![]() Prevention Higher-quality foodīy providing your cat with higher-quality cat food, you can ensure they are getting enough vitamins and nutrients every day. Most kittens will try eating litter once or twice, then realize they can’t eat it and move on. This is perfectly normal behavior in a kitten as long as it doesn’t go on for too long. Being a Kittenįinally, when your cat is a kitten, they may simply be too curious and try eating cat litter to find out what it is. It can also happen on some raw food diets for cats that are not very well-balanced. This usually occurs when cats are extremely picky eaters or when they aren’t being fed high-quality food. Some cats may be deficient in vitamins or nutrients without having any other underlying health conditions. You will need to have your cat checked for kidney disease through a urine test as well as blood work to find out for sure. Kidney disease may cause your cat to eat litter as well, especially if they are suffering from blockages or early-stage organ failure due to the disease. Your cat may be eating litter because they are trying to increase their intake of nutrients due to cancer. It can also lead to anemia along with the leukemia. ![]() Leukemia in cats is very dangerous and can also be contagious. If you think your cat may be anemic, check their gums they may have white, blue, or pale pink gums. It can cause an iron and vitamin deficiency which may lead the cat to eat litter to try to regain these substances in his body. AnemiaĪnemia is a lack of red blood cells in a cat’s body. This is a behavioral condition that does not have any other underlying cause, although it is more common in cats who were abandoned or separated from their mothers too early. Some cats may simply have pica, which is a condition that causes them to lick, chew, or eat non-food items. If you need further help, call Town & Country Veterinary Clinic in Marinette at (715) 735-9511. After that, check out the additional info on how you can help your cat recover from the issue that is leading to this behavior and get back to his usual self in no time. Read through the information below to find out more about the most common underlying causes of cats eating their litter. It’s certainly not normal behavior for cats to eat their litter, and it’s important to get to the root reason why your cat might be doing this. Your cat didn’t become a freaky eater overnight, so don’t give up if you don’t see results right away.If you’ve ever seen your cat eating litter from their own litterbox, you may find yourself wondering what’s causing this. If your cat’s feline pica is behavioral in origin, it will take time to get her out of the habit of chewing nonfood items. A short course of anti-anxiety medication can jump-start the process, but that’s best left to the discretion of your vet or the behaviorist you choose to work with. Check the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists and International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants websites to find one in your area. ![]() Be sure to put Venetian-blind cords safely out of your cat’s reach, too.Ī cat behaviorist might be able to work with you and your cat. If there are places where you can’t hide wires, a nontoxic deterrent spray such as bitter apple might make exposed cords taste gross enough to stop your cat from chewing. Keep your cell phone charger, headphones, USB cords, and the like in a plastic storage container with a tight-closing lid. ![]() Use cord guards to keep electrical wires away from your cat’s teeth. When you’re done, put the teaser toy away where your cat can’t reach it. Teaser toys are great for exercise and mental stimulation, and a tired cat is a nondestructive cat. When you’re home, give him lots of interactive play time. Give him puzzle toys including things such as rolling treat balls to keep him busy while you’re away at work. You can ease a cat’s boredom by providing environmental enrichment. Begin by addressing the cause of the stress (do a web search for "stressed cat" and you’ll find lots of advice on how to do that) and spending time with your cat to help her adapt.įeline pica is also pretty common in bored or lonely cats. If there has been a change in your life recently - moving to a different house, a new schedule, new roommate, outdoor construction - your cat might be acting out because of anxiety. Highly stressed or anxious cats might use chewing behavior as a self-soothing technique. ![]() Your vet might also be able to give you some advice on how to manage the behavior. Make sure your cat isn’t eating non-food items in an effort to get nutrients she needs or because an illness is triggering the disorder. Any behavior issues should be addressed with your veterinarian, because behavior changes can indicate a health problem. ![]()
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