cats and plastic

[sterretjie]

hi have this tom cat that weighs a ton (9kg) and he just loves licking plastic bags. if for some reason there is a plastic bag lying around, he could sit for a long time licking, biting ect. it.

has anybody else had this aswell? why does he do it? and, i am really scared that it is not healthy. how can i get him to stop?

[Pampered]

Firstly - your cat needs to go on a diet. It cannot be healthy for him to be so big - his heart and joints are taking massive strain. We used to have a cat who weighed about 8kilo's, and he had a massive heart attack when he was about 7 from being overweight.

Secondly, I have never heard of a cat who licks and bites plastic. All I can say is that you should keep him away from it at all times. What if he bites off a piece and chokes?

[Daniela]

Originally posted by sterretjie
hi have this tom cat that weighs a ton (9kg) and he just loves licking plastic bags. if for some reason there is a plastic bag lying around, he could sit for a long time licking, biting ect. it.

has anybody else had this aswell? why does he do it? and, i am really scared that it is not healthy. how can i get him to stop?

sterretjie....what's been in the bags his licking...maybe he just likes the food that was in them LOL. I have a cat who does his nut to be able to sleep on a plastic bag....he will curl himself up into the tiniest ball just to be able to fit his entire body onto the smallest bag.

[birdie]

And there I thought our cat was weird...

Seriously though sterretjie you need to get him to loose some weight... Is he playfull? Or does he just eat and sleep??

[Tara]

He might need salt. That could be the reason for his obesity too, believe it or not.

Put him on a good diet - Science Plan's diet food is excellent.

Oh, and pick up your plastic bags.

[sterretjie]

only problem is, if i put him on a diet, my other cat will loose the weight. he just loves plastic bags, period. loves crawling into them, licking ect. not normal. trust me, i don't let the bags lying around, am way to worried, but if i give him half a chance, there he goes.

as to what was in the bag... he only eats tinned cat food, no other food.

ag, it is alles not so easy. thank goodness it is summer again soon. then he can run around outside and normally looses weight (hopefully) then.

[LondonGirl]

We have a cat that loves plastic. He doesn't have access to bags, but he always sits on magazines in their plastic covers. No licking or biting, though. I'd be concerned about choking.

As for weight, our kitty weighed in at his check-up last year at 4kg exactly. Since this is the lower end of the normal range, we has been trying to fatten him up all year. We took him to the vet yesterday (11 months later) and he has put on 150g! We were hoping for 500g but I guess we should be pleased he has gained something.

[Jangar]

Originally posted by sterretjie


as to what was in the bag... he only eats tinned cat food, no other food.

That is problem number 1 !!!!

Cats should only eat dry food (pills or whatever they're called in English) as tinned food contains way too much moisture and thus they get fat and lazy...

Also don't feed cats milk, I can't remember the reason but it's a no-no...

And a quick subject change, never let a dog consume any thing alcoholic as they are alcoholics....

[LondonGirl]

Originally posted by Jangar
Also don't feed cats milk, I can't remember the reason but it's a no-no...

That's because many cats become lactose intolerant after being weaned. Not all, mind you. None of the cats we had in SA had a problem and only 1 of our 2 cats now is affected. However, you can get around that even in affected cats by giving them specially formulated cat milk which they can tolerate.

[Petunia]

Jangar

Its not advisable to feed your cat just on pellets/dried food,
a mix of both is fine.... The moisture in tinned/sachet food is important for the cat to have in their diet... That is why its very important if you are feeding your cat, dried food only, to have a bowl of water next to it. If they dont get enough moisture, they suffer from bladder problems. Milk is not necessary in a cats diet..
Most of our milk, if your cat is not used to it, will cause
diarrohea....thats why its best to give your cat the milk that
u can buy especially for them..... Some cats do like cream and milk
and dont have a problem, but most do.... Water is ample really.
My one cat likes to drink water from a dripping tap....
Personally, I think the dried food is what causes some cats to become obese. I have noticed that with friends of mine whose cats are fed on dried food only. I mainly feed my cats on tinned/sachet food with a sprinkling of dried food on top, the reason being the dried food is good for their teeth, helps get rid of the plaque.
I have discussed this at length with my Vet, re cats diets etc and this is what he advised me.