Sometimes cats may feel like they live in their small worlds. Them Zoom around the house As if they had a ground, contact fine signalsand I hate us Close the door.
Cats I also love licking – very. And they lick many things without food. When cats lick or absorb an invincible material, this is called “wool sucking”. But they do not only suck on wool – they also make skin, rubber and plastic.
“Every cat has a unique choice,” he said Dr. Nicholas DodmanAnimal behavior at the University of Tufts and a veterinarian who has been studying compulsive behavior in animals for more than 30 years.
But why do cats lick plastic bags and things that don’t have other defeats? And is it dangerous?
A theory is that this behavior comes from a cat’s desire as a puppy. Dodman is the highest of Siamese cats exhibiting wool suction, and at the same time the breeds of their mothers and nurses for the longest time.
“They want to stay with their mothers and ride a nurse for 12 or 14 weeks.” “And then they are placed for nine weeks. He still has this absorbent driving. And he has to go somewhere.” The driver thinks that the cats leads to sucking wool, leather and plastic.
Relating to: Why do cats have bald stains in front of their ears?
The other cat raises nurses for only seven weeks, so if they leave their mothers in nine weeks, they no longer have this breastfeeding desire.
Dr. Valare TynesA veterinarian, who specializes in animal behavior, is less certain about Dodson’s theory of milk, because it has not yet been experimentally proven. However, he acknowledged that plastic sucking was a kind of self -soothing behavior for cats, similar to how human babies absorb their thumbs.
Get dangerous, licking plastic on its own, Tynes is not worried. “If this cat has always licked the unusual things because it is a young cat and does not do it for an extraordinary part of the day, I am less concerned about it.” He said. ” [the cat]He doesn’t eat. “
If a cat eats something else without plastic or food, it is called picaAnd this is a problem. If the cat swallows undefined items, it can be placed in a cat’s intestines and may require the removal of expensive surgeries. If left untreated, these blockages can be fatal.
If your cat eats non -food items, you should bring both specialists to the proposed vet. And if you can’t get the treatment you are looking for, consult a behavior expert, Tynes said Tynes.
“The sad thing for me,” he said, “Perhaps the customers I see, you know, thousands of dollars for multiple surgery to remove something from their cats,” instead of trying to address the problem of cat’s behavior.
When a PICA cat is brought to the vet, they are first tested for other gastrointestinal problems such as parasites. After the problem is determined as behavioral, there are several possible treatment.
Dodman said that some veterinarians may prescribe drugs similar to human treatments for obsessive compulsive disorder. Prozac. Owners can also distract their cats when they do unwanted behaviors and provide more toys and other activities for cats to play instead. Tynes suggested to grow some cat grass or buy a dog chewing toys to eat a cat instead of harmful plastic.
Tynes is also important to remember that your cat does not know that you do something wrong. Don’t blame your cat friend for licking your grocery bag. Just pay attention and talk to a vet if it becomes a problem.
