When an animal ingests things that are not food, such as sand, sticks, plastic and even stones, it is said to suffer from pica . Pica is a very dangerous disorder because, sometimes, it is necessary to resort to surgery to remove the foreign body from the body. If you have caught the cat eating the litter in the tray, it has an itch. But why does he do it? We tell you the main explanations that experts give to this disorder.
Lack of nutrients and minerals
If the cat lacks nutrients and minerals because it does not eat enough, because the food you give it is not of quality or does not cover its nutritional needs, it will look for a way to make up for the deficiency by eating what it should not , for example sand from the tray.
Are stressed, anxious, or depressed
In case you are clear that your kitten is properly fed, you may need to ask yourself if the animal is stressed. Both stress and anxiety and depression cause behavior problems, including pica. Did you just move? Does the cat spend a lot of time alone? Has a loved one recently passed away? There may be the answer to your taste for eating sand.
Your kitty is very curious
Cats are already very curious beings, but when they are puppies, the level of curiosity rises to the nth degree. That is why it is not uncommon for you to have caught your kitten on occasion eating or licking stones from the sandbox. In general, there is no need to worry since even if you swallow a small stone, most will spit it out and in a short time you will learn that it is not food .
Gets bored
A bored cat, who spends a lot of time alone at home and does not have any toys or objects to hang out with, can end up eating the dirt in the sandbox. The solutions in this case go through providing him with toys, trying to spend more time with him until finding a playmate for him.
He is sick
There are diseases that can trigger a lack of nutrients, minerals and vitamins, as well as an insatiable appetite in your cat such as diabetes , leukemia or peritonitis .
Put a solution
To stop the intake of sand, the first thing to do is remove the stones from the tray and put newspaper, kitchen paper or soaps in their place. The next thing will be to find out the cause that is triggering the pica.
If you think that the pica may be caused by a feeding problem, you should take the cat to the vet so that he can recommend the right feed for him , the one that meets his nutritional needs. It will also be convenient to carry out an examination and the pertinent analyzes , if the expert recommends it, to rule out any disease.
If everything indicates that the pet is eating the stones because he is bored, stressed or depressed, it is best to try to spend more time with him and provide him with play. If the situation does not improve, you should contact a feline ethologist .
