It’s quite normal for kittens to chew on electrical cords. Every single one of my cats has chewed on an electrical cord. I even had one cat who would only chew on my expensive MacBook cord, causing me a couple of hundred dollars. I now have to hide most, if not all, of my cords.
Although it is more common for kittens to become fond of chewing on cords, adult cats and even dogs will also chew on electrical cords from time to time.
Chewing on cords, though, is obviously very dangerous. So, it’s very important to get to the root of the problem before your pet gets electrocuted.
Table of Contents
Can Kittens Chew Through Wires?
The first question we should answer is whether or not a tiny little kitten can actually chew all the way through a wire. This answer really depends on the thickness of the cord in the first place.
A thinner cord, like the one used for charging your phone, will definitely succumb to the sharp teeth of a kitten. Refer to the above scenario where one of my cats loved to chew on my Apple MacBook cord. (one of the most expensive charging cords on the market today.)
However, a thicker cord like one of those bright orange ones you see at the local hardware store would definitely present much more of a challenge to your kitten.
Having said this, though, it could still be done if they worked on it long enough and it went unnoticed. And even if your kitten or adult cat isn’t able to chew completely through a thick extension cord, chances are pretty good that they will still do some significant damage.
Why Is My Kitten Chewing Cords?
The most likely reason that your new kitten is chewing on electrical cords is that they are simply curious or they may be in the teething stage, much like a human baby. Kittens love to explore and discover new things in your home.
Your kitten is probably chewing on other objects, but you just don’t realize it yet. Observe your kitten for any length of time and you will notice they chew on a variety of things that we as humans think are gross. But your kitten? They absolutely love how it feels to chew on a cord.
Another reason your cat or kitten may be chewing on electrical cords is that they are downright bored. Does your kitten have enough toys to play with that will help keep them engaged enough to not chew on cords?
If you believe that boredom may be to blame for the cord chewing, then you are in complete luck. There are literally millions of cat toys that you can buy to keep your kitten happy and active.
Need some ideas of what your new kitten may like? Check out this article here.
What Should I Give My Kitten To Chew On?
Your kitten or cat is probably going to chew on things regardless of whether or not you want them to. The best way to prevent your kitten from chewing on your electrical cords is to give them a better alternative.
If it’s your kitten that is doing the chewing, chances are good that they are in the teething stage, much like that which you see with human babies. And what do you give a baby that is teething? You give them special teething toys to help them with this stage of growth.
The same can be done with kittens. They are, after all, essentially baby cats. And you can find many various options when it comes to teething toys for kittens.
Can I Teach My Cat Not To Bite?
The short answer is no. You can try, but you will most likely fail. The reason for this is because chewing on foreign objects is a natural animal instinct that all kittens will likely participate in the early stage of their life.
You can, however, use chew toys and positive reinforcement to help them learn what is acceptable to chew on and what is not.
The first step is to make sure that you have various chew toys available at any given time. It is important to have a good selection because felines can be quite picky animals. It does your kitten no good to have only one chew toy available that they don’t even like. So make sure you have several available.
Once you have found some chew toys that your kitten is satisfied with, make sure you reward them when they use the toy. A reward is the same thing as positive reinforcement, such as petting them and giving them a kitty treat when they do good.
How To Cat-Proof Wires
There are several ways to make it much harder for your kitten to chew through electrical cords or wires. One cheap and easy alternative is to simply hide all your cords. This may be the cheapest way, but it is also the most inconvenient way and may cause a lot more stress for you than it needs to.
Another thing you can do is buy special cord protectors that are designed specifically for protecting your pets from chewing through your cords. I recommend this clear one available here, that way you are able to see what cord it is at all times.
If you have several cords that you need to protect from being chewed up, then I definitely recommend buying these neat protectors in bulk. You can get 25 feet of protection here.
Animal proof cord protectors are an easy and inexpensive alternative from having to buy new laptop and phone cords all the time. I wish I had these a long time ago when my cat, Mouse, decided to ruin not one but two of my MacBook laptop charging cords.
Final Thoughts
The fact that your kitten has been chewing on cords is no reason to panic. This is a natural growth phase for your feline companion and is no cause for alarm. Just be glad that you caught it now, rather than find out the hard way.
But now that you know, it is up to you to take action and prevent any unfortunate accidents from happening. I would highly suggest investing in cat-proof cord protectors for your home just to be on the safe side.
Also, if it’s your adult cat who is constantly biting wires, I would suggest bringing them into the veterinarian just to make sure that there isn’t an underlying dental problem that is causing them to chew electrical cords.
