Cats, in general, can be very loving and nonchalant in terms of keeping pets. They do not require too much effort from their owners in terms of taking care of them. They will not need you to spend excessive time with them only for the sake of playing and recreational activities. They do need you to take proper care of their eating habits and an appropriate place for them to sleep, but that is about it in terms of their needs and such. You should pay heed to what they are getting into and if they are acting out of the ordinary, though.
In terms of food, they are generally omnivores and will appreciate it if you regularly feed them white meats. They can eat bugs around the house if they are not well fed, which can prove to be quite hazardous for their health. They might even end up eating things that are not even meant to be eaten. All of this can happen if they are not well fed, timely. You will need to do some research if you have just started keeping cats in your home.
You will need to find them a proper place to sleep in as well. They will need a soft and comfortable spot to sleep in. Sleep is very important for cats because they may get cranky and moody if they do not get enough sleep when they feel that they need to be sleeping. The place that they sleep in should be suitable as well. It should not be too loud, and it definitely should not be prone to sudden movements or too much chaos. It should be soft too. If the place is too hard or rough, they might end up aching all over their body.
You may have to make sure that they do not get sick by eating something that you are giving to them. You can not give them new types of foods before making sure with the vet or researching. It is always better to stay on the safe side because their internal system is quite fragile, and they may end up getting hurt or weak. If your cat is getting weak while you are feeding them what you should be feeding, switching up their diet can be a good way to get them back to the ordinary.
Can Cats Die From Eating Plastic
Of course, it will always be better to research and feed the cat according to its age and size. The breed may also play an important role regarding what you should be feeding the cat.
There are times when the cat will end up eating things that it should not be eating. This may not always be to the fault of your own, but then again, it might be. We can take plastic. There are some instances where the cat will eat plastic that may be lying around the house. The texture or smell may simply attract the cat.
Pica
This is a deficiency that is found in cats. The symptoms of it can be your cat chewing on things and objects in your house, which is not necessarily food. This may be solely to chew, or it may be something else that you may need to figure out. It is important to get to the root of it because your cat might end up ingesting things that may make the cat very sick. Cats are quite curious animals, and your responsibility is to make sure that they do not eat random things.
Cats with nutritional deficiencies
One of the reasons why your cat may be eating plastic is if it is not well fed or it is experiencing some sort of nutritional deficiencies. It may not be getting all the nutrients and vitamins needed to stay healthy and active. It may be looking for these nutrients in new and fresh substances. A good indication for your cat experiencing nutritional deficiencies is if it looks weak or it has begun to get thinner and bony. This is when it might start eating the plastic. It may start chewing the plastic, which in itself may be toxic.
Cats dealing with stress
Stress may be one of the most obvious reasons as to why a cat may be chewing on plastic. It may like the texture, and it may find the plastic quite soothing to their teeth and such. If this is the case, it may be your responsibility to get to the root of the cat’s stress and do your best to get rid of what is causing the cat to get stressed at all in the first place. Sometimes chewing can be good, but if it is borne of stress, then you may have to find a remedy for that situation.
Cats dealing with OCD
OCD or obsessive-compulsive disorder is something that is often found in humans and such. It is usually caused by extreme stress and triggers. This can also be found in cats for more or less the same reason; stress. When the stress becomes fully blown, it may result in OCD. This may be one of the reasons that your cat is chewing on any type of plastic, something which it would generally not do. Cats might feel that chewing on plastic may be releasing their stress, or it might be a solid coping mechanism.
Cats and their predatory drive
There is a certain sound that plastic makes that will attract the cat. The slight rustling sound that plastic makes when it moves on some rough surface is something that will make the cat feel like the plastic is prey. It may trigger the predatory drive within your cat, and it may try to catch the plastic or “hunt” the plastic down. It may like to do this as an activity, something that the cat is enjoying doing. This may be fun for the cat, but it is not safe. Your responsibility will be to remove unnecessary and moving plastic from the house to make sure that your cat does not get hurt or sick.
Of course, all of this can be quite hazardous for the health of the cat. Plastic is quite toxic, but it is in many chew toys. There are forms of plastic that are completely fine for cats. Not for ingestion but simply for chewing upon. In some situations, this can be healthy even; this may make their teeth stronger and sturdier. But plastic items that are small enough that can be swallowed by the cat may present a choking hazard for the cat. You have to keep items like these away from your cat.
You can do some things to stop the cat from chewing on plastic to remove the hazard and danger in its entirety.
The first thing that you may be able to do is to increase interactive behaviors with the cat. You may give the cat more toys to play with that are not toxic. You may also spend more time with your cat now and then to make sure that it is all played out and does not get too curious about hazardous objects.
You may also always take the cat to the vet for a better form of consultation. The vet may be able to guide you in the best way regarding why your cat is eating the plastic in the first place. If it is because of nutritional deficiency, your vet may be able to help you in figuring out what kind of nutrients are lacking in the body of the cat. The vet may tell you what you should be feeding your cat, so it does not chew on some random plastic that is present inside the house.
You may also put many scratching posts inside your home. Scratching posts are an excellent model of activity for cats. Cats will like to scratch upon the posts, and if it is feeling idle at any point in time, instead of going looking for some sources to be able to interact with, it will simply go to a scratching post inside your home. This may be much healthier for the cat than chewing on plastic, which may end up being quite toxic for the cat. You will be protecting your cat from any choking hazard as well if it is something it is doing with its paw.
Conclusion
Plastic can be toxic, and it can be dangerous for the cat if the size of the object is small enough. The cat might choke on it, and if not found at the right time, the cat might even end up choking to death. The best option would be to rid your house of any sort of plastic objects and such. You need to keep your cat well fed; swell-feds do not have to resort to eating or chewing on plastic. If the cat continues to do so, the best option would be to take it to the vet.