Why does our cat chew on EVERYTHING?

I've had several cats before. He's the only one I can ever think of that chews on everything. Everything from shoes, cardboard boxes, and the corners of the tables. If he gets ahold of it, he even holds the remote control with both paws and chews on it, too. He's not hungry, I know that, he's probably the biggest cat I've ever had at 15.5 lbs. He doesn't miss a meal. He's almost a year and half old, so I know he has his permanent teeth now. Is he just a dog trapped in a cat's body?
Answers:
It's not a oral problem, it's way beyond the age of replacing teeth. Causes of destructive chewing by cats can range from teething in kittens to curiosity, to boredom, and even (surprise!) because of a nutrient deficiency. Kittens, like human babies, explore with their mouths, and these habits carry through to adulthood.
Some cats will chew on fabric - wool is often favored for unknown reasons, and often by Siamese Cats and other oriental breeds. It's also possible that cats will chew on soft surfaces because of an innate need to nurse, usually because they were either weaned too early or were adopted as tiny kittens as orphans.
For whatever reason, it gives him comfort, he only does it when lying close to one of us, and it has not caused any skin irritation, so we allow him his little idiosyncrasy.

For the kind of chewing behavior we're discussing here, the best way to discourage such behavior is to offer other 'legal' chewing sources for your cat, e.g. chewable soft toys. I've even seen wool mice, which might be a perfect substitute for your mohair sweater. Other cats will chew on leather gloves, or even shoes (rubber flipflops come to mind). Jaspurr loves to chew newspaper. He doesn't eat it, he just rips off small pieces and spits them out, and soon is surrounded by newspaper confetti.

If you can't put away all the fabric and leather items your cat likes to chew on, try the bitter apple spray on the area where he usually chews, but test it first on a small hidden seam.

And some more advice:
Check to see if there is a reason why your cat chews:

Sometimes cats chew because of a vitimin deficiency. Feed a good quality cat food or check with your vet for supplements.
Check with your vet for any other possible problems, such as fleas or an unhealed wound.
Stop the chewing. Feed a supplement if needed and follow any instructions a vet has given you. Otherwise, if your cat is given a clean bill of health, it may be necessary to find other ways to deter the chewing. You could try:

Bitter apple spray - this is one of the best deterrents that is made for dogs/cats. Most dogs/cats will not chew on something sprayed with it.
Cayenne pepper and water solution. Spray this onto the object being chewed and the cat will leave it alone because it is hot.
Orange oil. Make a solution of 1 part orange oil, 3 parts water and spray this on the object.
Other disliked flavors. You know your own cat; choose flavors that your cat finds distasteful and coat the object with these.
Cover what the cat is chewing on (phone or computer cords). You can buy cord protecters (like a long tube).
Move the object. Another great way to stop the chewing is to remove the object altogether for a time. Return it when the cat appears more settled. If the cat takes to chewing something else as a substitute, use a different deterrent such as the repellent odor.
Distract your cat. Place cat-friendly plants in pots or in the garden to distract your cat to something more pleasurable. Plants to choose include lemongrass, catnip, catmint etc. Hopefully, the cat will take to chewing on these instead of the object if it takes a liking to the plant. Make sure to introduce the cat to the plant!
Find an alternative chewing buddy. Substitute the object with something else, such as an old bath towel or mat, a scratching board, toys, yarn etc. Something it can either sink its teeth and claws into that will amuse it endlessly.

Tips
Other "hot" tastes include tabasco sauce or red pepper.
Try the hardware store, health food stores or a pharmacy for some of these deterrents.

I think this will stop or redirect the problem you are having. Good luck!
he might have a tooth problem, like a pain or something. Take him to a vet
It might be sharpening it's teeth. Although, well, I've never heard of a cat doing that.
You might want to buy some soft squeaky toys for your cat to chew on, or hard crunchy toys. Or maybe both!
If it doesn't work, maybe it's time to bring it for a check up at the vet's.
he could be loosing or growing extra teeth. like babies they chew on things to get rid of the gum pain. maybe you should take him to your nearest vet and tell them the problem. they could prescribe medicine to reduce the pain. i have had this problem be for with my 10 pound cat. she also had her permanent teeth. when she was chewing on stuff i made her stop. about a week later i found a cat tooth in the kitchen this could be serious ! also try the community guiedlines hope this was help ful and the best answer!!
One of my cats is like that. She chews on the doorstops in all the rooms, anything stringy (bootlaces, etc), house plants, and - hubby's favorite - once I caught her chewing on the corner of the flat panel TV.

Maybe get him some toys to play with. He may just be bored. I'd also try to keep things out of his reach when possible. If you catch him chewing on something he's not supposed to, stop him. Pick him up and take him to his toys, scratching post, whatever. Praise him when he plays with his toys instead of your things. You could also try the squirt bottle trick - spray him with water when he is doing something he's not allowed. I haven't tried it but I've heard it works.
I don't know. If you catch him in the act, spray him with a dollar spraybottle. It worked for me. Hope this helps! -question001

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