Chewing boy doesn't care about bitter apple...

anxiousmama

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Hello everyone,

My kitty Momo, who is a 1yo manx boy that is very active, is very fond of chewing cardboard, including the sections on cardboard boxes that have tape on them!! He's been good about learning not to chew other things, but just loves cardboard too much I suppose. I think sometimes he may eat tiny pieces of it, so of course I want him to stop this behavior in case he does, on purpose or accidentally. I have tried using the Bitter Yuck! spray, and he doesn't seem to care about it, just licking his coat to get the taste off his tongue after he's done chewing...even if I use a lot of it. This surprises me a lot, because I accidentally had the tiniest taste of it once and it just immediately coated my mouth in one of the most bitter tastes I've ever experienced! I want to deter him, and have a citrus spray I'm going to try on some of his favorite spots to climb that he really shouldn't, but citrus (usually) is such a deterrent that I worry he wouldn't want to hang out on top of that box anymore at all instead of simply not chewing! I don't have a lot of furniture because I moved at the end of 2020 and have a very low income, so a couple boxes I've arranged in a corner with an open one and a cat bed on top is a makeshift secondary "cat condo." Does anyone have any ideas on a middle ground deterrent between bitter apple and citrus I could try? I discourage the behavior as much as possible manually, but I can't do anything about the times I have to be out of the house for work.

Oh and just to provide as much info as possible upfront, I do have many outlets for him in case he could be bored and simply acting out, so I don't think that's the issue (when he's happy and excited and playing he still does it, too). I think he just really really loves cardboard, lol! I've given him all sorts of chew toys that he loves to rotate through, and puzzle feeders/treat toys as well as electronic toys and even dog toys to stimulate his mind when I can't play with his wand toy with him to do flips in the air. He's a spoiled boy and I try to cater to his likes as much as possible! This love of cardboard, though...? Unfortunately for him, not one I'm gonna cater to, lol.

Thanks!
 

di and bob

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If he is THAT determined, I think the only thing to do is to eliminate the cardboard. He may outgrow it as he gets older. The urge to chew is very strong in all young animals. Get some large plastic totes and see how that works, or some kind of plastic cubes I've seen to put together storage units. Those cubes are pretty inexpensive. They have chew cat treats now I noticed, maybe you could try those to get his chewing in.
 
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anxiousmama

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Thanks guys. Like I said in my original post, I’m aware that this is something cats just sometimes do, and I do have an appointment for a check-up at the vet soon, I just need to figure out a way to deter Momo from this behavior when bitter apple doesn’t seem to phase him — just taking the boxes away may be what I have to do... :(
 

game misconduct

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Thanks guys. Like I said in my original post, I’m aware that this is something cats just sometimes do, and I do have an appointment for a check-up at the vet soon, I just need to figure out a way to deter Momo from this behavior when bitter apple doesn’t seem to phase him — just taking the boxes away may be what I have to do... :(
Dog chew toys they last longer 😂graycies the same way bitter apple didn't work on her either but i kinda have gotten her to learn not to chew cords random stuff kinda but its like @ di and bob said eliminate all things etc possible 😂😂cats are worse than toddlers but i did get her used to chewing dog toys though the kitty ones get destroyed
 

susanm9006

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Most cardboard chewers do not eat any of it. They pull off a piece and spit it out. It’s messy but harmless. If your guy is spitting the cardboard out then I don’t see why you would give him a box and let him go to town. My girl is especially fond of tearing apart paper towel and toilet paper rolls but also has acardboard box that she chews on.
 
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Talien

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Yeah, chewing cardboard is harmless. I have 2 Cats that do this and they never actually eat it but they sure do make a mess tearing it apart. If your Cat likes playing with cardboard it's probably one of the easiest "toys" to get ahold of.

If you're on a really tight budget and can't afford Cat furniture check with local shelters and rescues. At least here in Michigan they are regulated by the ag department and are required to dispose of anything with carpet or fabric on it after so long because it can't be cleaned to their standards. If your state has similar rules for shelters you could contact the ones near you and offer to buy some of their old Cat furniture for $10-$20 when it comes time to get rid of it and they'd probably be more than happy to get a few bucks for it rather than throw it in the trash.
 

fionasmom

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My cats are also "spitters" and leave saliva drenched pieces all over the place. If he is going that, you are probably okay. If he is truly eating boxes, I would take them away or use citrus.
 
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anxiousmama

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I know that tons of cats love to chew cardboard, I had a feral kitty for 17 years and she liked to do the same. My main concern is it seems like he does think about eating it, most gets spat back out but sometimes I catch him swallowing the smaller bits (but that may be if they get stuck in his gums like goldfish crackers get stuck in mine lol 😂)...and since he really goes for the tape on the boxes first, I don't want him ingesting that at least. He loves dog toys, I think half of his toys are dog toys - chew toys, plushies with squeakers, Kong products, etc. I'll definitely look into the shelters around here and see if they have similar practices to what Talien suggested! For now I guess I'll just take away whatever cardboard I don't want him to chew on, though! 🙃
 
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