Pica - does your cat eat non-edible items? How to recognize the signs of pica in cats.

Pica is different from chewing or accidental ingestion. Notice the difference.

Is your cat chewing or swallowing non-edible items? Chewers will try to spit it out, but are not always successful. Pica cats never spit out non-edible items. Once the items are in the mouth, they will be swallowed.

Pica kittens/cats intentionally seek non-edible items. Pica cats eat non-food items with a purpose. They will look for it, grab the items fast, and growl/hiss to keep them.
Cats cannot spit out things very well, so they end up ingesting them.

Are they playing and just getting it stuck on their tongue? Observe the behavior of your cat closely.

Pica in cats is a dangerous disease

Find a cat-friendly or fear-free certified vet that will listen to your concerns and take you seriously.

Environment and non-edible items.

You want to remove any non-edible items that the cat can reach or block access.

Is your cat focused on cardboard, plastic, or fabric, or all of it? Is it a certain shape or form of the non-edible items they are looking for? Observe closely and remove all items of interest.

Teeth Health:

Have your veterinarian thoroughly check your cat’s teeth to ensure there are no issues. Cats with mouth pain will sometimes chew stuff. Is your kitten teething? Kittens will chew and can accidentally ingest non-edible items.

GI issues.

Have your vet check for any GI issues. Maybe even do an ultrasound. The GI issues could be the cause of pica, or the symptom. 

Underfeeding and pica

Is your cat getting enough nutritious food. Do you give your cat enough calories per day? Underfed cats will look for food. Don’t forget kittens require a lot more calories. Underfed kittens can become food obsessed. 

Calculate the caloric intake and make sure they get enough food for their life stage and activity level.

Enrichment.

How often do you play with your cat? Do you offer food puzzles, pattern games or clicker training? Is your cat allowed outside, or has access to a patio?

Have you considered harness training?

Once you have covered the basics here are some options to consider:

1.Diet

Move to a raw diet that allows for more chewing. Add a calming probiotic.

2.Treats.

Treats that allow for safe chewing. Beef tendons for dogs, frozen or fresh chicken necks or cat grass. Kongs filled with lickable treats (careful if you have a plastic chewer!) Food puzzles (never unsupervised)

3.Talk to your vet about medication.