RELATED: Human Foods Your Cat Shouldn't EatĪs to the strange things cats eat this includes cotton, wool, synthetic material, plastic, rubber, paper, cardboard, baby bottle teats, string, thread, electrical cords, wallpaper. Medical problems: A health problem may lead to a deficiency in a particular nutrient which prompts the cat to try weird and wonderful ways to find some.Genetic programming: The Oriental breeds, such as wool-sucking Siamese, are notorious for pica, because of a hereditary factor.This is especially true if a game of chase ensues in order to get the offending object out of the cat’s mouth. Accidentally trained: If the cat guardian shouts at their cat for eating wool, the cat may read this attention as rewarding the behaviour, and be encouraged rather than discouraged.A mechanism for coping with stress: In a similar way to a child sucking their thumb, chewing on non-food items may be a release from stress.Persistent kittenish behaviour: The Peter Pan of the cat world, a cat that grows up – but not out – of their kittenish habits.Expanding on this, there are various explanations as to why cats would develop a taste for non-nutritious objects. There may be some deep subconscious drive to pick things up and chew them, in a similar way that kittens learn about their world by exploring with their mouth. In truth, even the experts are left guessing as to exactly why pica happens. Coping with Pica of Behavioural Origin Why Does Pica Happen?.

Pica cats symptoms