A full work-up at the clinic (including routine and specialized blood work and deworming) didn’t turn up any issues that could explain the problem. Pica causes can include nutrient deficiencies or digestive issues, even though Ufro, like all the cats at Cat World, eats a healthy, balanced diet. Rooting out the exact cause of pica is tricky. Ufro, who is barely three years old, also was checked out by a vet at the Best Friends Animal Clinic. All the soft toys were swapped out for sturdy ones that Ufro couldn’t break, rip or chew through. Bungee cords were removed from the room and cleaning tools were secured out of reach. All the electrical cords in his room were immediately covered with heavy plastic tubing to prevent him from chewing them. But Ufro’s caregivers weren’t about to let anything bad happen to him. Cleaning tools such as mops, dustpans and brooms, bungee cords (used to hold the cleaning tools in place) and electrical cords also became fair game for Ufro’s unusual appetite.īesides the clear danger of electrical cords, pica can cause life-threatening blockages in the digestive system. He was also attracted to crinkly cat toys and would tear or chew them into small pieces that could be swallowed. In Ufro’s case, Cat World caregivers noticed that he liked to rip apart small stuffed cat toys and then try to eat the fabric and stuffing he tore from them. But if you notice a cat eating litter, string, paper, cardboard, dirt or other nonfood items, it could be a sign of the disorder. Not every cat who eats something odd from time to time has pica. It can also affect people, dogs (like Ruger) and other animals. Pica is not just a feline eating disorder. Ufro’s caregivers had to act fast to keep him healthy, happy and safe. And that was something that could spell big trouble. Ufro was displaying some of the classic symptoms of pica in cats, an eating disorder that causes a compulsive appetite for things that are not food and that can cause harm to the body. He liked to eat, but he wasn’t just chowing down on food. Has your cat ever eaten something strange? Leave us a comment below.Ufro, who came to Best Friends Animal Society from a shelter in L.A., hadn’t been at Cat World for very long before his caregivers discovered that he had a rather troubling habit. Cats have liked stranger things bleach? New shoes? Your hair? Ultimately, if the problem continues, the most extremely-affected plastic-seeking cats may need to be confined or housed in a cat-proofed room at times when supervision is not possible to protect them from foreign object ingestion. Make sure that there is also adequate aerobic play to keep the inquisitive cat busy and reward-based training to help satiate intelligent cats. Chew items such as rawhide chews, Nylabones, cat grass, and softer dead animal parts that are available as chews for dogs (e.g. Providing multiple opportunities for hunting and play games, cat manipulation toys with food stuffed inside for foraging and eating, feeding both canned food and unique orally stimulating food, and offering dog chew toys as an alternative may help. Non-Medical Therapy for Plastic Eating Cats If your veterinarian explores the potential cause for plastic-seeking behavior and believes it points to a compulsive disorder, behavior-modifying drugs such as fluoxetine (generic Prozac) may be a consideration. For this reason, jumping to behavior-modifying drugs is not typically recommending for cats that seem to be strongly driven to explore and chew specific tastes and textures. A vet visit is always a wise place to start.Įating plastic doesn’t automatically qualify as a compulsive behavior in some cats because they seem to like the way the plastic tastes or feels more than that they “need” to be doing this. Pica in cats can be caused by a number of conditions, including gut disease, feline leukemia virus (FeLV), feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), anemia, obsessive compulsive disorder, dental disease, and hyperthyroidism to name a few. Sometimes it is believed the pet is attempting to fill a nutritional void, but in cases where the pet relentlessly seeks one particular type of object, it may be an obsession and not a nutrition deficit. You may be familiar with the medical term pica: the eating of non-food objects. If your cat does eat any plastic, we would recommend taking this behavior seriously and attempting to address it quickly.Ĭat’s Drive for Plastic: A Compulsive Disorder? The real danger here is many cats end up eating the plastic and getting blocked along their GI tract, requiring surgery. A bit less predictable and a little more esoteric, however: eating plastic. We have all probably heard that cats love to play in paper bags, and if you are reading this, you have undoubtedly seen photos shared on social media sites with cats curled up in cardboard boxes. It’s in a cat’s nature to chew, but chewing on plastic can be dangerous.
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