UNUSUAL SUSPECTS

By Emily Greene

Many prospective cat owners are unaware that their feline friends have the potential to be serious chewers. The Sphynx, for whatever reason, seem to be geared towards chewing more than other feline breeds. Not all are chewers, however,  it is something I warn people about before they get their kittens.

As a Sphynx owner for over 10 years now, I have been exasperated countless times by my Sphynx chewing and eating various items. These items include, but are not limited to: electric cords, clothes, ribbons, real plants, artificial plants, hair bands, rubber bands, shoes, iPhone charger cords… one of mine even ate a $50 bill. I found the remnants of the bill on the dresser.  Not only is this habit costly for owners, but it can be dangerous for the cat as well.

One of the best ways to keep a house safe is to keep it clean and items stowed away. However some items, such as electric cords cannot always be put away and may have exposure to our furless felines. It is important to stimulate Sphynx with lots of toys and spend time each day playing with them. I personally stay away from the pom-poms as I find a lot of cats eat those and vomit and I had one that got an obstruction from the pom pom that required surgery.

Even with those tips, my cats, if I leave my purse open even one inch will go into it and try to eat my earbuds. I am sure many of you have had this situation happen.  The answer is me… close the purse all the way!

One thing that we all can proactively do is make electric cords safe.

Here are instructions for making electric cords safe.

Step 1: Purchase clear plastic tubing from a hardware store. Normally it is found in the plumbing section. It is also known as aquarium tape too and can be found in the fish section sometimes. It comes in several sizes so you can select the best diameter for your electric cord.

Step 2: Measure the length of the cord you want to cover and cut.

Step 3: Then slice the clear plastic tubing down the middle. Exacto knives work well for this process. Once it is sliced, you can push the cord inside. Depending on the cord or cats, you may need to use duck tape at the ends too.

I have found that this method protects the cords and the cats do not bother with them after they are covered. It is definitely worth the time and effort to do this.

Some specialized hardware stores have protective wire wrap and this is already pre-split. Click on photo below to enlarge to see package of protective wire wrap.

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