Does your cat love brand new toys from the pet store—or would they rather just play with the packaging it all comes in? Most cats love to play with household items just as much as any store-bought cat toy.
One such feline favorite is hair ties. From batting them across the floor to carrying them around in their mouth, hair ties (and rubber bands) provide endless entertainment for some cats. But what is it about them that piques cats’ interest?
Key Takeaways
Many cats love to play with hair ties because they make ideal “prey,” stimulating their natural hunting instincts.
Some cats will try to chew or swallow hair ties and this can make them a dangerous choice of toy.
To prevent your cat from playing with hair ties, keep them out of reach and offer your cat safer alternative toys instead.
Why Do Cats Like Hair Ties?
There are lots of reasons why cats like hair ties. Here are the five most common.
1. Cats Are Curious
Cats are naturally curious creatures and explore their environment by patting, knocking, and swatting at different objects that they come across. Their sensitive paws, which contain lots of nerve endings, help them to decide what an object is and whether or not it is safe.
When a cat bats at a hair tie, it often flies across the surface at a fast speed, causing the cat to instinctively chase it. This brings us naturally to reason number two.
2. Natural Hunting Instincts
Domestic cats have a strong hunting instinct leftover from when they needed to hunt to survive. Even though our pet cats don’t need to hunt to eat, their instinct to chase and hunt remains strong, even with indoor cats who will still chase, pounce on, and “kill” toys.
A cat’s instinct to exhibit predatory behavior is so strong that even inanimate objects are sometimes treated as prey. Playing is a natural outlet for that hunting instinct and hair ties are a common choice of “prey” because they are lightweight and move readily when batted.
Hair ties can become caught on things (including a cat’s claws) and, in doing so, mimic the movement of a prey animal such as rodents. This increases the cat’s prey drive even further.
3. Cats Like the Texture
Hair ties are interesting for cats because they make the perfect “prey” for them to bat around and to practice their hunting skills. Shutterstock.com
Depending on the hair tie, your cat might be attracted to the texture of it. Some of them are fluffy, which can mimic a prey animal. Some of them make crinkly sounds that can attract your cat’s interest. And many of them are soft, which are tactile to your cat’s soft paws. The texture of a hair tie can also affect the way it moves around when your cat plays with it.
4. Favorable Smells
Cats may like the comforting scent of their owner on the hair ties. Cats have an extremely well-developed sense of smell, with far more olfactory receptors than humans have. In fact, a cat’s nose is almost 40 times more sensitive than ours, so even brand-new hair ties offer intriguing smells to your cat. I have a cat who enjoys rubbing on and scent-marking rubber objects around the house, such as dumbbells and tires. Many hair ties will have that rubber elastic scent that some cats like.
5. They Can Be Hoarded
Chances are you have more than just one hair tie around the house, especially if your cat keeps making off with them! Cats are opportunistic hunters, which means they will hunt when the chance arises, even if they’re not hungry at that moment.
They will then store and save their catch for later. If your cat is treating hair ties as prey, then they might be hoarding them for later. Try checking inside your cat’s bed, under the couch, or your bed for a secret stash of hair ties.
The Risks of Cats Playing With Hair Ties
For many cats, playing with hair ties is harmless and just a bit of fun. However, it can be incredibly dangerous if your cat ingests one of these foreign objects. Not only do they pose a choking hazard, but if your cat swallows one or more hair ties, it could cause an obstruction in your cat’s gastrointestinal tract, including the esophagus, stomach, or intestines.
This can be life-threatening and your cat will need surgery to remove the obstruction. Signs that your cat has an obstruction could include a reduced appetite, vomiting, lethargy, and abdominal pain. Call a veterinarian immediately if your cat shows any of these symptoms.
Supervise your cat so they don’t develop a taste for them and chew or swallow them. If you are in any doubt, it is best not to let your cat play with hair ties at all, to prevent any serious health issues.
How Can I Stop My Cat From Playing With Hair Ties?
Remove The Temptation
The first and most obvious solution to prevent your cat from playing with hair ties is to remove them from their reach. Store them somewhere they can’t access, such as a drawer or box, and be careful not to leave stray hair ties lying around. Make all family members aware to do the same thing and teach children the importance of not letting your cat play with hair ties.
Provide Safer Alternatives
If you are worried about your cat choking on or eating hair ties, there are plenty of safe toys on the market to replace them with.
There are plenty of safer alternatives to hair ties that you could consider. Fleece balls, catnip toys, and even a scrunched-up piece of paper can all provide the same fun as a hair tie. Encourage your cat to play with these cat toys by rolling them across the floor, placing them inside a box, or throwing them for your cat to ‘fetch’.
Indoor cats are more likely to try and alleviate boredom by playing with things they shouldn’t, such as hair ties, so it is especially important to provide mental stimulation and spend time each day interacting and playing with your cat.
Some cats will chew on inappropriate objects as a way to alleviate stress. If your cat is chewing excessively on hair ties, speak to your veterinarian for help. Hair ties may pose a choking hazard and could cause a gastrointestinal blockage if swallowed. It’s best to always supervise your cat when playing with them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my cat play with my hair tie?
Cats are curious and hair ties are, simply put, fun to play with. Hair ties are lightweight and easy to bat, making them ideal “prey” which stimulates a cat’s strong hunting instinct.
Should I let my cat play with hair ties?
Most of the time, hair ties are just a bit of fun for cats to play with. However, they do pose a choking hazard if swallowed and could cause a gastrointestinal obstruction which can be life-threatening, so always supervise your cat playing with hair ties. If you think your cat might eat hair ties, then it is best to prevent him from playing with them at all and provide other safe toys for him to play with.
Is it normal for cats to eat hair ties?
Most cats just play with hair ties but some cats will chew on them or even eat them. This can have serious consequences for your cat so you should always supervise your cat when playing with hair ties. If your cat tries to eat them, then always make sure hair ties are kept out of reach.