Cat Ate Duct Tape? (Read This Before Anything Else)
If your cat has eaten duct tape you may be wondering why this happened and what you can do to prevent it from happening in the future (Click here to see my best solution, on Amazon #Ad).
Why did your cat eat duct tape?
Your cat may have eaten duct tape because of several reasons such as feeling lonely at home, lack of nutrients in its diet, or other health-related issues. This behavior is seen in humans as well as cats and often called Pica, or specifically for cats, Feline Pica.
What you will need to prevent this from happening
| Description | Image | My Rating |
| 01. Tape Organizer (My Best) Click here for the price on Amazon #Ad |
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| 02. Bitter Lemon Cat Spray Click here for the price on Amazon #Ad |
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| 03. Interactive cat toy Click here for the price on Amazon #Ad |
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So, now you know why this is happening. But, what can you do to prevent this from happening again? Is this behavior related to Pica? Is there anything you can do to help your cat pass this blockage? Keep reading for these answers, and so much more…
What is duct tape?
Cat ate duct tape
According to Wikipedia, duct tape is a cloth-backed pressure-sensitive tape that usually has a polyethylene coating. It is often used for many things such as car repair, water piping, packaging, etc. It is a strong heavy-duty tape for jobs that conventional tape is not designed for.
If you have this tape at home I would say it’s unlikely to be your “go-to” tape for most things. But, it is convenient for one-off jobs that need stronger material.
Is duct tape dangerous for cats?
It is dangerous if your cat decided to eat some duct tape. This is because it can cause a blockage. This blockage is commonly known as a blockage of the intestines and can be very painful for the cat. Also, if you have to get your vet to help out it may incur costs.
There is a small chance that your cat will either cough up or poop out the tape. But, this is not always possible and certainly not something that you can rely on. If in doubt it’s worth checking with your vet.
How can you prevent your cat from eating duct tape?
If your cat has eaten this tape before you may be looking for a way to stop it from happening over and over again. Here are several ways that you can do this:
01. Tape storage unit
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A simple way to prevent this from happening is to use a tape storage unit. If your cat is searching for duct tape keep it away from it in this handy storage unit. Also, it makes the tape, or other tapes you have, look a lot tidier.
02. Use bitter lemon
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Another option is coating some of your duct tapes in bitter lemon (Click here to see the reviews, on Amazon #Ad), or even bitter apple. Cats hate citrus and this will train them to avoid the duct tape going forward.
03. Increase your interaction with your cat
Believe it or not just some interaction with you can really help to stop your cat from behaving in this way. If possible, increase your quality time with your cat to improve this. Your cat will appreciate it and may stop it from feeling anxious. Which, in turn, could stop it from trying to eat your duct tape.
04. Provide toys, cat trees, etc
Sometimes cats get lonely or anxious, which can lead to some of these weird eating behaviors such as Pica. Therefore you should provide some exercise and entertainment for your cat. You can use cat toys (Click here to see the reviews, on Amazon #Ad), or even cat trees (Click here to see my best one).
05. Redirection
Redirection is a great way to stop your cat from eating your duct tape. This is more of a reactive method but effective never the less. As soon as you see your cat going in for a nibble on your tape intercept it and offer it another alternative.
This simple redirection will help it to learn that the duct tape is off-limits. It may take some time but worth pursuing.
This duct tape eating is related to Pica. In fact, any eating of non-food items is classed in the same way. This is often seen in kittens rather than adult cats but it is not limited to them. Some believe it’s related to them being removed from their mother too early.
However, as stated, it’s not limited to kittens. And, it can be caused for other reasons such as stress or anxiety.
Do cats outgrow pica?
Cats are known to outgrow pica. For example, a young kitten could show signs of Pica after a few months. But within a couple of years, they could grow out of it. However, this is a long time to wait for your cat to stop chewing or eating your tape.
Most cat owners do not have the patience to wait for fo their cat to naturally outgrow this behavior and will look for other faster options to resolve it, like using some of the suggestions above.
I remember being at school with a guy called Peter. He was always ridiculed for putting non-food objects in his mouth such as pen lids, sticky blue-tack, etc. At the time we were quite young. Since then (decades ago) I lost contact with him. But, I would assume by now he should have outgrown this by now.
How do you treat pica in cats?
Treating Pica is not an exact science. But, the simplest way is to stop your cat from getting access to the item in question. Such as using a tape tidy unit (Click here to see the reviews, on Amazon #Ad) to keep duct tape away from your cat.
As discussed earlier, various other solutions apply to nearly any non-food item that is being consumed.
What can help to pass the duct tape?
If you having no luck with your cat naturally passing the duct tape you may be looking for some ways to help it along. One strategy that some cat owners use is pumpkin. This can be mixed in with their food to help them pass the tape.
However, it is worth consulting your vet to see if they have any other suggestions to speed this up. And, to see if they agree with the pumpkin method.
Why you shouldn’t punish your cat for this
If your cat is constantly eating your tape, or anything else, it’s important not to get frustrated and try and verbally or physically abuse it. The problem is the chances is it won’t understand what your frustration is and will view it as a random attack.
This will mean that it could make it learn to fear you or lose trust in you. Once this happens you will find it hard to regain it back.
