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Protecting Your Gear from Pets?
EvilJoven asks: "About a month ago I spent quite a large chunk of change on a new system only to have my cat chew through the VGA source cable of my brand new display. Over the course of the last few years my cat has cost me nearly $300CDN in repair and replacement costs due to chewed cables including a few power cables which are not only a pain to replace but potentially fatal to the animal and a fire hazard. So far the best solution I've found to stop this is wrapping all my cables in Snap-On Wire Protectors (about $6CDN for 3m at Canadian Tire in the Automotive section) but this is a rather unsightly solution. Due to the fact that I live in a one bedroom apartment restricting my cats access to my hardware is not an option. I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions on a better way to protect gear from animals."
I find that a small amount of dishwashing detergent rubbed along the cable works great. It doesn't hurt the pet to be exposed to this small amount, and it leaves a nasty enough taste that they won't go back for a second try.
~dank
I had a pet rabbit for a while, so I'm familiar with this problem.
The obvious answer is either "get rid of the cat" or "lock up the cat when you're not watching it".
Assuming you don't want to do that, make an effort to make cables unreachable. Use twist ties and adhesive hooks and loops to get rid of dangling cables or cables lying on the floor. Do your long cable runs along the upper edge of the wall. They make wire baskets that are designed for closet shelves. You can often use them (sometimes with re-bending) on desks to keep wires in a basket that's mostly out of the cat's reach. You can also use plastic containers (tupperware, rubbermaid, that sort of thing) with a few holes drilled in them to contain the rat's nest of cables. Just be sure to allow -some- air to escape.
As far as equipment, think hard about a laptop. There's only a power cable to worry about -- no keyboard, mouse, etc. cables.
Use those ugly cable protectors for everything that's left.
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You could try feeding the cat, then it wouldn't be hungry and chew the cables!
http://www.22balmoralroad.net/ http://www.tinynetworks.co.uk/
This is a rather low-tech solution, but cover your cables in tape. When my cats figured it would be a good idea to gnaw on the 120VAC power lines running through our (not yet finished) walls, we stuck some tape on them (sticky side out) and it promptly stopped. Double-sided tape would work well for this.
;)
I guess it loses all its fun when your face ends up stuck to what you're chewing on. Though maybe if I just let them bite through the cable would've stopped the chewing as well.
I have two cats and a bunch of computers in my one bedroom apartment. Cats don't bother cables. I'll support the parent, a second cat could improve things.
If you get second cat, a kitten of the opposite gender is usually a good pick (of course make sure your cat is spayed or neutered first).
You could also try bitter apple it supposedly is for dogs but apparently works for cats. I would need about 10 galons of the stuff to cover all my cables so I didn't bother trying.
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I support spreading santorum
A buddy of mine has a cat that loves to attack/claw/chew wires. He put a little sprinkle of lemon juice on the wires, cat doesnt go near them anymore.
And it just may make your office area smell nicer.
Another option is to make them inaccessible- run them through cardboard tubes. Of course, if your cat shreds cardboard, this won't work. So maybe taping something around them- plastic panels or something?
The options are simple:
render them unappetising
render them inaccessible
render them indestructible
i put them in the order that i thought most likely to work- my cat hates the pet repellent, so the area under my desk gets treated.
let us know what works!
"I'd say 'Have a good time,' but arson is still illegal.
This is not really a /. question. Your local petstore will help you solve this in under $10. Just get any pet repellant spray like bitter apple and spray it on the needed area for a few days. Your pet will the idea that this area/items have the worst taste and it's better to chew on your shoes than to chew on cables sprayed with Bitter Apple....
Actually, dishwashing agent is made to taste horrible to discourage children from eating it. You'd be better of with just that magical flavour without the dishwashing stuff around it.
Avantslash: low-bandwidth mobile slashdot.
This is exactly right. The problem is that your cat is trying to communicate with you. Its basically saying, "You spend a lot of time in here, so therefore I should destroy what is taking you away from me--so you can play with me instead!" Getting another cat will undoutedbly take its attention away from the cables behind your computer, and instead focus on the other animal in the apartment.
The other solution is to (gasp!) actually play with your cat. I mean, how hard is it to get a laser pointer and send your cat tearing about the place like a nitro-funnycar? Might I suggest the Green Laser Pointer from Thinkgeek.com?
Or you could always call Confuse-A-Cat LTD...
I have 4 cats and no problems...but the two rabbits are a different story they chewed up every USB cable and speaker cable in sight. I solved the problem using Ben Gay. Rub it on the cables... they stopped instantly in my case...
fr33cl4m!
Perhaps the Snap-On cable protectors are unsightly, but there are more attractive solutions.
I picked up some cable protectors from my local computer superstore that look quite nice. They are about the same diameter as a vacuum cleaner hose, and are split down the length.
I just twist-tied all my cable runs together and then routed them inside the cable protector. It give a very clean, modern-looking solution.
It's not my fault! It was this way when I got here.
Double sided tape is definitely a solution. I have some friends who had a cat that was in the bad habit of knocking stuff off of shelves. They had a couple of things they didn't want to have to put away, but at the same time couldn't risk the cat destroying. Double sided tape worked perfectly and the cat eventually learned to stay away.
However, other posters who have pointed out that your cat is bored and or otherwise upset are on the mark. Get some cat toys, including some catnip toys. Consider getting another cat, opposite gender and read pet advice sites for how to introduce a kitten to your adult cat.
One thing though - don't try to punish the cat. The cat is doing this because it's unhappy, bored, frustrated etc. If you punish it, you just add something for the cat to be upset about. Oh, and I personally had great luck with my bored indoor cats by installing a bird feeder outside and keeping it stocked. It was like the cat version of television - they sit there for hours watching the birds.
oh man, do i. i have 4 cats and 5 computers.
one of them LOVES! phone cables for some reason.
The best method is not to protect your stuff - that becomes ridiculous as the amount of crap you use grows. No, what you need to do is provide better targets. Observe what they prefer, and give it to them. They'll have a preference, i guarantee it. If it's VGA cables, then keep the ones they busted, and hang it somewhere they can play with it and gnaw it as much as they want.
they should leave the new one alone.
it works!
Cut a small chili (the smaller and greener, the better, habaneros are particularly fiery) in half and rub it on your cables.
I swear to $DEITY that your cat will not forget that one. Or he will start demanding curry dinner, in both cases, you win.
IANAL but write like a drunk one.
They ended up with a dog that liked hot sauce.
Seriously though, the sauce wasn't hot enough. Red Hot and Tobasco really aren't too hot. When we got a new puppy, I put a mixture of water and Dave's Insanity sauce ( anything in this Scary Sauces category will do the same job) on the furniture legs, power & phone cables, and carpet fringes. As another poster said, 'Bitter Apple' would need to be stronger and come in cheap gallon sizes to really do the job. That's where the Dave's and water comes in. 1 teaspoon Dave's per 2 cups water. Guaranteed to work, unless your pet is a serious masochist.
Also have to remember to keep the water bowl full, or be a cruel jerk.
Operator, give me the number for 911!
A 1BR apt probably doesn't have room for another cat. Also the stress of adding another cat can lead to a ton of other problems, at least in the short term. Litterbox avoidance being one of the nastier ones.
Worked for me when I had the same problem with my cats. Just dilute it 1:1 with water and use a little paint brush to cover your cables. It also works to keep them from chewing the leaves on your potted palm tree.
the sauce wasn't hot enough
No, his dog was just immune to it. Just like people, dogs are individuals - and just as there are people who like spicy foods, some people don't.
As a puppy, our border collie would chew on anything.. we tried a number of commercial solutions (including bitter apple), as well as hot sauce (habanero powder) The dog loved it - he would suck the pepper off, then start chewing.
We accidentally came across a solution as I was putting rub a5-35 on my legs after a workout.. the dog came over to see what I was doing (sniffing, as dogs do), got within an inch of my leg, and let out a howl I'll never forget..
After that, a dab of the stuff on anything we didn't want chewed cured him from ever wanting to put his face near it.
I have had 4 cats over the course of my life. 3 male, 1 female. Now, I only have 1 male, 1 female (One of the males passed away in January, the other passed away in 1996).
A few recommendations for toys and other novelties for your cat.
Pipecleaners. (Some) Cats will mistake a pipecleaner for a rodent, and will run over, pounce, jump on, hunt, or just play with a pipecleaner.
Small plush toys. Some cats just love chasing after things. If I throw a certain plush toy down a hallway, one of my cats will run after it, pick it up, and bring it back. Experiment with this one.
Spray on (Liquid) Cat-Nip. Be careful with this stuff. If you spray it on a toy, don't spray too much on. Don't spray it into the air either.
Pure (Solid) Cat-Nip. Give your cat a little cat-nip every now and again. They will love you to bits.
Kitty Treats. These are a bit of a grey area for me. Some of my cats went nuts over these things, while some just didn't really care. Flavor is also an issue with these. One of my cats likes beef, while the other likes chicken.
Love and Affection. Proven. Two examples:
One of my cats is an 8 or 9 year old female cat. When we adopted her (she was a 1 or 2 year old stray - to this day we still do not known her age), she would not go near anyone (including family members and other cats), and was quite hostile. Years later, after much love and affection, she has mellowed out, but is still kind of anti-social.
Another one of my cats was adopted as a kitten. Since I was home more often than other family members, I was responsible for this little kitten's well being. I often spent hours just petting this little fluff-ball - only for him to claw my face off in overexcitement - but to this day (3 years later) he still prefers my lap to others.
Get another cat. Very grey area. I've seen this work, and I've seen this fail. Tow examples:
When I adopted the female cat, I thought she would bond with my existing male cat. I thought wrong. They were constantly at a distance.
Then again, when I adopted the little kitten, the older male cat took a parental role. He often cleaned the little kitten, and the kitten often returned the cleaning. Over the years they became good friends. Often they would clean eachother, play together, and even eat together. When the older cat fell ill, he would just sit by his side. No cleaning, no playing, no visiting me in bed. When the older cat finally passed away, his friend was very upset (He cried out during the night, he would attack me, etc).
I suppose to conclude, my best advice would be to experiment. Start small and work your way up. Don't do anything too drastic (like get another cat) until you feel you are ready and are confident its the right solution.
Frink: Nice try floyd, but you were designed for scrubbing, and scrubbing is what you shall do.
With rabbits, I use height to my advantage and just keep cords on top of the desk rather than dangling down below. I use split plastic tubing to cover the power cords plugged into the outlets. Sure, it doesn't look great, but rabbits are notorious about chewing on wiring, so I don't have much choice.
Also, 3M makes adhesive cord keepers that are pretty nice. I use them at chair-rail height.
I could kill you, sure, but I could only make you cry with these words
what I've found to be highly effective with my 3 (!) cats in my small 2 bedroom apartment is keeping a spray bottle on hand full of water. when the cats go somewhere they know they're not supposed to or do something they're not supposed to, they get thoroughly soaked. a warning squirt is usually good enough to keep them from being stupid, but if they insist, a good shower will usually discipline them with no ill effects. barring that, if you scruff them (grab a good chunk of skin on the back of their neck) and hold them down to the ground, they usually get the picture that they're being disciplined and will learn not to do that behavior.
Cat in the Kettle
There should be a law requiring/prohibiting that (Please circle one)
[Sorry -- formatting got fouled up on first post. Here's the full post.]
:)
:)
I had the same problem with my golden retriever when he was young (8mos). Among other things, he chewed through:
o The power adapter for my laptop
o An AC computer power cable (luckily, it wasn't live at the time, though that might have broken him of the habit)
o Several sets of $100 USB headsets
When animals chew on inappropriate things, it can mean one or more of several things. [Caveat: my experience is largely with dogs, though I expect some of the insights will apply to felines too.]
o They are teething or have a dental problem. This is normal when they are young (and new teeth are coming in).
o They are bored or feel abandoned -- inappropriate chewing, marking, etc. can be a compulsive disorder for dogs, kind of like ADHD. Sometimes it is an experssion of anxiety (particularly separation anxiety) or lack of attention. There are resources available for training this out of dogs (and cats, too, I assume)
o In the case of both cats and dogs, it can mean they are pissed off at you, either for leaving them alone, not playing with them, or whatever.
o Finally, it may indicate that they are hungry (is your cat *eating* the wire or just chewing it to bits?). If they are eating what they are chewing up, you'll find... evidence... routed though their South end in a couple days...
Deterrance and correction. The best course of action is to catch them in the act and correct them, usually with a loud "DON'T!" or something similar. In the case of dogs in particular, this is a good opportunity to establish dominance -- e.g., roll the dog on his back, pin him down (primarily by the neck or mouth), and hold him there until he stops struggling. He'll understand that you're the Alpha and that he's done something unappropriate.
[Note: this is a fight that you absolutely have to win -- if he escapes, catch him; if he tries to get away, restrain him. If you don't win the engagement, the dog will conclude that the's the Alpha and behavior problems will persist. Also, I'm not advocating *hurting* or being violent with your pet. The technique I described mimics, at least for dogs, actual dominant dog behavior, but does not inflict injury or physical pain. It sends the right message with a minimum of violence and a maximum of effectiveness and is a well-accepted training technique.]
One thing that is not effective is correcting the animal after the fact -- dogs and cats have short memories. If he chewed up your cables and you yell at him even 5 minutes later, he won't understand -- most animals don't have the sophisticated reasoning system to connect the correction with the past event. You have to catch him in the act and issue the correction post haste.
One way to ensure that you can catch them in the act is to set up a "trap" -- leave a cable on the floor and keep an eye on the animal. If, or when, he goes after it, nail him then and there. If you do this a couple times, then hopefully he'll get the idea that cables are not food/playthings
Another technique is to use a product such as "Sour Apple", which you coat on surfaces (such as cables) that the animal tends to eat. The product is non-toxic, but tastes quite nasty to them (very bitter/sour) and will deter them. Your local pet shop should have a selection of such products. I never had to use them with my dog, but I have friends who have used it with great success.
The behavior problem may also be due to the fact that the animal does not have any or enough appropriate toys to chew on. Go to your pet shop and buy a selection of animal- and breed- (read: size) appropriate toys. If the problem is chewing, then get chew-toys. If the problem is scratching, get scratching posts or similar products.
Introduce the toys to your pet and praise or reward him when he chews on them and plays with them. This will build a positive association between playing with the appropriate toys. To
This is some good advice. I want to stress the possibility that the cats might not get along unless they are integrated properly (and even then they might not get along).
One thing I've found that can solve a host of cat problems is excersize them HARD at least 15 minutes everyday. Find a toy on a string that your cat loves (shouldn't be too hard!) and keep it out of their reach and site except for excersize time. This will ensure your cat gets real excited about the toy.
I would come home from work and walk around the room, half-absentmindedly tossing the toy around while I watched TV. The cat would burn off all it's excess energy.
Once I started doing this with a problem cat that circumstances lead to my possession the cat became much more social, stopped over eating (poor thing was bored and seditary), got in shape and generally put the spark back into its personality.
As an added plus if you have a cat that keeps you awake while you're trying to sleep do the excersize thing with them just before you go to bed and feed the cat after the excersize. The cat will soon be ready for a nap itself.
Good luck.
Excellent suggestion and I wish I'd included it in my post because I've done the same thing. As and added note though, there is a cat toy that is the busy geek's nirvana. In execution it is extremely simple - it is a piece of straight spring wire with little pieces of wood or cardboard at the ends. You hold one end and the other end bounces and waves very much the way an a flying insect will.
What makes this toy great is that in addition to cats loving it and going ballistic when they see it - is that you don't actually have to always actively wield it. I'll hold it absently in one hand when I'm reading or watching tv - letting it hang off the side of the couch, and the cats will do frantic run-bys every five minutes swatting it like crazy.
Bought mine for $5-7 Canadian and I've seen them in every pet store I've been in lately. It doesn't look like it would be hard to make one either.