While plastic bags may appear like an unusual option for cats; from a cat’s perspective, they are extremely appealing. However, chewing on these bags can be harmful for your feline as they can suffocate or choke on bags and bag pieces.
Why Do Cats Chew Plastic Bags?
What’s so excellent about chewing plastic bags?
Plastic bags that come from a grocery or other supermarket can carry the sticking around fragrance as well as taste of food, which makes chewing them a pleasant experience. Numerous bags are likewise coated in substances such as cornstarch, stearates (salts of stearate acid), or are made from animal by-products such as gelatin, that makes them appealing to felines. Felines can also enjoy the crinkly noises that a plastic bag makes.
Another factor that cats will chew bags can be associated with their dental health. If you discover your feline engaging in these activities, a trip to the veterinarian to make sure her teeth are in good order is important. You might also wish to discuss with your veterinarian your feline’s diet, as chewing on odd items can be a symptom of deficiency in everyday dietary requirements. Lastly, boredom can be a major factor in habits like these. You must embrace a strategy integrating management (to keep your feline safe) and enrichment (to engage your cat’s physical and mental needs).
Find out what is the best toy for cats.
Tips to keep your cat from chewing plastic bags.
- Given that chewing on bags can present a risk to your feline’s health, you want to make sure that she not has access to these items. For bags, it’s relatively basic. Ensure you get rid of them immediately in a place that is not accessible to your cat. If you like to keep these bags to recycle them for another use, make sure they are in a safe place that your cat can not enter into, such as a locked cabinet.
- Supplying your felines with enrichment will play a big function in detering them from chewing unsuitable products. Miranda K. Workman, a Certified Animal Behavior Consultant through the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants and Adjunct Professor of Animal Learning at Canisius College, personally interacted to me that, “Addressing a feline’s sensory needs: smell, taste, texture and sound.” If your cat likes chewing on bags, discover items in your local pet store that approximate those experiences, such as crinkly balls. Try to find products that are different from these too, so your cats have the ability to take pleasure in a wide variety of textures and sounds when they chew and play. States Workman, “I even use pup Nylabones ® as chew toys for extremely orally focused felines.”
- Increase your day-to-day play with your feline as well, which can help tire your cat out both physically and psychologically. Look for toys that require you to be engaged with the play, such as “fishing wand” type toys. Interactive food toys, where your cat has to hunt for food within the toy, are also a good way to engage feline body and minds. Training (clicking training) your feline to do simple behaviors such as sit, down and other techniques is likewise a terrific method to increase your cat’s workout and a fantastic bonding activity.
Also read: Why Do Cats Eat Grass?
