Is this wierd? Picture licking???

[Sia1]

I've noticed that in the past two months my orange girl has become obsessed with licking pictures. Any pic left on a table is doomed. I don't know what is on the pictures that make her do that, and if this is a bad thing? Does anyone have a clue? Thanks.

[margaret]

That does sound odd! It's a new one to me! But I was thinking maybe your kitty likes the feel of the smooth surface of the photo (or the frame). Funny kitty! Thanks for sharing!

[ August 31, 2001: Message edited by: margaret ]

[Freckles]

Do you mean a picture in a glass covered frame? Or a photograph finished by a photo shop? Glossy or dull finished? I'd be concerned about licking off the coating.

[Gio]

I can't give you an explanation but I had a cat once that did that to the handle of a magnifying lense

[Eudora]

My dachschund would lick picture frames but only with animal pictures. She'd just sniff human ones and walk away. we even tested her!

[catwoman]

I've heard that licking photos can be dangerous for kitties (chemicals.) Unless the photos are under glass, I'd keep them away from her.

[Sia1]

No, she licks the bare picture..no glass. I think it might have something to do with the texture, but I'll make sure to keep them away from her now.

[Eudora]

Yah- the coating on the glossy-finished ones could be poisonous...

[cr7clark]

Cats lick uncovered pictures because they like the taste of the emulsion used in photodeveloping shops. The emulsion smells like rotten fish, guess some cats like to eat stinky stuff. It's not real healthy for them to do this a lot (once in a while probably won't hurt) but you will definitely want to put your pictures out of Kitty's reach. After awhile, the pictures start looking really shopworn. We had an orange tabby that would lick unprotected photos 'til they were tattered, so we learned to put them away.

[Ila]

We had a cat Samantha we had to always make sure never to leave loose pictures laying out. She would chew on them till there was hardly any recognitiion of what was on the picture. We to always wondered what interested her so in them. She never messed with magazines just pictures. We always wondered if it was something in the special ink they use on pictures.

[thelmalu99]

Yes, definitely keep loose pictures out of kitty's reach. Photographic paper is treated with chemicals and photos are developed with chemicals that are toxic.