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cats-n-killies...
HI Sherry,
>Urgh, cats are a pain! One likes to chew the airline tubing to my bbs so I
>had to put it in PVC pipe!
And Doug
>I have to "bite" on this cat thread. My manx has taken to unscrewing the
>endcaps off gang valves.
Having lived with both cats and fish for longer than I care to admit... I
have found a couple easier ways to deal with the common feline airline
tubing puncturing fetish (which might work for endcaps too). The first
thing to try is to wrap the tube with aluminum foil -- my past and present
cats are not too keen on the taste/texture of aluminum foil so after a few
test bites they go find something else to do. This "cure" is most
effective if the foil is left in place for a long time, and when you
remove the foil there is a chance they will rediscover the joys of chewing
airline tubing.
A more permanent solution was suggested by my local Vet for kittens that
chew on electrical cords - but it works equally well with airline
tubing. Wipe the tubing with a rag soaked in vinegar. The key to this is
that most cats are naturally put off by the acetic acid smell. If you cat
does not seem to mind, and continues to chew... you can "train" the cat by
putting a few drops of vinegar on a rag and holding it over his/her nose
for a few seconds (until Fluffy starts to struggle vigorously). After
this "aversive conditioning" even the faintest vinegar smell will be
actively avoided.
Anticipating a flame or two from cat lovers who regard the "vinegar cure"
as cruel and unusual punishment... I can only argue that the temporary
discomfort caused by the rag-over-nose treatment is a great deal less
traumatic than the damage household current will do to the feline nervous
system. Another arguement is that many cats end up at the humane society
for behavior problems that might be eliminated by creative use of behavior
modification techniques like the one described above. Once you have
established the aversive reaction to vinegar you can use it to dissuade the
cat from a variety of obnoxious behaviors like unscrewing the endcaps from
gang valves, eating houseplants, playing soccer with Christmas tree
ornaments, pulling down curtains, clawing the couch, and the list goes on...
Sincerely,
Matt
PS My cat Frankie laid across my shoulders purring while I typed this so I
presume that she agrees
Matt Hirvonen, 5801 Taft Street, Middleton WI 53562
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