Why do cats eat plastic

Families who raise cats should often see that their cats like to bite plastic bags sometimes even though they are full. Why is this? There are 5 reasons, which are related to the health of cats and require attention!

“Driven by curiosity”

Cats look like they come from outer space. Their behaviors are very strange and interesting. This is all driven by cats’ curiosity. Cats are especially interested in things that float.
Plastic bags are very light. When people pass by, the slightest gust of wind will make them move, and the cats will keep chasing them, hugging and chewing them. This is purely because they are fun and love to move.

“Relieve stress”

The act of biting can relax the cat. If the cat arrives in a strange environment or a new member of the family joins, etc., this will make the cat feel uneasy and nervous.
The cat’s inner pressure is huge, and that feeling will make the cat very awkward. The cat will try to relieve and calm down, and nibbling is one of them. If there happens to be a plastic bag next to it, it will become a tool to release the cat’s emotions.

  “Attracted by smell”

Cats have a very sensitive sense of smell and can smell very small and subtle odors that humans cannot smell. The smell of plastic bags is very strong, and there is a very chemical substance in it, which is an anti-slip agent.
This smell is very attractive to cats, which also makes cats have a strong desire for plastic bags, which is one of the reasons why cats love to chew plastic bags.

“The Temptation of Food”

Plastic bags at home are generally used to hold food. The smell of these foods will adhere to the bags. Cats are greedy cats, so the smell of food will be very delicious to cats.
Since it can’t eat food, the cat will eat this plastic bag to satisfy its greed. This is also a transfer of consciousness, which is very strange.

“Obsessive-compulsive behavior”

Due to the influence of genetic genes or living habits, as well as living in a highly stressful environment for a long time, individual cats will develop obsessive-compulsive disorder, which is considered a mental disorder.
It needs to be relieved through certain behaviors, such as meowing or chewing something with a specific texture. Some cats will chew garbage bags to mentally soothe.
This will have a serious impact on the cat’s psychology and body, and needs to be treated through training or medication.

“Itchy teeth and grinding teeth”

Cats whose teeth are changing or teething will experience extremely itchy teeth, and they need to chew and grind their teeth to relieve this discomfort. Plastic bags placed everywhere at home will become cats’ exclusive teeth-grinding tools.
However, the plastic particles in plastic bags are difficult to decompose. If the cat does this for a long time, it will be seriously harmful to the body. It is recommended that pet owners purchase teething sticks or cat teething snacks to relieve cats’ itchy teeth.

“Lack of Trace Elements”

If a cat’s body lacks certain trace elements, the cat will instinctively supplement it by eating miscellaneous things, which is what we often call “pica”. It will chew whatever it catches.
However, these substances are difficult to be decomposed by the cat’s gastric acid. Continuous accumulation in the body can easily cause intestinal obstruction, and can also cause the cat’s poor appetite, indigestion, constipation and other diseases. In order to prevent the cat from developing “abnormalities” “eating addiction”, owners should promptly supplement their cats with nutrients.

Conclusion: Does your cat also like to chew plastic bags?

What should I do if my cat eats plastic?

Cats that have eaten plastic can generally be treated through observation, drinking more water, inducing vomiting, gastric lavage, and drug treatment.

Observe

If you eat a plastic packaging box, the plastic inside the plastic packaging box is relatively small, and there are no obvious symptoms of discomfort, you can deal with it by drinking more water, or you can improve it by observing more.

Drink more water

If you eat a plastic packaging box, the plastic inside the plastic packaging box is relatively large, and you have experienced nausea, vomiting and other uncomfortable symptoms, you can deal with it by drinking more water, or you can improve it by inducing vomiting.

Induce vomiting

If you have obvious symptoms of discomfort after eating plastic packaging boxes and are accompanied by loss of appetite, you can improve it by stimulating the throat area or drink more water.

Gastric lavage

If the patient eats the plastic packaging box and develops obvious symptoms of discomfort, accompanied by abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and other symptoms, it is recommended that the patient go to a regular hospital for gastric lavage treatment in time.

Medical treatement

If the patient has already developed symptoms of discomfort, he can use domperidone tablets, mosapride citrate tablets and other drugs for treatment under the guidance of a doctor. He can also use lactic acid bacterium tablets, bifidobacterium triple live bacteria capsules and other drugs for auxiliary treatment. improve.