My cat eats plastic, fabric or wool: why it happens and when it is dangerous
A cat nibbling a plastic bag now and then is nothing unusual. A cat that eats bits of fabric, sucks woollen jumpers every day or chews cables is another matter: it is called pica, it can have medical or behavioural causes and, above all, it can end in an intestinal blockage. Here is what you need to know.
What pica is
Pica is the repeated eating or chewing of things that are not food: fabric, wool, plastic, cardboard, rubber bands, cables, paper or even litter. In cats, one of its best-known forms is wool sucking, in which the cat sucks, kneads and sometimes chews jumpers, blankets or socks, occasionally to the point of eating them. Some cats only suck without swallowing anything, while others swallow pieces. Both have similar causes, but the second is far more dangerous. It is not a whim or a harmless quirk: it is a sign that something is wrong, whether in its body, its surroundings or the way it copes with stress.
Breeds and genetics
Wool sucking is considerably more common in some Oriental breeds, especially the Siamese and the Burmese, and in their crosses, which points to a genetic component. It has also been linked to weaning too early and to early separation from the mother, although many cats that do it were weaned normally. It usually appears in young cats, between a few months and two years old, and in some it lasts a lifetime. If you have an Oriental breed, it is wise not to leave woollen jumpers or blankets within reach from the start, so it doesn’t become a hard habit to break.
Medical causes
Before thinking about behaviour, health problems need ruling out, because pica is sometimes their first sign. It has been associated with anaemia, with digestive diseases that cause nausea or malabsorption, with hyperthyroidism, which brings a ravenous appetite, with diabetes, with dental or gum problems, which lead cats to chew things to ease the discomfort, and with inadequate or poorly balanced diets. Also with some treatments that increase appetite. So if your cat starts eating strange things, especially if it is an adult and didn’t do so before, the first stop is the vet, who will probably recommend a blood test.
Stress, boredom and anxiety
If the vet rules out medical causes, the pica is most likely linked to stress or a lack of stimulation. An indoor cat that spends many hours alone, with no play or anything to do, may start chewing whatever is to hand. And a cat stressed by a change, a house move, a new cat, conflict with other animals or someone’s absence may use sucking or chewing as a way to soothe itself, just as others over-groom. In these cases, the solution lies in identifying what is stressing it, improving its environment and giving it safer outlets for that need to chew and suck.
The danger of thread
Long, thin objects are the most dangerous: thread, string, ribbon, rubber bands, Christmas tinsel, fishing line or laces. When a cat swallows one, one end can get caught, for instance under the tongue or in the stomach, while the rest moves on through the intestine, which bunches up along it like a concertina and can even be sliced through. Vets call this a linear foreign body, and it is a surgical emergency. If you see a thread sticking out of your cat’s mouth or bottom, never pull it: you could tear the intestine. Get to the vet as soon as possible.
Signs of a blockage
A swallowed piece of fabric, plastic or rubber may pass through without trouble or get stuck in the stomach or intestine. Warning signs are repeated vomiting, especially if it brings up even water, loss of appetite, lethargy, pain when you touch its belly, a hunched posture, no faeces or diarrhoea, and drooling. They can appear hours or days after the object was swallowed. If you see them, or if you know it has swallowed something, go to the vet without waiting. An X-ray, ultrasound or endoscopy may be needed, and sometimes surgery, which in Spain costs between 800 and 2,000 € depending on complexity and days in hospital. The sooner you act, the better the outlook and the lower the cost.
Cables and other hazards
Some cats, especially kittens and youngsters, chew electrical cables. The risk is an electric shock that can cause burns to the mouth and, in severe cases, pulmonary oedema, which leads to breathing difficulties over the following hours. Protect cables with trunking or covers, unplug chargers when not in use and don’t leave cables dangling. Don’t leave plastic bags within reach either, because of the risk of suffocation as well as swallowing, nor hair ties, bottle tops or small toy parts. And if your cat nibbles plants, check they aren’t toxic: lilies are extremely dangerous to cats, and pothos or ficus cause irritation.
What you can do at home
Move whatever it tends to eat out of reach: put away woollen clothes and blankets, close wardrobes, tidy away bags and protect cables. Increase play, with several wand-toy hunting sessions a day, and enrichment: puzzle feeders, boxes, scratching posts, windows with a view. Split its food into more small meals through the day so it doesn’t go hungry for so long. Offer safe things to chew, such as chew toys made for cats or a little home-grown cat grass. And never punish it: that would increase its stress, which is often part of the problem, and may make it do it in secret.
Food plays a part too
For cats with pica, some vets suggest trying a diet slightly higher in fibre or bulk, or more wet food, which is more filling and makes the cat spend longer eating. In some cases it works, in others it doesn’t. What you shouldn’t do is change its diet abruptly or give supplements on your own initiative. If your cat eats low-quality dry food or a poorly balanced home-made diet, a complete diet suited to its age may be part of the solution. Speak to your vet before making changes, especially if it has a diagnosed illness.
When you need a specialist
If the pica continues despite ruling out medical causes and improving the environment, or if your cat frequently swallows things and has already had a scare, it is worth consulting a vet who specialises in clinical behavioural medicine. They can help you identify the triggers, design a behaviour modification plan and, in some cases, assess whether medication is needed. Chronic pica can be hard to resolve completely, but it can almost always be reduced a great deal and, above all, the home can be made safe. The important thing is not to play it down: a cat that regularly eats fabric or plastic is one mouthful away from surgery.
Eating fabric, wool, plastic or cables is called pica. First, see the vet to rule out anaemia and digestive, dental or thyroid problems (hyperthyroidism). Then remove what it eats, increase play and enrichment and split its food into smaller meals. Never pull a thread sticking out of the mouth or bottom, and with repeated vomiting or lethargy, go to an emergency vet.
Educational content from Michipedia, translated from the Spanish original. It does not replace the advice of a vet or a feline behaviour specialist. Every cat is an individual.