Why do cats eat hair?

Our feline friends are very peculiar little animals that can exhibit some unusual behaviors from time to time. We must learn to identify certain behaviors in our pets and understand the reasons behind their quirks. If your beloved cat has begun licking, chewing, or eating at your hair, you will undoubtedly be left wondering why. Here we will go over five different reasons why your cat may be doing this.

1. They Are Showing You Affection

Cats will sometimes lick, chew, and seem interested in eating your hair as a sign of affection. If this behavior is normal for your cat and only occurs in small to moderate amounts, it is likely this is just your cat’s way of showing you they care.

Mutual grooming is a large part of a cat’s social life. You will notice if you have multiple cats that you may catch them licking or grooming one another, this is just their way of exhibiting that behavior to you.

When they lick, bite, and rub against you, it is a means to spread their scent. This is your cat’s way of marking you as one of their familiars. Typically, the closer bonded you are to your cat, the more likely this is to occur. You may realize they do not exhibit this behavior towards others in the household they are not as closely bonded with.

You can reciprocate the display of affection by setting aside time for petting or brushing.

2. They Are Stressed

If your cat suddenly begins biting, chewing, or eating your hair, it could be a sign that your cat is stressed or anxious and is attempting to soothe itself. This is generally the result of a bigger life change that has occurred in your cat’s life, such as a new pet or baby being brought into the home or a recent move.

You will want to keep in mind that cats can be very sensitive to stressors, and it may not be a large change that leads to this behavior but a minor stressor that you may not even pick up on, such as strange sounds or other people visiting the home.

Some cats can be compulsive and typically exhibit compulsive chewing behaviors as an outlet. The signs of compulsive chewing won’t just include your hair, but many other objects around the house. If you feel like your cat is exhibiting signs of chronic stress, it may be a good idea to contact your veterinarian. Stress can stand alone or be a sign of underlying health conditions.

3. To Soothe Themselves

The act of chewing on your hair can be a self-soothing mechanism that makes them feel more secure when they are near you. You can compare this to a baby using a pacifier to calm themselves. If you feel this is a behavior that is a result of stress, you’ll want to keep an eye out for what may be triggering your cat so that you can help ease their anxiousness.

4. They Are Being Playful

Your cat may begin chewing and eating your hair as a means of play. Cats like to stay mentally stimulated, and hair can certainly keep them entertained. If it is a more playful behavior, they will likely include batting it around with their paws as well.

When your cat is simply being playful, there is usually no cause for concern. You just don’t want them swallowing any of your hair and if this becomes a frequent go-to for playtime, it may get a bit annoying.

5. To Get Your Attention

Licking, chewing, biting, eating, or pulling on your hair may just be a desperate cry for attention. Some cats can be aloof and keep to themselves while others will pine for their owner’s attention.

Cats are nocturnal animals and tend to get into their shenanigans at night while you’re asleep. They may become bored and decide they want to include you in their fun. You may notice your cat starts doing this around their feeding time or if they want to wake you up from a good night’s sleep.

If you think about it, it is a well-thought-out tactic. After all, who can ignore a tiny little predator trying to rip the hair from their head? Now they’ve got your attention.

Is It Okay For My Cat To Eat My Hair?

If your cat is chewing and eating at your hair as a means of affection, it may be annoying but also a bit heartwarming. You do need to ensure your cat is not attempting to ingest your hair. In no circumstances is a cat swallowing your hair a good thing.

Even if your cat is simply biting, licking, or chewing your hair, you must be mindful that we humans tend to use a lot of chemical products in our hair that will not be good for your cat. It can also cause intestinal obstruction, which can be fatal.

As we have discussed, hair chewing might not always be a social behavior. If your cat is excessively gnawing at your hair and eating other non-food objects, it may be a sign of a condition known as pica. If you notice these behaviors, it is best to contact your veterinarian for the sake of your cat’s health and well-being.

How To Stop My Cat From Eating My Hair

• Distract Your Cat: A great way to keep your cat from messing with your hair is to distract them with something even more exciting for them to hone their attention on. A distraction could be toys, treats, cat grass, or playtime. Cats need mental stimulation and can be easy to distract and entertain.

• Discourage Your Cat from the Behavior: You can simply move away from your cat when they begin the behavior. If you stay put, pet them, talk to them or laugh at them as they chew on your hair, you are encouraging them to continue. Once your cat begins messing with your hair, just get up and walk away each time this happens. You will need to act quickly and remain consistent when discouraging the behavior. If you are inconsistent and allow it to continue sometimes, your cat will not get the message and it may be a hard habit to break. It may take a while for your cat to catch on, but once they are able to realize their behavior is not rewarded with your company and affection, they may stop altogether.

• Contact Your Veterinarian: If you feel your cat has picked up on hair eating, chewing, licking, or pulling behavior due to stress or any health-related issues, it is best you contact your veterinarian for an exam. Your veterinarian will help you assess the situation, identify any stressors or triggers, and diagnose any health conditions that could be causing the behavior.

Conclusion

Your cat could be eating your hair for several reasons, from socializing and affection to stress and other health-related conditions. Regardless, it is not the healthiest behavior they can exhibit and there are ways to deter and eventually correct the behavior so that your head of hair can live in peace with your pet.

Featured Image Credit: Yuriy Seleznev, Shutterstock

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Cats eat their hair due to overgrooming and stress. Sometimes your cat may have a severe condition like pica if your cat eats excessive amounts of their fur. In most cases, cats eat their hair accidentally. 

Cats groom with their tongues, so sometimes they eat their hair out of necessity. You may be shocked to know there’s more that goes into your cat’s hair-eating habit, so keep reading to learn more. 

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7 Reasons Cats Eat Their Hair

Cats eating their hair is actually fairly common. Below are some of the many reasons why your cat eats their hair, and what you can do about it.  

Regular Grooming

While cats groom themselves, there’s a chance that your cat eats some of its hair. Your cat may not do it on purpose, but grooming with a tongue means they may eat some. 

Your Cat Eats Their Hair Accidentally

Sometimes your cat may be most likely to eat its fur because he can’t spit it out while grooming themselves. If they can’t get it out of their mouth, the only option is to swallow it. 

Pica Is Affecting Your Cat

Fur eating could be because of a cognitive disorder called pica, which causes your cat to eat things it should not, as its fur. This is more noticeable if you see your cat purposely trying to eat their hair outside of normal grooming activities.

Your Cat Has Flea Bites

Flea bites may cause your cat to bite its body and fur more than usual. If your cat is uncomfortable, they may pull more fur out than usual as a way to stop the itching. 

Your Cat May Have Dry Skin

Dry skin may cause your cat to eat more of its fur as it tries to relieve its itchy, dry skin problems. 

Stress Is Affecting Your Cat

A stressed cat is more likely to pull out its fur. This may not be a part of grooming but as a nervous habit. 

Your Cat Is Bored

My cats sometimes pull at their house because they are bored and may excessively groom themselves. If your cat is bored, make sure to do something to entertain them. 

Can Cats Eat Their Own Hair

Cats can eat their own hair, but if they eat their fur while grooming, they may cough up a hairball. 

When cats groom themselves, their aim is not to eat their fur, even if you may catch your cat pulling out a knot or a chunk of fur. Unfortunately, since cats groom themselves with their tongues, it’s not possible to spit out every last piece of hair. This is especially difficult for long-haired cats.

If a cat eats their fur, they don’t merely digest it like a piece of food. Digesting too much fur will cause a cat to have a hairball. I can say from experience that hairballs aren’t fun for you or your cat!

Is It Normal For Cats To Eat Their Hair

It is normal for cats to eat their hair, especially when they are grooming themselves.

Since cats use their tongue to groom themselves, they’re used to eating at least a little bit of their fur every day. You probably only worry about your cat eating his fur when you see a big chunk of fur hanging off his lip. Otherwise, do you think twice about your cat eating its fur while licking itself? Probably not.

Some cats are also very clean. If your cat pulls chunks of fur off their body, then they may also eat it, even after they spit it out. It might seem like a strange habit, and it probably is, but cats do it anyway.

Is It Bad For Cats To Eat Hair

If your cat eats his hair while grooming, it won’t hurt your cat, but it isn’t necessarily good for your cat to ingest. Eating hair while grooming is not dangerous to your cat.

Eating fur can be a sign of underlying conditions like pica, which we will talk about further. Sometimes, though, cats eat their fur while they are bathing. 

Catching your cat eating a large piece of fur may cause you to pull it out of their mouth, which is a good idea. Smaller pieces of fur aren’t too dangerous for your cat.

Is Cat Hair Dangerous If Swallowed

Cat hair poses a small choking hazard, but usually, your cat will throw up hair in the form of a hairball.

You may think that your cat eating his fur is terrible. While it isn’t the best thing your cat can eat, its body knows how to get rid of the hair. If your cat eats a large amount of its fur, then expect your cat to throw up a hairball in the next few days. 

Hairballs can be scary because you’ll hear your cat heaving if the hairball is giant. You can give your over-the-counter cat products to loosen hairballs and help your cat with passing the hairball. 

Why Do Cats Eat Their Hairballs

Seeing your cat eat their hairball is gross, but it’s important to remind yourself that your cat is an animal, no matter how much of a part of your family they are.

Cats do gross things sometimes. On the top of that list is probably seeing your cat eat their hairball. There’s no good reason why your cat may eat their hairball, though. I always assumed it was because your cat is an animal and may not know better than to eat their hairball (or another cat’s!). 

Why Do Cats Eat Their Fur Off The Floor

Seeing a cat constantly eat its fur off the ground is a concerning habit that may indicate that your cat has pica. 

In the simplest terms, pica is the urge to eat things that you shouldn’t. Pica sufferers may want to eat things other than food, like fabric, chalk, plastic, or even inedible plants. People can suffer from pica, but so can animals, like cats. 

Cats may begin to eat their fur if they have pica, even if their hair has already fallen off their body and is on the floor.

If your cat huffs up his fur once or twice, then it may have been an accident or a mistaken thought of what fur can be. Eating fur once does not mean that your cat has pica. 

How Do You Know If Your Cat Has Pica

You know that your cat has pica if your cat has an urge to eat fur either of its own body or off the floor after it falls out.

Unfortunately, there are few warning signs if your cat has pica. You can self-diagnose your cat by closely watching your cat’s behavior to learn if your cat is cleaning itself or if your cat is suffering from pica.

A cat with pica will often eat its fur outside of cleaning itself. You may see your cat pulling its fur out and eating it rather than spitting it out. If there is fur on the ground – either from your cat or another cat in your household – a cat with pica is likely to eat it off the floor like it’s a cat treat.

How Do You Fix Pica In Cats

It is not possible to cure pica, but there are ways to help a cat with pica.

If you notice that your cat is eating large amounts of things it shouldn’t, then there are some things you can do to help your cat, even if you can’t cure pica. 

• Keep your floors clean and free of objects that your cat tries to eat
• Play with your cat to redirect its attention
• Give your cat treats to stop them eating from different things

A cat that tries to eat more dangerous objects like plants or things with chemicals may be more challenging to watch. Talk to your veterinarian for other tips on how to help your cat.

How Do I Get My Cat To Stop Eating His Fur

Seeing your cat eat his fur can be challenging, but there are a few options to stop your cat.

Suppose your cat is long-haired and eats his fur, the easiest option to keep your cat’s fur short where he can easily reach it. You may not have adopted a cat with long hair to keep its fur short, but this is the best option for your cat if he eats his fur.

Also, try to understand why your cat is eating his fur. Is his fur-eating habit because of pica? Is there a potential that he has fleas or eczema? 

Since cats can’t talk, it’s more challenging to diagnose cats, but it is essential to remember that you must understand your cat’s behavior to treat him properly. 

Things to Consider

Eating fur is a strange thing to watch your cat eat their fur. If your cat swallows a large knot or chunk of fur, I understand how worried you may be after seeing that. Keep in mind that eating fur is a normal part of a cat’s life, but it is also an important habit to keep an eye on. 

With fur eating especially, you’ll want to keep an eye on your cat’s habit. If your cat accidentally eats fur now and then, you’ll probably know that it’s just a freak thing that happens. However, if you notice that your cat is continuously eating his or her own fur, it may be a more severe problem like pica. 

None of us want to babysit our animals all the time, but it is essential to consider all the other things that go into animal ownership. You don’t have to be a helicopter cat parent, but you need to learn how your cat acts to catch potentially serious habits. 

My name is James, and welcome to FAQCats!

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