My Cats Eating My Clothes!

[Abbey1]

My 1 and 1/2 year old cat Willy has been eating clothes, fabric, any type of material and stuff. He has eaten many wool sweaters, socks, t-shirts and also had chewed up old stuffed toys. And when you try to get it from him he growls and hiss' at you. I asked the vet but he said that it is very weird for cats to do that. :(

Is there anything I can do to stop him from ruining everything and making himself very sick? :confused:

[DrKym]

Offhand?? Get a new vet, and put your clothes away?

Just an opinion

[Abbey1]

I've been doing that but he always finds somthing to eat like if there are no clothes around he will go and find a tissue box and pull out a bunch of the tissues and eat them.

[DrKym]

What food are you feeding him?

[Abbey1]

What food are you feeding him?
Nutro Cat Food - Hairball Management.
We have five cats and thats the only brand that they all can eat because one of them has a very sensitive stomach

[cassiesmom]

Great Web page from Veterinary Medicine Teaching Hospital at the University of California Davis.

http://www.vmth.ucdavis.edu/home/beh/feline_behavior/pica.html

[Abbey1]

Great Web page from Veterinary Medicine Teaching Hospital at the University of California Davis.

http://www.vmth.ucdavis.edu/home/beh/feline_behavior/pica.html

Thanks. I'll print that out.

[jani]

My cat loves to nibble on my bathroom towels. She doesn't feast on them, but I have caught her shredding them with her nails and then chomping on the loose threads. When I nudge her from them, she doesn't mind. Sadly, my bath towels now all look really crappy, but she's no worse off for it. She also loves rubber bands and any kind of glue. Go figure.

[Medusa]

I think I'd just put my clothes where he couldn't find them. Creamsicle likes to chew on cotton balls and if I leave one in the bathroom trashcan, she's sure to find it. She shreds them and eats them, so I have to make sure I dispose of them properly so that she doesn't choke. And Puddy loves the glue on envelopes. She once got into them and licked the glue off almost an entire pack! I thought sure we would make a trip to the vet but she had no adverse reaction. Cat behavior can be puzzling, for sure.

Blessings,
Mary

[Randi]

I wonder if there's anything she needs in her diet. Could be that she is searching for that particular thing - your vet should know.

Only once have I caught Fister chewing on wool, it was a rolled up ball of yarn. He had swallowed several inches, but luckily I noticed and could pull it gently back up. :)

[sprokett]

kimi chew's my clothes but only if im wearing them and giving her fuss i think she just does it for comfort though i dont know

[Freedom]

Can you offer him a catnip toy in exchange - the way you distract a 2 year old from something they shouldn't do?

Or use the water squirt bottle to make him stop?

"Pica" is the term for eating things they shouldn't, and it usually suggests something missing from their diet; but not always.

Have you tried sprinkling some Barley Cat on his food? It is a green powder, food supplement / treat, which adds greens to their diet. Like nibbling on grass.

I can't think of anything else to try!

Sparkle eats rubber bands, I find them in her poops! But mostly I keep them out of her reach.