How to Stop Cats From Chewing Phone Cords

Although you may think of dogs as the chewing culprits in your home, cats are known to chew, too. One of the most common things to see your cat chewing on is a cord, such as a telephone cord. This can be dangerous for your cat. Not only could he electrocute himself by chewing on the cords, but he could get tiny bits of wire into his digestive tract that could cause serious harm. If you see your cat is chewing on your telephone cord, try to stop the chewing as quickly as possible. Since each cat is different, you may have to try several methods before you find the one that works best for you.

Things You'll Need

  • Tin foil
  • Double-sided tape
  • Bitter apple
  • Lemon peel
  • Nail-biting polish
  • Soap
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Instructions

    • 1

      Go cordless. Cats see the hanging phone cords as toys. Naturally curious, cats will want to play with them. Going with a cordless phone removes this temptation.

    • 2

      Choose a thicker phone cord. If you cannot go cordless, choose a thicker cord. Cats prefer thinner cords and will be less likely to chew on a thicker phone cord.

    • 3

      Keep the cords out of reach. If you have a wall-mounted phone, take the dangling cord and drape it over the top of the mounted phone when not in use. If your phone is not mounted, wrap the cord around the base of the phone when not in use to remove the dangling enticement.

    • 4

      Wrap the cords. You cat will learn not to chew on cords if you use a deterrent. Cats hate tin foil. If you wrap the loose cord in foil, the cat will only try a few times to chew on it before the foil scares her off of cords for good. You can also try double-sided tape. Cats hate sticky things, so if she feels the sticky tape in her mouth, she is not likely to return for seconds.

    • 5

      Treat the cords. There are many different taste deterrents that discourage chewing. Add bitter apple, a commercial spray product, to the cord. Also try rubbing lemon or orange peel on the cord. Another method is to rub nail-biting polish which is used to deter children from biting their nails. Soap is an effective alternative as well. Either moisten a bar of soap and rub the bar on the cord or else use liquid dish detergent to rub the cord.