We recently got a kitten from the CPL - its lovely except its always chewing on things it shouldn't. At the moment it seems to have got the taste for cotton buds - the plastic sticks and USB connectors :(

Any suggestions, it has toys - chases / throws them around the room and likes the odd stray spider if one should run across the room.

Don't know if this would help but when my brothers dog was a pup she chewed the plinths and bottom of the cupboard doors in the kitchen when they were out at work so they smeared mustard on them - she soon stopped. Perhaps you could try something like that on your usb cables as for the cotton bud sticks you'll just have to keep them out of the cats way.

Originally posted by Anj1364
Don't know if this would help but when my brothers dog was a pup she chewed the plinths and bottom of the cupboard doors in the kitchen when they were out at work so they smeared mustard on them - she soon stopped. Perhaps you could try something like that on your usb cables as for the cotton bud sticks you'll just have to keep them out of the cats way.

i cured the problem with chilli powder:thumbsup:

If I were you I'd definitely encourage the spider eating Internetowl! :thumbsup:

But seriously, I have a lot of experience with chewing! I have a house rabbit who munches on anything in sight if it's not safely tucked away or covered.

The obvious suggestion is to keep things like cotton buds out of harms reach, and provide plenty of toys instead. Cats are supposed to really go for catnip, and there's loads of toys in petshops that contain it.

To protect cables, connectors and wires I use double sided sticky tape. It's a fiddly business, but once you've coated your wires with the tape kitty won't go near them, because she'll hate getting her whiskers stuck! Then you can just cut your wires free when the chewing phase has stopped.

I also find a spritz of water is a good training aid. When my bunny does something naughty or chews something I say 'no' very firmly. If that doesn't work I say 'no' again and give her a quick squirt from a spray bottle with fresh water. It's a much kinder and less frightening way of disciplining than giving the pet a smack, and she also doesn't know where the water is coming from, so doesn't associate it with me and develop a fear of humans.

My bunny isn't frightened of water, but she doesn't like it much either. So she's started to associate naughty behaviours like chewing with getting wet! Now she usually stops being naughty as soon as I say 'no', because she doesn't want a shower!!!!
:D

Some people use chilli power or purfume to deter pets from chewing, but it's not a method I'd use personally.

when we were out last night the cat found the tub and we returned to the living room carpet covered in chewed blue plastic and fluff balls and the car laid out on the settee like she owns the place :)

She also seems to have a thing about carrier bags

The tub needs to go in a drawer then Internetowl!

Get a piece of material, bunch it together at one end and then tie it with string so you have a protuding bunch of material.

Each morning dip this in a solution of warm water and honey and then give to kitten.

With any luck Kitten should start associating that and that alone with chewing.

If you want a more active way of stopping the chewing of other items I would use some of the GET OFF spray from PETS AT HOME as well as the honey material method.

Originally posted by Olliekitten
If you want a more active way of stopping the chewing of other items I would use some of the GET OFF spray from PETS AT HOME as well as the honey material method.

Why bother buying GET OFF spray from Pets at Home, who are rip-off merchants at the best of times, when it will no doubt be full of chemicals. Why not just use a squirt of water, as I suggested in my previous post. Cats arn't keen on water, so that alone should deter the kitten, with no nasty chemicals and no loss to your pocket.

Pepper is a great put off, as is orange peel, onion and tin foil. You could wipe onion or orange or even orange aromatherapy oil along anything you want to keep your cat from destroying.
Otherwise I'd look at WHY your cat insists on eating everything, is it boredom, teething or something else? A variety of toys and possibly even dog chews could help maybe?

In response to JBee all spraying water at your cat repeatedly will do is traumatise the cat and make her distrustful of you.

Unlike your rabbit, cats will associate you with the spray!

Originally posted by kirky
i cured the problem with chilli powder:thumbsup:

lol

Think yourself lucky, one of my kittens p*sses on the carpet in 2 rooms, so gonna have lay laminate oak flooring thru downstairs.

:help:

what is it with cats and cotton buds???? i have two kittens who can cleverly open doors and draws and nothing is out of their reach!

Originally posted by Olliekitten
In response to JBee all spraying water at your cat repeatedly will do is traumatise the cat and make her distrustful of you.

Unlike your rabbit, cats will associate you with the spray!

How on earth can GET OFF spray from Pets at Home be any different??? :loopy:

Or is it something you spray on the object, not the cat? I stand corrected if it is, but as a training aid it works very well with my bunny.

I was only trying to be helpful Olliekitten. We've got cats at home too, and I wouldn't have thought either of them would be traumatised by a squirt of water. The rabbit certainly isnt, even though I think she's now figured out that the water comes from me. In fact, she's one of the tamest rabbits you're likely to see.

I'm talking about using a light misting spray, not a Supersoaker!!! And it's a tip I got from a top animal trainer who specialises in alternatives to displays of anger as a punishment.

This reminds me of one of our neighbours. At one point they had 3 or 4 dogs and the neighbour adjoining them complained that the dogs were driving him mad barking all day whilst they were out at work, so they bought him a water gun to shoot at them when they started barking. It worked!

Originally posted by JBee
And it's a tip I got from a top animal trainer who specialises in alternatives to displays of anger as a punishment.
Spraying a cat with water IS using anger as a punishment. This so called 'top animal trainer' knows nothing about cats.

Using water spray as a punishment, is more likely to make your cat resent/avoid you, rather than to learn anything.

However if you want to use this (IMO useless) form of discipline, please avoid the cats head, as water spray can cause ear infections and more behavioural problems in the long term.

Cats respond better to positive training, especially clicker/treat training. My cat Bramble will sit at command using nothing more than positive clicker training.

Great to see someone using positive reinforcement for cats!

Personally, I would let the kitties explore the world and enjoy their escapades. We were all kids at some point! Cats are self teaching creatures and if they devastate the bathroom after raiding the cotton wool jar, it doesn't last forever. They grow very quickly into adults and then become amazingly aloof and the mere suggestion of them toying with a cotton wool ball will be met with much distain! Boring! I'd treasure the fun whilst it's there because young cats are demons but provide hours of entertainment! :-)

Try hitting it over the head with a lump hammer!

no hammers - the cat is cute - except for when its trying to feed off me :( bloody painful.

she (Shadow) has now discovered the hamster - she bangs on the cage until the hamster (Sandy) comes out of its house. The hamster does seem too bothered about the cat at all.

The cat also discovered rain the other day and ended up sat crying at the bottom of the garden till I rescued her :)

She also likes climbing on the bookcases - we've had a few wobbles of objects but nothing broke as yet ;)

:thumbsup:

Some one once told me to stop her cats knocking orniments over she stuck everything down with blue tack.

P.S Next time your in Meadow hall go to the Wittards of Chelsea tea/coffee shop. Near the till they sell tea bags for cats which are FULL of catnip.

Mildred, Sox and Beryl all agree they are just the very thing for beautiful pussy cats.

ttfn