chewing through wires (NA of course)

woodstock

woodstock

Final Approach
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My one cat usually starts pouncing around 6 AM. most mornings I just get out of bed, and play with her/feed them. (I think she wants the attention more than the food!)

she gets very inventive with her agitations if I don't get up right away. this morning she was batting the lamp wires around. she knows she isn't supposed to do that - I hate that they are attracted to those things! I usually unplug things when I leave the house, and also close the office door where the computer and all is, etc.

I shooed her away a few times and closed my eyes. all of a sudden she BOLTED out of the room! it was so weird! like something had scared her. I ran after her and she wouldn't let me come near here - kept running when I got close. finally I caught up to her and she was hacking like she had something in her throat. I was able to grab her and stuck my fingers in her mouth thinking I'd get out whatever was in there.

her whole mouth was covered in drool! and she had left drool marks across the kitchen floor! I couldn't find anything in her mouth and she calmed right down, then seemed normal. she ate her breakfast, walked around, followed me, played, etc.

I immediately thought of the lamp wire and went back to inspect it. I didn't see any place where they had bitten through. however, the tag they put on as a warning - that had definite chew marks in it and in fact one of them had come off completely and oddly enough I found it downstairs - so for sure they were chewing at some point.

I'm going home at lunch time to make sure she is ok, but I can't really figure out what happened. I don't think she got zapped, the wires didn't look bitten anywhere, she has no burn marks and I surely didn't hear any zapping noise, but maybe if she bit it in just the right spot I wouldn't see it?

if the lamp is off, can they still get zapped?
 
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woodstock said:
if the lamp is off, can they still get zapped?
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Yes. One route is if they bite into the hot side and their little paws provide the ground circuit, but this usually isn't too effective. The more effective route is if the little teeth puncture both wires simultaneously.
 
woodstock said:
if the lamp is off, can they still get zapped?
Click to expand...

Yes, if you mean the lamp is turned off with a switch on the lamp itself. If the lamp is unplugged, or it's turned off with a wall switch, the answer is no.

With a wet mouth, if her teeth even penetrated through the insulation on the wire, she can get shocked.

May be time to buy some pet repellent and put it on the wires....
 
If the lamp is plugged in, they can get zapped. That may end the chewing problem.

I've used Tabasco sauce on the wire - just put it on your fingers and run them along the wire. It's basically invisible, but the cat won't like it.
 
yikes. pet repellent and also those wire covers. I'm surprised that this one even attempted it, the other ones chews everything but this one is pretty good.

poor kitty!

Ed, nice meeting you on Saturday!!
 
woodstock said:
yikes. pet repellent and also those wire covers. poor kitty!
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My wife's cat kept biting the cords, thought she would get hurt and/or burn the house down. We coated every cord in the house with this stuff: http://www.grannicks.com/

Worked well, broke the habit.
 
Best solution:

Sell the cat to a local Korean restaurant.
 
N2212R said:
Best solution:

Sell the cat to a local Korean restaurant.
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Ed, let me guess, you're not married, are you? ;)
 
Bill Jennings said:
Ed, let me guess, you're not married, are you? ;)
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You needed to make a guess? LOL
 
sometimes the burn does not appear for several days; keep opening her mouth each day and look at all surfaces for eschar, discolored tissue. If she stops eating and drinking or the drooling continues it is a sign help is needed. Right now the surface *might* appear only blanched if you look closely (which can be difficult because it hurts so much).
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
sometimes the burn does not appear for several days; keep opening her mouth each day and look at all surfaces for eschar, discolored tissue. If she stops eating and drinking or the drooling continues it is a sign help is needed. Right now the surface *might* appear only blanched if you look closely (which can be difficult because it hurts so much).
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Hi Dave,

thanks. I went home at lunch time - she's playful, seems ok. she drank from the bathroom tap (her favorite place to drink - it's a ritual - she even lets the water run all over her head) and there is no drooling. she doesn't seem to be in any pain either.

I looked in her mouth and didn't see anything unusual, nothing looks burned/singed. she had finished her breakfast.

I inspected the wire again - I see a spot where someone tried to chew but the marks are very superficial - it really doesn't look like it went very deep at all. she did however try to play with the wire so obviously she didn't learn a lesson.

I really don't know if she got zapped but it seems the most logical conclusion. she's not a hyper cat so running off like that was a result of something amiss. and especially not letting me catch her at first.

that was really scary this morning.
 
wsuffa said:
Yes, if you mean the lamp is turned off with a switch on the lamp itself. If the lamp is unplugged, or it's turned off with a wall switch, the answer is no.

With a wet mouth, if her teeth even penetrated through the insulation on the wire, she can get shocked.

May be time to buy some pet repellent and put it on the wires....
Click to expand...


I wonder if that is what happened. if the chew marks look superficial, is that still enough to give her a shock?
 
Has your cat seen "Christmas Vacation?"

/first thing I thought of
//couldn't find the image I wanted from the movie
///ticket to hell please, no stopping over in Atlanta
 
woodstock said:
I wonder if that is what happened. if the chew marks look superficial, is that still enough to give her a shock?
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All it takes is a hairline break. It's possible you can't see it.

Best to put something on those wires to discourage kitty...
 
woodstock said:
I wonder if that is what happened. if the chew marks look superficial, is that still enough to give her a shock?
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The insulation on lampcord is pretty good at hiding punctures and I'd bet that's what your cat did (puncture). Cats don't seem to grind through things like dogs do. The symptoms you described sound like what I'd expect from a shock to the mouth. Saliva is a pretty good conductor of electricity but it should take a few seconds of contact to cause any significant burn. The shock itself (electrical interference with the nerves) would be quite "shocking" to a cat and probably provoked the running/hiding/drooling. A burn would be more likely if enough insulation was chewed off to allow the wires to make contact with each other and it doesn't sound like that happened here. This kind of shock isn't likely to cause serious harm unless it's prolonged and burns occur, assuming the cat wasn't grounded as the current would only flow in the mouth.

Like the others wrote, a switch on the lamp itself wouldn't prevent a shock, but a wall switch controlling the outlet or an inline switch between the bite and the outlet would if off.

Sounds like kitty needs something more interesting to bite and play with than your lamp cords.
 
lancefisher said:
The symptoms you described sound like what I'd expect from a shock to the mouth.
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I can vouch for that. Back in my rock-n-roll band days, I got line current in the teeth from a faulty microphone while playing drums barefoot on a concrete floor.

C'mon baby make it hurt so good!
 
lancefisher said:
The insulation on lampcord is pretty good at hiding punctures and I'd bet that's what your cat did (puncture). Cats don't seem to grind through things like dogs do. The symptoms you described sound like what I'd expect from a shock to the mouth. Saliva is a pretty good conductor of electricity but it should take a few seconds of contact to cause any significant burn. The shock itself (electrical interference with the nerves) would be quite "shocking" to a cat and probably provoked the running/hiding/drooling. A burn would be more likely if enough insulation was chewed off to allow the wires to make contact with each other and it doesn't sound like that happened here. This kind of shock isn't likely to cause serious harm unless it's prolonged and burns occur, assuming the cat wasn't grounded as the current would only flow in the mouth.

Like the others wrote, a switch on the lamp itself wouldn't prevent a shock, but a wall switch controlling the outlet or an inline switch between the bite and the outlet would if off.

Sounds like kitty needs something more interesting to bite and play with than your lamp cords.
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they have every cat toy imaginable. yes, it's true. I don't have toddlers, I have cats. how did that Steve Martin skit go, about cat toys?

this one in particular craves attention every minute - if I dare to try to sleep and she wants me up, she starts knocking things off the night table (and turns her head as she is doing it to see if I will react, before starting on the next item). I don't even think it's about food, b/c I'll put the food out and she will follow me back upstairs again. I suspect she knew playing with the wires would provoke a reaction and she didn't bargain for the end result!

I'll check to see if one of my light switches controls that outlet. good idea.
 
wsuffa said:
Yes, if you mean the lamp is turned off with a switch on the lamp itself. If the lamp is unplugged, or it's turned off with a wall switch, the answer is no.

With a wet mouth, if her teeth even penetrated through the insulation on the wire, she can get shocked.

May be time to buy some pet repellent and put it on the wires....
Click to expand...

Or a video camera, "Here kitty kitty, mommy needs some prize money" rub some fresh catnip on the wire and roll tape.:D

P.S. That's a joke, no flaming hate points required, I like cats, even sort of have a cat (she came with the apartment.)
 
I got a big, powerful spraybottle from the Tack Shop in the back of our local Petsmart. One the "stream" setting, it's effective (and accurate!) from 12 feet away. We have 2 cats, one 8 month old, and one 8 week old, and this is a VERY effective training tool.

I highly suggest it - Horse Spray Bottle by State Line Tack Shop.

Cheers,

-Andrew
 
woodstock said:
they have every cat toy imaginable. yes, it's true. I don't have toddlers, I have cats. how did that Steve Martin skit go, about cat toys?

this one in particular craves attention every minute - if I dare to try to sleep and she wants me up, she starts knocking things off the night table (and turns her head as she is doing it to see if I will react, before starting on the next item). I don't even think it's about food, b/c I'll put the food out and she will follow me back upstairs again. I suspect she knew playing with the wires would provoke a reaction and she didn't bargain for the end result!

I'll check to see if one of my light switches controls that outlet. good idea.
Click to expand...

At least they don't leave you little "presents" on your pillow or in your bathtub.... just to show their displeasure.
 
OK. I just want you to know that I've shown great restraint with regards to this thread.
 
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