cats eating red clay? O_o

[ChickenfootDuckbutt]

There's probably a VERY simple answer to this, like the salt or something.

but lately here it's been rainy, this area is know for red clay. so the bottoms/sides of my boots are covered in it.

I noticed about a week or so ago, my youngest cat, Harren, looked like she was sniffing my boots, ok no problem, but then she started licking the mud O-o

now she's gotten the other two, Paint and Emry into it, every time I come into the house they all gotta lick the clay on the bottoms, but they're not just licking it now, they are EATING it

it doesn't make them sick, and they act normal, they're all fed raw, which is pretty balanced in terms of everything a cat needs, but I'm worried they're lacking something in their diet.

I know clay has salt, so are they going after the salt? o-o

when I was little, our dog used to eat red clay as well, but then again he was a lab mix and would eat anything smaller than he was.

but I've never seen cats do it.

 

[Stacykins]

I'd suggest evaluating your raw diet to make sure that you are feeding a proper ratio of muscle meats, liver, 'other' organ meats (spleen, green tripe, kidney, etc. (not heart, heart is a muscle)), and bone. Pica often means that something is missing. They might not be after NaCl salts, but other minerals such as iron and copper.

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

I would guess they are going after the salt. You could try giving them a bowl of salty water along with their normal water and see if they drink it. Just measure how much you put in the bowl and then measure it before you dump it out. That would give you an answer as to whether or not they are needing salt in their diet. If they are eating the clay, I'd be slightly worried about impaction. I don't think licking the clay would really have any real negative impacts on their lives, but just monitor it.

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

Quote:
That is true as well. Definitely re-evaulation of the raw diet is a good idea. It may be as simple as something missing and then you can add it to the diet.

 

[ChickenfootDuckbutt]

I will try it with the salty water, no garuntee they'll drink it, Paint is obsessed with water and will drag the water bowl all over the kitchen with her teeth until she spills it, then walks around shaking her paws, wondering why they are wet

I whole prey feed mainly, when I can (I buy those little Cornish hens), and chicken/turkey legs/wings, also chicken livers and gizzards (they go crazy for the livers, not so much the gizzards so I don't buy those much), they won't eat the hearts, of anything.

then they get fish, usually those little packs of sardines in water, and uncooked shrimp/crab meat.

they get ground beef/turkey. they also get pork, and I've stretched the bill a bit a few times to buy them some rabbit meat (only ONE store sells it, and it is over 2 hours away)

I also buy them F/T mice every week. and ofcourse they catch and eat wild ones outside/in the house

USUALLY I have a guy I know that I pay every deer season to pack me up whatever left-over deer meat he has left and he saves me the kidneys and liver and the brain, as well as some fatty meat, but he didn't go hunting this year as he broke his leg in a car accident.

and that's about it *wipes forehead* spoiled kittehs much? lol

ETA: oh, forgot to mention they sometimes get raw egg yolks mixed with cottage cheese, and Emry would DIE if I didn't give her the potatoe skin to chew on whenever I eat sweet potatoes

 

[mandelyn]

There is also antibacterial properties to it as well. We moved south for awhile with the red clay, and my girl dog started eating it. She's prone to skin inflammation, which went away when we moved there and she started eating the dirt. I was confused and researched it, and found out about the antibacterial properties. Some farmers will intentionally feed it since it's natural. So apparently my dog was self treating herself.

We moved North again, she still eats dirt though it isn't the red kind that was south. Her skin is still nice, she hasn't had a breakout in awhile.

How do I know she eats dirt?

She poops pottery. When I would clean the yard, I kept finding these perfectly smooth piles. I started watching her, and finally saw her eating the clay. That explained that... only needed to find out WHY on earth she would be doing that.

Lot's of benefits to it.

Look, here's clay for people to eat.. http://www.clayremedies.com/Info_About_Edible_Clays.html

 

[Stacykins]

Quote:
Honestly, it sounds like she isn't getting enough organ meat (non liver organ meats). They are necessary to get vitamins and minerals that the liver, flesh, and bone don't provide. A cornish game hen purchased from a store isn't whole prey, since the innards have been removed (save heart and liver usually), it is just flesh and bone. Whole prey is a frozen/thawed mouse, like you are doing. You can also buy or raise whole quail to use as whole prey.

Local butchers usually have access to fresh innards that can be added to the diet. It is cheap. Ask for it. If they don't have it right then, they can get it for you quickly. Kidneys are the easiest of the organ meats to acquire and feed.