This is what I would do to kitten-proof live cables in my home in order of priority. I am applying common sense to the problem and simplicity. The solution has got to be easy and cheap.
- I’d have thought that the first priority would be to minimise the number of live cables that are in the home and those that are necessary can often be put behind pieces of furniture or routed under furniture to minimise exposure to kittens.
- In addition, you can unplug a light or some other appliance that is rarely used which means that there will be no electrical charge in the cable which would render it entirely safe. Alternatively, simply turn off the appliance at the socket.
- It is very difficult to distract a kitten all the time and therefore I think that those who say that you can stimulate a kitten enough to stop them from playing with wires is a little bit fanciful. But certainly, if you stimulate your kitten a lot, they are less likely to want to play with cables.
- It seems to me that the best way to protect cables is a cable protector or a plastic wire wrap through which you route the live cable. That must be the best and near 100% sure way of preventing a kitten biting into a live cable. And they are as cheap as chips on Amazon.
I don’t think the methods below are great ways to protect a live cable from a kitten:
- A deterrent spray lightly applied to the wires. I guess this might work but I don’t think it’s as certain to work effectively and permanently as a sheath around the cables and if so, why use it?
- Velcro cable wraps to join wires together and then tuck them away is hardly any better in my view.
- Double sided scotch tape wrapped around a cable may be effective but the stickiness will probably deteriorate and having been lulled into a false sense of security the cable may be bitten into by your kitten six months later so personally I would not advocate this deterrent.
- Another suggestion is a motion-activated spray. This would be a general cat deterrent designed to prevent a cat or kitten from doing something which displeases you. The cat activates the device and it sprays a harmless liquid over them which puts them off. The device would be placed near a cable. I don’t like the idea because it might get in the way on the floor and someone might knock it over. It would be a form of what I call ‘divine intervention’ meaning that the cat would not associate this form of “punishment” with their caregiver and therefore there would be no impact on the bond between cat and human. I just think that it is less humane than simply protecting a cable with a wrap which they can’t bite into.
RELATED: Cat punishment versus divine intervention
Obviously, kittens like to bite into cables because they like to use their teeth as do adult cats and cables are quite chewy and therefore interesting to chomp! Personally, I have never had a problem with kittens biting cables but it is certainly a potential and a very dangerous hazard.
There are a surprising number of kitten and cat hazards around the home. The list below may be useful to some readers. There are more than in this list so please use the search facility as well.
