After four hours of solving and calculating, you finally finished your algebra assignment. You leave it on the table, and decide to get some rest. The next day, you wake up and a horrific sight greets you: your homework is on the floor, shredded in pieces. You know there can only be one suspect: your cute and cuddly dog.

Your homework is just one of the things your darling pet managed to get his paws on and chew to bits. You might think this is ordinary, but it’s not. Your beloved pet has a pica problem. Pica refers to an abnormal compulsion to eat things that aren’t meant to be eaten. It happens to dogs, cats, even humans, like kids who eat glue or dirt.

Pica usually goes away as your pet grows, but in some rare cases, it stays for a very long time, and if not cured, it’ll mean a lifetime of destruction for you and your stuff. Not only that, ingesting foreign and indigestible objects can lead to health problems for your pet, like worms, diarrhea, or worse, cancer.

If you’re afraid this will happen to your darling, don’t worry. Here are some effective ways to get rid of this disorder once and for all.

Why Does Your Pet Have A Pica Dilemma?

Just like other pet behavior problems, pica stems from several causes. If you want to stop this annoying pet dilemma, it will help if you first knew the reason why your cute doggie or kitty keeps gnawing and chewing on your things.

Your pet might have pica because:

• He’s bored. Does your pet do nothing but lounge around and sleep all day? Chances are he’ll become tired of his dull life. He might then turn to entertaining himself by chewing on your things.
• He’s looking for attention. This is one of the most common reasons why pets have pica behavior. When they are ignored or left alone, that’s when pica problems begin. Remember, pets need constant companionship, just like people. They need someone to be there to play, cuddle and stay with them, so they’ll always know they are loved. Otherwise, say goodbye to your prized possessions.
• He’s nauseous. Most veterinarians diagnose pica as an illness pets have when they’re trying to deal with nausea.
• He’s nervous, angry or scared. Your dog’s feelings affect his desire to gnaw on something. For example, if he’s still a newly-adopted puppy, he might be scared and nervous of his new environment. To release his pent-up negative feelings, he’ll turn to your things to munch on.
• He’s sick. This is common in older pets. If your dog or cat suddenly develops a habit of eating strange objects, ask a veterinarian to evaluate him for health disorders, like intestinal cancer or diabetes. These can cause pica behavior. Parasites like giardia, whipworms, roundworms and hookworms can also cause this disorder.

One or two of these might be the reason why your pet destroys your things. Once you’ve determined which, you can now move on to pica-proofing your pet.

Tidy Up

You’re putting all the blame on your pet for the things he’s destroyed, but have you considered why he gets his paws on the stuff in the first place? Maybe you’ve got a lot of junk scattered all over your home, making it a complete mess. That makes it easy for your pooch or your kitty to grab something and chew on it.

Tidy up your place. It’s the first thing you can do to curb his pica dilemma. Clean out your closets, sweep your floor for foreign objects, and remove things off the surfaces he can reach (tables, chairs, desks, kitchen counters). Make sure there’s a place for everything, and everything is in place. Your home will be neater and your things will be safe from your pet’s playful jaws.

Never Resort To Negative Actions

After your pooched chewed your homework to bits and left teethmarks all over your brand-new sandals, you can’t help but feel angry, and the urge to yell at or hit your dog is so strong. While you’re tempted to do so, don’t. Control yourself. Hurting your pet or using harsh words on him doesn’t make the chewing go away. It’ll make him more nervous and scared, which might worsen his pica problem.

Instead of confronting your pet about the wrecked item, stay away with him for a while, and let your head cool. Keep in mind that no matter how smart your pet might be, he still doesn’t know how to control himself. Remember that it’s just an object, and it’s not worth losing your temper—or your pet’s trust—over.

The NO Technique

Pets may not speak our language, but you’d be surprised at how much they can understand us. Try this simple tactic when your dog or cat is still at a young age: use the word “NO”. Every time you catch him chewing on foreign objects, say this in a loud, but affirmative tone. Remove the object from his grasp, and repeat the word. This will make him understand its meaning. Another tactic is to support the “NO” with a loud hand clap, a spray from a water bottle or a light, but convincing tap on his nose.

Let Him Toy Around

Veterinarians don’t recommend owners to immediately destroy their pet’s urge to chew, since this is a healthy habit for them, as long as it’s exercised properly. What you should do is turn his attention to something he’s allowed to chew, like a toy. For a dog, get a chew toy, like a rawhide bone, a rope toy, or one of those squeaky toys babies play with. Just make sure it’s big enough so he’ll be safe from choking hazards. Dog biscuits are also wonderful. For a kitty, a small mouse toy or some catnip is good. Train your pet to turn to these when he gets the urge to chew. These toys not only save your stuff, but also give your pet good oral hygiene.

You might not find it easy to train your pet to turn to these chew toys, so here’s a trick: play with him and tease him with the toy until his interest becomes stimulated. You can also rub something into the toy, like some bacon grease or sauce, so your pet will find it delicious to chew on. Soon enough, he’ll only have eyes for that toy.

Say Boo!

Just like humans, pets become startled, and when they do, they are likely to stop the things they’re doing, including chewing. Distract your pet from unwanted behavior by coming up behind him unexpectedly and giving him a large big scare, like a “BOO!”, or a loud noise, like a whistle. Chances are he’ll drop whatever it is he’s got in his mouth, and when he does, praise him with an affectionate compliment like (“good doggie” or “nice kitty”). Give him a reward or an alternative item to chew.

Bitter Is Better

One of the best ways to get rid of your pet’s desire to chew on something is to make him dislike the object itself. Do this by altering the object’s taste. After all, if it doesn’t taste good, it’s no fun to eat, right? Lace the objects with bitter-tasting deterrents or liquids, like bitter apple or Citronella spray. You can buy these in pet shops. You can also rub a little cologne or air freshener on the object, but not too much, as not to harm your darling. When your pet tastes the bitter chemical, they’ll associate the smell with it, and they’ll stay away from any object you sprayed with that scent.

You don’t have to stick to bitter stuff. You can also try flavors like vinegar, Tabasco or cayenne pepper. These are just as unpleasant-tasting for pets.

There’s one drawback to this, though. You might urge your pet to move from chewing one material to another. When using this tactic, make sure your home is already pica-proofed. You should also try the other tips mentioned.

Change His Chow

Sometimes it’s not what he’s trying to chew, but what he already swallowed that affects his pica problem. What your pet eats affects how he behaves and his tendency to practice pica. Evaluate your dog’s diet carefully. Does it contain chemical and byproducts? If it does, then you’ll do better to switch to a more natural and healthier diet. Switching from one natural food brand to another also helps. Adding nutritional supplements, like Glutamine, enzymes and probiotics to the diet also works, to help in the absorption and digestion of the diet.

If you’ve got a cat, it’s better if he gets smaller, but more frequent feedings. This will let him have something in his kitty bowl every time he needs a snack fix. If you want, you can get a timed food dispenser that releases food every few hours. Giving him a nutritional supplement also works, because according to specialists, cats that have nutritional deficiencies, like insoluble fiber or fat, look for these nutrients in other objects.

Having a cat garden is also a great idea. Your cat can chew on the grass. There are pre-planted gardens sold in many pet shops, but you can also grow your own by planting a pot of wheat or rye with a little catnip mixed with it.

Give Him Some Lovin’

Nobody wants to be ignored and left alone, not even pets. If you keep your darling pet all cooped up with no one to play with, he really will be tempted to start gnawing to curb his boredom, fear or loneliness. To prevent this, make sure you give him some of your precious time.

Spend time with your pet and make him feel loved and cared for. It can be as simple as scratching his ear every night, brushing his coat to make it shine, or letting him stay beside you while you watch TV. Treat your pet as if he is your best friend. He probably is.

If your pet’s a dog, take him out for a walk once or twice a day. If it’s a cat, have a 20-minute play session. When he’s busy having fun, you not only keep him preoccupied, you also make him feel secure and loved. If you can’t do it yourself, ask someone else to so it, like your sister or your friend. What’s important is he experiences humanly affection every now and then.

Having a pet is a big responsibility, and dealing with pica is perhaps one of the most challenging hurdles you might have to face. If your pet has this disorder, try some of these tips. Your dog or cat will soon be pica-free, and your things will be safe from his cute little munching mouth!