![]() ![]() If your cat eats his litter and also exhibits other anemia symptoms, see a vet immediately for diagnosis. Anemia puts him at a greater risk of illness and injury and can be fatal if not treated. Litter eating is the least of your problems if your cat is anemic. But it’s not clear why other conditions and diseases cause anemic cats to eat their litter. There are many causes of anemia: recent heavy blood loss, iron or fatty acid deficiency, kidney disease, diabetes, leukemia, bone marrow disease, severe parasitic infection, poisoning and certain medications like aspirin.Īnemia caused by nutritional deficiencies could result in litter-eating as an attempt to resolve the deficiency. Anemic cats will often eat their litter in addition to being lethargic, dizzy and confused. AnemiaĪnemia is a shortage of red blood cells, which results in weakness, lack of energy, weakened immune systems, and, in some cases, pica. Be prepared to add supplements to his diet or change food brands to solve the problem. When the results come back, your vet will be able to advise you on how to remedy your cat’s specific deficiency. Your vet will draw some blood and send it to a lab to be analyzed for deficiencies. If you suspect that your cat is eating litter because of a vitamin or mineral deficiency, go to a vet and request that his nutrition levels be checked. How to Stop Nutrition-Related Litter Eating A cat’s carnivorous diet means that his poop is filled with protein, so if he eats it, he could have worms or another condition that’s preventing him from absorbing all the protein from his food. Litter-eating can also be a byproduct of poop-eating, which can be caused by other nutritional deficiencies. If your cat is deficient in any of these, he may eat his litter. Vitamins A and B1 are found in clay-based litter, as are minerals like magnesium, sodium, taurine, and L-carnitine. And if your cat litter is clay-based, it contains many essential vitamins and minerals, making it an easy target for malnourished cats. When cats are licking a vital nutrient in their diet, they’ll instinctively seek out and ingest other sources of it. New toys, extra petting, and even cat-oriented music and videos can help. If your adult cat eats litter when he’s bored, you may need to switch to a less-appetizing brand and provide him with additional stimulation. Monitor your kittens when they use the litter box and, if you notice them eating the litter, remove them as soon as they’re done with their business. No litter is good for them to eat, but clumping litter is especially dangerous, as it can clump in the stomach and become impossible to pass. ![]() How to Stop Curiosity-Related Litter Eatingįirst things first: always use a non-clumping litter if you have kittens. This is especially likely if you’ve switched to a corn-based or wheat-based litter.Īnd if you haven’t switched brands lately, boredom could be provoking his curiosity to the point that he wants to try eating litter. Well, if you’ve recently switched litter types, he may be eating it to see if it tastes as different as it looks, feels, and smells. Their first experiments with litter-eating will usually be their last.īut what if you have an adult cat who’s started eating his litter? Kittens who eat litter will quickly learn that it doesn’t taste good and doesn’t feel great once it’s in the stomach. It may be particularly enticing because kittens aren’t usually exposed to similar substances, so the novelty factor is strong. They interact with things any way they can: rubbing, swatting, sniffing and, yep, tasting. We’ll get the good news out of the way first: if your cat is still a kitten and has begun eating his own litter, it’s not likely to become a habit.Ĭurious kittens love investigating their surroundings. ![]()
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