Cat eating things he shouldn't.

beveragelady

I have a male (neutered) long-haired moggy, maybe about four years old. He was a rescue so I don't know his age for sure.
This time last year he had to have an operation to have part of a lunchbox removed from his intestines. It was a little circular silicone thing about the size of a two euro coin that he appeared to have swallowed whole.
Well now he's recovering after another operation, this time to have chunks of foam plastic removed. They're the 'bullets' from a nerf gun and he ate two of them. They're about the size of the average pinky finger. They were chewed up quite a bit, but easily recognizable. They've been knocking around the house for ages, I have no idea why he suddenly needed to eat two of them.
Obviously he can't keep having these operations. Apart from the risks to him, I can't afford to keep shelling out.
My questions are:
1. Any idea why he might be doing this? (He's indoors and outdoors as he chooses, has the run of the place. He has company too if he wants it, so it's not boredom or loneliness.)
2. Anybody want a cat?

boomerang

http://icatcare.org/advice/problem-behaviour/pica-cats

beveragelady

boomerang wrote: »

http://icatcare.org/advice/problem-behaviour/pica-cats

Thanks!
I had heard of pica before, but never thought it might apply to my chap. I always thought it was a frantic, obsessive sort of eating, not the once-a-year adventures we're having here. Both times he had surgery the vet said there was nothing else unusual in his gut apart from the thing actually causing the obstruction, which is encouraging.
He doesn't have a stressful life and he's not kept indoors, so it seems there's nothing obvious that I need to change. I'll have a look but I doubt there's a cat behaviourist within a hundred miles of us either. I'll just have to wise up a bit about the things I leave lying around. I'll give chews a try once he has recovered.
It's interesting that it seems to be more common in certain breeds. He isn't a pedigree cat or anything but he's a very particular 'type.' He has very long, very fine hair and a normal face (not smushed like a Persian), an extremely long tail and a distinctly floppy-doppy muscle tone. He is outrageously bold. I mean absolutely incorrigible. I wonder if he has a genetic predisposition to pica.

DBB

beveragelady wrote: »

I'll have a look but I doubt there's a cat behaviourist within a hundred miles of us either.

Bev Truss is based in Clare, she's not only a vet nurse, but a cat behaviourist too
http://petproblems.weebly.com/

Many cat behavioural problems can be sorted out over the phone, though I suspect you'll be advised to have your vet run blood tests to rule in or out an underlying health problem.

SillyMangoX

Plus 1 for Bev! I had a little meeting with her after Dudes accident because he was constantly getting UTIs and I was afraid it was down to stress, she gave me loads of great advise, and even advise on my other cat which helped stop him spraying all over the house! Well worth a chat with her