TECH VS. CAT
The eternal battleattle between gadgets & felines. nes.
attracted to things that they can press (like switches and buttons) or pull (like power cords).
From my little poll, I’ve also been able take some small comfort in the knowledge that my losses are minor relative to those suffered by other cat owners. Digital strategist and cartoonist Keith Nakamura estimates that his cats have, over the years, sent the following to the great digital graveyard in the sky: “Network adapters, VGA cables, power sockets, 3 iPhones, 2 tablets, 1 MacBook Air, 1 external drive, countless thumb-drives…” Granted, his cats also have a taste for potted plants and toilet paper - but those are definitely cheaper to replace.
Besides the obvious material cost when your cats develop a literal taste for technology, there's also the sad possibility that a cat may one day electrocute itself when chewing into the wrong cord. Which, assuming that you're a bigger animal lover than you are a geek, is much more tragic than a ruined laptop.
Some say the best way to prevent harm to your gadgets and your cats is to keep them separated. However, realists know that this just isn't possible in a world where everyone in each household owns at least one mobile phone and its charger.
A popular solution is to make use of scents that repel cats without causing them any harm. Many cats dislike citrus smells, so I've tried applying orange essential oil to my cables. It annoys both cats and seems to work better on Sam than on Bob, but Sam isn't the usual troublemaker so I'm calling it a partial success at best. Menthol-based rubs, like the kind your mum used to apply to your chest when you had a cold, are also known to be effective. As for whether you can tolerate the smell enough to spread it onto your laptop, tablet, phone and their assorted peripherals... let's just say your mileage may vary.
"A survey conducted in the USA in June this year estimates that American cats and dogs destroy 8 million personal electronic devices every year, at a cost
of US$3 billion."