How to Fix a Cable Chewed by a Mouse or a Rat

Today, our pets vary from dogs and cats to geckos and mice. If you have chosen the latter, it is quite possible that it loves eating your cables. Don’t worry, you are not alone. Cat owners will tell you that some of them also do the same. Question is: How can you fix these cables if you don’t want to have to buy new ones all the time?

Living with a mouse

If you have a problem with cables bitten and tore apart by a mouse, you either have one as your pet or you have uninvited guests in the house. If it’s the latter, it might be wise to put a few mouse traps around. Otherwise, you may have to repair all your cables soon. And if reading this article is making you think about adding a new pet to the household, here is all you need to know before adopting a mouse.

Chances are you’ll only realize about the broken cables when trying to use of one your electrical devices and it won’t be working properly. Maybe you put your headphones on and instead of hearing a crisp sound you find yourself hearing scratching sounds. Or you try to start your pc and nothing happens. Once you’ve checked your cables and confirm that the problem is indeed that your mouse has bitten through them, go to the pet store and buy an animal repellent to spray on your cables. It should keep your little friend away in the future.

Fixing a Cable Eaten by a Rodent

Fixing a chewed cable is possible, but the method depends on the type of cable. In the case of a lamp or zip style cords, you just have to follow these simple steps: First, separate the two wires and cut away the chewed part. Then, slip a small shrink tube over each wire separately before slipping a larger one on top of the two. Solder the wires together by shrinking the small tube first, followed by the large tube.

However, if you are looking at a laptop cord, then there are two possibilities. These cords can usually be separated in two parts. The first one is a simple electrical cable (AC cord) which plugs into the wall and into the power supply. If that is the case, do not attempt to repair it. They are cheap and not worth the risk of it becoming a fire hazard. However, if the cable thorn is the one that comes out of the power supply and goes into the computer, these are much more expensive and specific to each brand of computers, even different according to the model sometimes. If the damage is minor, try shrink tubing, if it fits over the connector or the plastic electrical tape. Otherwise, just order a new one.