Help!! My cat eats MATERIAL!!

[NaplesLex]

Hello there. This is my first time here. (I just copied this post from the "behavior' section) Here is the problem with my cat:

I always joke around that Zeke is more like a dog. He barks. He chews stuff (leather, books, etc. whatever he can wrap his mouth around) Well he also EATS MATERIAL! Literally, eats it. He takes my socks and chews HUGE holes in them! and then swallows the material! He's NOT hungry, I feed him plenty. He always eats as fast as he can. So I feed him twice a day only, the recommended amount. He weighs about 12 pounds and MIGHT be a little over weight. If I leave clothing folded on the dryer, he TAKES it drags it to the front door, and chews a hole in it. I left my closet door open and he dragged out a few socks from in there (I didn't realize that was where he had been getting them from lately) I had my duffel bag in there from since halloween and there were gym socks and halloween socks in there. So he has eaten them.

I try my hardest to keep them put away in the drawer or whatever. I can't leave ANYTHING out. He has been doing this for about a year. It started with my shoes about 3 years ago, (biting the leather) then went to books 2 years ago and then went to socks 1 year ago. I keep putting stuff away but now I can't even leave a book lying about because he will bite into it.

I have a cat Jordy, who has been with me for over 3 years. I got Jordy right after I got Zeke. No problems there. I just got a new kitten last week, but this has nothing to do with the new kitten as I've had her only one week and he's been doing this now for a few years. Nothing else different has happened. Same food, same litter, same everything. He does it when I'm here and when I'm not. Whenever he finds something, he eats it whether I'm sitting right here or not.

I checked one website (the only one I found that mentioned this) and it said "wool suckers" need to get their molars removed to aleviate the problem!! :eek: That is not an option for me!! It also said it wouldn't SOLVE the problem, he would still TRY to eat it, but he wouldn't be able to actually chew through it.....

About weaning: Zeke was FOUND at 3 weeks old. But he wasn't eating solid food yet, nor was he going to the bathroom on his own. (sorry if TMI: his butt had to be wiped using a wet washcloth) So he was bottle fed. When I got him a week later (4 weeks old) I continued to bottle feed him, even though he ate solid food for the first time, the day I got him. I continued to bottle feed him for *ahem* ANOTHER 8 weeks. LOL. I stopped when he did more chewing of the nipple than sucking. He tried to climb right into the bottle he was trying so hard. He was so darn cute. Unfortunately, I never got a picture of the bottle feeding events!!

By the way, he LOVES those little furry mice. He eats the tail off immediately (which the package says they will do and is normal) But Zeke continues by eating the fur off the mouse and then biting into the plastic part also and who knows if he swallows that or what!! I mean, he normally plays with each mouse for a month or longer before the whole thing is destroyed.

Please help!! Thanks!

Here's a couple pictures of Zeke, let's see if it works. :)

http://www.seemesmile.com/photos4/2471178a.jpg
http://www.seemesmile.com/photos4/2462257a.jpg


Alexis <><

[hellostranger]

Hello Zeke! You are certainly a handsome orange guy! :) I'm sorry I don't have an answer to why he would eat material - there is probably someone here with more experience who will have a suggestion.

One of my previous cats, Nutley, used to eat certain types of material - mostly string, ribbons or plastic. Once she discovered that the bottom of the couch was threaded through with string and managed to rip out and eat a looooong piece of it before I noticed. I was afraid it would get tangled in her intestines so I took her to the vet and she had an X-ray and an enema (ick!). I used to tell people that I had to spend $200 on her because she ate furniture! :rolleyes: :D

[NaplesLex]

Wow your Gus is beautiful! Well that's the last time I'll comment on someone's signature cat. Otherwise I'll be filling up the boards with "Awwww! Your cat is so beautiful/cute/funny/furry/etc/etc". :)

Never mind, I can't make a promise like that. :D

Alexis <><

PS Squirt is cute too. I have a fondness of tuxedo cats since my first cat ever was one. (I was 7/8) Her name was Corinne. She got hit by a car :( And that afternoon we got another tuxedo. She was also Corinne. :)

[Barbara]

Let me just start with "Hey Alexis, your Zeke is soo beautiful". Unfortunately I have no idea why he eats that stuff. Neither Tigris nor Filou do. I know that it can be dangerous if tehy eat ribbon-like stuff. I'm sure there will be people who know more.

[catland]

Zeke is a stunning kitty.

Seriously though, I recommend searching the internet for "feline eating disorder" or "feline obsessive-compulsive disorder" and see what you find.

Here's a link that I found that could start steering you in the right direction.

http://www.vin.com/VINDBPub/SearchPB/Proceedings/PR05000/PR00026.htm

and here's another one:

http://www.petalia.com.au/Templates/StoryTemplate_Process.cfm?specie=Cats&story_no=1547


Good luck!

[wayne0214]

napleslex, personally I'd leave something out for him to chew on, to keep him from chewing up other more valuable things, until you can get a "handle" on the sitution. ( Zeke has a very regal appearance.) I have shoes and other clothes on the floor at times, including bath towels, but none of my 10 furkids chews up things like that, except when they are playing. Their play time is usually when I first go to bed and just before I wake up in the morning. However, I have never had anything destroyed with holes chewed in them :)


I concur with the suggestion that you seek a vets' advice either on the internet or in person. It could be something that Zeke needs in his diet and is not getting, or perhaps he needs a special chew toy, like the ones that are made for dogs. And it could be something about his teeth that is giving him trouble. Have you tried correcting him with a spray bottle of water?

........wayne:)

[NaplesLex]

Actually Wayne, I have yet to catch Zeke in the act. :( I have caught him about to chew on a book, and made noise to scare him away, but that hasn't helped because he does it too often when I DON'T catch him.

I also tried to give him dog chew bones like pig ears and stuff. But that stuff is expensive! And he won't go near it! The few kinds I've tried all have this awful (to me) smokey smell. Ugh. I wonder if there is another kind I should be trying? I also gave him this dog "cheese flavored" bone, because it's small enough for him and big enough that he can't just swallow it, but he doesn't like it either.

I did find that it's a condition called "PICA" which means something like craving non-food items (but it comes from MagPie birds because they eat anything) Ok forgive this paragraph because I am at work and might have gotten that completely wrong but it is something like that LOL.

Thanks catland for the websites which gave me the word PICA which I can now do more searching for.

Anyone else? Thanks!! :)
Alexis <><

[wayne0214]

Alexis, did you try soaking a doggie chew toy in tuna or some other food that a cat would like? My furkids love pizza. Whenever I bring one home, I have to fight them away.:D

.........wayne

[NaplesLex]

Well, I have to fight Zeke for ANYTHING I want to eat. He jumps up on the couch (since that's where I typically eat... ) and then on the back of the couch and then on my shoulder and inches forward until he can whip out his paw and grab my hand or the fork/spoon whatever... and he is STRONG for a 10 pounder! I mean he is REALLY STRONG! (I guess all cats are this strong? Jordy sure doesn't show his strength like Zeke does!!) Jordy is a ho hum kinda cat, Zeke is more like the Taz!!!

But I'll try that soaking part!!

Alexis <><

[NoahsMommy]

Zeke sure is a gorgeous guy! :)

I don't know about why cats do that, I wish I could offer more information for you. I would talk to a vet, maybe they can offer some advice.

[Cataholic]

I got this cat vet book for Christmas, and it mentioned wool eaters. I hadn't ever heard of that before, and it suggested that it was somewhat breed specific, though I can't remember which breed now. I wonder if it is a craving. Maybe more fiber? Try cat grass, grown inside in a little pot. Or, try re-directing the chewing. Maybe with cat nip type flavoring on 'ok' things to chew on? I don't think I would ever remove cats teeth for something like chewing..but, I would want to know what was going on....very interesting. Strange, but interesting.

Now, all my cats love a good book or magazine on occasion. I have this really really big book on Sauces (it is so cool), like 500 pages...and Tex chewed the corner off. Unfortunately, it is my sister's book..and well, I don't think I have gotten around to telling her yet. Keep us posted, your cats are beautiful, and welcome to PT!

[NaplesLex]

Thanks everyone who said Zeke is good looking. :) I've never thought of him as anything other than a terror. An orange sweet precious boy, MY sweet precious orange boy, but very sneaky. The Sneaky Zeke. How appropriate that I chose that name... :rolleyes:

Seriously though, isn't he just a normal run-of-the-mill looking orange tabby cat? Maybe so, but there are many cats that look just like cats, but they are still so darn cute!!!!!!!!!

BTW it is a rare moment to catch Zeke just sitting still.
http://www.seemesmile.com/photos4/2522945a.jpg

So he got put in kitty jail.....


http://www.seemesmile.com/photos4/2522946a.jpg

Heheh, just kidding, all that running around and he stopped to rest under the table and chairs. I'm surprised I didn't catch him panting. :D

Alexis <><

edited to say, I read that it's most common (wool sucking) in breeds like Siamese... you can see Zeke is absolutely the furthest most opposite breed from Siamese. :) I have yet to read anything positive for cure or even help..... I'm still hoping one of you all will have THE ANSWER for me!! :)

[krazyaboutkatz]

Hi Alexis, I too think that Zeke is a gorgeous boy. I love orange cats. :) I'm sorry that he has this problem and I don't have a solution to it either. My cat Storm likes to chew on plastic things and he'll eat ribbon and plants too. Pepper likes to chew on rubberbands and Sunny likes to chew on cardboard boxes. I've never understood why they do this. I do try to keep all of these things out of their reach. I've also gotten rid of all of my plants. I sure hope that the vet can help you. This problem sure sounds very annoying and also bad for his health. Good luck.

[Barbara]

Originally posted by Cataholic

Now, all my cats love a good book or magazine on occasion. I have this really really big book on Sauces (it is so cool), like 500 pages...and Tex chewed the corner off. Unfortunately, it is my sister's book..and well, I don't think I have gotten around to telling her yet.
Very clever way, to inform her in public. But maybe she will not answer in public:)
BTW of course "they" like magazines and books but this is only the favorite pastime "destroy a toy". In general they don't eat it.