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Expert: - 11/19/2009


Question
I adopted a 12 month old female cat two months ago.  She likes to lick me a lot, which is not the problem.  She has always liked to lick plastic bags, packing tape, and any glue substance, but does not ingest them.  I was gone for four days last week and she was alone.  Since then she seems to lick everything.  If I pick up a book, she licks the edge.  She is licking the window sill, the computer, my shoes, things that she has never shown interest in before.  She eats high quality wet and dry food, and acts fine, so I don't believe her new behavior is caused by needing something in her diet.  I have assumed the excessive licking was brought about by being alone, but need to know if it is something that I should worry about. I'm concerned that she will ingest something unhealthy, such as residue from household cleaners, etc.  I would appreciate your thoughts on the subject.  Thanks you, Linda  

Answer
Linda,

I wish I had a good answer for you.  However, your concern is warranted as there can be many substances around the house that can be harmful to your kitty.  A good resource for information about substances toxic to cats is:


http://www.peteducation.com/category.cfm?c=1+1418


What you need to do is to keep any and all such substances somewhere the cat cannot get to them.

As to the licking business, I cannot fathom why the cat is manifesting that behavior. Without knowing the background of the cat, it is impossible to know what may be going on.  Has she been to the vet to see if there is something medical going on?

Licking plastic bags and the like is not unusual, but she sounds almost obsessive/compulsive about licking!?!?!?!?!

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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