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Cats/My Cat Eats Plastic?

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Expert: - 11/17/2009


Question
Hi Norman,
  I wasn't sure if you could help me. I have a 17 year old pure-bred male pursian cat. He has a bad habit of eating, or at least chewing plastic.
  Any plastic like a shopping bag or trash bag he likes to chew on. Sometimes he ingests it, sometimes he doesn't. When he does ingest it, he usually ends up vomiting. He's been doing it for years and we've never been able to figure out why.
  Do you think he does it because he likes the taste or feel? Or is he trying to make himself sick, like a dog eating grass?
  I try to get him to stop. I have to hide all the trash cans in cabinets, and I always scold him away when he finds plastic somewhere, but it's doesn't really help.
  Do you have any idea why he does it, or how to get him to stop?

Thank You
P.S.
  He also like eating plants, usually Spider Plants. He sometimes get sick from that, too.

Answer
Amber,

First off, congratulations in the good care you are giving to have your make it to such a ripe old age.

We also have cats that eat plastic, and our solution is to keep all plastic out of their reach (sometimes easier said than done).  Fortunately, the plastic has not harmed anyone yet.

As to eating plants, it is difficult, if not impossible to prevent that.  Fortunately spider plants are not toxic to cats.  If the spider plant will survive it, it will not hurt your cat.  Here is a link to a list of plants non-toxic to cats:

http://www.cfa.org/articles/plants-non-toxic.html

Best regards... Norm.  

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Norman Auspitz

Expertise

I can answer most non-veterinary questions about cats. My particular expertise is pedigree cats, breeding and showing. However, I am versed in feline behavior, cat breeds and their characteristics, general feline husbandry, and the like.

Experience

I judged for the Canadian Cat Association from 1975 until 1982. I am currently an approved allbreed judge for the Cat Fanciers'' Association (the world''s largets cat registry), and have been judging for them since 1991. I have been breeding pedigreed cats since 1971 and have been exhibiting pedigreed cats in shows since 1970. I obtained my first pedigreed cat in 1970 and have never looked back. In 1971, I obtained my first Abyssinian which has become my primary breed. In addition, I have bred Manx and Persians. Currently, besides the Abyssinians, I am also breeding Maine Coons.


Organizations
Cat Fanciers'' Association, inc. (CFA) and the Manx, Maine Coon, and Abyssinian breed councils. I am currently Abyssinian breed council secretary.

Publications
Cat Fancy Magazine, The Abyssinian Chapter in The Cat Fanciers'' Association Complete Cat Book, and Articles for various editions of The Cat Fanciers'' Association Yearbook

Education/Credentials
I received a B.S. from Drexel University in 1968, a M.Math from University of Waterloo, in 1970, a Ph.D. from University of Waterloo in 1975, and a MBA from McMaster University in 1980. I received my approved allbreed judging status in the Cat Fanciers'' Association in 1999.

Awards and Honors
We have produced a number of Cat Fanciers'' Association (CFA) National winning Abyssinian and Maine Coons. We have produced a number of Abyssinian and Maine Coon Distinguished Merit females (an award for a top producing cat), including the first Distinguished Merit Abyssinian in the red (sorrel) color. I am the CFA Abyssinian breed council secretary and belong and/or hold office in a number of cat clubs. I am also a member of the CFA Judges Association.

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