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Confession time: I’ve a cat who likes to play with (and lick!) plastic baggage. He’s achieved it since I first adopted him—and he nonetheless comes working if he hears the rustle of a grocery bag.
Fast Overview
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Cats like plastic for a lot of causes—for enjoying with, for its style and texture, or on account of a well being concern.
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Taking part in with, licking, and consuming plastic can all be harmful for cats.
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Restrict your cat’s threat by decreasing entry, distracting them, and offering protected alternate options.
Cats are notorious for his or her quirky habits however licking plastic should be one of many strangest. Whereas cats normally love plastic for its sensory traits, it is also as a result of they’ve a medical situation that has altered their urge for food.
A cat consuming plastic is vulnerable to intestinal obstruction and even suffocation. So it’s vital to resolve this unusual behavior and make adjustments to restrict this doubtlessly harmful pastime. It’s vital to maintain our cats protected by protecting them away from plastic, and offering different substrates for them to play with and chew, reminiscent of toys or cat grass.
5 Causes Why Cats Like Plastic
There are just a few the reason why your cat could also be drawn to plastic objects. Figuring out why they’re chewing, licking, or taking part in with plastic will help us forestall this habits and maintain them protected. Let’s check out these causes.
1. Sensory Enter
Objects made of recent supplies may be very intriguing to our curious cats. Plastic is crinkly, clean, pliable, and really mild. It may be batted round, scrunched up, and investigated by claws, mouth, and nostril.
You recognize cats like to play! Plastic buying baggage, plastic toys, and different objects can all be engaging to our mischievous feline pets. In case your cat doesn’t have a lot entry to toys or different types of stimulation, boredom might result in them taking part in with non-traditional toys.
2. Style
If you consider scrumptious smells and tastes, plastic grocery baggage most likely don’t spring instantly to thoughts. Nonetheless, the scent and style could also be partly what attracts cats to some plastics.
Baggage may be made from gelatin (an animal by-product) or coated in cornstarch or stearates. These tastes and textures might not attraction to us, however cats have a superior sense of scent. They could be drawn to the tastes and textures imbued throughout the plastic.
Procuring baggage could also be notably interesting if they’ve taken on among the meals odors when transporting our groceries—particularly meat or fish.
3. Breed
Some cat breeds are extra recognized for consuming and licking non-food objects than others. Burmese and Siamese cats are notably famend for his or her unusual consuming habits, which can embrace some seemingly odd decisions reminiscent of plastic baggage.
4. Anxiousness and Obsessive Compulsive Dysfunction
Cats are drawn to the sound, scent, and even style discovered in lots of plastic grocery baggage. Shutterstock.com
Stress and anxiousness can current in a mess of how in cats. These embrace turning into withdrawn, adjustments in urge for food and toileting habits, aggression, and hiding. However it will possibly additionally embrace inappropriate chewing. In case your cat abruptly begins chewing on objects reminiscent of baggage, furnishings, or electrical cords, it could be an indication that they’re sad about one thing.
This might be a brand new cat within the neighborhood, a brand new child, development work, and even loud noises. These new habits patterns can turn out to be repetitive and compulsive—much like obsessive compulsive dysfunction (OCD) in folks.
5. Medical Issues
The behavioral must eat non-food objects, reminiscent of plastic, is called pica. There are numerous underlying causes, together with dietary deficiency and a few medical circumstances.
Some widespread ailments that may trigger pica as a symptom embrace:
- Diabetes
- Hyperthyroidism
- Anemia
- Infections, reminiscent of feline infectious peritonitis (FIP)
- Malnutrition or a deficiency in numerous nutritional vitamins or minerals
- Dental illness
- Parasites
- Gastrointestinal issues, reminiscent of persistent diarrhea
- Neurological illness, together with mind tumors
Pica may be the only real challenge, however many ailments trigger extra indicators. For instance, with dental issues, you may additionally discover that your cat has extra drool, dangerous breath, or sore gums. If you’re involved that your cat is unwell, all the time search recommendation from a veterinarian.
Why Is Consuming Plastic Dangerous for Cats?
It could look like a innocent, quirky character trait, however cats who eat or lick at plastic baggage and different inedible objects can do themselves hurt. Plastic can turn out to be entangled across the neck and head, resulting in strangulation or suffocation. If eaten, plastic can turn out to be lodged within the abdomen or intestines, resulting in inner blockages.
If in case you have seen your cat licking at or consuming one thing plastic, take away the objects instantly. Monitor them intently for indicators of poor well being, reminiscent of vomiting, lethargy, or pawing on the throat. At all times take your cat to a vet if you’re involved.
What You Can Do
It may be a fear to have a cat who likes to eat plastic and different inedible objects, however there are methods to assist.
1. Present a Wholesome Food plan
The very first thing to verify is that your cat is consuming a well-balanced eating regimen. Their meals needs to be nutritionally full for felines and appropriate for his or her age and life-style.
2. Limit Entry
If, like me, you realize you might have a cat who likes to play with (and lick!) plastic, then it’s a smart behavior to maintain plastic baggage and different objects out of attain. At all times put away grocery baggage, maintain electrical cables safe and out of attain, and tidy unfastened objects away.
3. Distraction and Redirection
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What do you do when you catch your cat within the act? Don’t punish or shout, as this may solely scare them and result in ongoing stress. As an alternative, calmly distract them from the inappropriate merchandise through the use of treats or toys, after which take away the plastic from their attain.
4. Secure Options
Some cats are extremely motivated to chew and play. Present an array of protected objects for them to play with, chew on, and customarily maintain themselves occupied. Attempt quite a lot of varieties and textures and rotate often to stop boredom.
Make certain your cat has entry to good scratching posts, excessive perches, chew toys, meals puzzles, and interactive toys to supply each bodily and psychological stimulation. Put aside common durations of time to play and work together together with your pet. Cat grass can present wonderful protected enrichment for cats who prefer to chew.
Associated Situations
Continuously Requested Questions
Is it dangerous for cats to chew on plastic?
Some plastics are protected for cats to chew on however many aren’t. Some objects, reminiscent of plastic baggage, pose a strangulation and suffocation threat. Many plastics could cause intestinal blockages if eaten. At all times present your pet with cat-safe chews and toys to gnaw on.
Why does my cat play with plastic?
Cats might take pleasure in plastic for its texture and sensory enter—it’s crinkly, mild, and enjoyable to play with. Cats usually have a excessive drive to be supplied with appropriate toys. Some cats additionally benefit from the style of plastic baggage, which are sometimes coated with gelatin or stearates.
What’s pica syndrome in cats?
Pica is an ailment that causes cats to eat non-food objects, reminiscent of plastic, cloth, paper, or dust. It may be on account of a dietary deficiency, behavioral downside, or medical situation.
