how do i make my cat stop eating things?

Question

my cat will eat almost everything that she cant pshysically handle. she will eat ribbons and bows and even kotex wrappers and when i clean out her litter box i notice that the things she ate will not always be in there if you catch my drift. she will usually always try to throw the stuff up she eats and i try everything from hiding the things she eats to yelling at her when i catch her eating the things. i know it isnt healthy for her and i cant afford to take her to the vet and get x-rays to see if she has anything stuck inside her body. what should i do to make her stop eating everything?

Answer 1

Pica is the craving to eat non-food items. Usually pregnant women suffer these cravings, but cats can develop Pica too. It's always seen in indoor only cats, and Oriental breeds seem more disposed to this behaviour than others, so perhaps it's an inherited trait.

Animal behaviourist Peter Neville is an expert on Pica, and he believes that it can also be a disorder of the cat's natural hunting behaviour which is to stalk, pounce, tear off feathers and skin, then eat. Some pet cats get compulsive about this part of the predatory sequence (tearing off feathers and skin bit) and swallowing it all. Since ordinary cat food gives no chance of tearing and ripping, the cat looks for this somewhere else.

Keep as many of these items out of her reach as possible. Cats hate the smell of menthol or eucalyptus oil, so add a few drops to a ribbon as a "bait" piece. The smell will put her off eating them and may help break the habit. Eating these types of items could lead to an internal blockage requiring surgery, so it's important that you remove temptation out of her way. When you see her attempting to eat forbidden items try diverting her attention to hunting games instead. Do not punish her in any way, otherwise she may just resort to eating these items in secret, or when you are not around to tell her off.

The link below has an article "Cats who eat strange things like cardboard", has lots of information on treating this behaviour that you may find helpful.

http://www.celiahaddon.co.uk/pet%20problems/cats/frameset.html

Answer 2

Be very careful and watch your kitty.....if cats supply up ingesting unexpectedly - it ought to no longer be the nutrition. Cats will in many situations supply up ingesting in the event that they are ill (i.e. Urinary tract an infection, blockage, abdomen soreness). Watch her heavily, is she appearing usual different than in basic terms no longer ingesting? Has she used the muddle container? Now if each thing else is usual - attempt and p.c.. the a number of new colored products out of the nutrition and notice if that enables. If no longer, i've got been there and achieved that attempting to change my cats nutrition before they are "waiting". they are obdurate little creatures and could make themselves ill before they regulate their nutrition! one way I actual have been effectual is putting their familiar nutrition interior the bowl and employing the hot nutrition as "treats" until eventually time to completely intergrate it in. Now if she nevertheless won't consume for yet another day or so. Take her to the vet, cats can get very ill by skill of no longer ingesting and not employing the litterbox. wish this permits and please do no longer supply a cat milk (cow's) they don't be able to digest it and its no longer sturdy for them....

Answer 3

Kill it! LOL!
No, seriously... here in the UK we have an organisation called the PDSA (The Peoples Dispensary for Sick Animals.) They will offer free diagnosis and treatment in return for a donation of whatever you can afford, find out if there is one near you. Alternatively you could try the RSPCA, the Royal Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Animals. They may not be able to offer personal assistance, but could I'm sure, at least, point you in the right direction.

Answer 4

I think that you should keep everything off the floor that you think she would eat, and if that doesn't work, spray your cat with a spray bottle with water everytime you catch here eating something she shouldn't be eating.

Answer 5

I have a cat, too and he eats a lot of stuff also. Try to (I know this sounds mean) flick her in the nose or hit her. I know it sounds abusive and I love animals to death, but it works most of the time. Just yelling at your cat wont do anything. You have to do one of these to make her behave. (I AM NOT AN ANIMAL ABUSER, A LOT OF PEOPLE FLICK THEIR PETS NOSES)

Answer 6

You are going to have to "childproof" your home. Get a self-sealing garbage pail with a foot pedal or put it in a cabinet, etc.

The alternative is to keep her in a safe room when you can't watch her.

Answer 7

By picking up your crap and putting things away. If you had a child, you would not allow them to eat dangerous things, right? Take the same responsibility with your pet.

Answer 8

Keep things put up. Buy a little spray bottle and spray your cat. It will not learn if you don't punch it. It is like a kid almost.

Answer 9

dip everything in formaldahyde. that should do the trick!