Destructive chewing

[tuxedokitties]

Hi! One of my cats has an appetite for plastic, and is by far the most destructive chewer I've ever known. Thankfully I don't think she swallows it, but she chews on everything plastic.

I keep charging cords and earphones out of reach or she'll sneak up and sever them the moment I'm not looking. Bitter Apple does nothing to deter her. I have put hard plastic cord covers on all accessible electric cords because she was chewing on those.

But this cat doesn't stop there. She's chewed up our Crocs, the shower curtains, the handle on the toilet bowl brush, my daughter's toys, and a hundred other things. Today, I turned on the shower and the shower massage hose sprayed water everywhere - she'd chewed holes in it!

She gets some canned food daily and is free fed dry. She's 3 years old, spayed, and is not declawed. It's not a new behavior, she's done this since we adopted her as a 5 month old kitten, but she is more destructive to more things as an adult. Our other cat just turned two, so she has a playmate. She doesn't seem bored or stressed. She does seem very driven to seek out plastic to chew, and when I've observed her in the act, she has an utterly blissful expression on her face.

Any suggestions to cut down on the destruction?

 

[Maurey]

Have her teeth been checked recently? Could be her gums are irritating her.

That said — some cats are just chewers — have you tried redirecting her attention to some kitty chew toys? Pet stages make some of the popular ones, but I’m sure there are plenty of choices out there.

 

[rubysmama]

Since you've been a member a long time, you may have read these threads when they were first created, but in case you missed any, or want to read again, here's the site search for threads with "chewing plastic" in the title.

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