Danger Of Electrical Shocks To Cats

Cats are often intrigued by electrical cords. While batting at cords can be annoying to the cat owner, if the cat is chewing on the cords, it can be a real safety concern. The best way to prevent electrical shocks to cats is to keep the cat from being able to chew the cords.

Electrical cords can be covered to prevent access to cats. Some cat owners cover electrical cords with foam tubing. Foam tubing can still be chewed and should be monitored to see if the cats will leave it alone. If a piece of foam is chewed off, it may pose a choking hazard. PVC tubing or small PVC pipes can be used to protect cords from cats that are rather permanently in place, but are exposed. An alternative to covering the cords would be to spray exposed cords with bitter apple spray or coat them with hot Tabasco sauce.

When cats chew electrical cords, they may chew through the protective covering on the cords. If a cat manages to chew through the cords, the cat can receive a shock. When a cat gets an electric shock, the cat may cry out. The cat is likely to sustain a burn to its mouth and tongue. A more severe injury can occur if the shock affected the cat’s lungs. Lungs that have been injured by a shock may fill with fluid.

The burns on the mouth may heal without treatment, but the cat owner should take the cat to be checked by the veterinarian at the time the cat got shocked. The cat owner may need to monitor the cat’s mouth closely as it heals. The healing burns on the mouth may go through alterations as the skin heals. At first, the skin may be red and irritated. Afterwards, the skin may peel. Eventually, new skin will replace the damaged skin in most cases.

The cat owner should know when to consult the veterinarian. If the cat is not eating, the veterinarian may have the cat owner provide assisted feeding or recommend a temporary change in the cat’s diet. If the cat develops a fever or has trouble breathing, the veterinarian should be contacted immediately.