Why Is My Cat Consuming Cat Litter? 10 Vet-Reviewed Causes

Why Is My Cat Consuming Cat Litter? 10 Vet-Reviewed Causes

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Cats are capable of doing many points that go away us feeling bewildered and scratching our heads. It’s normally troublesome to find out if one factor that’s uncommon to us is certainly common for cats.

When it comes to consuming cat litter, we’re capable of safely say that this isn’t common habits regardless of how rather a lot your cat tries to make it seem common. Consuming cat litter is often associated to an underlying effectively being problem that requires medical consideration. Listed below are just some doable the explanation why your cat may be consuming cat litter and what you’ll be able to do to help them stop this habits.

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The ten Causes That Cats Eat Cat Litter

1. Pica

Pica refers to a state of affairs the place cats will chew or eat inedible provides and objects. Cats with pica are acknowledged to eat objects like cardboard, vegetation, soil, and picket. They may moreover develop a habits of consuming cat litter.

Pica could be attributable to a variety of parts, it could be seen as a sign of an underlying medical state of affairs or it could be a behavioral disadvantage. Some medical circumstances which have been linked to pica embody endocrine sicknesses, gastrointestinal sicknesses, and parasitic infections.

cat sniffing cat litter
Image Credit score rating: Lightspruch, Shutterstock

2. Dietary Deficiency

Usually, cats can start to eat cat litter and totally different provides on account of a nutrient deficiency. They do this in an try to compensate for any essential nutritional vitamins that they lack of their on daily basis meals routine. Attributable to this truth, it’s important to hunt suggestion out of your vet and assure your cat is consuming high-quality cat meals and consuming relevant components. Making healthful modifications to their meals routine might put an end to your cat’s litter-eating habits.

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3. Anemia

Anemia could be related to nutrient deficiencies, particularly iron deficiency, so some anemic cats might start to eat cat litter. Riboflavin, vitamin B12, and niacin deficiencies may even set off anemia.

Completely different indicators of anemia embody low energy, little stamina, pale gums, and lethargy. After a cat has been restored to effectively being and any nutrient deficiency has been addressed, the cat litter-eating habits usually goes away.

tabby cat sniffing the litter box
Image Credit score rating: Pixel-Shot, Shutterstock

4. Curiosity

Cats are curious animals, so they might merely be concerned in having fun with with and tasting cat litter. Cat litter might actually really feel fulfilling or have a novel texture that cats must type. Usually of curiosity, your cat will usually type cat litter just a few events sooner than they alter into disinterested. So, in case your cat continues to eat cat litter on a variety of occasions, it’s protected to say that it’s not because of they’re excited by it.


5. Style

Usually, cats can profit from the style of their cat litter and develop a liking for it. This usually happens when their cat litter is made with pure provides like grass, wheat, or corn husks.

In case your cat likes the flavour of their cat litter, it’s possible you’ll try switching to a distinct cat litter that’s made with a novel supplies. Chances are you’ll as effectively try providing them with cat grass as a protected varied.

cat sniffing litter in the box
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6. Coprophagia

Coprophagia refers to a state of affairs that causes cats to eat their very personal feces. Cats with coprophagia might seem like they’re consuming cat litter, nonetheless they’re actually consuming their very personal poop.

Coprophagia is often a sign of 1 different underlying effectively being state of affairs, resembling malnutrition, colitis, or dementia. Attributable to this truth, it’s important to get your cat your veterinarian within the occasion that they start to eat their very personal poop.


7. Boredom

Cats who actually really feel bored or wired might resort to consuming cat litter. Consuming litter may be a method for bored cats to essentially really feel stimulated, or it may very well be a habits that cats develop as soon as they’re feeling wired or anxious.

Guaranteeing your cat will get enough practice and playtime will assist alleviate boredom. Providing mentally stimulating actions like cope with dispenser toys may even cease boredom. Assuaging boredom could trigger your cat’s litter consuming habits to go away by itself.

cat climbs to the litter box
Image Credit score rating: Oleg Opryshko, Shutterstock

8. Hyperthyroidism

Usually, cats with hyperthyroidism might start to eat cat litter. The extreme ranges of thyroid hormone can enhance a cat’s urge for meals and metabolism, which can make them consuming inedible objects like cat litter.

Hyperthyroidism is the commonest endocrine sickness in cats, and it’s most prevalent in older cats. Completely different indicators of hyperthyroidism are weight discount, consuming better than regular, poor physique state of affairs, and an enlarged thyroid gland.


9. Thoughts Tumors

Thoughts tumors are a unusual form of most cancers and an uncommon motive for a cat consuming litter. Nonetheless, thoughts tumors can affect a cat’s habits counting on their location and it’s doable for them to increase hunger.

Older cats who’re over 10 years earlier have a greater risk of rising a thoughts tumor.

cat using the litter box
Image Credit score rating: Danielle Masucci, Shutterstock

10. Intestinal Parasites

It’s not absolutely clear what the hyperlink between intestinal parasites and pica is, nonetheless some cats with intestinal parasites resembling worms might also develop pica. Cats might grow to be consistently hungry, which can set off them to start consuming inedible objects.

Remedy will fluctuate since there are numerous sorts of intestinal parasites. As quickly as your cat is free from an intestinal parasite infestation, their pica moreover usually goes away.

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Is It Protected for Cats to Eat Cat Litter?

It’s not protected for cats to eat cat litter, so it’s important to go looking out environment friendly choices to forestall them from consuming it. Some cat litter isn’t protected for consumption and may set off intestinal blockages. Clumping clay litter and silica litter are every sorts of cat litter which will be notably unsafe for consumption. It’s usually okay if a small amount will get in your cat’s mouth, nonetheless consuming big portions will set off points inside the gastrointestinal system.

Consuming cat litter will be unsanitary. Ingesting parasites and micro organism from dirty cat litter can lead to gastrointestinal points.

cat sitting next to the litter box
Image Credit score rating: Oleg Opryshko, Shutterstock

Straightforward strategies to Cease Cats from Consuming Cat Litter

The first step to stopping your cat from consuming cat litter is to take your cat to your veterinarian. Since consuming cat litter is often associated to a medical problem, it’s important to get your cat in for a bodily examination. Your veterinarian may run diagnostic exams to go looking out the rationale behind your cat’s litter-eating habits. In case your veterinarian finds a prognosis, they’ll be able to current a treatment plan to help your cat return to good effectively being. In numerous cases, cats will stop consuming cat litter as quickly as they’ve gotten larger.

In case your cat continues to eat cat litter, try switching to a novel mannequin or form of cat litter. This might make the cat litter a lot much less palatable to your cat and discourage them from consuming it. Make sure to moreover play collectively along with your cat recurrently and distract them with one different train when you occur to find them going to their litter discipline to eat cat litter.

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Conclusion

Cats can start to eat cat litter for a variety of causes, nonetheless this habits is often tied to a effectively being problem. Attributable to this truth, it’s biggest to get your cat to your veterinarian as shortly as doable when you occur to find that they’re starting to eat cat litter. Your veterinarian will make it easier to understand what’s inflicting this habits and the way one can cease it from occurring.

Along with getting your cat medical help, it’s important to ensure they’re residing a healthful lifestyle that consists of a nutritious meals routine, sufficient portions of practice, and mentally stimulating actions. Prioritizing your cat’s wellness can cease them from consuming cat litter and rising totally different unsafe or unhealthy habits.


Featured Image Credit score rating: Oleg Opryshko, Shutterstock

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