Why do cats lick plastic?
@morgandrake (2136)
United States
July 14, 2007 7:06pm CST
Ok, here is something that I have never figured out.
Why do cats lick plastic?
Several of my cats seem to really enjoy licking plastic. My best kitty, Lucifer, really seems to enjoy it. He attacks it with as much gusto as I do chocolate after not having any for several months.
Now sometimes, like right now, I do know why he is doing it. At the moment, he trying to convince me that he is so hungry, and that I should quit writing on the computer and go do my real job "taking care of him." But there are other times, I think that he is doing it because he likes the taste of it.
So is it tasty? Or is there something else I haven't thought of?
And is it only my cats that do this?
4 people like this
13 responses
@Calais (10893)
• Australia
15 Jul 07
I really dont know why, one of my cats licks plastic and everything else in the house, skirting boards, books, the furniture, the floor, me, the walls you name it she licks it..there is nothing wrong with them, they are not lacking in anything..I have already hassled my vet about it, and he just said that she simply just likes it.
3 people like this
@cloud_kicker_32 (4635)
• United States
15 Jul 07
hell there morgan..I do have an answer for ya hun:)
Cats enjoy licking plastic bags because they’re probably attracted to the rendered animal fat (this fat is also known as “tallow”) that is contained in the plastic. Some hand and face creams contain extracts of farm animals, such as collagen, and cats will occasionally lick at these. I had a cat named Cuddles who used to love to lick photographs. Pics contain an emulsion that has gelatin, an animal product, as one of its ingredients, and Cuddles loved the taste of it. :)
@princessa200145 (616)
• United States
15 Jul 07
my cat likes to lick noxema off of my face its weird i stop her but she is like addicted to it what do u think of that
3 people like this
@cloud_kicker_32 (4635)
• United States
15 Jul 07
heloo there princess..the reason ur cat is doing that is because Noxema contain menthol and this smell also is attractive to cats..as well as vapor rub,..DO NOT LET HER LICK IT!! it can make her sick.. so i would just close the door while you use it..but hun..dont let her lick it..its very bad stuff..hope i was some help:)
2 people like this
@morgandrake (2136)
• United States
15 Jul 07
So it is tasty. Does not sound very nutrious. Makes me wonder about the mental state of my cat, but considering he thinks I am nuts for eating fruit--I guess we are even in questioning the other's sanity.
2 people like this
@brendalee (6082)
• United States
15 Jul 07
I don't have an answer for you but I see someone did give you a logical explanation for it. I just wanted you to know that my cats lick the plastic too. And they love to play in it even more.
2 people like this
@morgandrake (2136)
• United States
15 Jul 07
Every once in awhile, at three in the morning, you can hear the cats opening the cabinet door where we store all the plastic bags from the grocery store. Bang. Bang. Then you come into the kitchen in the morning and there are plastic bags everywhere. Several which have been killed because they decided to fight back. And once again the world has been saved from the evil of plastic bags by the brave cats. Or at least, that is the way it happens at my house.
1 person likes this
@Rosepetal (352)
• United States
15 Jul 07
I'm so glad you posted this because I had a cat that did the same thing. I also don't know why he did it, and I too would like to know.
@princessa200145 (616)
• United States
15 Jul 07
my cats like it too its a mystery one of those remarkable things
3 people like this
@brokentia (10389)
• United States
17 Jul 07
Maybe they like the texture of plastic. :)
I know there are things that I like the texture of on my tongue. ha ha
So, why can't cats like different things too? hehe
@Willowlady (10658)
• United States
15 Jul 07
I have not had this problem. Maybe since I feed them more than the canned food that is questionable at times. We also get them greens and catnip so that they have some natural things for their systems. I have heard of this and since I have not had the problem that I would perceive this to be I have left it alone.
If you wish to understand try this site!
http://www.xmission.com/~emailbox/whycat.htm
1 person likes this
@crazynurse (7482)
• United States
15 Jul 07
Nope, it isn't just your cats! My son has a CD holder/tower that stands on his desk next to his laptop. It is made of blue plastic. Our cat will sit and lick that crazy CD holder for 30 minutes at a time?!! We cannot figure out why! Of course, this is the cat that will lick suckers, cotton candy, and almost anything else that a nearby human is eating!
1 person likes this
@rosie_123 (6113)
•
15 Jul 07
My Lily always licks plastic too, and so does her big brother Wilby. He loves the plastic coverings they put on clothes when they send them back from the dry cleaners, or when you buy them from a catalogue. I have honestly never known why, and I found this discussion very interesting. Thanks for it.
1 person likes this
@Geminigirl (1909)
• United States
15 Jul 07
My cats like to lick tissue paper and silk floral arrangements! It is so weird! I wanted to tell you, you may want to put your plastic bags away somewhere your cats can't get to them, not because of the licking, but because they may get their heads caught in the bag or on one of the handles and smother.
1 person likes this
@guss2000 (2232)
• United States
15 Jul 07
My cat Lucy will also lick bags. I have no idea why they do this. My one cat Smeegle will EAT the plastic bags! It's insane. I have to make sure that all plastic bags or wrappers in the house are put away or else he will just chew them up and eat them. I wish I could get him to stop that.
2 people like this
