Cat Question

[woodzman]

I've got a tom cat that will eat every piece of plastic he can get a hold of. Plastic grocery bags are his favorite. I've tried giving him grass, but he doesn't seem to want that. Anybody have an idea why he does this? I've had a few cats over the years, but this is a first.

[Penny_Plinker]

Never heard of such a thing, Woodszman. You're probably pretty vigilent to keep all that plastic stuff away from him, or he'd be dead by now.

Penny

[woodzman]

You've gotta keep an eye on him, that's for sure. It's a shame too, he's a nice cat.

Bob.

[hissyfit]

I have a female that does the same. I have to watch for every little piece that might drop when opening bags. If grandson drops a candy wrapper she's on it like it's catnip! She's not interested in grass either and she was a stray we took in. Cats are strange people ::)

[woodzman]

Sounds like our cats could be twins hissyfit. Yes, they're strange people.

[elemay17]

I have a similar problem, my tom cat is about 4 now, he has taken to licking the plastic bags from the store, he will crawl inside them and lick all over it but he wont eat it....not yet at least. ;D

[woodzman]

Hopefully he doesn't start elemay.

Bob.

[indyguy]

I had a yorkie dog that loved plastic candy wrappers and plastic bags......... went nuts ovet them....... started when he was a puppy.

after a few yrs I figured out that he likes the sound the bags and wrappers made when he played with them or chewed on them.

started him playing with empty water bottles. he would bite down on them and could make crunching noises untin his hearts content but not able eat them. ... LOL

He get about 3 days out of a bottle befor I take it away and give him another one.

He was one funny little dog!

[hissyfit]

started him playing with empty water bottles. he would bite down on them and could make crunching noises untin his hearts content but not able eat them. ... LOL



Friend of mine had a basset hound who would work those empty bottles until he got the lid off. Then he would walk away. He just wanted the lid off-go figure!

[woodzman]

That must be a fairly common thing, hissyfit. I have a friend that's got a spaniel, that does the same thing. It's funny to watch. It's like it's his purpose in life to get those caps off. Soon as he gets 'em off he looses interest in that one and wants another.

Bob.

[rAcErRicK]

Wow, I have a 90# bulldog that loves to do the exact same thing ! I never dreamed that it was a duplication of some other crittur. As soon as he spots anyone drinking from a plastic bottle, he sits right in front of them until they are done and give it too him. A lot of times guys will make bets on how long it takes him to get it off. He has done it in about 6 seconds. *:D

[indyguy]

I just discovered my newest yorkie Gizmo has learned about water bottles, caps , and the NEED to remove them.

Once the cap is off hes bored with the bottle but until then hes is very focused on removing it.

[ktlove]

I have a cat that also loves shopping bags, or any plastic wrapper. He never eats it but he just sits there crunching away on it. I just assumed it was either the sound or the feel that he seems to enjoy so much. At first we were really concerned that he would chew it off and swallow it but its been 3 years and he never has, and I am sure he never will.
As a silly human every year for Christmas I get him a cat toy that makes a similar crunchy sound and is made of a thick shiny plastic. Yes, as you guessed, they just set around collecting dust, just not the same to him. In fact I have never even seen him touch them despite my many tries on the floor crinkling that thing like a fool.

Also, my very good friend and neighbor, Maggie Mae (A Boxer Dog) too has the same talent to remove a bottle cap in under 7 seconds, no matter how tight you screw that thing on. Wamm! Off in a flash and then she persists on chewing and crunching that bottle in your face until you finally have had enough and take it away! You know then she give you that sad face and you toss her a toy, which is as hardly as annoying.

It seems no matter what you buy an animal as a toy they don’t really want it, they just want to get into something you have laying around.

[daffodil]

I was going to ask this same question a few days ago! My one cat chews plastic bags and the other licks the slots on the laundry basket and cat carrier. No sound with the licking of laundry baskets or carrier, only that annoying rough scratchy sound I hear, so I think that eliminates the sound theory for mine anyway. He usually vomits afterward. There must be something to it if so many cats do it.