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Security Hardware

Protecting Your Gear from Pets? 190

Posted by Cliff from the convincing-them-the-hardware-isn't-a-scratching-post dept.
EvilJoven asks: "About a month ago I spent quite a large chunk of change on a new system only to have my cat chew through the VGA source cable of my brand new display. Over the course of the last few years my cat has cost me nearly $300CDN in repair and replacement costs due to chewed cables including a few power cables which are not only a pain to replace but potentially fatal to the animal and a fire hazard. So far the best solution I've found to stop this is wrapping all my cables in Snap-On Wire Protectors (about $6CDN for 3m at Canadian Tire in the Automotive section) but this is a rather unsightly solution. Due to the fact that I live in a one bedroom apartment restricting my cats access to my hardware is not an option. I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions on a better way to protect gear from animals."
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Protecting Your Gear from Pets? More

Protecting Your Gear from Pets?

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  • Nail biting (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Improv ( 2467 ) <pgunn01@gmail.com> on Wednesday February 25, 2004 @08:41AM (#8384773) Homepage Journal
    When I was young, my parents experimented with
    putting stuff on my nails to stop me from biting
    them. It tasted terrible. Perhaps the same could
    be applied to cables in your apartment?

    • Re:Nail biting (Score:5, Funny)

      by beegle ( 9689 ) on Wednesday February 25, 2004 @09:08AM (#8384921) Homepage
      My grandparents tried this with hot sauce and furniture legs to stop a problem dog. They ended up with a dog that liked hot sauce.

      • Re:Nail biting (Score:5, Informative)

        by Strange Ranger ( 454494 ) on Wednesday February 25, 2004 @11:41AM (#8386370)
        They ended up with a dog that liked hot sauce.

        Seriously though, the sauce wasn't hot enough. Red Hot and Tobasco really aren't too hot. When we got a new puppy, I put a mixture of water and Dave's Insanity sauce ( anything in this Scary Sauces [mohotta.com] category will do the same job) on the furniture legs, power & phone cables, and carpet fringes. As another poster said, 'Bitter Apple' would need to be stronger and come in cheap gallon sizes to really do the job. That's where the Dave's and water comes in. 1 teaspoon Dave's per 2 cups water. Guaranteed to work, unless your pet is a serious masochist.

        Also have to remember to keep the water bowl full, or be a cruel jerk.
        • Haban~ero pepper extract will deter any sane,
          genetically intact, pet.
          • My new dog got a habanero off of the counter and after a few hours of chewing it, it dissapeared.

            He didn't go for the kill right off because it was too hot, but he killed it through persistance.

        • Re:Nail biting (Score:3, Informative)

          by schon ( 31600 )
          the sauce wasn't hot enough

          No, his dog was just immune to it. Just like people, dogs are individuals - and just as there are people who like spicy foods, some people don't.

          As a puppy, our border collie would chew on anything.. we tried a number of commercial solutions (including bitter apple), as well as hot sauce (habanero powder) The dog loved it - he would suck the pepper off, then start chewing.

          We accidentally came across a solution as I was putting rub a5-35 on my legs after a workout.. the dog c

          • Re:Nail biting (Score:3, Interesting)

            by gmhowell ( 26755 )
            Similarly, it won't keep many birds away from cords. My mother has a parrot and a cockatieu (sp?). For kicks, my brother and I would buy ever hotter peppers to see if the bird would ever stop eating them. No dice. When the peppers are eating through the gloves you handle them with (hyperbole, don't ask for a type:) we gave up. The little blighter would pop the cap, eat the seeds and ribs, then beg for more.

            • Re:Nail biting (Score:5, Interesting)

              by Strange Ranger ( 454494 ) on Wednesday February 25, 2004 @03:31PM (#8389696)
              Actually I read somewhere [ufl.edu] that the whole pepper genus evolved specifically to disperse seeds through birds alone. A bird has a much shorter less-acidic digestive tract than a mammal. A bird also has no teeth. So the bird can disperse the seeds, whereas a mammal's teeth and digestive tract would destroy, or at least sterilize, the seeds. So as a plant, how do you get birds to eat your seeds and not mammals? Simple, you "evolve" a compound that mammals find totally unpalatable, but that birds don't mind at all. Hence capsaicin.

              AFAIK all birds are totally immune to capsicum/capsaicin. They can chomp through a pile of habeneros and not notice anything even zesty.

              So all of us hot pepper lovers can thank birds for the very existence of hot peppers!

              • Re:Nail biting (Score:3, Interesting)

                by jc42 ( 318812 )
                Funny that we got a cluster of comments about birds eating hot peppers. The ufl.edu article was interesting, but I noticed that they reported their test peppers being eaten mostly by a single species of bird.

                It's not really known whether all birds find hot peppers tasty. It wouldn't be surprising if this were limited mostly to New World birds, since that's where peppers evolved. We have a conure who loves hot peppers, but conures are from South America, so that's not too useful as an example. However, we
        • Depending on your pet, it might not be possible to make it hot enough.

          Our problem is a cockatiel. The cute little devil has learned to pop the key caps off of keyboards. So far, we've managed to catch him in the act, retrieve the key cap, and press it back in place. But it's just a matter of time before he flies off with one.

          Hot peppers don't faze parrots. Commercial parrot mixes often include hot peppers. A while ago, when I decided to harvest a pot full of ripe "decorative" peppers, our conure land

    • Re:Nail biting (Score:3, Informative)

      by fr33cl4m ( 75967 )
      I have 4 cats and no problems...but the two rabbits are a different story they chewed up every USB cable and speaker cable in sight. I solved the problem using Ben Gay. Rub it on the cables... they stopped instantly in my case...

      fr33cl4m!

    • Exactly! Mexican pearl of wisdom: (Score:5, Informative)

      by jotaeleemeese ( 303437 ) on Wednesday February 25, 2004 @11:31AM (#8386196) Homepage Journal
      Cut a small chili (the smaller and greener, the better, habaneros are particularly fiery) in half and rub it on your cables.

      I swear to $DEITY that your cat will not forget that one. Or he will start demanding curry dinner, in both cases, you win.

  • Problem pets (Score:5, Funny)

    by nastyphil ( 111738 ) on Wednesday February 25, 2004 @08:42AM (#8384774)
    eat your cat.

  • Give your cat some cables (Score:3, Insightful)

    by samjam ( 256347 ) on Wednesday February 25, 2004 @08:43AM (#8384781) Homepage Journal
    Give your cat some cables of its own.
    Hang a few up, coil a few around it's cat box.

    It should be easier to direct the cat to its own cables than keep it away altogether.

    Sam

    • Re:Give your cat some cables (Score:5, Funny)

      by kinnell ( 607819 ) on Wednesday February 25, 2004 @08:47AM (#8384801)
      Give your cat some cables of its own.
      Hang a few up, coil a few around it's cat box.

      Exactly. If these cables are connected to a high tension power supply, your cat will soon learn to stop chewing cables.

    • Doesn't this just reinforce bad behaviour? how does the cat know that its ok to chew on "cat" cables not "your" cables?

      -G
      • The same way the cat is taught that some things are only done in the litter tray!

        Sam
      • Doesn't this just reinforce bad behaviour? how does the cat know that its ok to chew on "cat" cables not "your" cables?

        I guess you don't have a cat. =) The notion that the cat will learn "right" or "wrong," "good" or "bad" behavior is wishful thinking at best. This idea applies to dogs just fine, since they're more likely to see people as some kind of an authority figure. Cats however will think of you as an equal if you're lucky and worthy, and as a contemptible servant to be rewarded, punished an
        • I guess you don't have a cat.

          Speaking as someone who has had cats (I had my last one since he was a kitten, he passed away last spring at 16 years old) I can say you're full of it.

          The notion that the cat will learn "right" or "wrong," "good" or "bad" behavior is wishful thinking at best.

          No, it's not. Cats are social creatures, just like dogs - just because they display their sociality in different manner than dogs, or that some cat owners decide to reward thier cat's dominant behaviour (which is misi
      • I don't know about the cats, but when our dog [petdance.com] started chewing on blankets and sheets in the bedroom, we gave him his own blanket. He now chews on that one, and only that one. He knows it's his blanket.

  • Cat food (Score:5, Funny)

    by tedDancin ( 579948 ) on Wednesday February 25, 2004 @08:46AM (#8384796)
    There's only one solution to this: Place some cat food on/over one of the power cables connecting your PC. Problem solved.

    • Re:Cat food (Score:2, Interesting)

      by R2.0 ( 532027 )
      Ironically enough, that's sort of how my wife got her cat. She found a little black kitten screaming her head outside off on Halloween and took her in. She asked around, and later that evening the neighbors got home and said "Oh yeah, she's ours. We found her foaming at the mouth this morning, so we threw her out. No, we don't really want her back; she tends to chew on power cords."

      Per the vet, 1)kittens chew on power cords, and 2) when the get a jolt, they will drool and "foam."

      • We found her foaming at the mouth this morning, so we threw her out. No, we don't really want her back; she tends to chew on power cords

        Damn, that's cruel! Were they planning on never taking it back? Geez, they could at least try to place her in another home or euthanize her.

        I'm not a cat fan (my father didn't like them and now that I live by myself I'm too lazy to keep anything more demanding than a cactus) but if you get a pet, you can't simply throw it away like you would a faulty appliance.

  • Get another cat? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Futurepower(R) ( 558542 ) on Wednesday February 25, 2004 @08:52AM (#8384825) Homepage
    Suggestion: Your cat is trying to say he or she is not happy. Get another cat so that he will have something to do while you are at work. They will chase each other around and make noises like a herd of cattle, but they won't chew cables.

    • Re:Get another cat? (Score:4, Informative)

      by truffle ( 37924 ) on Wednesday February 25, 2004 @09:08AM (#8384924) Homepage
      I have two cats and a bunch of computers in my one bedroom apartment. Cats don't bother cables. I'll support the parent, a second cat could improve things.

      If you get second cat, a kitten of the opposite gender is usually a good pick (of course make sure your cat is spayed or neutered first).

      You could also try bitter apple [petdiscounters.com] it supposedly is for dogs but apparently works for cats. I would need about 10 galons of the stuff to cover all my cables so I didn't bother trying.

      • Re:Get another cat? (Score:4, Informative)

        by TenaciousPimple ( 614571 ) on Wednesday February 25, 2004 @11:53AM (#8386558)
        One of the things neither above post considers is the troubles that another cat can add.

        A 1BR apt probably doesn't have room for another cat. Also the stress of adding another cat can lead to a ton of other problems, at least in the short term. Litterbox avoidance being one of the nastier ones.

    • Not all cats want to belong to a "pack". Getting another cat could make your cat more unhappy (particularly if it's more than a couple of years old and has been living along that whole time.) I'd recommend this book [amazon.com] to all cat owners. It addresses many aspects of cats, including their psychology and physical health, how to properly train them, etc. (And how to introduce new cats into your home without traumatizing your existing cat.) ObDisclaimer: It's been a long time since I've had a cat.

    • Mod Parent Up (Score:3, Informative)

      by Spokehedz ( 599285 )
      This is exactly right. The problem is that your cat is trying to communicate with you. Its basically saying, "You spend a lot of time in here, so therefore I should destroy what is taking you away from me--so you can play with me instead!" Getting another cat will undoutedbly take its attention away from the cables behind your computer, and instead focus on the other animal in the apartment.

      The other solution is to (gasp!) actually play with your cat. I mean, how hard is it to get a laser pointer and send
      • Sorry, someone has already patented the technique of using a laser pointer to play with your cat. FWIW, I got two cats, sisters, who got lots of attention. And yet one chewed cables and one didn't. Some plastics are made from animal fats, I am told, and they like the taste.

        My solution was even more unsightly than yours. When garden hose was on sale I bought a couple of rolls, cut it in appropriate lengths, slit it down the middle, and put my important cables inside. It looks like hell. But you are

    • Yes. Get a second cat. One who doesn't like to chew cables, but is encouraged to sleep where the cables are and doesn't like the other cat. Or hates the other cat, or hates Life, the Universe and Everything. This works great for me. I have three cats, a dog who chews everything, and assloads of cables. I don't even know where all of them go anymore. When the dog's in the house my old, huge, pissed-off, lard-ass cat goes on alert and he will cut her the hell up if she goes near his nest of cables. Sc

  • Double-sided tape (Score:5, Interesting)

    by MacBrave ( 247640 ) on Wednesday February 25, 2004 @08:58AM (#8384858) Journal
    Wrap you cables in double-sided tape? Cat hate the sticky feeling on their paws. It worked when our cats were getting in the habit of clawing our screen windows...........

    • Re:Double-sided tape - Mod Parent Up!!! (Score:5, Informative)

      by Inexile2002 ( 540368 ) * on Wednesday February 25, 2004 @10:40AM (#8385548) Homepage Journal
      Double sided tape is definitely a solution. I have some friends who had a cat that was in the bad habit of knocking stuff off of shelves. They had a couple of things they didn't want to have to put away, but at the same time couldn't risk the cat destroying. Double sided tape worked perfectly and the cat eventually learned to stay away.

      However, other posters who have pointed out that your cat is bored and or otherwise upset are on the mark. Get some cat toys, including some catnip toys. Consider getting another cat, opposite gender and read pet advice sites for how to introduce a kitten to your adult cat.

      One thing though - don't try to punish the cat. The cat is doing this because it's unhappy, bored, frustrated etc. If you punish it, you just add something for the cat to be upset about. Oh, and I personally had great luck with my bored indoor cats by installing a bird feeder outside and keeping it stocked. It was like the cat version of television - they sit there for hours watching the birds.

      • Re:Double-sided tape - Mod Parent Up!!! (Score:4, Informative)

        by Moeses ( 19324 ) on Wednesday February 25, 2004 @04:20PM (#8390233)
        This is some good advice. I want to stress the possibility that the cats might not get along unless they are integrated properly (and even then they might not get along).

        One thing I've found that can solve a host of cat problems is excersize them HARD at least 15 minutes everyday. Find a toy on a string that your cat loves (shouldn't be too hard!) and keep it out of their reach and site except for excersize time. This will ensure your cat gets real excited about the toy.

        I would come home from work and walk around the room, half-absentmindedly tossing the toy around while I watched TV. The cat would burn off all it's excess energy.

        Once I started doing this with a problem cat that circumstances lead to my possession the cat became much more social, stopped over eating (poor thing was bored and seditary), got in shape and generally put the spark back into its personality.

        As an added plus if you have a cat that keeps you awake while you're trying to sleep do the excersize thing with them just before you go to bed and feed the cat after the excersize. The cat will soon be ready for a nap itself.

        Good luck.
        • Excellent suggestion and I wish I'd included it in my post because I've done the same thing. As and added note though, there is a cat toy that is the busy geek's nirvana. In execution it is extremely simple - it is a piece of straight spring wire with little pieces of wood or cardboard at the ends. You hold one end and the other end bounces and waves very much the way an a flying insect will.

          What makes this toy great is that in addition to cats loving it and going ballistic when they see it - is that yo
    • This works for almost all cats, but not one of mine.

      My cat loves tape. He eats it. Licks envelopes. Chews packing tape off packages I get. I can't leave tape of any kind out. he chews on the rolls.

      As for the cable chewing, I'll repeat what others said. That is not normal. Your cat needs attention. Anotehr cat, more toys or just more play time with you should fix it.

  • keep 'em out of reach. (Score:2, Informative)

    by beegle ( 9689 )
    I had a pet rabbit for a while, so I'm familiar with this problem.

    The obvious answer is either "get rid of the cat" or "lock up the cat when you're not watching it".

    Assuming you don't want to do that, make an effort to make cables unreachable. Use twist ties and adhesive hooks and loops to get rid of dangling cables or cables lying on the floor. Do your long cable runs along the upper edge of the wall. They make wire baskets that are designed for closet shelves. You can often use them (sometimes with

  • Feed it! (Score:2, Informative)

    by dpoulson ( 132871 )
    You could try feeding the cat, then it wouldn't be hungry and chew the cables!

  • Tape it. (Score:4, Informative)

    by TwistedGreen ( 80055 ) on Wednesday February 25, 2004 @09:06AM (#8384912)
    This is a rather low-tech solution, but cover your cables in tape. When my cats figured it would be a good idea to gnaw on the 120VAC power lines running through our (not yet finished) walls, we stuck some tape on them (sticky side out) and it promptly stopped. Double-sided tape would work well for this.

    I guess it loses all its fun when your face ends up stuck to what you're chewing on. Though maybe if I just let them bite through the cable would've stopped the chewing as well. ;)

  • Lemon Juice. (Score:5, Informative)

    by hookedup ( 630460 ) on Wednesday February 25, 2004 @09:10AM (#8384929)

    A buddy of mine has a cat that loves to attack/claw/chew wires. He put a little sprinkle of lemon juice on the wires, cat doesnt go near them anymore.

    And it just may make your office area smell nicer.

    • Re:Lemon Juice. (Score:5, Informative)

      by der_joachim ( 590045 ) on Wednesday February 25, 2004 @09:25AM (#8385018) Homepage
      A more smelly alternative is the stuff you get from old coffee filters. Cats absolutely hate the smell. It kept the cats out of our garden and who does not want a computer that smells like coffee? :-)

      der Joachim

    • Re:Lemon Juice. (Score:2, Informative)

      by brainthought ( 514423 )
      I can attest to the lemon juice. I used to use orange extract myself, mixed with water. I'd spray it in an old windex bottle in the general areas I didn't want the cat to go like behind the TV and under the computer desk. Just make sure your not spraying your devices. Worked like a charm. Apparently from what I've read, cats hate citrus smells. I would even use lemon sented 409 cleaner if people were coming over and I wanted the cat off the couches, that would work for a day or two until the smell of the co

  • Mark your territory (Score:5, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday February 25, 2004 @09:10AM (#8384930)
    I suppose you could pee on all your cables and the like. You know, "marking your territory" so to speak.

    If you choose to go that route, you might want to make sure you unplug the stuff first. It would give a whole new meaning to "fire in the hole" if you know what I mean...
  • A cheap solution that might work for you is a length of corrugated vacuum hose (you can pick that up at Walmart or Target).

    Just cut it in half lengthwise, and it makes a pretty good wrapper for cable management. It's cheap, effective, and looks pretty good.

    And oh yeah - get rid of the cat.

  • Pheremones in a can (Score:4, Informative)

    by SolemnDragon ( 593956 ) * <solemndragon AT gmail DOT com> on Wednesday February 25, 2004 @09:29AM (#8385044) Homepage Journal
    They sell pet repellent. Take the cables outside, spray them along the length but not at the ends, and then bring them in and set them up. Your pet may avoid the whole area after that.

    Another option is to make them inaccessible- run them through cardboard tubes. Of course, if your cat shreds cardboard, this won't work. So maybe taping something around them- plastic panels or something?

    The options are simple:

    render them unappetising

    render them inaccessible

    render them indestructible

    i put them in the order that i thought most likely to work- my cat hates the pet repellent, so the area under my desk gets treated.

    let us know what works!

  • A drop in the bucket... (Score:5, Funny)

    by in10se ( 472253 ) on Wednesday February 25, 2004 @09:30AM (#8385048) Homepage
    Did you read the post - he's only lost 300 CDN. That's only about $2.50 USD, so what's the big deal?

    TWAJS

  • You and your cat have a relation problem (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Tux2000 ( 523259 ) <alexander.slashdot@foken@de> on Wednesday February 25, 2004 @09:34AM (#8385065) Homepage Journal

    Cats usually don't chew on cables, so this is an indicator that something is wrong. And it's not your cables.

    It might be an indicator that the two of you have a relation problem. The cat may want more attention. Especially if the cat does not go out of the house, you are the only one "social contact" for the cat. Play with the cat, pet the cat, crawl the cat. Or if you don't think that you have the time to do so, give away your cat to someone who cares for it; and get your self a cat doll.

    Maybe your cat is a real hunter but has no other prey than those dangling cables. Get or make some cat toys. Remember: "Everything not nailed down is a cat toy." You just have to make sure that your cat toys are more attractive than your hardware.

    A last idea, to cure the symptoms but not the disease: place your cables in flexible tubes. IKEA [ikea.com] has flexible tubes in black and white that can be wrapped around the cables without disconnecting them. Unless your cat can look onto your table while standing on the floor, it will have a hard time chewing through those tubes.

    Tux2000

    • Cats usually don't chew on cables, so this is an indicator that something is wrong.

      Every cat i'v ever known loves to play with anything resembling a string. While a VGA cable may or may not be too thick for that description, things like speaker or mouse cables are a perfectly natural thing to attract a cat's attention. Bundling all your cables with simple wire ties may result in somthing too big for the cat to have any fun with. Possibly an alternative string would do the trick. My ex's cat had an elas

    • Re:You and your cat have a relation problem (Score:5, Informative)

      by Jorkapp ( 684095 ) <jorkapp@nOSpAm.hotmail.com> on Wednesday February 25, 2004 @12:03PM (#8386734)
      I have had 4 cats over the course of my life. 3 male, 1 female. Now, I only have 1 male, 1 female (One of the males passed away in January, the other passed away in 1996).

      A few recommendations for toys and other novelties for your cat.

      Pipecleaners. (Some) Cats will mistake a pipecleaner for a rodent, and will run over, pounce, jump on, hunt, or just play with a pipecleaner.

      Small plush toys. Some cats just love chasing after things. If I throw a certain plush toy down a hallway, one of my cats will run after it, pick it up, and bring it back. Experiment with this one.

      Spray on (Liquid) Cat-Nip. Be careful with this stuff. If you spray it on a toy, don't spray too much on. Don't spray it into the air either.

      Pure (Solid) Cat-Nip. Give your cat a little cat-nip every now and again. They will love you to bits.

      Kitty Treats. These are a bit of a grey area for me. Some of my cats went nuts over these things, while some just didn't really care. Flavor is also an issue with these. One of my cats likes beef, while the other likes chicken.

      Love and Affection. Proven. Two examples:

      One of my cats is an 8 or 9 year old female cat. When we adopted her (she was a 1 or 2 year old stray - to this day we still do not known her age), she would not go near anyone (including family members and other cats), and was quite hostile. Years later, after much love and affection, she has mellowed out, but is still kind of anti-social.

      Another one of my cats was adopted as a kitten. Since I was home more often than other family members, I was responsible for this little kitten's well being. I often spent hours just petting this little fluff-ball - only for him to claw my face off in overexcitement - but to this day (3 years later) he still prefers my lap to others.

      Get another cat. Very grey area. I've seen this work, and I've seen this fail. Tow examples:

      When I adopted the female cat, I thought she would bond with my existing male cat. I thought wrong. They were constantly at a distance.

      Then again, when I adopted the little kitten, the older male cat took a parental role. He often cleaned the little kitten, and the kitten often returned the cleaning. Over the years they became good friends. Often they would clean eachother, play together, and even eat together. When the older cat fell ill, he would just sit by his side. No cleaning, no playing, no visiting me in bed. When the older cat finally passed away, his friend was very upset (He cried out during the night, he would attack me, etc).

      I suppose to conclude, my best advice would be to experiment. Start small and work your way up. Don't do anything too drastic (like get another cat) until you feel you are ready and are confident its the right solution.

  • Try your local petstore (Score:3, Informative)

    by $exyNerdie ( 683214 ) on Wednesday February 25, 2004 @09:34AM (#8385067) Homepage Journal
    This is not really a /. question. Your local petstore will help you solve this in under $10. Just get any pet repellant spray like bitter apple and spray it on the needed area for a few days. Your pet will the idea that this area/items have the worst taste and it's better to chew on your shoes than to chew on cables sprayed with Bitter Apple....

  • Yucky! (Score:2)

    by _aa_ ( 63092 )
    they make this stuff [countrysidevetsupply.com]. I tried it once, and it tasted like a 9v battery.
  • While most people seem to be of the "get rid of your cat" mindset, I'm taking a fresh approach and suggesting that you get rid of your computer. That way you solve your problem AND ours at the same time.

  • Kill the cat (Score:2, Flamebait)

    by Andy Smith ( 55346 )
    No really, it's fun and it works.

    Also someone's idea of giving the cat other cables to play with is terrible. All that would do is teach the cat that cables are something to play with and s/he'd do it more often.

    Believe it or not, and I assume most cat owners won't believe me, I've found that the best way to 'train' my cat against unwanted behaviour is to simply move her away from whatever she's doing. For example, I hate it when she goes outside and then comes back in and jumps up on top of the televisio
  • the oil in hot peppers... Unless your cat has a taste for the cayenne, coat your cables in some capsicum oil or cayenne pepper or habaneros, all available at your local grocer.

    It'll only try once more... : )

  • I've got cable chewing birds [xcski.com]. Over the years, they've chewed through innumerable headphone and speaker cables. One of them chewed through a mouse cord and ruined the PS/2 ports on that computer - I had to use a serial mouse. And worse than all that, they give off tons of dust that clogs up power supplies and the fins of heat sinks.

    I don't let them run around the computer desks any more, and I bought a large HEPA filter to try and keep down the dust. Unfortunately the cooling fans on my main computer [xcski.com] se

  • Cat mentality (Score:5, Funny)

    by Bushcat ( 615449 ) on Wednesday February 25, 2004 @10:27AM (#8385446)
    Cats are tangentially smart to humans. Our cat had a litter box which he dutifully used until he understood there was a big wide world out there. So my better half (and I use the term loosely) decided the litter box would make a great flower box. So she put it outside, filled it with earth and plants, and waited for spring.

    We now have a cat that shits in flower boxes, plant pots, anything that looks like a plant pot, and anything with a picture of a flower on it.

  • One without an attached VGA cable. Cables go bad all the time for all kinds of reasons. Sometimes you want a longer cable that the monitor came with.
    On the cat, well I haven't had trouble with our puppy chewing on cables since she got the juice out of a 12v line running to the hub at work.
  • once we allowed him access to the outside, he stopped attacking the cables. Of course he moved up to lizards, birds, and snakes.

    I think the last snake he went after though was the one that got him in the shoulder. (Not poisonious, fortunately, but he had a sore shoulder for weeks).

    And once my dog got to taste a 3.5 inch floppy, he lost interest in them.

  • Perhaps the Snap-On cable protectors are unsightly, but there are more attractive solutions.

    I picked up some cable protectors from my local computer superstore that look quite nice. They are about the same diameter as a vacuum cleaner hose, and are split down the length.

    I just twist-tied all my cable runs together and then routed them inside the cable protector. It give a very clean, modern-looking solution.

  • Trade in your cat for (Score:4, Funny)

    by jayrtfm ( 148260 ) <jslash AT sophont DOT com> on Wednesday February 25, 2004 @10:45AM (#8385625) Homepage Journal
    a Bonsai Kitten [bonsaikitten.com]
  • Pet stores sell products specifically designed for this problem. The most common one is a "bitter apple" extract; you just apply it to the items you want your pet to avoid (cables, baseboards, whatever). It's similar to but far more effective than treating the surface with lemon juice, and it's not harmful to the animal.

    Any decent pet store will have these types of products. Find one with a knowledgable owner and ask him/her.
    • Bitter Apple can work well for cats and dogs, but it isn't always effective for other pets who may enjoy the taste, such as rabbits.

      With rabbits, I use height to my advantage and just keep cords on top of the desk rather than dangling down below. I use split plastic tubing to cover the power cords plugged into the outlets. Sure, it doesn't look great, but rabbits are notorious about chewing on wiring, so I don't have much choice.

      Also, 3M makes adhesive cord keepers that are pretty nice. I use them at

      • Bitter Apple can work well for cats and dogs, but it isn't always effective for other pets who may enjoy the taste, such as rabbits.

        Okay, that's good to know -- I actually have two house rabbits. I've never tried to use bitter apple with them, but I wouldn't have guessed they'd like the taste.

        ... rabbits are notorious about chewing on wiring

        I know. I've replaced phone cords a couple of times, the doorbell wires once, and had to replace the mains cord on a table lamp. Everything else is behind physi

  • Get a dog to guard your gear. Cats are scared of dogs. Give the dog an old sock to chew.

    • Get a dog to guard your gear. Cats are scared of dogs.

      Please explain to my cat why it isn't a good idea to attack a dog 10 times your size. He doesn't get it.

      The idea that cats are scared of dogs is overrated, they get along just fine when introduced correctly. My dog cannot walk down the hall without the cat chasing after. My dog cannot sleep at my feet without the cat running across the room, jumping on the couch, springing off the end, and doing a backflip onto the dog's head. Funny to watch th

  • i sympathize (Score:2, Informative)

    by wiswaud ( 22478 )
    oh man, do i. i have 4 cats and 5 computers.
    one of them LOVES! phone cables for some reason.

    The best method is not to protect your stuff - that becomes ridiculous as the amount of crap you use grows. No, what you need to do is provide better targets. Observe what they prefer, and give it to them. They'll have a preference, i guarantee it. If it's VGA cables, then keep the ones they busted, and hang it somewhere they can play with it and gnaw it as much as they want.
    they should leave the new one alone.
    it wo

  • Tried a lot myself... (Score:3, Interesting)

    by Bravo_Two_Zero ( 516479 ) on Wednesday February 25, 2004 @11:29AM (#8386178)
    My oldest dog, Emma, then a 1-yr-old puppy, pulled all of the phone cable out from under our house. All of it. She found the box and went to work. Now that's dedication.

    We tried to keep Emma from jumping on our kitchen door by putting hot sauce (Texas Pete, Tabasco and a delightful Habanero sauce... in that order). That's how we found out that she likes hot sauce.

    I was driving my truck into our back yard to drop something off. With Georgia summers and no A/C, keeping the windows open is a must. Emma adores the truck. She just likes to sit in the bed while it's parked if we let her. My passenger window was open about 10 inches. She's a 45 lb dog. She jumped through the window opening and into the cab while I was rolling at about 2 mph into the back yard. These don't count the antics of the other three dogs or any of my now dearly departed cats.

    The moral of the story is that smart, determined or bored animals will do what they ain't supposed to do. We cured Emma's phone phreaking by getting her a dog. She was much happier with a playmate, and a lot of her energy went into playtime with brother Harry. It didn't cure everything, but having something to keep her interested made a huge difference.

    Cats are a tougher trick. Some just want to chew on stuff. Others won't even eat people food. The issue isn't as easy as getting them a playmate. Our best cat training method was a water gun. We couldn't be home every minute, but the water training seemed to take root really quickly. The best cat I ever had eventually learned the word "no."

    Pepper may be more effective with cats (white or plack powder... depending on your carpet color). Just sprinkle a little around the cables. A scratching post or cat playhouse may be useful, too (after all, you've already spent a lot of money).
  • I was going to suggest o use that high tech artifact called door, but then I realized you live in one of those post modern one bedroom appartments .... Or next time you go to IKEA buy one of the modules for your bookshelf that can act as a cage.

  • Tabasco Sauce (Score:3, Informative)

    by CertGen ( 591598 ) <sniff,scratch&gmail,com> on Wednesday February 25, 2004 @11:56AM (#8386618) Journal

    Worked for me when I had the same problem with my cats. Just dilute it 1:1 with water and use a little paint brush to cover your cables. It also works to keep them from chewing the leaves on your potted palm tree.

  • "... restricting my cats access to my hardware is not an option."

    Of course, they need to study for their MSCE exams [penny-arcade.com]

  • highly effective solution (Score:3, Informative)

    by rumpledstiltskin ( 528544 ) on Wednesday February 25, 2004 @01:07PM (#8387615) Homepage Journal
    what I've found to be highly effective with my 3 (!) cats in my small 2 bedroom apartment is keeping a spray bottle on hand full of water. when the cats go somewhere they know they're not supposed to or do something they're not supposed to, they get thoroughly soaked. a warning squirt is usually good enough to keep them from being stupid, but if they insist, a good shower will usually discipline them with no ill effects. barring that, if you scruff them (grab a good chunk of skin on the back of their neck) and hold them down to the ground, they usually get the picture that they're being disciplined and will learn not to do that behavior.

    • Ahem (Score:3, Insightful)

      by devphil ( 51341 )


      Just be sure to check what you're about to spray water on before squeezing the spray trigger. If it's part of your computer, stop.

  • Clearly this is a sign that your cat has some serious psychological issues and is asking for help. This is probably your cat's way of letting you know that spending all day every day inside your little apartment with nothing to do but play quake and chase optical mice that don't even taste good is slowly driving it insane. Think of your cat's mental health. Think of your own mental health. Not to mention your wallet. Let your cat go free. It's not worth 300 dollars!
  • 1. Open window (one on wall, not computer)
    2. Pick up pussy (small furry animal, not woman)
    3. Walk to window (one on wall, not computer)
    4. Throw pussy out window (small furry animal, not woman) (one on wall, not computer)
    5. Close window (one on wall, not computer)
    6. Problem solved = Priceless!!!
  • I got my wife her own machine; my uptime went to five nines! ;^)
  • Due to the fact that I live in a one bedroom apartment restricting my cats access to my hardware is not an option. I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions on a better way to protect gear from animals.

    Have you considered getting a bigger apartment or even a house?

    I have a cat (7 months old), and he's managed to chew through an AM antenna for my stereo and the cord of the earpiece for my cellphone. I also use Bitter Apple spray for some cords and plastic cable covers for others (sometimes both), but

  • A couple ideas... (Score:3, Insightful)

    by blate ( 532322 ) on Wednesday February 25, 2004 @02:51PM (#8389203)
    I had the same problem with my golden retriever when he was young ($100 USB headsets

    When animals chew on inappropriate things, it can mean one or more of several things. [Caveat: my experience is largely with dogs, though I expect some of the insights will apply to felines too.]

    o They are teething or have a dental problem. This is normal when they are young (and new teeth are coming in).
    o They are bored or feel abandoned -- inappropriate chewing, marking, etc. can be a compulsive disorder for dogs, kind of like ADHD. Sometimes it is an experssion of anxiety (particularly separation anxiety) or lack of attention. There are resources available for training this out of dogs (and cats, too, I assume)
    o In the case of both cats and dogs, it can mean they are pissed off at you, either for leaving them alone, not playing with them, or whatever.
    o Finally, it may indicate that they are hungry (is your cat *eating* the wire or just chewing it to bits?). If they are eating what they are chewing up, you'll find... evidence... routed though their South end in a couple days... :)

    Deterrance and correction. The best course of action is to catch them in the act and correct them, usually with a loud "DON'T!" or something similar. In the case of dogs in particular, this is a good opportunity to establish dominance -- e.g., roll the dog on his back, pin him down (primarily by the neck or mouth), and hold him there until he stops struggling. He'll understand that you're the Alpha and that he's done something unappropriate.

    [Note: this is a fight that you absolutely have to win -- if he escapes, catch him; if he tries to get away, restrain him. If you don't win the engagement, the dog will conclude that the's the Alpha and behavior problems will persist. Also, I'm not advocating *hurting* or being violent with your pet. The technique I described mimics, at least for dogs, actual dominant dog behavior, but does not inflict injury or physical pain. It sends the right message with a minimum of violence and a maximum of effectiveness and is a well-accepted training technique.]

    One thing that is not effective is correcting the animal after the fact -- dogs and cats have short memories. If he chewed up your cables and you yell at him even 5 minutes later, he won't understand -- most animals don't have the sophisticated reasoning system to connect the correction with the past event. You have to catch him in the act and issue the correction post haste.

    One way to ensure that you can catch them in the act is to set up a "trap" -- leave a cable on the floor and keep an eye on the animal. If, or when, he goes after it, nail him then and there. If you do this a couple times, then hopefully he'll get the idea that cables are not food/playthings :)

    Another technique is to use a product such as "Sour Apple", which you coat on surfaces (such as cables) that the animal tends to eat. The product is non-toxic, but tastes quite nasty to them (very bitter/sour) and will deter them. Your local pet shop should have a selection of such products. I never had to use them with my dog, but I have friends who have used it with great success.

    The behavior problem may also be due to the fact that the animal does not have any or enough appropriate toys to chew on. Go to your pet shop and buy a selection of animal- and breed- (read: size) appropriate toys. If the problem is chewing, then get chew-toys. If the problem is scratching, get scratching posts or similar products.

    Introduce the toys to your pet and praise or reward him when he chews on them and plays with them. This will build a positive association between playing with the appropriate toys. Together with strong corrections for playing with inappropriate "toys", the animal should learn which toys are his and which are not.

    If the problem is hunger, then "free-feeding" may be a desirable option. Rather than feeding the animal at distinct times of the day, you leave out excess food in his b

    • Re:A couple ideas... (Score:5, Informative)

      by blate ( 532322 ) on Wednesday February 25, 2004 @02:55PM (#8389263)
      [Sorry -- formatting got fouled up on first post. Here's the full post.]

      I had the same problem with my golden retriever when he was young (8mos). Among other things, he chewed through:

      o The power adapter for my laptop
      o An AC computer power cable (luckily, it wasn't live at the time, though that might have broken him of the habit)
      o Several sets of $100 USB headsets

      When animals chew on inappropriate things, it can mean one or more of several things. [Caveat: my experience is largely with dogs, though I expect some of the insights will apply to felines too.]

      o They are teething or have a dental problem. This is normal when they are young (and new teeth are coming in).
      o They are bored or feel abandoned -- inappropriate chewing, marking, etc. can be a compulsive disorder for dogs, kind of like ADHD. Sometimes it is an experssion of anxiety (particularly separation anxiety) or lack of attention. There are resources available for training this out of dogs (and cats, too, I assume)
      o In the case of both cats and dogs, it can mean they are pissed off at you, either for leaving them alone, not playing with them, or whatever.
      o Finally, it may indicate that they are hungry (is your cat *eating* the wire or just chewing it to bits?). If they are eating what they are chewing up, you'll find... evidence... routed though their South end in a couple days... :)

      Deterrance and correction. The best course of action is to catch them in the act and correct them, usually with a loud "DON'T!" or something similar. In the case of dogs in particular, this is a good opportunity to establish dominance -- e.g., roll the dog on his back, pin him down (primarily by the neck or mouth), and hold him there until he stops struggling. He'll understand that you're the Alpha and that he's done something unappropriate.

      [Note: this is a fight that you absolutely have to win -- if he escapes, catch him; if he tries to get away, restrain him. If you don't win the engagement, the dog will conclude that the's the Alpha and behavior problems will persist. Also, I'm not advocating *hurting* or being violent with your pet. The technique I described mimics, at least for dogs, actual dominant dog behavior, but does not inflict injury or physical pain. It sends the right message with a minimum of violence and a maximum of effectiveness and is a well-accepted training technique.]

      One thing that is not effective is correcting the animal after the fact -- dogs and cats have short memories. If he chewed up your cables and you yell at him even 5 minutes later, he won't understand -- most animals don't have the sophisticated reasoning system to connect the correction with the past event. You have to catch him in the act and issue the correction post haste.

      One way to ensure that you can catch them in the act is to set up a "trap" -- leave a cable on the floor and keep an eye on the animal. If, or when, he goes after it, nail him then and there. If you do this a couple times, then hopefully he'll get the idea that cables are not food/playthings :)

      Another technique is to use a product such as "Sour Apple", which you coat on surfaces (such as cables) that the animal tends to eat. The product is non-toxic, but tastes quite nasty to them (very bitter/sour) and will deter them. Your local pet shop should have a selection of such products. I never had to use them with my dog, but I have friends who have used it with great success.

      The behavior problem may also be due to the fact that the animal does not have any or enough appropriate toys to chew on. Go to your pet shop and buy a selection of animal- and breed- (read: size) appropriate toys. If the problem is chewing, then get chew-toys. If the problem is scratching, get scratching posts or similar products.

      Introduce the toys to your pet and praise or reward him when he chews on them and plays with them. This will build a positive association between playing with the appropriate toys. To

  • Dip all your cords in wolverine urine (Score:3, Funny)

    by cheezus ( 95036 ) on Wednesday February 25, 2004 @02:55PM (#8389268) Homepage
    the cat will cower in the corner

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