Coming after the grocery shopping only to see your cat chewing on plastic bag? Isn’t it weird?? You might have noticed your beloved cat chewing on a plastic bag some or the other time. Here find out why does my cat eat plastic. It would have made you wonder about the sudden obsession of cats with plastic. This behaviour can be dangerous for your kitten as it can suffocate or choke them if they manage to swallow bag pieces.
Why Does My Cat Eat Plastic?
It may contain remnants of your pets favorite foods that smell tasty can lead them to chew that plastic too. Your cat might chew on hard plastic materials like straws to ease the anxiety caused due to some stress. Another purpose for your cat to chew on bags can be related to their dental health. If you find your cat engaging in such activities, a trip to the veterinarian is necessary to make sure its teeth are in good condition. There can be many factors like these that might lead them to do such activities. Some of the reasons why does my cat chew on plastic are:
When your cat is curious
Some playful kittens are always curious about the world around them. They like to explore things, and this might lead them to an irresistible plastic chewing habit. You can provide your cat with plenty of digressions and safe objects to chew and devote your time, playing with your kitten as much as often. Distracting them will lead them to avoid such activities as much as possible.
Their diet is nutrition meager
When your feline’s daily diet do not meet their nutritional needs, they may constrain to eat other things to make up their diet. When your cat starts to nibble on plastic too frequently, it only indicates something is missing from their diet. Enhance your cat’s meals with some nutrition and buy best cat food with proteins and meat of good quality.
Stress
Cats generally get stressed too often when they are affected by changes in their surroundings. Some factors like being around too many people while they are used to living between two can cause distress and frustration in them. It advances them to relieve their stress by chewing on plastics when they find some. If your cat’s showing such signs, you may better take advice from your vet for further investment.
Medical problems
Pica (The urge to eat non-food items)can symbolise that your cat is not feeling well. Some medical conditions like dental health, anaemia, diabetes, and immune paucities can make your cat feel uneasy and nibble on something. Eating or, you can say chewing, on plastic can be their way to soothe themselves from any pain they may be suffering.
Genetic Predilection
Cat parents can add eating plastic to the list of kitten’s behaviors. In some kittens, pica appears to be in their genes. Generally, this peculiar chewing habit can be seen in young cats more. You can visit your vet to get rid of such addictions.
How to Keep Your Cat Away from Chewing Plastic?
- Separating cats from plastic bags is very challenging unless you distract them with other objects. You can divert your cat’s senses with some toys, balls, or any of their favorite items that do not include plastic in them.
- Another alternative in breaking up your cat’s plastic bags desire is to give your stealthy companion her chewing materials. Create an area where it can chew on cat feasts or toys to her heart’s will.
- Dispose of plastic bags should be right away in a place that is not reachable by your cat. If you recycle these bags, make sure to keep and lock them up in some safe place that is out of reach of your cat.
- If your cat loves too much to chew on plastic bags, you can find these types of materials that are approximate to those bags, such as crinkly balls. You can find a variety of toys with different textures and sounds to keep them distracted and happy without chewing some hazardous materials.
- Keep company with your cat. Do not let them feel neglected. You can increase your daily play with them, which will keep them happy both physically and mentally.
- Train your cat with different actions and behaviors such as sit down, stand up, lay down, give their paws in your hand, and so much more.
How to know if my cat has ingested plastic?
If your cat chews on plastic that might have got stuck in its stomach, then it may not eat food or drink water properly, has an urge to vomit, again and again. They may cry out when touching their abdomen and might look at their stomach more often. Some cats might even collapse completely in critical situations, or they may sit differently, positioning themselves to get more comfortable.
Plastic is a non-biodegradable substance, and it is not digestible, which means it will not break down in the stomach if someone has swallowed one. It can be hazardous for your cat’s health as it can block or choke food/windpipe or intestine causing, an enormous dilemma. Plastic pieces chewed and swallowed by your cat can be sharp and rigid that can strike their stomach walls causing, injury, inflammation, or even perforations. Symptoms for such tragedy are:
- Abdominal pain
- Lethargy
- Unbalanced diet
- Vomiting frequently
- Peritonitis
- diarrhea, blood in stool, or not passing of any feces at all
These symptoms can take a couple of days to take place. In such a situation, you should visit your veterinary clinic as soon as possible. If they are left untreated for a while, then the damage to your cat’s internal organs may be more rigorous.
Conclusion
Your feline diagnosis depends on the quantity of plastic it has eaten and how long it may have been in its stomach to cause an injury. You should consult your veterinarian as soon as possible in such cases, especially when you already know about your kitten’s intake of plastic pieces.