Why does my kitten eat random things when playing? Is this normal?

In all likelihood, Fern's fondness for paper is likely a normal play and exploration behavior. Young kittens are still learning about their surroundings and sometimes get into trouble in the process. Obviously, try to avoid letting her eat paper when possible, but a bit here and there is unlikely to cause any significant problems. If she is eating a commercially available balanced kitten food, a nutritional deficiency is highly unlikely as a possible cause. Try to confine her when you leave the house to avoid unsupervised access to paper products, but I would expect her to grow out of this behavior. If you haven't already done so, take a stool sample to her vet to assure that intestinal parasites are not present, as this can occasionally cause animals to eat abnormal things. I hope that all goes well!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is unusual but can happen. This is probably out of boredom. You can try changing the litter material to see if she becomes less interested. Otherwise, you may change the litter box to a different place in the house. That may help. Best of luck!

Unfortunately some cats love to eat strings and bite these types of objects. Hopefully since Peanut is so young he will grow out of it, but that may not always be the case. The concern with this if he swallows something and it gets stuck somewhere in his intestines. A string like object can be very difficult to find on X-rays and he could need surgery to find it. The only way to truly stop him from eating them is to make sure everything is put away. I would make sure you put time aside to play with him and get his energy out. Also make sure there are places he can climb up on and hide in. Hopefully with getting his energy out he doesn't have the energy to eat the string like objects. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

If she eats a lot of hair (and if you have long hair) there is a potential she could get a linear foreign body. You may try distraction techniques. Try enriching the environment. Here is a great article about cat's instinctual needs: https://www.petcoach.co/article/why-every-cat-needs-a-place-to-climb/ Use a Feliway diffuser and set aside 30 minutes a day for vigorous play (really get her moving). Try feeding her out of a food puzzle. Hide food for her to find. Provide a stand or resting place by a window so she can look outside. You may also try clicker training her for positive behavior. Here is a link about training cats: https://www.petcoach.co/article/can-i-train-my-cat/ Most cats response best to combination therapy. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Cats are weird creatures! It is common for cats to chew on non-food items, though you should be careful about keeping things picked up because they can swallow things that can cause internal harm or intestinal blockage. However, it may be a good idea to have him examined by a vet to make sure there isn’t a medical reason for this. Here is some more information: http://www.catster.com/lifestyle/pica-in-cats-eating-disorder Who said cats can’t taste sweets?? They can taste a lot of different things, and will have preferences for different flavors. I would avoid offering them many seeets, though, since it can contribute very quickly to obesity and could cause an upset stomach. Remember, one bite of sweet food for them would be like you eating 15 of them at once!

Hello. This could be a behavioral issue, or possibly a medical one. There are some intestinal disturbances that can cause extreme appetite in cats. If this is behavioral, sometimes using the anti-anxiety medication amitryptiline, can quiet some of these extreme urges. But before getting into tests & possible medications, you might try switching your cat to a canned diet. It has been shown that some cats have a longer satiety response with wet diets. You can still offer hard food, but possibly offering this in puzzles can help. Kitty Kongs & treat balls slowly release food as a cat interacts with the toy. Homemade options like milk cartons & carboard rolls with taped ends & holes punched out to retrieve treats can keep your kitties mind busy. Give this a try & then talk to your veterinarian about other options at your next visit. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Yes, this is very normal - kittens this age will try to play with just about anything within reach, and hair is very tempting for them when they are cuddling with you :) They will grow out of this as they get older, so as long as it isn't hurting you or bothering you, I wouldn't worry about it at all.