![]() Cats are capable of learning commands just like dogs! Using interactive toys and play with them for 30-60 minutes a day, particularly if they are indoor cats Mental stimulation could involve hiding treats or teaching them commands such as sit. Make sure they have appropriate levels of exercise and mental stimulation to reduce boredom. If your cat does tend to eat things they shouldn’t, be careful you do not leave them in environments where they can easily pick things up and keep things like hair bands or elastic bands locked away They may also suggest medication such as anti-depressants which can be effective in breaking compulsive behaviour if your cat’s habit is putting its health at risk If pica is a particular problem in your cat, it is worth having a consultation with a vet, who may recommend screening for any underlying health issues with investigations such as a blood test. If the picking up of unwanted items is a learnt behaviour, it may be worth consulting with a behaviourist to discuss techniques to reduce this The following steps will help reduce the behaviour and prevent it occurring in the first place:Įnsure your cat is being fed a high quality diet appropriate for their life stage and is a healthy weightĭo not reinforce any behaviour which involves picking up items, try to exchange any item they have with something else like a toy or a treat. Some clinical diseases - There are certain conditions that have been associated with pica such as anaemia, irritable bowel disease, exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) and liver disease Conditions that can lead to pica in cats include hyperthyroidism, lead poisoning or internal parasitesĭiet related - an unbalanced or low quality diet may cause your cat to crave things they are not receiving in their normal diet, so ensure you are using a high quality complete diet appropriate for your cat’s life stage Pica sufferers tend to be susceptible to stress in many cases and are often indoor cats, which have much less stimulation and exercise to house cats in generalĪny condition or medication that increases hunger - diabetes mellitus, treatment with steroids (particularly high doses), appetite stimulants such as mirtazepine, malabsorption syndromes. In this type of pica, affected cats seem to get immense pleasure from chewing their item of choice and often behavioural advice is needed to break the habitīehavioural causes - stress/anxiety, boredom, learned behaviour- for example if the owner laughs or fusses the cat for picking up certain items this may reinforce the behaviour. This can be called ‘wool eating’ as often these breeds chew and swallow woollen fabrics. Causes of pica in petsĮstablishing the cause of pica in your individual cat can be difficult, but the below list suggests some of the possible triggers:īreed related - oriental breeds such as Tonkinese, Siamese or Burmese are more known for exhibiting this type of behaviour. See our article on gastro-intestinal foreign bodies for more on this topic. ![]() It becomes a problem when it’s repeated and compulsive, and it can lead to obstructions in the gut. Most kittens will grow out of this behaviour as they mature but sometimes it becomes well established in adulthood. Some of this behaviour can be considered normal, for example kittens will often put things in their mouth they shouldn’t and often chew things when they are young as part of exploring the world they live in, and this can lead to them swallowing items. ![]() You can read more about pica in dogs here. This is much less common in cats than dogs which tend to be much more fussy about what they consume.
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