Plastic Eating and Food Obsession?

[paisleyquinn]

I adopted a calico kitty back in March, and while she's an absolute sweetheart, she has a few weird quirks that are causing issues in the home.

Paisley has an obsession with getting into anything remotely edible. She pulls out food pellets and hay from my rabbits' cage, and her favorite thing to do is to knock down my dog's container of treats and gobble them off the ground before I can stop her. She will get into the pantry and onto the counter or table to eat anything left out; she's cost a lot of money in the food she's gotten into. Any left over dog food is hers for the taking, and she's chowed down on fish food she managed to knock open. I have to lock her up during feeding time or else she'll finish quickly and race over to fight my other cat off from his food. Paisley has a sensitive stomach and any time she gets into something weird she has bouts of very loose, stinky poops that stink up the whole house; I'm worried about this bad habit affecting her stomach long-term.

Coupled with her food obsession is her plastic chewing obsession. Paisley will chew up anything plastic bag-like; this include garbage bags, bags of bread on the counter (and then she'll eat the bread...), ziplock bags, a bag of brown sugar, etc. It is incredible annoying to deal with, and I also worry about her swallowing pieces of plastic.

I don't think this is a diet problem; I know Paisley gets more than enough food, and even increasing her portions have not curved her habits. She is currently on California Natural wet food, and I've been giving a mix of Taste of the Wild and Blue Buffalo Basics dry food at night. I think it's important to note that she SCARFS down every meal like it's her last, even the dry food. Worms/internal parasites have already been ruled out at the vet.

Unfortunately, Paisley's living situation is different from what I had originally planned, and she is currently living with my parents and siblings. Because there are so many different people in the house, just making sure there is absolutely no plastic/any food out 24/7 is just not possible. I've been spraying her with water whenever I catch her in the act, and locking her up in one room when no one is able to watch her, but I feel bad for how long she is locked up. I've been asked not to put down double sided sticky tape on the counters to keep her off. Her issues are manageable for the moment, but I really need to get her completely under control before I go back to school in August, as I know my parents are understandably sick of dealing with her and I don't want her to be locked up 24/7 when I leave.

Any explanation as to her weird obsession? And any advice how to deal with this? Other than these issues, Paisley is absolutely perfect, and I'm upset that her "quirks" are causing a problem within the household.

Sorry this is so long!

 

[minka]

Is she loosing weight? Have you checked her for thyroid issues? Other than that, it sounds like she just has Pica.

 

[kat013]

I can't speak on the aggressive food-finding behavior, but I have a cat who likes to chew plastic. He tends to do it less when I give him grass about once a week to eat. I secure it with a butterfly clamp to a chair leg, shelf leg, or whatever, at about head height. Sometimes you can shut it in a door and that will hold it. I'm lucky in that he usually doesn't barf it up.

 

[mnjulz]

maybe you should move this to the food/nutrition thread

 

[orangeishcat]

Hi there!

You just described Peanut.

He begs for food like he's about to die of starvation, and he'll chew plastic wherever he can find it. He's a special needs cat so I would still say you might take yours to the vet just in case- but his bill of health is clean other than his pre-existing issues.

Good luck!!

 

[roach.115]

I have a cat that does the same thing. 4 year old fixed female that will keep me up at night licking and trying to eat crinkly plastic things - she never goes after hard plastic. We have closed all our cabinets with child-proof safety locks so she can't get into anything. She also used to eat meals so fast that she would throw up immediately after - we solved this issue by putting her dry food (purina's indoor formula - the only food that doesn't make her litter box smell completely foul or make her gassy) in a 20 oz. soda container with holes large enough for food to come out drilled into the sides high enough so that when full, nothing comes out until we lay it on the floor. This forces her to eat less and much more slowly and she gets a little exercise eating too. Hope that helps!

 

[crystalkitty]

My Crystal does not have a food obsession but plastic ...

Plastic bags are for playing with. I think she likes the noise they make. Interestingly enough, when I moved cross country with her I used a small litterbox and placed it in a garbage bag each day for transport. Somehow she now has the idea that plastic bags and litterboxes go together, and she will put them in there. ESPECIALLY if it needs cleaning. I used to keep the litter scoop in a plastic bag, so I think that reinforced the whole idea.

But what she REALLY loves is super-crinkly plastic. Like clear packing tape on a carton. She'll spend forever working it off to chew it. Or thicker plastic bags food comes in. She cares nothing for the food inside but will gnaw any bag. She ruined a few groceries doing this, then I learned to keep them locked away.

Life with kitties is fun and interesting.

I hope you find things that work for your cat and can figure out how to make it all work!

 

[huyi]

can't you try a pet behave spray? spray it on the areas you don't want the cat to go and see if the cat tries to go there again, put catnip on the places where you want your cat to safely go (there is a spray you can use for catnip), thats what i do with my boy bast, it seems to work but sometimes i will catch him doing it once or twice, it has greatly reduced him going on my kitchen counter though.

as for the plastics can't you keep an eye on your pets? even if my partner drops a small object i ask him to remove it from the floor immediately or bast will go for it, so far it works cause my cat hardly picks up anything from the floor, i know it's not easy keeping a eye on your pets if you have kids and so on but you always have to be cautious about what your cat is doing so he dosn't eat something he is not supposed to.

 

[rhen]

My simon doesn't chew plastic............but the scarfing food like its his last meal he does ALL the time!! God forbid he sees me chewing he wants to know what i have right then and there!!! He watches my boyfriends spoon go from his plate to his mouth!!!! Chases the other cats away from there wet food if i dont intervine! Gobbles so much dry food he usually throws up.............dont even ask what happens when somone opens the fridge!! Hes very healthy............I think hes just a PIG!!!!!!