Ways to Prevent Pets from Chewing Electrical Cords

chewing wiresEveryone knows that pets have a knack for getting into trouble around the house. Whether it’s snagging an unguarded bit of food from the dinner table or turning a brand-new leather loafer into a very expensive chew toy, dogs and cats of all ages and discipline levels are capable of causing their owners some anguish from time to time.

While most pet capers result in nothing more than annoyance, there’s real danger involved where electrical cords are concerned. That’s because chewing through connected electrical cables or wiring not only compromises high-priced products such televisions and computers, but also poses a significant risk of shock, fire, or even death.

As a responsible owner, you’ll want to safeguard your precious pets as well as your expensive gear by doing one or more of the following:

  • Remove temptation by unplugging unnecessary cords and storing them away
  • Where possible, run necessary cables and wires behind sofas, shelves, and furniture so they’ll be out of your pet’s reach
  • Use a protective cover on exposed cables, such as the CritterCord Cord Protector available at CozyWinters.com
  • Use adhesive hooks and similar types of cord keepers that attach to walls so wires remain off the ground
  • Gather exposed cabling together behind a raceway or channel
  • Cover cords with double-sided tape to keep cats away
  • Make your electrical cables literally distasteful by lightly coating them with hot sauce, vinegar, chili paste, or something equally repugnant to pets
  • Remain extra vigilant in winter, when you tend to have more cords out because of Christmas lights, decorations, electric blankets, etc

It’s not possible to shield pets from every potential hazard in your home, but you can at least make sure they don’t have easy access to electrical cords. Take the above precautions today to protect your beloved companions from serious injury.