Cats that like to eat...plastic?

[meep]

This has happened a few times, maybe four or five (that I've witnessed) but it seems Darcy has a taste for plastic shopping bags?!

It is quite worrying. Occasionally he's just kind of licked or nibbled them and I've shooed him away but one day I just put a bag down, then sat on the sofa, and heard some rustling - I looked over and he had half the plastic handle torn off and in his mouth, and he was trying to chew it!! I grabbed him round the neck and and pulled it out but he didn't seem phased.

I don't have loads of them lying around but occasionally he might just find one. I'm really really worried that he may swallow some plastic which would NOT be good.

I thought maybe he's looking for something to chew, so I'm going to invest in some cat grass that I've heard about. He is a REALLY inquisitive cat, I know most cats are but the moment something or someone new comes into the flat, he goes into full purr mode and investigates for a full 20 minutes. So it is really hard to hide every bit of thin plastic in the house!

Is it just him being inquisitive, is he wise enough not to swallow the damned stuff, any one with any similar experience? I have now de-plastic-bagged the house, so hopefully there's NONE for him to find. He doesn't do it every time, in fact quite often there's a few sitting out after I've been shopping and he ignores them. But once he gets started, it seems hes on a mission!

[kado]

Mine also do the same. Ive had to take bag wraps of from kado as well. They also love sleeping on them as well if i leave a bag alone for a minute there is usualy a cat on it.

jane

[Grete]

Fizz is a plastic eater too, she tries to steal the wrappings from cig packets from the bin and run off with them so she can chew them You have to be quick if you drop little bits of anything else plastic because she will get it and eat it.

[Elaine]

I used to have to hide all plastic and carrier bags from Woody, no longer with us. If any one came into the house with a shopping bag, he'd chew the handles off if I didnt watch him or put the persons shopping bags into a cupboard till the left.

[dandysmom]

That's a new one for me; never had or heard of a plastic-eating cat before! Possibly some scent they can detect that smells like food?????

[yola]

Yes, my Darcy used to do it and Myshka tries now. He's more of a licker and sitter-on than an out and out chewer but I don't take any chances and remove bags asap.

[meep]

It's good to know it's not just my Darcy, thanks everyone! (yola, maybe it's a Darcy thing )

I just find it bizarre, what could be so appealing about plastic?! and it's usually always the handles. Like I said, maybe it's instinctual as they do chew grass in the wild, so I'll see if that softens the urge slightly.

It makes you realise, when you're trying to tidy up all the plastic, just how much you have everywhere! Food wrappers, the bin bag, shopping bags, make-up wrapping...