Content
- why cats lick blankets
- Recent study on cats that suck on woolen blankets
- Cat sucks on deck - Treatment
- cat kneading bread
Cats have some very strange habits for us humans. Namely, eating strange things or licking strange objects. If the behavior only happened once, there's no need to worry, but if on the other hand it's something that happens over and over again, your cat may have a problem.
If you have a cat with strange habits, namely suckling on the deck, you've probably already asked yourself: why cats suck on the blanket? PeritoAnimal prepared this article to answer your questions.
why cats lick blankets
When cats chew, lick or suck something other than food, we are facing anomalous behavior. We call this behavior "pica". The word Pica comes from the Latin and means "catch", a bird of the raven family that is well known for its feeding behavior: it eats everything that appears in front of it! Magpies have a habit of stealing and hiding the strangest objects.
THE prick is a syndrome that affects many animals, from humans, rats and of course our cats. The felines' favorite objects for this behavior are: cardboard, paper, plastic bags and fabrics such as wool (that's why it sucks on a blanket or cloth). At more predisposed races To this concrete problem of "sucking on the blanket" are oriental races such as the Siamese and the Burmese.
There is still no certainty as to the causes of this syndrome. However, as it affects some races more than others, it is believed that it may have a strong genetic component. For a long time experts believed that this syndrome was caused by an early separation of the kitten from the litter. However, nowadays it is believed that this is not the main cause in most breeds.
THE most likely cause is a habit (just like in people) that relieves stress and promotes a sense of well-being on the cat. Sometimes this behavior is associated with a loss of appetite and/or ingestion of foreign food items.
However, it is important to bear in mind that various causes may be at the origin of Pica's behavior. Each cat is a different world and in case of any behavioral change you should visit your veterinarian to rule out even the least likely causes.
Recent study on cats that suck on woolen blankets
As recently as 2015, a group of researchers tried to better understand this problem. More than 204 Siamese and Burmese cats were involved in the study. The results revealed that there was no relationship between the animal's physical characteristics and the anomalous behavior of suckling tissue. However, they found that in the Siamese cat breed there was a relationship between other medical problems and this behavior. In Burmese cats the results suggest that the early weaning is small sandbox seem to promote this type of behavior. In addition, in both breeds, it was found that there was an intense increase in appetite[1].
More studies are needed to understand this complex behavioral problem of our cats. For now, you should try to do what the experts tell you. Although there is still no exact way around the problem.
Cat sucks on deck - Treatment
Unfortunately, there is no 100% effective solution to this problem. Anyway, you must follow these directions:
- Take the cat to the vet if he is ingesting strange things. Although it is not common, it can be a nutritional deficiency and only the veterinarian can carry out tests to rule out this possibility.
- Hide cashmere products or other materials that your feline prefers. Close the bedroom doors when you are not at home, to prevent the cat from going there and spending hours performing this type of behavior.
- Promote the cat's exercise. The longer the cat is entertained, the less time it will spend sucking on the blankets. Make homemade toys out of cardboard or recyclable material.
- Very severe cases of pica may require psychoactive medication.
cat kneading bread
Sometimes, the tutors worry about their feline's behavior, mainly because they don't know about the normal behavior of this amazing breed. One of the behaviors that raises many doubts is the cat "kneading bread". In fact, this behavior is perfectly normal and common in cats. Paw massage relaxes and soothes cats, which is why you often see the cat doing this behavior.
If you are curious about the behavior of your feline companion, read other PeritoAnimal articles that answer the most common questions among cat owners:
- Why do cats open their mouths when they smell something? Why does the cat hide when people come?
- Why does the cat lick my hair?
- Why do cats like to sleep on their feet?
Keep following PeritoAnimal to get to know all about your long-moustached four-legged companion! It's no accident that cats have captured our hearts. House felines are amazing and fill our homes with fun and love with their cute, cartoonish behavior!
