Why is my cat aggressive when I take his rubber bands?

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Rubber bands can form linear foreign bodies, which are very dangerous to cats. In Majid case, it also could be that a piece of a hairband or rubber has tangled up at the base of the tongue and is causing heaving and distress. If Majid has been vomiting that much, it would be safer if you take him to your local vets today to check him over.

Some cats are very sensitive to things like this, and can display redirected aggression in response to being startled. I would recommend getting rid of the bag of toys entirely so that there is no chance it will startle her again, before allowing her back into the room. I would not attempt to set off the toy in front of her to show her what the sound is, because there is a high risk that this will upset her again and make the problem worse - best to just get rid of the toy for good.

Unfortunately some cats love to eat strings and bite these types of objects. Hopefully since Peanut is so young he will grow out of it, but that may not always be the case. The concern with this if he swallows something and it gets stuck somewhere in his intestines. A string like object can be very difficult to find on X-rays and he could need surgery to find it. The only way to truly stop him from eating them is to make sure everything is put away. I would make sure you put time aside to play with him and get his energy out. Also make sure there are places he can climb up on and hide in. Hopefully with getting his energy out he doesn't have the energy to eat the string like objects. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. If Juna is obsessed with anything stringy, you will have to be vigilant about ensuring that she does not have access to anything she could possibly chew and ingest. When cats eat anything linear or stringy, they are at a HUGE risk of a linear foreign body obstruction, which is a surgical emergency and is life threatening. This occurs when a piece of the string/ribbon/yarn gets anchored in one part of their GI tract (ie under their tongue, in the stomach, etc) and the rest of the intestines end up scrunching up around it as they try to contract and move it along. The string can ultimately saw through and perforate the intestines, causing a septic abdomen. I recommend purchasing cat toys that are very durable and do not have any sort of fabric/string/yarn associated with them, and encourage Juna to play with those. If you ever notice that she is vomiting, hiding, uninterested in eating, and you believe she may have ingested any string, please have Juna seen by a veterinarian immediately so diagnostics (abdominal x-rays) can be done to evaluate for a foreign body obstruction in her intestines. I hope this is helpful, and good luck!

I am sorry to hear about Ruby. With a history of ingesting foreign objects in a kitty who is still vomiting then I would highly recommend a visit to her vet for an exam and x-ray. While she did vomit a piece of rubberband, we don't know if there is more of it in her intestinal tract causing problems or if she ate something else entirely. I would get her in to see her vet right away, because if she does have an obstruction, delaying treatment can cause further complications/risks. Best of luck!

This is really common in cats. It's called "pica." There isn't a way to treat it, though. The best thing is to keep all of the objects that Sampson likes to eat picked up and out of his reach. Make sure he has plenty of toys to occupy his time and prevent boredom. Look for puzzle toys. You can even use the puzzle toys to feed him his meals. You can discuss anxiety medications with your vet, if you feel that may be a component of his pica. Here is a great option for allowing cats to hunt for their food: https://docandphoebe.com

It's hard to know why pets develop certain behaviors. It's possible he thinks this is some sort of game. Try to identify any type of a pattern so you can predict what is going to do. You may certainly try distracting him as soon as you notice the rough behavior. Try to direct him to play in a different fashion. It's possible he is bored and so is inventing his own games. Try meeting his instinctual needs and providing some new stimulation. Here is a great article about cat's instinctual needs: https://www.petcoach.co/article/why-every-cat-needs-a-place-to-climb/ Use a Feliway diffuser, set aside 30 minutes a day for vigorous play (really get him moving) and/or switch the food to Royal Canin Calm. Try feeding him out of a food puzzle. Hide food for him to find. Provide a stand or resting place by a window so he can look outside. You may also try clicker training him for positive behavior. Here is a link about training cats: https://www.petcoach.co/article/can-i-train-my-cat/ Most cats response best to combination therapy. The veterinarian can also prescribe medications which can help with bad behaviors. He should also be neutered because the testosterone can make pets more aggressive. Feeding meat will not cause aggression. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.