[CrWoodyspets]

First of all let me say that I have never heard of cats chewing before- besides maybe teething kittens. Oscar is FAR from a kitten! He is three years old (almost four in February) and he chews things like a mad cat!
He has chewed a hole in my bed comforter and my brothers, socks laying on the floor, a jacket, blanket, and the corner of a wooden cedar chest.
Pretty much, we can't leave ANYTHING on the floor, because he chews on it! And if there is nothing on the floor he finds other things to chew on. He keeps my mom up at night chewing on things.

Has anyone had this problem with cats before? Any suggestions? Any help is appreciated

Some pics of the damage...

My Bubba

 

[canadiancritter]

Hummmmm......strange.... have you tried telling him no and spraying him with a squirt bottle? Bitter apple spray on the solid things he is chewing?

 

[CrWoodyspets]

Thanks!

When we tell him No, he runs off and then goes to something else. He usually doesn't chew when people are around though...most of the time at night.

 

[VanillaRat]

I have heard of cats chewing,but not excessively like that.

My two girls chew a little bit and have chewed holes in my washer hose.Berlin also has this thing for chewing blankets.I agree,you should try bitter apple spray or something.

 

[CrWoodyspets]

OK, I will have to see if that works!

 

[FlickeringHope]

Actually, bitter apple spray I don't think would be a good idea - anything contain phenols are extremely toxic to cats. That's anything that ranks up there with household cleaners and essential oils - bitter apple spray would probably be just as toxic to their system. Sticking with water is probably the better option.

 

[wishbone]

Hope it's just little behavior like he's little bored. But sometimes sudden behavior change is due to health issue mostly for older pets, but I doubt Oscar was..

 

[VanillaRat]

Actually, bitter apple spray I don't think would be a good idea - anything contain phenols are extremely toxic to cats. That's anything that ranks up there with household cleaners and essential oils - bitter apple spray would probably be just as toxic to their system. Sticking with water is probably the better option.

I NEVER heard of this before...sources?

 

[FlickeringHope]

Certainly!

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=1+1411+1418&aid=2243

^ This gives a general summary of the effect of phenols on cats.

http://www.helium.com/items/1387574-phenol-poisoning-in-pets

^This gives you an idea of what to look out for in phenol poisoning, and how dogs and cats get it.

"Cats' livers do not have the necessary enzymes to break down and excrete certain chemical compounds in essential oils. The chemical compounds accumulate in a cat's body and are sometimes toxic to the point of death. Cats are very sensitive to morphine, certain sulfanomides, salicylic acid (aspirin), acetaminophen (Tylenol), allyl propyl disulfide (onions) and compounds containing bezene (benzyl alcohol preservative). Avoid all the following oils around cats:

• Wintergreen and birch oils contain methyl salicylate, the same chemical compound in aspirin.
• Phenol-containing oils: oregano, thyme, cinnamon (cassia), clove, savory, birch, and melaleuca (Tea Tree oil)
• Ketones, such as sage
• Monoterpene hydrocarbons pinene and limonene, most commonly found in the citrus and pine oils: lemon, orange, tangerine, mandarin, grapefruit, lime, bergamot, pine, spruce, and any fir oil. Many household cleaners and even pet products have these latter substances in them to make them smell nice to the owners."

http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?action=library&act=show&item=aromatherapyandcats

 

[ZimMoody]

Then what the heck is safe around cats?!?? It is pretty much impossible to remove all those items completley from one's home, one of those oils is found in something in the home. How can one keep a clean and sanitary place when one can not use any cleaning products?
Sorry to get off track from the original post.
Your cat might be bored, or have a behavioural problem. Not sure... gotta suck to have everything chewed on.

 

[FlickeringHope]

Vinegar-water makes a great cleaner. Household cleaners are not needed not only because they're toxic to cats, but they can't be great for us to inhale, either. Vinegar is a great disinfectant(you don't need bleach - at all), Vinegar can be used in laundry to fluff it up, and cleans counters and toilets and sinks and tubs efficiently. I use vinegar to clean toilets; it does a great job. I use vinegar to clean litter boxes, too.

Mind, it doesn't necessarily mean you can't use some products, but you shouldn't use those products in rooms that cats or dogs come in contact with either through scent or touch.

Just take it back to nature. Clean your house like people used to - before corrosive and abrasive chemicals were invented.

 

[CrWoodyspets]

I am not sure if he is bored or not, also possible its a behavior thing. We play with him and trust me, he gets TONS of attention and is spoiled rotten, its just usually at night!

 

[VanillaRat]

Thanks for the info.
Phenols are bad for anything though,but I didn't know there were phenols in bitter apple.

 

[ZimMoody]

Pehaps you might be able to teach him to chew on only certain items that are safe and you don't mind being chewed up. Maybe he just has a need to chew, like most dogs do.

 

[FlickeringHope]

I'm assuming bitter apple has phenols. Generally, those deterrent sprays have a rancid smell purposely. It doesn't sound like a safe thing to use on cats or dogs. :/

 

[Kendalle]

the bitter apple spray i have is basically apple cider vinegar i think. it doesn't have a smell, it just tastes icky.

They make it for cats as well.

maybe get him a dog bone or rawhide

 

[FlickeringHope]

Bone is a good idea - but rawhides are bad, dogs, and undoubtedly cats, can choke to death on rawhides, and develop pancreatitis, not to mention it's absolutely infiltrated with bacteria.

http://standeyo.com/News_Files/INFO_Files/rawhide.chew.warning.html

 

[litlebunnies2]

I have cats that chew also, although not fabric. They chew baskets, the spouts of pump bottles etc.