrated with her, place a few squirts of bitter spray -- available at the pet store -- right along the legs where she chews. The next time her jaws open up, she̵7;ll get a taste of something gross and quickly learn that the wooden table tastes nasty.

    Boredom

    • Just like kids, your feline family members can get bored very easily. Gnawing away on the corners of your solid oak headboard gives her something to do. She̵7;s getting out some of her pent-up tension on something that smells and tastes like you, since it was one of the last things you touched in the house. Rather than giving her free roam of the entire place while you̵7;re away, secure her in the spare bedroom or living room with several types of kitty toys spread across the floor. She̵7;ll be away from her favorite woody temptations and have something else to keep her occupied until you get home. Just to keep her on her toes, rotate her toys a couple times a week to give her some extra stimulation.

    Teething

    • If Maya is still a kitten, she could be chomping away on all of the wood in the house to help soothe her gum pains. Up until Maya is 8 to 9 months old, she̵7;ll have grownup teeth poking through her gums. Munching on small wood fragments near the fireplace or the edges of your wooden furniture could be giving her just enough relief to ease the pain in her mouth. Freeze a wet washcloth or specialized kitty teething toy and let her chew away while you̵7;re home to supervise. If those chilly tools work, you̵7;ll know her wood obsession is possibly a side effect of her teething.

    Pica

    • Pica is a less understood phenomenon in the animal world. This condition makes your fuzzy critter eat things that aren̵7;t supposed to be eaten, including wood. Sometimes a nutritional deficiency from a poor diet can be the cause, while other times it could be a warning sign of a serious medical ailment, like cancer or anemia. Once in a while, pica is just embedded in the genes. Maya may be obsessed with wood because her mother and grandmother were also wood chewers. Since chowing down on wood isn̵7;t just dangerous, but can also be a clue of something going on in Maya̵7;s body, your veterinarian will want to do a thorough exam.