Question:
We have an 8-year-old cat, Nelly, who has a strange fetish: Whenever she encounters a plastic bag (grocery, trash, diaper), she licks it obsessively. Her housemate, Shaneequa (roughly the same age), has never done this sort of thing (nor have any of the dozen cats I've lived with over the years).Any thoughts on why Nelly can't stop licking?.
M.S., Silver Spring, Md Nov 20, 2005
Answer:
Many people with cats write to me about this feline addiction to plastic. Some also lick paper money and photographs. Paper money is sized with an extract of tallow (animal fat), and photos often have an emulsion finish that contain stearates derived from animal fat, which are used to soften plastic.Cats also like various soaps, hand and face creams, and other toiletries. These, too (unless the label declares "no animal ingredients" or "all vegetable products"), contain extracts of animal fat and other materials. I would check the label and only buy if it says, "not tested on animals." If cats could read, they surely would agree with my choice!Finally, since plastics contain phthalates and other potentially toxic petrochemicals, do not let your cat lick plastic or eat and drink out of plastic bowls.
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