A kitten eats litter: what to do and why does the cat do this?

Reasons why a cat may eat litter

The main reasons why a cat eats litter are divided into two large groups - physiological and psychological. To identify the true provoking factor, you need to familiarize yourself with each in more detail.

Many kittens try to eat litter

Physiological reasons

Physiological characteristics are determined by the lifestyle and character of the pet. For optimal functioning of all organs and systems, the body must receive the entire complex of vitamins, minerals, macro- and microelements. Calcium is important for the development of bone tissue, which is found in high concentrations in toilet fillers.

Note! If a cat’s body needs a certain substance, it will look for it in surrounding objects. And it doesn’t matter whether the item is edible or not.

This means that in order to solve problems, it is recommended to enrich your beloved pet’s diet with vitamin and mineral supplements, which contain a high concentration of calcium. If the pet still does not stop eating the litter, it urgently needs to be replaced with another, otherwise the consequences can be disastrous.

The most dangerous cat litter is silica gel, which is characterized by pronounced moisture-absorbing properties. It can simply stick to the mucous membranes of the digestive system, which leads to serious disorders and even death.

Sharpening teeth

By their nature, all cats are predators, and they need to sharpen not only their claws, but also their teeth. It is quite possible that there are no suitable items in the house to do this with the exception of filler, which in its structure and size is ideal for this.

Calcite pieces for cats to sharpen their teeth

To wean your pet from doing this, it is enough to let the animal chew on a small bone at a certain time interval.

For your information! You can purchase a piece of calcite at any pet store, which is ideal for these purposes. It is impossible to chew it, but the teeth will be sharpened.

Psychological reasons

It has been scientifically proven that cats are more susceptible to stress than humans. Against this background, they often develop food perversion. A cat's litter box is an important and integral part of their life, so by absorbing the litter, they feel more confident and calm.

When you see that a kitten is eating litter, you should not scold it; it is better to calmly take it in your arms, stroke it, and show your care and affection as much as possible. Until the psycho-emotional health of the animal is normalized, you cannot scold it.

Note! You can diversify your cat's life with different games.

Other famous brands

Below is a comparative table with a list of equally well-known and popular brands. Having studied their composition and main features, you can choose the optimal brand for yourself, which will be environmentally friendly, safe, inexpensive and satisfy all the requirements of the animal, refresh, and keep the house clean.

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Is it harmful for a cat to chew litter tray?

Cat litter: which options are best to choose

A few swallowed filler granules will not affect the health and well-being of a small pet in any way. Undigested residues will be eliminated from the body naturally after a short period of time. The fillers do not contain any toxic substances.

Variety of toys for kittens

Potentially hazardous use of clumping litters. The fact is that when they come into contact with moisture, they form a dense lump that can clog the intestines. To save the little kitten, immediate surgery will have to be performed.

Important! Silica gel filler poses a great danger.
As mentioned earlier, it readily absorbs moisture, which is why it sticks to the mucous membranes of the internal organs.

Methods for removing blockages

Mechanical pipe punching

If trouble does occur, and as a result of the ingress of a huge amount of filler the sewer system “rises,” measures need to be taken.

You can deal with blockages like this:

If the incident has just happened, and the bulk of the material is in the toilet itself, it is necessary to remove it from there as quickly as possible. To do this, we put a rubber glove on our hand and scoop out everything we can reach.

• To make the work more effective, you need to add a small amount of water to the toilet. But don’t overdo it - if the cork turns out to be very dense, then you will have to remove the water by scooping it out.
• As long as sawdust filler gets into the pipes, a plunger should be enough. But bentonite is capable of blocking the lumen “tightly”, so the plug will need to be destroyed mechanically.
• To do this, we use a cable with a special attachment, which we screw into the jam and destroy it. Our goal is to punch a hole in the center of the pipe, and then the flow of water will slowly wash away the contamination.

Chemical methods

In some cases, the filler does not form a blockage, but simply accumulates in the drain and reduces the throughput capacity of the sewer.

Here it is possible to cope with the situation using chemical means:

• We pour granular powder into the pipes in the most problematic area.
• Add a small amount of water and leave for approximately 20-30 minutes. for reaction.
• Then we carefully rinse the system, draining the water from the tank a couple of times.
• Along with this, acidic agents are considered the most effective, because they are good at destroying organic matter accumulated in the sewer.

What needs to be done

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What to do if your kitten eats litter:

• you need to carefully study the composition of the filler, which causes such interest in the animal. After this, it is necessary to introduce into the diet a vitamin-mineral complex containing substances that are in the filler;
• it is quite possible that the animal simply attracts the owner’s attention in this way. You need to buy your baby more toys and play with him more often;
• To sharpen teeth regularly, you need to give your predator bones or special pieces of calcite. Everything can be purchased at an affordable price in veterinary pharmacies and pet stores. It is recommended to give preference to beef bones, since chicken bones are dangerous to health.

Note! If none of the methods help, it is recommended to purchase another type of filler.

Why you need to see a veterinarian

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If the kitten becomes inactive and lethargic shortly after consuming the litter, it should be taken to a veterinarian as soon as possible. This condition may indicate blockage of the gastrointestinal tract or poisoning. Other associated symptoms:

• excessive salivation;
• complete or partial refusal of food and water;
• rapid heartbeat and intermittent heavy breathing;
• fearfulness and aggression due to painful sensations.

Silica gel cat litter

If a kitten has eaten silica gel or clumping litter, this can be extremely dangerous for the health and life of the still fragile organism. It makes no sense to immediately drop everything and run to the veterinary clinic, but it is strongly recommended to inject a certain amount of Vaseline through a syringe and make sure that the substance is swallowed. The fact is that Vaseline simplifies the process of passage of feces and foreign objects through the organs of the digestive tract. The likelihood of damage to the mucous membranes will be minimized.

After taking Vaseline, you need to make sure that the animal goes to the toilet a lot over the next few hours. If you have difficulty defecating, this may indicate an intestinal blockage. In this case, it is necessary to contact a veterinary clinic so that the doctor takes an x-ray, examines the patient and makes his verdict.

Note! Sometimes it is possible to solve the problem with the help of laxatives, and sometimes surgical intervention is necessary to remove foreign objects from the body.

Check your home's vertical space

Cats enjoy vertical space, including climbing curtains and jumping on electronics or appliances.

It is important to ensure that all electronics and shelving are secure and cannot fall on your pet.

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Before bringing your cat home, make sure there are no loose cords, tassels or strips of fabric that could provoke the animal. It's best to purchase a cat tree or other safe climbing structure to keep your pets occupied and away from things they shouldn't be climbing on.

Preventive actions

To prevent a kitten from eating litter, it is enough to carefully monitor its behavior. If at some point his attention is attracted by the filler, you need to take the baby in your arms and move it to another place. Kittens are easily distracted, especially if they are interested in toys.

Anemia due to a deficiency of macro- and microelements can be prevented by regularly introducing vitamin and mineral supplements into the diet. Nutrition should be balanced. If preference is given to ready-made industrial feed, then it should be premium or super premium. The fact is that budget formulations contain only legumes; they do not bring any benefit to the animal’s body.

Clumping cat litter

There are not many reasons why a kitten has an unhealthy interest in litter. As practice shows, in most cases it is provoked by a banal lack of attention. Therefore, the owner should devote as much time as possible to the new household.

Cat litter - choosing the best material

Clay is the most natural litter for your cat's litter box.

Photo: irecommend.ru.q5.r-99.com

Clay cat litter comes in both clumping and absorbent varieties. It is well suited for cats - the innate idea of ​​​​what a toilet should be like makes itself felt.

The best type of clay for cat litter is bentonite. It swells when exposed to moisture

It is important to look at the size of the granules - very large ones can injure the animal’s paws

Pros:

• naturalness of the filler;
• variety of types of clay fillers;
• cats like that they can dig deep into it;
• can be used for kittens.

Minuses:

• can be carried around the house on its paws;
• Fine dust may be generated when the cat litter box is filled.

Reviews about clay absorbent filler:

“The best filler compared to other absorbents, if you don’t mind the price and throwing solid waste into the trash can, feel free to buy it. But I don’t use it all the time, the reason is that it doesn’t wash down the drain.”

Reviews about clay clumping filler:

“I like the clay one because after the cat uses it for its intended purpose, you can remove only the contaminated area of ​​the litter with a special spatula.”

Wood is the most popular among fans of environmentally friendly fillers

Photo: www.scottish-pets.ru

Wood filler can also be either absorbent or clumping. It is made from sawdust from coniferous trees, pressed into granules of various sizes. Wood filler is considered the most environmentally friendly, in addition, it smells pleasant of pine needles.

The principle of operation of absorbent wood filler is as follows: the liquid is absorbed, and the granules crumble into sawdust. But they can easily stick to the cat’s paws and fur and spread throughout the house.

Pros:

• environmental friendliness of the material;
• pleasant pine smell;
• can be thrown into the sewer;
• low price;
• can be used for kittens.

Minuses:

can be carried on the cat's paws in the form of small sawdust.

Reviews of wood absorbent cat litter:

“My cat and I are fans of wood fillers. How many of them have been tested, and you can’t find better wood pellets! Wood filler perfectly absorbs odors and moisture. And it can be flushed down the toilet!”

Reviews of wood clumping filler:

“The cat accepted the filler easily. There is practically no smell, it does not generate dust, a little comes out of the tray, but the particles are small. And the lumps turn out neat and easy to throw away.”

Silica gel is the most economical cat litter

Photo: www.3-cats.ru

Silica gel cat litter has better absorbent properties, but... It is made from dried polysilicic acid gel; it cannot be called environmentally friendly. Before use, it can only be stored in sealed packaging to avoid loss of properties upon contact with moisture-containing air.

Silica gel litter is great for adult cats; its use is not recommended for kittens.

Pros:

• perfectly absorbs moisture and odors;
• very economical, so the high price is compensated by the period of use;
• can be used for several cats;
• Convenient to change the filler.

Minuses:

• not suitable for kittens - if the filler gets on the mucous membrane, it can cause a chemical burn, and kittens love to taste everything;
• Some cats don't like stepping on it.

Reviews of silica gel absorbent cat litter:

“There is no odor with silica gel filler for 12 days. I also didn't notice any dust from it. And almost all of it remains in the tray, it doesn’t spread around the house, the granules are quite large and heavy.”

Corn is the cheapest environmentally friendly option for cat litter.

Photo: www.fluffy71.ru

Corn litter is less common for cat litter and is more often used for rodents. But there are also separate series for cats. The filler is made from corn cobs and comes in different types - with large, medium and small granules. The first two types of litter are best suited for cats.

Corn fillers are only absorbent.

Pros:

• environmentally friendly, non-toxic;
• have a light pleasant odor;
• absorb moisture well;
• do not carry themselves around the house on their paws;
• low price;
• can be thrown into the sewer.

Minuses:

• not very common in Russia;
• not suitable for multiple cats.

Reviews of corn absorbent filler:

“Very similar to woody, only it smells not of pine, but of popcorn. I use a tray with a grid. When wet, the granules swell and do not mix with the dry ones, but fall to the bottom of the tray, and solid waste can be removed with a scoop.”