Kittens usually are curious, so they strive to learn everything around them. Notably, they taste a bunch of things to find out what qualifies as food. Well, even cat litter!
It is not good at all, right?
So if you want to find out how to stop cats from eating litter, spend little time reading our article for helpful information.
Let’s get started!
Contents
Why does the cat eat litter?
Keep the cat away from the litter
There are several reasons why your kittens eat it. And we have listed some typical ones below. Check them out!
Curiosity
As aforementioned, kittens are inquisitive about every single thing around them. That’s why they will eat and touch anything to know. However, as cats do not have any ideas of what they are eating, they can face a lot of risks if they consume harmful things like ribbons, cat litter, and so on.
Kittens are so curious
So make sure you hide all of the things dangerous to your kittens. In case, should your kittens are hyper curious and eager to eat everything, restrict them in a specific area and room.
Anemia
Anemia happens when the body of your kittens lacks an adequate amount of blood. This situation probably results in consuming cat litter.
Check the gums of your pets if they are pale, white, or bluish. The discoloration is a symptom showing the deficiency in vitamins, minerals, and iron in your cat. Even eating litter is also a result of feline leukemia, causing anemia.
There are several causes of the illness, such as infections and parasites. Therefore, you should keep your cats from parasites and consult the veterinarian for treatments.
Mineral Deficiency
There are some litters containing minerals like ones made with clay. Interestingly, your cats tend to eat this kind of litter if they have signs of malnutrition.
Also, adult cats are more likely to suffer a mineral deficiency, but kittens are still at risk of this situation. To ensure your kittens have enough minerals, make an appointment with the veterinary for a full evaluation. For further information, here is the list of common mineral and vitamin deficiencies in cats:
● Vitamin A
● Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)
● L-Carnitine
● Magnesium
● Pyruvate Kinase
● Sodium
● Taurine
Neurological Disorders
Some cats can have delayed development, leading to neurological disorders. Consult your
vet to find out the best treatments for such issues.
Stress
Similar to humans, cats also have strange behaviors when they are under pressure. If your cat starts to chew litter, check whether there is any change in the routine or your house that can make them stressed.
How to stop a cat from eating litter?
There are various kinds of litter, such as paper-, wheat-, and corn-based things or unscented/scented clumping or clay.
Well, to change the habit of eating litter of your kittens, you need to redirect their behavior patiently.
You can try the following solutions.
Change to non-toxic, non-clumping litter
Use safe cat litter
If you see your cats eating litter, change to use safer litter like plant-based ones, and non-clumping litter to avoid unexpected consequences.
Find out the best cat litter 2020 at https://catthink.com/
Distract cat with play
When you see your cat eat litter, look into catching his/her attention by a game. You can toss a toy mouse, a ball, or offer a toy fishing rod and tempt him/her away from the litter.
Better nutrition
Reconsider the diet of your cat. You should feed better food for your kittens to ensure them to consume enough nutrition.
Enhance the natural prey behavior of your kittens
Along with adding more playtime, a food puzzle toy is an excellent idea to help your cats. You can make it on your own or buy it in a pet store. Your cats find it fun to play with a puzzle toy; thereby you can stop them from eating litter.
Keep cats away from the litter box
Another way to distract your cats from bad behavior is to give them a grass pot. Accordingly, your cats can have something to chew. Besides, you can pick up a catnip to make them happy. Well, you can purchase toys full of catnip at stores or grow it by yourself.
Treatment Cost
It is estimated that the medical cost for treating cats eating litter can reach $100 per visit and curiosity tests to $6,000 for kidney-related illnesses. Anemia probably costs $3,000 with hospitalization, blood transfusions, and test to identify the causes. Additionally, pet owners can pay around $200 for testing vitamin deficiency per visit and supplementing vitamins.
Final Thoughts
Have you found the answer to how to stop a cat from eating litter?
We hope our article is helpful to you.
Once again, eating litter is a quite common behavior among cats.
Luckily, this bad habit can be changed if pet owners have proper solutions.
There is a saying, “Prevention is better than cure.” You had better take care of your cat and keep them away from the litter.
Well, that’s all we want to talk with you about today. Should you want to share with us and others about your story, do not hesitate to leave your comment below.
Thank you for reading!
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