Each cat proprietor is conscious of how a lot their cats get pleasure from grooming. What occurs, although, when your kitty begins grooming you? You don’t want to fret about “why does my cat eat my hair” any longer.
A number of potential solutions exist concerning why your cat eats or chews your hair. And if you happen to don’t like this conduct or it’s getting uncontrolled, there are fairly just a few methods to discourage their grooming habits – particularly while you’re the goal. Let’s dive into a few of the most possible causes your kitty is chewing your hair.
Why Does My Cat Attempt to Eat My Hair?
1. To Socialize
So, why is my cat consuming my hair? Cats who reside in teams are inclined to groom one another – an idea known as allogrooming. They’ll lick, chew or rub the opposite cats within the group to reveal their love and affection. Cats significantly wish to lick your nose as a method of exhibiting affection.
This licking additionally spreads scents. Cat households are inclined to all have the identical scent. This scent identifies the secure and friendly felines your kitty can work together with.
The stronger your relationship is along with your cat, the extra possible it’s to eat or chew your hair. Cats know that we’re not fellow cats, however they nonetheless need to construct a robust relationship with us, in order that they use cat behaviors to reveal this need.
Enjoyable truth: Cats don’t meow within the wild. This kitty conduct is barely displayed round people for communication functions.
Do not forget that your hair is your fur, so if a cat needs to make you a part of its household, it is going to most certainly groom you for bonding.
Nonetheless, our hair wasn’t designed to be groomed by a cat’s tongue. Our locks aren’t as even or as dense as a cat’s fur, and it’s normally for much longer. So don’t be offended in case your cat tries to eat your hair after which rejects it.
2. To De-stress
Biting or consuming the hair of somebody it loves can calm your cat down whether it is burdened or anxious. When your cat feels fearful, consuming your hair helps calm your cat because it exhibits its bond with you and claims to you.
This may be very reassuring to your pet. In some methods, self-grooming is your kitty’s method of giving itself a chilled therapeutic massage.
In case your cat out of the blue begins displaying this conduct, it could be as a result of it has skilled a change to its routine. This may very well be something from transferring home to having a child to a brand new pet. That is your cat’s method of confirming its connection to you and marking you as a part of their group.
3. To Soothe
Consuming or chewing hair in cats can typically be linked to thumb-sucking in kids. It may be a self-soothing conduct that your cat develops throughout weaning to assist calm and luxury itself.
Your cat could discover chewing in your hair to be soothing. Like some folks discover consolation in chewing on pens, your cat could discover solace in a satisfying fur chew.
It’s best to attempt to divert the conduct to a extra appropriate toy. Though there are fewer options accessible, a purring toy or one which makes a chilled sound may set them relaxed.
They gained’t work for all cats, nevertheless it’s value a attempt if the hair-chewing and attacking is getting uncontrolled. Strive rubbing your hair on this toy so as to add to the aroma your cat already enjoys, particularly in case your shampoo has a delightful scent to cats.
4. As a result of It Has to
Your cat could have developed a compulsive chewing dysfunction if its behavior of consuming hair grows stronger and happens extra incessantly. If catnip, feather toys, and treats are unable to cease your cat from chewing, that is apparent.
You may must seek the advice of the professionals and see your veterinarian if you happen to suspect your cat could have an unhealthy obsession along with your hair. If there are any well being points, they’ll rule them out and, if essential, suggest you to a licensed feline behaviorist.
It might have Pica (eating disorder). Pica is an obsessive-compulsive medical dysfunction the place a cat develops a need to eat issues that aren’t meals. This may must be dealt with by a vet earlier than your kitty ingests one thing dangerous.
5. As a result of It Has an Overactive Thyroid Gland
When you’ve got an older cat that begins chewing your hair and shedding appreciable weight, your cat could endure from a medical condition like hyperthyroidism. Some widespread signs embody an unruly hair coat, vomiting, diarrhea, hyperactivity, consuming, and peeing extra incessantly than ordinary.
If you happen to see these behaviors, take your cat to the vet to make sure they’re wholesome. Elder cats can nonetheless exhibit chewing behaviors even after they don’t have a medical cause for it, nevertheless it’s all the time higher to make certain.
6. As a result of They Get pleasure from It
Licking, consuming, and chewing its favourite human’s hair could set off an endorphin rush in your kitty. Otherwise you is likely to be stunned to be taught that your cat may merely benefit from the taste of a few of the hair merchandise you utilize.
Generally, cats aren’t drawn to sturdy, citrus-scented merchandise, however you might be utilizing a hair product that has a gentler aroma that they like.
So if you happen to’re questioning, “why do cats eat your hair straight after a bathe”, your shampoo is most certainly its motivation.
7. To Acquire Consideration
Chewing, consuming, licking, or pulling your hair – plus different comparable actions – can typically be an indication out of your cat that they want extra consideration.
My cat Alexei likes to attempt to eat my hair when it’s in a ponytail particularly – I believe he loves the swing, and he is aware of it is going to get my consideration.
The right way to Cease My Cat From Consuming My Hair
In small quantities, your cat consuming hair is an indication of affection and doubtless value letting go of. Nonetheless, if you happen to don’t like this conduct or in case your pet begins to overdo these actions, you might need to put a plan in place to cease your cat from persevering with with this conduct.
So after answering the query “why do cats eat hair?”, now we feature on to “how do you get your cat to cease consuming or chewing your hair?”
1. Transfer Away From Your Cat
When your cat begins to chew or eat, transfer your hair away. Repeatedly doing this may assist your cat to grasp that this isn’t what you need – and it needs its proprietor to get pleasure from having it round.
Consistency is vital – attempt to make sure you transfer away every time your cat shows these behaviors.
Nonetheless, don’t push your cat away or yell at it, as this could injury your total relationship, significantly in case your cat intends to reveal affection. Simply transfer your hair away, and in case your cat will get the message to go away your hair alone, pet it or give it its favourite deal with to strengthen that conduct.
2. Change Your Habits
How do you react when your cat eats hair? If you happen to converse to your cat throughout this time or pet it, you might not directly inform it that this conduct is okay. So watch out to not show any rewarding behaviors in case your cat is eager to groom you. Do, nonetheless, reward your cat for not making an attempt to maintain chewing your hair.
3. Present a Secure Space
“Why does my cat chew my hair?” They may very well be burdened, really. If you happen to assume your cat is chewing or consuming your hair as a result of it’s fearful or burdened, discover one other method for it to calm these considerations.
Kneading one thing additionally calms a cat down, which suggests it may well additionally begin kneading you. So maybe purchase a cat mattress or a self-warming blanket to knead. You may additionally should do some work to steer it away from you and towards the mattress as soon as they attempt to chew your hair.
Petting can calm them down, however make sure you’re not by chance rewarding their chewing conduct.
4. Distract Your Kitty
In case your kitty begins to go in your hair, seize a toy – primarily a chew toy – and current it in your cat’s consideration. It’s going to quickly overlook about your hair when it has one other method to alleviate its need to chew and eat.
Getting a chew toy with some catnip will be extra engaging to your kitty, so contemplate getting one or two of those particularly to maintain them from chewing you.
5. Change Your Hair Merchandise
There are fairly just a few smells that cats hate. If you happen to select hair merchandise with scents that cats don’t like, resembling lavender or citrus, your cat could also be repelled from consuming your hair.
6. Take Your Cat to the Vet
When you’ve got tried a number of of the choices above and none are working, search some recommendation out of your vet. This might point out that the biting and chewing conduct is a extra severe well being concern, so get your feline checked out.
In Conclusion
You understand your cat finest. In case your cat begins biting at your hair if you end up cuddling or enjoying, it’s most certainly an indication of affection and enjoyable. The important thing factor to be careful for is sudden and extra excessive modifications in your cat’s conduct that lack clarification. By no means hesitate to examine in along with your vet to make sure your kitty is comfortable and wholesome.
Hopefully, after studying this submit, you gained’t surprise “why my cat eats my hair” anymore. Our furry pals are distinctive beings, and every cat could have a distinct cause for consuming your hair. It’s as much as you to discern what’s inflicting the problem and if it’s extra dangerous than playful.
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Amanda created and owns The Discerning Cat. A lifelong cat lover she is the proud father or mother of two Siberian cats, Alexei and Vladimir. She is enthusiastic about understanding cats and completely different cat breeds.
