When Your Pet Eats Things that Aren't Food

By Tamara Sevigny

If your cat has a habit of chewing and eating your sweaters and blankets you are not alone. So many cats have a habit of eating nonfood items that the behavior has been given a name, Pica. Aside from the inconvenience of having your blankets, clothing and furniture eaten, Pica is not necessarily a dangerous behavior, but obstructions can occur in your cat’s intestines if too much of any item is ingested.
Pica is a compulsion to eat things that aren’t usually eaten and occurs rarely in humans or even dogs. But cats, however, particularly the oriental breeds, will enjoy chewing everything from plastics to fabrics.

Our initial question to this behavior is - why?

There are several theories on Pica. Some believe it can occur when kittens are taken too early from their mothers. The kittens will suck on fabrics to soothe themselves and the sucking gradually becomes chewing. Others believe that dietary deficiencies can play a role in the mystery. Lack of fat or insoluble fiber drives cats to seek the missing nutrients in strange places. Eating these inappropriate things could also be a result of stress, or even boredom. Neurological disorders and illnesses could be another cause of this strange behavior. Pica may even be a combination of these explanations.
Whatever the cause, a few of the tips below may help you save some of your things and help find out what is going on with your feline friend.

Save your sweater, deter the cat.

You can make chewed objects undesirable by spraying them with vinegar or bitter apple, a bitter-tasting liquid you can buy at most pet stores. The bad news is that deterring your cat from chewing one kind of material may simply drive him to find a new favorite food.

Keep your cat occupied.

Offer daily play sessions during a time when you can give him your undivided attention. Be sure your cat has plenty of toys for when you are home and when you are not. Try hanging a toy on a string from a door knob or leave a treat dispensing ball to keep him occupied. Cat trees are also an excellent option as they offer lots of shelves to climb on.

Help him relax.

Strange behaviors may occur in kitties that are simply stressed out. Changes in the household, such as moving, adding a new family member, or one moving out, can easily cause a pet stress. Make your cat comfortable by having plenty of his favorite toys and blankets around and that he has a small, comfortable refuge in case he gets nervous.

Give him things to chew.

 If your cat is not a free feeder (has food available all the time), try giving your cat smaller, more frequent feedings, so he'll have something in his bowl when he wants something to munch on. You could also consider trying a timed food dispenser, which you could set to release a small amount of food every few hours. Grass gardens are another, excellent way to offer a different texture to chew. Pre-planted gardens are available at some pet stores, or you can grow one yourself by planting a pot of wheat or rye, with a little catnip mixed in.

Supplement his diet.

It has been reported that some cat owners have been able to stop wool chewing by adding lanolin—an oil found in wool—to their cat's food. You may even find some success by actually mixing a little fiber into the food. Be sure to consult your veterinarian before you change your pet's food, however, as some dietary changes can cause an upset stomach or other health problems.
Trying these techniques is a start to ending Pica. You may need more than one of these ideas-or all of them-to slow down or do away with Pica, but it can be done. If you need help, your veterinarian or a behaviorist can devise a program to retrain your kitty. The most important factor is that you be patient - and keep your sweaters out of reach!