Why Do Cats Like Hair Ties? [Explained]

Cats eat hair ties 
You’ve undoubtedly observed that cats like to play with strange objects. For most cats, anything either hair ties or paper bags and wrappings provides hours of excitement. In fact, I’ve seen owners complain that their cats prefer this “garbage” to their numerous pricey toys. Cats seem to enjoy bags and boxes for a variety of reasons. Cats know it’s a wonderful area to stow away from carnivores or pounce on prey. Paper generates a rustling sound that sounds like little prey hidden in the underbrush.

It’s not a huge problem if a kitten consumes a piece of cardboard every now and again. It will be dissolved by their bodies. Many of the rings that cats play with may be dangerous if consumed, but their bodies will break them down as part of the digestion process

Is It Possible for Cats to Eat Hair Ties?

Keep hair ties out of your cat’s reach as cats might ingest them if they chew on them. Continue examining the stools every day until you are confident that the entire hairband has been pushed out because the hair tie might not come out completely as it went in.

Hair ties, like strings, are easily swallowed because they get trapped on the tongue. If swallowed, string or hair ties can be lethal. Cats enjoy hair ties because they are drawn to string-like things, and their feline instincts send a signal to their brain to play with them.

Check Out: My Cat Ate a Feather: What Happens When a Cat Devours a Feather

Reasons Why Cats Like And Eat Hair Ties

1. They Like the Material

The chemical composition of rubber bands may also contribute to your cat’s interest in them. Although humans have 5 million olfactory receptors to sense odours, cats have 45 to 80 million. Cats are really good at smelling things.

Our cats may be sniffing items in hair ties that we are unable to discover due to their keen sense of smell. Some plastics have extra chemicals that have interesting odours and can attract cats, the Canidae crew claims. Cats may be able to detect pheromone-like scents.

2. Hoarding

In fact, some cats could like hoarding rubber bands and hair ties as a form of decoration. In light of this, even though you might not see a rubber band or hair tie, our cats do and they view it as a chance to trap prey and potentially save it for later. This food storage or caching activity may really be the underlying reason behind a lot of odd feline behaviours, such as why so many cats scratch around their food or water containers.

3. Stress

While playing is a cat’s natural nature, there are times when different pressures may encourage your cat to engage in excessive behaviours like hunting, sucking, or biting on different objects. Your cat may be trying to self-soothe if you notice signs of them chewing excessively on rubber bands and other similar objects because they are worried.

4. Hunting Instincts in Cats

Cats engage in predatory behaviour and violent play that is essential to their survival. Small animals like rodents and birds are what wild cats eat since they can bring them home or consume them right away owing to their size.

Cat toys are typically created to mimic the same sorts of prey that our feline friends enjoy pursuing as a result. If they are interactive, these little, easy-to-throw toys generally feature feathers or a mouse-like look

Check Out: My Cat Ate Plastic Wrapper: What Should I Do [Answered]

Why Do Cats Love Hair Ties?

Cats are preoccupied with whatever they can investigate and hunt. When your cat is bored, she could try to pass the time by chewing and eating hair ties.

Can Cats be poisoned By Hair Ties?

Yes, thread or hair ties are dangerous to cats since they can be lethal if swallowed. Hair ties and rubber bands are appealing to your dogs, but if you aren’t careful, your cat might choke. Cats who like playing with rubber bands may end up breaking them into small pieces that get lodged in their throats and cause them to choke.

Interesting Reading: Why Do Cats Like Adhesive?

What Happens If My Cat Eats A Hair Tie?

You’ll instantly know if your cat chokes on the hair tie, and you’ll need to take immediate action by rushing your cat to the medical room.

Because a gastrointestinal blockage might be difficult to notice, this condition is extremely dangerous and necessitates continual monitoring of your cat. Cats are more prone to choke on little items like hair ties because they have smaller mouths and throats.

The following symptoms can be seen in cats suffering from severe gastrointestinal blockages:

• Constipation
• Lethargy
• Diarrhoea
• Abdominal Pain
• Vomiting
• Whining
• Unusual positions for lying down
• A change in their normal behaviour

How Can I Tell If My Cat Has Swallowed a Hair Tie?

You may not even realise they ate hair tie until it appears in their faeces. However, if it becomes caught in your cat’s intestines, he or she will most likely develop symptoms.

The following symptoms might appear if your cat ate a hair tie

• Appetite loss
• Lethargy
• Vomiting
• Hiding behaviour
• Pain and swelling in the abdomen
• Constipation
• Diarrhoea

Is there Anything I Can Do to Stop My Cat From Eating Hair ties?

The first thing you should do is keep hair ties, yarn, and other similar items out of reach. Furthermore, you can provide your cat with safe-to-chew cat toys, which will reduce their desire to chew on harmful objects.

Why Do Cats Find Rubber Bands to be so Attractive?

Some cats prefer eating uncommon things, while still others enjoy eating really unusual foods. Consider the chance that your feline friend has pica, a compulsive eating disorder, rather than writing off her proclivity for chewing rubber bands as unusual.

Why is it that Cats Like to chew Rubber Bands?

Your cat may be stressed out and using rubber bands or other similar objects as a kind of self-soothing if you find them being chewed on repeatedly. Humans may not consider rubber bands to be a prey, but cats do because of their tiny size as well as chewy texture.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Bottom Line on Why Do Cats Like Hair Ties

It might be very concerning if your cat is constantly playing with strange things around the house. Hair ties are a common home item for cats to play with, and they can be mistakenly ingested. Call your veterinarian if you think your cat may have eaten a hair tie by keeping an eye out for symptoms like vomiting or difficulty going to the bathroom.