Plastic Fetish

[purplesdk]

My cat has an obsession with all kinds of plastic bags. When she finds one, or seeks one out, she starts eating it. She also has an anxiety issue and pulls her hair out. I've tried redirecting her when she does this but it hasn't helped. The vet said there was nothing out of whack with her blood work either. Cant figure out what to do to get her to stop eating plastic bags.
Any suggestions would be helpful.

 

[moorspede]

The most obvious thing is to keep plastic items out of reach. Try food puzzle toys, these are particularly useful when you leave your cat alone because she can hunt them out while you are gone. Soft but sturdy toys which won't come apart when your cat bites them. Items such as rawhide chews, Nylabones, and cat grass make for safer chewing.

Increase interactive play. Wand toys (particularly 'da bird') and laser pointers may help to relieve stress. One of my cats loves her rodent toy which scoots around in all directions. You need a hard floor for this one though.

Cat perches that are set up to view the outdoors can also be a great way to provide extra enrichment for your cat. She can watch the goings-on outside while you're gone.
Have plenty of cat scratching posts. Cats release stress, mark territory, and exercise by scratching.

If you are nearby when your cat starts chewing on something plastic, redirect her attention by calling her or throwing a toy in the opposite direction of the plastic item. Praise her when she leaves the plastic to pursue the more acceptable behaviour. You will need to be consistant to get results.

Using products which calm cats like feliway, calming chews etc may help.

These articles have some great advice:

How To Stop Problem Chewing In Cats

Six Surefire Strategies to Reduce Stress in Cats

 

[di and bob]

Like said above, keep all plastic locked up and out of sight, she could suffocate, choke, or the plastic could get lodged in her intestines. Hair pulling is an indicator of nervousness or boredom, she may be smelling or seeing another cat around your place or something else is making her nervous. I agree with the calming chews too, I get mine as treats on Amazon, but only give half of what they recommend. They are great for vet visits too. Try to give her some individual attention as often as you can, and provide her with new toys once in a while, keeping the old ones in a bag of catnip for later. Yummy treats don't hurt either, they are something she can look forward too. Keep us posted!

 

[mjscats]

My cat has a similar issue to this. She has a fetish for plastic bags, tape, wrapping, etc. Not only do I have to be exceptionally careful about garbage, I have to immediately throw out boxes and other packaging. I recommend you do the same. I have recently got her some toys that are springs that she can chew on, but are unable to break or be eaten. I do not have experience with nervous or anxious cats, and therefore this is my own personal experience. I reward good behavior with treats, such as playing with appropriate toys. I also try and transfer treats, human food, etc. into plastic bins or containers to prevent her from chewing. Proper exercise and attention seem to help, but I have not found anything to officially curb her habits. I also own multiple cat trees to distract her, with scratching pads spread around the house. I wish you the best of luck