advice to stop the cat chewing on the playstation??

[matts mom]

Matt got mad at me yesterday for not feeding him,and went to play with the playstation...no big deal I thought...except he figured out that if he chews the corner with the power button he can turn it on, and now he can't  get enough of it! /It was funny at first, I just moved him away and tried to distract him with a game...but he won't  leave it alone! I'm getting frustrated now, and sssssscat is too costly, since my pet store has been unable to get in refills lately and/I don't know if  I can keep it running after I buy it......does anyone have any suggestions??

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• matts mom
• Oct 9, 2012

This is what the TV stand looks like...

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• matts mom
• Oct 10, 2012

and this is my current solution to the problem....a clear sterilite lid with a table in front to hold it

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• matts mom
• Oct 10, 2012

I'd really appreciate a better solution lol

 

[momofmany]

Some cats don't like citrus flavored things and others don't like Bitter Apple. While you wouldn't want to spray these products directly on the Playstation, you could spray some on your hand and rub it onto it. It's worth a try.

Personally, I gave up on leaving things in the open many years ago. Every book case and cabinet in my home has a door that closes so that the kids can't explore inside them. It took many years to replace everything like this, but I no longer buy anything without doors. Another advantage is that they keep out pet hair and there is less to dust.

 

[bigperm20]

Cat's can be determined to a pain. I had an issue w/ keeping Leonidas away from the antenna on my wireless router. I keep mine on my tv stand. I dripped lemon juice on the shelf in front of it as mine has glass shelves. I also rubbed my hands w/ lemon juice and lightly coated the router. Works like a charm.

 

[matts mom]

Thanks! I'll try the lemon juice,bitter apple first......if that fails /i have my eye new tv stand at Canadian tire......but the car goes in on friday and I don't want to go out and buy new furnature before I know what the bill for the car will  be....and I like the one I have anyway so if I could keep it all the better

 

[rad65]

You might also want to try double sided tape. A lot of cats don't like sticky things, and Matt will start to associate the playstation with that feeling. It's how a lot of people stop their cats from scratching up their couches, etc. Once he learns to avoid it, you can stop using the tape.

 

[kumitekat]

Yeah, double sided tape or aluminum foil. Cats don't like the sound of aluminum foil, so if you can somehow cover it with it, it might help deter him. And, I suggest a squirt bottle as well, but I understand that it might be sketchy to squirt water near your equipment. Maybe just a little focused on his behind-the part farthest from the electronics. :-)

 

[matts mom]

I have some double-sided carpet tape.....designed to hold down mats and things. I had also wondered about putting something clear in front of the playstation to stop him getting to it...but haven't yet come up with what. lots of toys come in plastic packaging that would  do the trick if I could get hold of some, but the next birthday isn't for over a month

 

[catspaw66]

Never use a squirt bottle on your cat.  It traumatizes them and will lead to worse behavioral problems.

 

[matts mom]

Never use a squirt bottle on your cat.  It traumatizes them and will lead to worse behavioral problems.

I have never used a squirt bottle on my cats. the closest I ever got was using a fine mist in the air ahead of me  with /Matt, when he thought he'd get smart with me and hide under the table to stop me from putting him downstairs for meowing in the middle of the night. /he obviously has met a spray bottle in a previous home though,  because just the sound of it got him moving. 

I put lemon juice on the TV stand...fingers crossed

 

[matts mom]

lemon juice failed....it's all over the tv stand, and on the play station...he still chewed the power button to  turn it  on. The barrier is back up for now, i guess /I'll try more ideas tomorrow

 

[catspaw66]

The admonition about squirt bottles was for the previous poster, not you.  I know you have figured out things that are harmful to Matt.  Why don't you find a playstation that doesn't work at a yard sale and give that to Matt to play with. Or is it the warmth he likes?

 

[ibiscribe]

If I understand correctly, he's getting his kicks out of the fact that it turns on? If that's the case, how about just unplugging its power cord when you aren't using it? That's the simplest (and least sticky) solution I can think of. I'd expect that eventually he should just get bored and give up. If not, at least it will keep him from turning it on while you look for another solution?

 

[matts mom]

If I understand correctly, he's getting his kicks out of the fact that it turns on? If that's the case, how about just unplugging its power cord when you aren't using it? That's the simplest (and least sticky) solution I can think of. I'd expect that eventually he should just get bored and give up. If not, at least it will keep him from turning it on while you look for another solution

You both have a good point..though  I buried the power cord  in case he got stupid, so turning it off would be a real pain, since it's used daily. /i have place the sterilite barrier back in front for now...it's a clear lid from an under bed box so the wireless controller still works....and it's less of a pain to move that out of the way to change discs than it is to chase the cat off every couple of minutes. he's  turning his interest to the printer now lol.....maybe I'll get some ink and print off  a few sheets to get his attention? nothing to chew on there and it only ran me 40bucks......if I had an ipad, he'd be an ideal candidate!

 

[luvzmykatz]

Paprika is said to work well for keeping cats away but I've never tried it.
 

 

[matts mom]

Paprika is said to work well for keeping cats away but I've never tried it.
 

I  wouldnt use it.....it could get in his eyes and hurt him or worse yet he could lick it up and it will burn all the way through his digestive system. It hurts bad when they got the bathroom after,and could cause litterbox avoidance or constipation as they associate pooping with pain. not to mention behavioral issues......I'd be better off just giving him a good swat whenever goes near.....(which I also wouldn't do)

thank you for the suggestion...please don't ever try it with your cats either...the reasons it works are cruel

 

[kumitekat]

Sorry, but I disagree about not using a spray bottle on cats.I do not spray my cat in the face, and I know how to properly use it during or before the behavior I want to alter. Usually after one squirt the cat gets the picture and all I have to do is pick it up.

My cats are very happy and not traumatized!!

If people spray the cat after the unwanted behavior, or simply whenever they want, then yes, that would be bad. It would be bad in the same way as hitting your cat because they wouldn't understand what is going on.

But if you know how to use a little squirt as a behavior tool then there is nothing at all bad about it.
 

 

[kumitekat]

Never use a squirt bottle on your cat.  It traumatizes them and will lead to worse behavioral problems.

Sorry, this is whom I was responding to.

 

[matts mom]

Never use a squirt bottle on your cat.  It traumatizes them and will lead to worse behavioral problems.

referring to this quote, I think it depends how the bottle is used. If one were to spray a cat in a way that made the at feel threatened then it would cause behavioral issues.....but generally it's understood that you spray NEAR the cat, not AT the cat.  First Sassy, then matt figured out that using furnature as a blocker could delay prompt discipline...and without prompt  discipline you do not teach an animal. so I employ the bottle as a fine mist ahead of me, and they learned that it was either me or the water. they don't fear it, in fact when stubborn, matt will sit and shrug off the water and still refuse to move lol.....of course he's the cat who invades people's bathtubs so hardly a NORMAL cat. the thing he doesn't like is the SOUND of the spray bottle, so it rarely comes out. a pop bottle being opened is far more effective lol

 

[catspaw66]

No more comments from me on this subject.

 

[matts mom]

Sorry, but I disagree about not using a spray bottle on cats.I do not spray my cat in the face, and I know how to properly use it during or before the behavior I want to alter. Usually after one squirt the cat gets the picture and all I have to do is pick it up.

My cats are very happy and not traumatized!!

If people spray the cat after the unwanted behavior, or simply whenever they want, then yes, that would be bad. It would be bad in the same way as hitting your cat because they wouldn't understand what is going on.

But if you know how to use a little squirt as a behavior tool then there is nothing at all bad about it.
 

referring to this quote, I think it depends how the bottle is used. If one were to spray a cat in a way that made the at feel threatened then it would cause behavioral issues.....but generally it's understood that you spray NEAR the cat, not AT the cat.  First Sassy, then matt figured out that using furnature as a blocker could delay prompt discipline...and without prompt  discipline you do not teach an animal. so I employ the bottle as a fine mist ahead of me, and they learned that it was either me or the water. they don't fear it, in fact when stubborn, matt will sit and shrug off the water and still refuse to move lol.....of course he's the cat who invades people's bathtubs so hardly a NORMAL cat. the thing he doesn't like is the SOUND of the spray bottle, so it rarely comes out. a pop bottle being opened is far more effect

catspaw66 I am very sorry if you felt singled out. your comment was quoted because it was further back in the thread....to let people know what we were talking about, since we were off-topic, and I was talking to  Kumitecat at the time, about the difference between acceptable use of  bottles and harmful. i think you are right in a direct sense...if you use a bottle ON  a cat it would cause behavioral issues. I am fairly new to forums, and will try not to over-use  quotes again.......very sorry