The Post Your Pets Thread

How does one make it so that cats really don't want to go behind the television and stereo and muck with the cords?
 
I hate to say this, but you have a kitten. There's really very little that can be done. :p You see kittens are mischievous, flexible, small, curious, and smart. This is a nearly deadly combination. If they weren't so excellently awesome, I think we'd hate them. The best thing to do is to tie the cords up as much as you can and also use something heavy to block access, but as you've seen that isn't always effective.
 
I used to work at a Petco, and my co-workers and a lot of my customers swore by something called Bitter Apple. It's a spray that you apply to whatever your pet is chewing on and it tastes so foul that they won't want to chew on it anymore. If you do use it, it takes 24 hours for it to dry, so don't touch anything that's been sprayed with it right away or your fingers will taste like bitter apple. :yucky:
 
2Billion said:
How does one make it so that cats really don't want to go behind the television and stereo and muck with the cords?
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Buy a dog instead?

But seriously, there are some products specifically for this which you can buy that act as a repellent. They smell bad to the kitty and they taste foul and bitter. My sisters cat, Fatty, loves that stuff and is instantly drawn to anything she sprays it on.

When I had her cats here I just blocked up the spaces on each side of the TV cabinet and the spaces beside the computer desk here so that he physically could not get in there.

Failing that, you could always try hitting them or perhaps lightly killing them, slightly?
 
Austere said:
Buy a dog instead?

But seriously, there are some products specifically for this which you can buy that act as a repellent. They smell bad to the kitty and they taste foul and bitter. My sisters cat, Fatty, loves that stuff and is instantly drawn to anything she sprays it on.

When I had her cats here I just blocked up the spaces on each side of the TV cabinet and the spaces beside the computer desk here so that he physically could not get in there.

Failing that, you could always try hitting them or perhaps lightly killing them, slightly?
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:eek::no:
 
You can certainly try the bitter apple, but it only works if the cat is chewing the wires. Mine would most likely be batting them around and having a blast. :) It's not expensive so you can certainly try. I just wish they would post ingredients on the label. I like knowing what my pets are ingesting.

2Billion, if Parrot likes to play with swinging things, you could try setting up a more appropriate place after you block off the TV cables. They make little toys that hang on doorknobs and stuff. My cat LOVES the little ball inside his Alpine Scratcher. You do have to be careful they can't get hung up and strangled, but that generally just means applying a little common sense. (FYI if you have mini blinds, check the cords to make sure they aren't the old fashioned loops. If they are, tie them up where she can't reach.)
 
Oh she chews them, and has a bizarre obsession with optical cables. I'll have to find this bitter apple stuff. With stuff like the computer desk it's fine, since I can move the chair so she can't leap up - well, she tries, but there's no grip, so she doesn't make it - but the rest of my furniture isn't very block-off friendly.

She used to go behind the stove a lot, until she knocked over a screen I had leaning against the stove because of a long story. Now she eyes the stove with great suspicion.
 
You should be able to get that bitter apple at any pet store as well as Walmart and Target. It's in a little spray bottle and has a yellow and green label. They get SO weird about textures they want to chew. Cross-eyed avatar cat was obsessed with the little rubber clip on my laptop's power cord to wind it up with. I ended up just cutting it off. He could care less about the cable itself (thankfully), just that little rubber bit. I guess your optical cables are just extra fun to chew.

Do you still have the screen she knocked over by the stove? You could try putting that near your entertainment setup. She may be just as suspicious of that as she is of the stove.
 
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The screen won't fit by the entertainment setup, way too big. It's from a window, and all my entertainment stuff is low to the ground.

I think my main worry is that one of the cords she likes is the big extension cord that powers my computer. The rubber is VERY thick, but I obviously don't want her chewing on that.
 
Darn about the screen but it was worth asking. You're very right. You don't want her chewing power or even your expensive optical stuff. If you have to, you can always get conduit, but I KNOW how much of a pain that is, especially if you like to move your stuff around a lot. Hopefully the spray helps. She may be getting her adult teeth too. The chewing decreases a bit as they get older.
 
I agree with flydiscovery that getting her toys she would also like to chew will cut down on her chewing your cables. You can even get her some small dog chew toys; my late Taka loved those. But especially keep an eye out for toys with bits that are similar to the cables. Lots of cat toys have tails and ribbons, just to tempt your cat away from chewing your stuff. :)
 
Melbournian, what flavour is Sushi? She's a cutie.

everyone said:
bitter apple
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My Barkly hates bitter apple, as he should, but he's too smart to trick and will be back tomorrow to chew on whatever you just sprayed, unless he's bored of it. Just ask the water bags on our pool tarp (they keep the tarp from falling in the pool, the tarp keeps the pool clean in the winter, basic pool winterization stuff)

Austere said:
Buy a dog instead?
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Finally some sensible advice. :banana:
 
SNOEZ!
https://pic.armedcats.net/r/ra/ramseus/2010/02/07/CRW_3603_000.jpg
 
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I am amused at the fact my parents are already planning for when I leave home for uni. It will be just the two of them. And how convenient! My aunt's dogs have just had 4 pups.

oa83yp.jpg


We're getting the one on the left (name: Spot - no we didn't name her) when shes 8 weeks old I think (currently 3 weeks).

Considering the fact I am a cat person, I am dissapoint. While the dogs' mother-dog is pretty cute, I still believe that cats are way cuter.
 
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