“I also address all the possible causes of social anxiety and other stresses in the home,” she says. Cats need an outlet for their predatory instincts, which interactive play provides.” For instance, play time with toys attached to wands provide cats with a powerful “hunting” experience. Borns-Weil, “my treatment plan generally consists of increasing environmental enrichment and mental stimulation. If the pica has resulted from an underlying medical condition, your veterinarian will first explore the possibility of gastrointestinal disease or infection.
Borns-Weil says, “insufficient intellectual and physical stimulation may be instrumental in causing this behavior.” Treatment Plan “Since cats are curious and highly intelligent,” Dr. Some of the preferred materials include wood, cloth, paper products, cellophane, plastic, and cardboard.īoredom, stress, anxiety, lack of adequate attention. Borns-Weil says.Īvailability of the preferred substrate (material). “Once the behavior starts, it becomes self-rewarding,” Dr. Cats weaned too early may be prone to suckling-like behavior when they are older. Just as any number of medical problems can cause pica, a number of environmental reasons can cause the Feline Compulsive Disorder that manifests as pica: And she would diagnose that behavioral problem as Feline Compulsive Disorder, since pica in cats is an overwhelming and repetitive impulse. The Head of the Tufts Animal Behavior Clinic, Stephanie Borns-Weil, DVM, agrees, saying that “only when medical problems have been thoroughly ruled out” would she label a case of pica a behavioral problem. “Behavioral disorders are accurately diagnosed by the absence of any underlying medical disorder,” the doctor explains. If a medical cause is found and treated, the pica should cease.Īnd if an underlying medical disorder cannot be found? It is at that point that a behavioral rather than a medical cause should be considered. If a cat displays pica behavior, “it is imperative that he be thoroughly evaluated by a veterinarian,” Dr. In addition to observing the pica itself, “owners should look for subtle signs of gastrointestinal upset such as flatulence, stomach gurgling, lip licking, and repetitive swallowing or drooling,” says Dr. Some medical causes of pica include inflammatory bowel disease, chronic pancreatitis, and giardia. That’s not just because pica can lead to obstructions in the gastrointestinal tract but also because it can be a sign of an underlying medical condition. “Pica symptoms should be taken seriously,” says Tufts veterinary internist Michael Stone, DVM. If indigestible items are swallowed, they can become lodged in a cat’s intestine, creating a potentially life-threatening blockage requiring a surgical fix. The word comes from the Latin picave, which means magpie - a bird that has notorious, indiscriminate dietary customs.Įating non-food materials is not just weird it’s dangerous.
The medical term for this bizarre behavior is pica. Does your cat lick or devour non-food items while displaying passionate interest in those objects? Is he eating nylon stockings or chomping down on paper towels?
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