- Q – My husband and I adopted a cat from a local shelter 8 months ago. For 8 months we have been trying to curb his bad behavior of chewing on cardboard boxes. He has ruined many in our basement. We have no other room in the house for the litter box, other than the basement, so we cannot keep him out of there. What can we do to stop this behavior? We have tried all of the traditional means we can think of, and my husband is really losing patience with him!
Danielle,

- A -  You might try spraying the boxes with a hot pepper spray or a cheap cologne/perfume. It will only take a few tastes for him to associate cardboard with a bad experience. I would also look at the food you are feeding; is it a quality food or a bargain brand? He may not be getting the supplements he needs if the food is loaded with fillers such as ground corn rather than meat, vitamins, etc. There are also cat toys with leather laces you could provide to steer his chewing toward a more acceptable manner. All else failing, I would have your Vet take a look at him for his recommendations.

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