Is your cat also a cardboard chewer? Do not worry! It’s probably nothing. In this blog post, we’ll go through some of the reasons why your cat could be chewing on cardboard and how to prevent it if necessary.
Understanding our cat’s behavior is very important to get to know them better, and as they have such a different behavior compared to us, some of the things they do may seem awkward.
First, Let me introduce you to Haru. Our household cardboard connoisseur. He likes it so much that he leaves small pieces of cardboard all around the house! How kind of him 🙂 (see image below)
You may get it now: He’s orange, that explains it all!
Is it harmful If my Cat Chews on Cardboard?
In most cases, no! As is probably the case with your cat. But I understand you may be concerned about your cat’s health and well-being. We will be getting into the reasons why they do this below.
What if my cat eats the cardboard?
One thing is chewing, and other is swallowing. While chewing they can accidentally eat very tiny pieces, they will be fine if that’s the case.
However, if after the chewing there is no cardboard to be found, it is time to remove whatever piece of cardboard they are eating.
Do not let your cat eat cardboard! This can cause stomach and intestinal problems. There is a disorder called pica, which is eating and ingesting items that are not food. Although it is not very common, you should be aware if this is a recurring habit for your cat.
How to prevent my cat from eating cardboard
If this is happening to you, consider replacing any cardboard toys or boxes with others made of different materials that they could be less prone to eat. For example, if it is a scratcher you can get one made of any cylindrical form recovered with rope or you can DIY! You must remove the cardboard, but not without giving them a replacement. This is true for any habit that you would like you cat to break, and prizes should be given when interacted with the desired replacement.
Reasons Why this happens
1 – Boredom
Yep, straight out of boredom. Cats get easily bored. This is mostly true for younger cats that are full of energy, more active, and like to play a lot during the day.
If you are very caring while you are around, and they mostly do this when you are out, it could be just boredom. Or that they miss playing with you! They could also be doing this to gain your attention. It is not rare for cats to act mischievously so you pay them attention.
2- They use it as a prey
Don’t forget how good hunters cats are! Maybe you see them every now and then chasing a fly, or even stalking and biting various toys, not to mention our feet! They find in cardboard a similar objective and they use it to tear or rip it, just as they would with a prey.
Hunting is an instinct. And most household cats can’t do it, so they may be fulfilling the urge by using objects. Does your cat bite cardboard and spit it out right after? it means they are having sort of a prey drive with the cardboard.
If your cat is biting cardboard as well as giving bunny kicks to a cardboard box (This is, holding the cardboard box with their front legs and kicking it with their back legs), then it is likely that they are treating that box as a prey.
3- Being territorial
Does your cat rub on your legs? and not just your legs but anything that they can put their eyes on? On doing so, they are leaving their scent to mark their territory. Chewing on toys or any object they can find is another way to leave their scent all over the house.
So, if you see that between bites they rub their cheeks into the cardboard, there is a high chance that they are claiming that piece of cardboard or box as their own.
4- It is very fun!
I bet your cat loves sitting inside a cardboard box. Sometimes they even prefer that over a fancy toy or bed you got for them. But they just love the feel of being hidden, the texture of the cardboard, and chewing it which proves very satisfactory, playing inside and even sleeping!
This is just another toy to play with, another way to spend all of that energy they have.
5- Teething pain
This is most common in kittens. If you have a kitten that usually chews on cardboard, they could be going through teething pain. Excessive chewing may be a sign of this, as well as many other reasons such as an infection. If your kitten is Teething, they may find relief in chewing cardboard.
If you suspect this is the case, you should take your kitty to the vet soon!
How can I Make my Cat Stop Chewing Cardboard?
Even if it is not harmful, you could want your cat to stop. Whether because it worries you or just because they make you vacuum the floor too often because of the spread cardboard pieces, here are some ways:
1- Redirect their attention
It is proven and we support the fact that just removing the cardboard it’s not a great way to discourage your cat from chewing it, nor it is to scold your cat (they will do it even more as they see this as attention) Instead, try redirecting the behavior to a chewing toy and giving them prizes whenever that toy is chewed on. You will be able to address the situation with ease after identifying the reason why your cat is doing this between the ones described before.
Always ensure that your cat has alternatives to cool down its boredom. If they don’t have a safe space outside, try at least that they can have a look out through the window. Having enough interesting toys is important as well and not to mention having a fellow playmate that can understand him! They will even play together when you are not home, I currently have two cats and i believe it is easier than having just one (let’s not talk bout the litter boxes for now)
2- Discourage them
Maybe you can’t remove the box from where it is, or you can’t hide it so well. To discourage your cat, there are sprays with bitter taste and odors they do not like that can make them think twice the next time they bite that box or get close to it.
You can also make your own cat Repellent. There are many recipes out there but you can’t go wrong mixing together lemon juice, rosemary and white vinegar. They hate it so much they will avoid the cardboard at all costs! Let us know if you would like to see a blog post more in depth talking about DIY cat Repellent.
They really hate aluminum foil too! you can use this as a countermeasure if you have it at hand right now.
Conclusions
Cats chewing on cardboard boxes is very common and for the most part, you should not worry about this behavior as it is harmless. Try to identify the reasons why they do it as explained earlier to address this the best way possible. However, be aware if you suspect they could be swallowing it.
