Why Does My Cat Lick Plastic Bags ? – Cats’ Love For Plastic

There is no close end to the weird things that felines do and out of all the worries those behavior cause to you, one is ‘Why does my cat lick plastic bags’. It cannot be denied that cats licking plastic spark a genuine concern among their owners since the harmful impacts of the ingestion of plastic are known to everyone. In that case, you as a responsible cat owner will definitely want to understand this behavior of there to become able to handle this action accordingly.

We are going to help you with every aspect of this cat behavior as you will move down reading the article and leave all the puzzles solved.

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Common reasons motivating cats to lick plastic

The obsession of cats with these not-at-all tasty and rather fatal polymer pieces can’t be without any reason obviously. Surprisingly, multiple factors can be attributed to this behavior of the cats, and let us begin by telling you why do cats lick plastic bags:

Food smell from the plastic bag

The pores in the soft plastic bags get filled with the smell of whatever food item it contained and remains there for longer. We may not be able to smell it but the very strong smell senses of cats discover them in an instant and that is a reason enough for them to get stuck with those plastics. They see them as a close treat to the food that is very tempting.

The sound made by the plastic bag

The different kinds of crunchy and crinkling noises that the plastic bags make enthrall the cats greatly as it provides for their need for fun and stimulation. The crinkling plastic sound appears like that of rodents walking through the grass to the cats and they get very excited at that.

Taste of the plastic

You may find it very absurd to believe that if there is any taste to plastic at all but for cats, tasty plastic is a real thing if you think why do cats lick plastic. A lot of plastic bags are made out of biodegradable matter now that also include corn starch. The taste buds and smell senses of many cats love corn starch and they start licking the plastic to get the feel of it.

Chemicals in plastic

Plastic bags are treated with several different types of lubricants like stearates, lanolin, Gelatin, etc as well as compounds like animal fat, fish oils, fish scales, etc. are also present in the plastic bags sometimes that lure the cats with their smell. Any of these lubricants can attract the senses of cats that are curious by nature and would make attempt to taste it.

Another thing about the chemicals used in plastic bags is that some of them appear to give the exact feels of the pheromones to the cats that cause the inherent flehmen reaction of the felines to surface as soon as they get exposed to the plastic bags. This reaction also finds a testament to the behavior of cats urinating on plastic bags.

The texture of plastic bags

There is much goodness in plastic that only gets felt by the felines and the texture of plastic bags is another factor that attracts the cats to lick them. The plastic bags have a very smooth texture that the tongue of cats finds good and the room temperature of the plastic makes it possible for them to lick it easily.

Purely for stimulation

Your cat may get to licking plastic bags solely for stimulation purposes whenever they get bored. Cats get bored very easily and this can become a major reason if you think why does my cat lick plastic bags because they start doing anything randomly like chewing plastic bags in this case to get something to do.

A unique mental condition in felines

A distinctive situation of mental short-circuiting called Pica occurs in the felines sometimes that leads them to eat items other than food in search of the essential nutrients that they are not being able to receive from their regular diet. This situation sometimes gets on to become a mental obsession, also known as Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, which explains the obsessions of some cats with plastic.

Medical issues

Licking plastic bags may be getting some relief to your cat in cases like oral discomfort, mouth pain, or excessive drooling. They may also be doing so for seeking any dietary needs or as comfort in times of stress.

Dangers of licking plastic for the cats

No matter how much your cat is in love with the plastic bags but you can’t allow this feline behavior to go on. Plastic is a hazardous material for humans and animals alike and here are some of the dangerous things it can do to your cat:

Cause damage to the GI tracts and intestines upon ingestion
Injure the gums and other softer mouth areas
Suffocation and choking upon ingestion of a considerable amount
Chemicals and other substances in the plastic can make them sick
Serious symptoms like lethargy, diarrhea, and weight loss may occur upon regular licking of plastic
The risk of strangulation with the bags is high for kittens and small cats
Death in the worst case

Tips on preventing cats from licking plastic bags

So if you feel worried about why does my cat lick plastic after reading the fatal risks generated by this cat behavior, you must immediately start to stop them from doing so. Here are some tips that can help:

It’s very difficult to block out plastic bags from cat’s reach but you can limit their usage in the house by using alternatives like paper bags, cloth bags, etc.
Store them in locked spaces to make them inaccessible to house cats.
All the discarded plastic stuff must be kept in sealed trash cans.
Ask everyone in the house to be vigilant about cat chewing on plastic.
Try distracting them with interactive toys like crinkling toys. Smudge them with some catnip to make them instantly luring for the cats.
Give them chewable toys or growing kits that can help them relieve stress or boredom.
Most importantly, remember not to punish or use harsh measures for getting the plastic bags away from the cats as they might get estranged or attack you.
Take them to a vet if you see them being obsessive with plastics beyond natural.

Conclusion

We hope that you must have understood why does my cat lick plastic bags now and also analyzed the observance of your cat’s behavior around plastic stuff. Make sure to get to the right reason before you start with separating them from the things they like as their response to that treatment may come out negative.

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Luna Tran

My name is Luna and I am a great cat lover and a cat owner of three lovely cats. I have owned many cats till now and have dedicated many years to nurturing and caring cats. Through this blog, I am here to share my knowledge and experience about cats.