In Caleb’s case, as part of the environmental enrichment plan, we made sure he had continuous access to a high-fiber dry cat food (Purina OM), and increased his activity level by having Dr. Billingham had spent thousands of dollars replacing and repairing her clothes - but it is also extremely dangerous for the cat because it can lead to intestinal obstruction, which in turn may have fatal consequences. Why would you want to treat wool-sucking/pica in a cat, you might ask? The reason is that not only is this condition sometimes extremely destructive - Dr. However, we do have one non-pharmacological option available to us - environmental enrichment - and if this is conducted properly, it can go a long way toward attenuating the condition, especially if used along with pharmacotherapy…at least for a while. In domestic animals, we do not have the luxury of cognitive therapy as we can’t talk to them and explain why they should not engage in it. Treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder in people involves cognitive therapy and/or pharmacotherapy (the use of anti-obsessional medication). We have plotted out the family tree of affected cats and can follow the inheritance from generation to generation. These days, wool-sucking/pica is regarded as a form of feline compulsive disorder and, as such, has genetic underpinnings, evidenced by the fact that it typically affects Oriental breeds of cat. Luckily, Caleb didn’t have all of these items in his texture-specific diet. Other typical substrates on which wool-sucking cats chew are acrylic, plastic, shoelaces, running gear (shorts and vests), sometimes newspaper and even the plastic surrounding electric wires. Wool-sucking is thought to be a displaced suckling behavior and is, therefore, a form of a disorder akin to thumb-sucking in children.Īs you’ll notice from Caleb’s case, however, not all the items that these cats choose to suckle on, chew or swallow are actually wool (though wool does feature prominently in the aberrant diet of affected cats). It is usually accompanied by kneading or treading with the forepaws, and is sometimes associated with salivation. Most prevalent in Oriental breeds of cat, in particular Siamese cats, wool-sucking often starts when cats are only a matter of months old and consists of mouthing and chewing on woolen materials. In fact, some people refer to the condition as wool-sucking/pica. This condition, known as pica, is closely related to - and is sometimes an extension of - feline wool-sucking. She couldn’t seem to stop this 4-year-old blue point Siamese from eating part of the cuff from a pair of pants, chewing holes in socks and t-shirts and curiously, consuming wrappers. Frustrated and perplexed as to why her cat Caleb was chewing and ingesting non-food items, Stephanie Billingham, PhD, a psychologist, came to me for help.
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