Not only does that mean tartar and plaque on their teeth but also gingivitis and sore gums.
Studies suggest that somewhere between 50-90% of cats over 4 years of old suffer from some form of dental disease. You can also play with your cat using toys you already use and give them a nice tasty treat to simulate “the hunt.”īut if you don’t mind having a permanent open season on cardboard then you might not need any toys at all! Just make sure your cat doesn’t turn from chewing to eating cardboard! Reason 3: It Feels Good On Sore Gums While your cat might not be able to chomp on a plastic toy, they do get to satisfy their urge to chase and eat! This very simple (and budget-friendly) cat toy from Amazon slowly dispensed dry kibble as your cat chases it around. If your cat seems to be tapping into prey drive they might like some toys specifically designed to satisfy these urges. Even the process of ripping up cardboard may mimic what your cat would do after a successful hunt. Some cats will latch on to cardboard like they’re delivering a killing bite or just dissecting their prey a bit. So what does this have to do with cardboard?
While that might make your cat sound like the villain in a 90’s horror movie it’s a process that’s been hardwired into your cat’s brain since their ancient Egyptian ancestors first fed them fish. The International Cat Care website outlines 9 steps that cats take in the hunting process including capture, kill, and consume.
That means your cat has instinctual prey drive that can be hard to shake and cardboard may be an outlet for your cat’s deep-seated need to hunt and stalk prey! Reason 2: It’s Your Cat’s Prey DriveĮven though you might see your cat as a soft, cuddly meow-machine…your cat is really a predator. If you’ve got a cardboard loving cat, you should check out this super cute cardboard scratchpad and toy on Amazon. While your cat might be a bit bored, they could also just enjoy the texture and sounds that cardboard makes! While it’s easy enough to just give your cat a cardboard tribute now and again it can also end up making quite a mess. Whether that means attacking and playing with your hair, knocking things off counters, or even flipping their water bowl cats are able to have fun with just about any of the weird objects found in our human world. With that out of the way, let’s dive into the first reason why your cat might want to chew on some cardboard! Reason 1: It’s Just Plain Fun!Ĭats are able to find just about anything interesting. If your cat appears to be ingesting and consuming cardboard (instead of giving it a good chew) be sure to consult your veterinarian. While pica in cats is relatively uncommon, it still something to be concerned about. Pica is the drive to eat non-food items and it can have big consequences for cats. Eating cardboard could be related to a complex condition called pica. This is completely different from a cat that’s eating cardboard. While a cat that loves to chew cardboard might ingest a little in the process, cats that chew aren’t actively trying to consume cardboard. There’s a very big difference between chewing and eating cardboard. Cats are probably further encouraged to chomp on cardboard because of the attention they get from you when they do it.īut those aren’t the only reasons to explain why your cat can’t resist chewing cardboard so let’s take a closer look at 5 possible reasons.įirst, we need to make an important distinction. In most cases, cats chew cardboard simply because it’s fun and probably feels nice on their gums. So what’s this all about and why do cats chew cardboard at all? In fact, it’s safe to say that Debbie gets more joy out of our Amazon deliveries than I do! A nice cardboard box is a real treat for her and she loves nothing more than jumping inside and giving the edges a nice little chew. If you’ve ever given your cat has spent more than two minutes around a cardboard box you’ve probably seen them give a good couple of chomps. may earn a small commission when you use one of the links on this page to purchase.