My Baby Is Dumpster Diving!

[Dobbys Mom]

Can't understand why my 7 month old kitty is tearing open trash packets and eating out of them. He dives in the neighbors trash and just about any trash he finds. He gets top of the range food iamo and royal caninn and raw chicken and mince once a week. He's neutered and was hand reared and bottle fed . at my wits end!! Its disgusting and to top it off he has a sensitive tummy. Any ideas ?? Please help!!!

 

[IndyJones]

Is it possible to keep him inside? This habit is dangerous, cats can choke on plastic and become obstructed from it plus flies and their larva can cause disease.

 

[IndyJones]

Was he born feral? Sometimes it becomes ingrained in them and they never break the habit.

 

[abyeb]

Does he chew on other things too? The reason I'm asking is that cats with pica (the technical term for the propensity to eat non-food items), often like to chew on plastic. Giving him some good-quality chew toys might help. Maybe something else you can consider is leash-training him or building a catio so that he can experience the outdoors without coming into contact with trash, or other hazards.

 

[Dobbys Mom]

Thanks for the advice. I keep him in at night but we are out during the day and we live in a tiny one bedroom so I leave the window open so he can go out and visit my neighbors cat Who lives on the same property. They have grown up together and are always with each other. He only started the behavior recently when I caught him eating out my trash bag at the back. I now pin it up on the line. Then I caught him eating out of the neighbors trash. He was one of a litter belonging to a feral who lived at the back of a factory. They were rescued at a few days old. He doesn't chew plastic or anything like that he seems to be after whatever's edible whether its rotten or not. I have been sprinkling protexin on his cubes once a day it not a solution but hopefully will help his tummy some. I wish I could build a catico but I'm renting and we will be moving next year to be closer to my sons school.