# Help! My cat is eating through my audio/video cables. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 10, 2004, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-cat-is-eating-through-my-audio-video-cables/279201 "2004-12-10T20:13:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-cat-is-eating-through-my-audio-video-cables/279201/1 "2004-12-10T20:13:47Z")
Sasha has decided that the stereo receiver is an ideal place for relaxation. It combines warmth, a small enclosed space, and the physical proximity needed for swiping at my head when I watch movies. She has also decided that the cables coming out the back are her enemy, and has already completely destroyed the video feed from my GameCube. I have used the squirt gun method for feline control in the past to relatively good effect, but the problem here is that I don’t always see her do it. I didn’t even notice until the cable was partway gone, and saw her at it only once afterward. Yet, a few days later, no more video cable. Is there something foul tasting or smelling (to a cat) that I can put on the cables to keep her away from them, but which won’t hurt her? Any other suggestions? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-cat-is-eating-through-my-audio-video-cables/279201/2 "2004-12-10T20:17:37Z")
You can try [this](http://www.thecatconnection.com/news_nov04/nov04_ssscat.html). I’ve never used it myself, because Pepper is a perfect angel cat, but I’ve heard good reviews about it. ---
**Author:** ![nj40fan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7c8e57/32.png) [@nj40fan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nj40fan)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-cat-is-eating-through-my-audio-video-cables/279201/3 "2004-12-10T20:30:42Z")
> [@iamthewalrus(:3=](#): > > Sasha has decided that the stereo receiver is an ideal place for relaxation. It combines warmth, a small enclosed space, and the physical proximity needed for swiping at my head when I watch movies. > > She has also decided that the cables coming out the back are her enemy, and has already completely destroyed the video feed from my GameCube. I have used the squirt gun method for feline control in the past to relatively good effect, but the problem here is that I don’t always see her do it. I didn’t even notice until the cable was partway gone, and saw her at it only once afterward. Yet, a few days later, no more video cable. > > Is there something foul tasting or smelling (to a cat) that I can put on the cables to keep her away from them, but which won’t hurt her? Any other suggestions? My cat did the same thing. Here’s how i stopped him for good. I took all of the wires out and hung them over a laundry rack. I then put a little tabasco sauce on my fingers and ran them down each wire. I let them dry overnight and put the whole thing back together. His frantic dash to the water bowl was strangely satisfying and he never did it again. ---
**Author:** ![Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tastes_of_chocolate/32/3232_2.png) [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tastes_of_Chocolate)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-cat-is-eating-through-my-audio-video-cables/279201/4 "2004-12-10T20:33:55Z")
Try putting some form of capsaicin on the cords. Capsaicin is what makes hot peppers hot. Most animals won’t go back for a second mouthful of it. On a cord, maybe try some kind of hot pepper oil, or paprika powder on a slightly damp cord. [aside] Paprika also works to keep squirrels out of bird food. Sprinkle some in with the food. Birds don’t seem to taste it, but the squirrels do. [/aside] ---
**Author:** ![Pucette](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/278dde/32.png) [@Pucette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pucette)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-cat-is-eating-through-my-audio-video-cables/279201/5 "2004-12-10T21:18:44Z")
I just took a sponge and soaped it up with warm water, and ran that all the way along the wires/cables. I guess pepper stuff would have been healthier for them, but the quickest of soap tastes was enough to get them to stop for good. ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-cat-is-eating-through-my-audio-video-cables/279201/6 "2004-12-10T23:34:37Z")
Yeah, I was going to recommend soap, too. Also works for other close-to-the-floor critters like human babies. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2004, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-cat-is-eating-through-my-audio-video-cables/279201/7 "2004-12-11T01:11:21Z")
I once saw something in Bed, Bath and Beyond that I was going to try. It was mostly for holding cords neatly to reduce clutter but it may also keep them from getting chewed on. Basically it looked like a vacuum cleaner hose that had been slit lengthwise and you run the cords through it. I tried this with an old anesthesia machine circuit (which is similar to a vacuum cleaner hose) on my computer cords, however my computer ended up dying (unrelated to the cat chewing) so I did not get to use it very long but I did notice that the cat’s just chewed on the hose instead, which is better than chewing on the cords. ---
**Author:** ![Fuji\_Kitakyusho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f0a364/32.png) [@Fuji\_Kitakyusho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuji_Kitakyusho)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2004, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-cat-is-eating-through-my-audio-video-cables/279201/8 "2004-12-11T01:25:44Z")
Anyone else see “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation”? 😃