Poppy - I love plastic...too much

by cythia
(Lake Stevens, wa)

Our problem is with our 8 year old lovely kitty who has a maddening habit. She is totally obsessed with licking and chewing plastic things. We no longer get bags from the market. We drape towels on bathroom and bedroom garbage cans. She'll finds hidden baggies...anything really and the licking begins! The scarry thing now is when she finds something without us knowing it -she has started swallowing it and throwing it back up! Some of the pieces are quite large. Is it just a bad habit as some people have told us or is she needing something she is not getting? She is dearly loved and will play on her own time schedule. She eats an excellent food diet. She is an indoor cat.

Is she bored?
Vitamins lacking?

Thanks for your help in advance.

cythia h.

Answer by Kate
Hi, your cat could be one of those rare cats who suffer from a condition known as pica. This is a condition where they love to eat or chew etc non food items. It is a strange condition and little is known about it and there is also no cure as such. You simply have to try and remove the items which attract your cat. I know it is a nuisance, you could also try spraying it with water and lemon juice as cats don't like citrus smell and it may repell them from the item.

Comments for Poppy - I love plastic...too much

Click here to add your own comments

For Poppy
by: Lisa D

My 14 year old female cat she's mainly an indoor cat. She has never been fixed. She chews on the handles of the plastic grocery bags a few times per week, especially after she vomits. I let her because if I take them away I am afraid she may start breaking pieces off and eating it, which she doesn't do. They are like children, if u take something away, that doesn't really hurt them, they may start to hide the evidence!

my blue point siamese eats plastic bags when she is stressed
by: cindy

Is there anything i can do to stop my female siamese from eating plastic, she chews on bags and then throws it up at another time .She is 14 years old and we are the second owner, the first owner moved away and left the cat with us, ..

Reply
Don't think so. Sounds like a condition called Pica.
https://www.our-happy-cat.com/cat-eating-disorders.html

Click here to add your own comments

Return to Cat Questions Archive One.


I'd love to hear what you think of this page or my site. Let me know if you like what you have read or if it has helped you with a problem.

It's easy to do just leave a comment in the box below and click the like / share or +1 to let others know about my site. Thank You It really is most appreciated.

Enjoy this page? Please pay it forward. Here's how...

Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it?

  1. Click on the HTML link code below.
  2. Copy and paste it, adding a note of your own, into your blog, a Web page, forums, a blog comment, your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable.