Expert: Charlotte Sherrell, DVM - 11/8/2009

Question
i have a 15 month old female cat. she loves to eat plastic - wrappers, bags. shower curtain ect.  she  then throws it up and occasionally has come out in her stool. we are careful about leaving anything around but she manages to find some. could there be any medical reason she does this - lacking something, or just that she likes to do this. she is fed fresh dry and canned food every day.

Answer
Karen -

It is not uncommon for cats to develop an interest in chewing odd things.  Sometimes they will chew because of a vitamin or mineral deficiency (a condition known as pica) other times cats just like to chew.  Provide chew toys made specifically for cats - toys with catnip, etc.  Also you might consider a visit to your veterinarian to have bloodwork done to determine if your kitty is anemic or has other health deficiencies.

Best Regards,

Charlotte Sherrell, DVM