What Do You Do When Your Kitten Tries to Eat Objects?

Kittens like to explore with their mouths, whether they're sampling the latest delicacies in a food dish or wrapping their gums around an electrical cord. Naturally, there are some things in your home that you don't want little ones nibbling on, and the key to training your kitten to stop is starting early and being consistent. By employing a little strategy, you can ensure that she gets the idea early in life and doesn't develop bad habits.

  1. Ruin the Flavor

    • If your kitten has any favorite things to chew on, like a cord, a shoe or your prized action figure collection, make those things as unappetizing as possible. This is such a salient strategy that your local pet store has products designed specifically to safely ruin the flavor of anything your cat may want to eat -- these are often formulated with unappetizing tastes, like bitter apple, that are sure to turn off a curious kitty. Simply spray down the object according to the instructions and let her learn for herself that it just isn't worth eating.

    Provide Alternatives

    • Take a look at what your kitten is trying to eat, and make sure that she has similar alternatives. For example, if she's obsessed with eating shoelaces, give her a string-based toy to play with, or one that you can use to play with her. If she always wants to eat plants, she may find the texture and grassy flavor appealing -- give her a cat-approved alternative, like catnip or wheat grass. Simply tossing her any old toy won't work, because it doesn't necessarily have the same appeal as the thing she wants to eat.

    Resist Scolding

    • Tempting as it may be to teach her through scolding, resist the urge to employ any kind of negative reinforcement -- it just doesn't get the message across with a cat. If you yell at, threaten or chase away a misbehaving kitten, the only thing she learns is that she should be afraid of you. When she's eating something unapproved, simply remove her or the object so that she doesn't have access, and distract her with something else, like a toy.

    Reward Good Behavior

    • Kittens learn through positive reinforcement, so when she behaves and resists eating something she has no business eating, praise and reward her. While affection and vocal praise have their virtues, nothing speaks to a kitten like food, so keep small treats on hand for when she behaves. For example, when you lure her away from eating something on the do-not-eat list by calling her, reward her with a treat.