Because of their curiosity, many cats enjoy trying new things like the taste of their cat litter. If you've only noticed this cat behavior occurring once in a while but not often, curiosity could be why. Curious kittens are very similar to human children and will try to eat many things they shouldn't.
Pretty Litter is made from amorphous silica gel, which is safe and non-toxic for both cats and humans. It's also non-clumping and doesn't expand when wet, so it is less dangerous than clay litter if ingested.
Behavioral Reasons
Once the behavior starts, it can easily become compulsive. The stress of being confined for long periods of time early in life, such as in a carrier or crate, can also spur cats to eat their litter and its contents. Your kitty might also just be bored and need some stimulation.
Nutritional Deficiencies
Your cat could be eating litter if it's not getting sufficient nutrition from its food. This can occur if your cat is not eating a properly balanced diet, but it may also occur if your cat's gastrointestinal tract is not effectively absorbing nutrients.
Symptoms of Silicosis in Cats
Symptoms of silicosis are limited to the respiratory system, including sinuses, trachea, bronchi and lungs. Exposure to silica dust can produce some of the following symptoms: Runny nose. Sneezing.
Litter Containing Crystalline Silica Dust
Crystalline silica is not biodegradable and is said to be a cancer-causing agent. Over time, crystalline silica can accumulate in your cat's lungs, resulting in a condition called silicosis, which causes shortness of breath and reduced lung capacity.
Divert your cat's need to chew toward safer, more appropriate things like cat toys inside which you can hide an edible treat or some other appealing item made specifically for cats. To keep grass-eating cats from sampling houseplants, try growing catnip or a small pot of grass for your cat to nibble on. But keep watch.
Cats and parasites in dirty litter boxes
Aside from bacteria, cat waste is also home to parasites, which can cause hookworms, roundworms, and ring worms in your cat. When you have a dirty litter box, it's even easier for a parasite to enter your cat's body and land in its gastrointestinal tract.
Clay litters, for example, contain iron and magnesium. Pica (the urge to eat things not typically considered food) could also be a sign of anemia, feline leukemia, or kidney disease. A visit to your veterinarian for a complete blood count is the best first step if your cat is compulsively eating cat litter.
If your cat is eating litter, try switching to a non-clay litter made from materials like paper or wood. You can also try providing a covered litter box or adding more litter boxes. Finally, make sure your cat is getting enough mental and physical stimulation to reduce their stress and boredom.
This makes his urine get more concentrated and could make crystals and urine debris plug up and cause him to get a life-threatening feline urethral obstruction (FUO). With FUO, cats may have stones, crystals, or mucous plugs in their urethra that prevent them from being able to urinate.
Pretty Litter is highly safe for cats if you're worried about their safety. You may relax knowing that your cat's health is the top priority because it was developed specifically for cats by a team of veterinarians and scientists. It uses naturally occurring minerals that cats can breathe or ingest without any harm.
PrettyLitter was developed by a team of veterinarians and scientists specifically for cats. The litter is made of Silica Gel, which you may be familiar with from other packaged products. Just as it's safe to place in a bag of your favorite jerky, it's safe to have in your cat's litter box.
It is most frequently seen in certain breeds, such as Siamese, Burmese, Tonkinese and other Oriental types, leading to the suggestion that there may be a genetic component with the trait passing down particular family lines. However other domestic cats with no known Oriental ancestry can also suffer from pica.
Pica in dogs treatment
If a nutritional deficiency is a cause, your vet may recommend dietary changes, nutritional supplements, or changes in your dog's feeding schedule. Dogs with intestinal blockage will require hospitalization to undergo surgery.
Pica in cats only has one clinical sign and that is consumption of inedible objects. Common target objects for feline pica include; plants, electric cords, phone cords, wool, fabric, string or yarn. Felines with a mild case of pica may not consume the object, but chew, lick or suck on said inedible object.
FeLV is found mostly in cats from 1 to 6 years old; the average age is 3 years. Outdoor cats are more likely to be infected with FeLV.
Weakness and Lethargy
Cats who are very sick with feline leukemia are likely to be weak and lethargic most of the time. Your cat may be unwilling or unable to get up out of bed very often, and he may engage in very little activity other than walking to and from his food, water, and litter every day.
The percentage of feral cats infected with either FeLV or FIV is low. Studies detected FeLV in 4.3% of cats; FIV in 3.5%. This is similar to the rate in owned cats. Several large-scale spay/neuter clinics in the U.S. report only a 1-2% incidence of FeLV in the early years when every cat is tested.
PrettyLitter is made of super absorbent Silica Gel, combined with a proprietary health indicating formula to help you monitor your cat's urine for acidity and alkalinity levels outside the average range, plus the visible presence of blood.
Pretty Litter is made from amorphous silicon dioxide gel. While amorphous silica doesn't carry the same risks as crystalline silica, we found a study showing a link between its inhalation to inflammation, granuloma formation, and emphysema.
Crystal litter absorbs urine and dehydrates waste, making it five times more effective at reducing odors than other litters such as clumping clay. It is also more cost-effective as cats use less crystal litter over time.