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Is your cat beyond the kitten years and still chewing cardboard? Perhaps he has irritated gums and rubbing them against cardboard feels good. Anyone who has or has spent time around a teething human knows the value of those rubber teething rings. Kittens have baby teeth just like human babies and it may feel good to them to chew on something with a little “give” as the adult teeth erupt. It is possible that our domesticated pets are seeking to indulge this natural behavior by ripping or shredding paper and cardboard.Ĭardboard and Paper Shredding Could be Related to Teething or Health Concerns In order to ingest prey they have just killed, they may have to break their meal into bite-sized pieces by ripping or shredding it. Wild cats do not have access to steak knives.

While there are no scientific studies to explain cats’ penchant for chewing, shredding, or even eating paper and cardboard, there are some good theories that might explain this behavior.Ĭardboard and Paper Shredding May be Predatory Behavior Let’s see if her daughter’s teacher buys that excuse. One bulletin board contributor complained that her cat was biting her daughter’s homework. One poster mentioned her cat’s proclivity for chewing diaper boxes, another loves paper towels, and yet another prefers paperback books. “Why do cats eat paper and cardboard?” is a common thread topic on cat forums, and the questions and comments posters submit range from “Why do cats love to tear apart paper?” and “Does anyone else’s cat like to munch Kleenex tissue and toilet paper?” to “Cat licking paper, boxes, etc.” and “Cat chewing paper…Pica? Needs fiber?”ĭig deeper into the forums and you’ll find that some cats are connoisseurs of particular varieties of cardboard and paper. Get enough cats in a room with some paper or cardboard and somebody is bound to start munching away.Ĭats eating cardboard is a common problem If you have a question about the weird and wild animal world, tweet me, leave me a note or photo in the comments below, or find me on Facebook.Look closely at this picture of S’mores. Weird Animal Question of the Week answers your questions every Saturday.

Nod tiredly if you’ve ever had a cat jump on you at 4 a.m. Zoomies you control will minimize the zoomies you don’t. Getting the cat to play with store-bought or DIY toys, with you or on his own, will help. Those bursts come randomly if they don’t get enough physical activity. The natural pattern of cats, big and small, is to “sleep or nap and then have sudden bursts of activity. The zoomies are also a sign that a cat isn’t getting enough aerobic exercise, Dodman explains. Likewise cats that lived outdoors as kittens likely feel claustrophobic as adult indoor cats, another reason for the erratic behavior, says Dodman. (Related: " Ask Your Weird Animal Questions: The Truth About Your Cats.") "It's frustrating I love him and I want what is best for him, but I'm not sure what to do anymore," Davis tells us.įor one, understanding their background helps: Kittens that grow up without their mothers, as Davis's cat may have, often behave abnormally, Bradshaw says. Now, at two years old, he has what's sometimes called the “zoomies,” randomly darting around the house and meowing constantly, often while sitting by the door. Katelynn Davis’s foundling cat, rescued from behind a restaurant, used to sleep on her shoulder. The pets sometimes “will try to shift the with their teeth,” which can leave bald patches. Long-haired cats often get mats from their winter coats, which can get itchy come spring, adds John Bradshaw of the U.K.'s University of Bristol and author of The Trainable Cat. (Related: " What Do Cats Think About Us? You May Be Surprised.") The best course of action is to take the animal to the vet to get checked out, he suggests. Some cats do engage in stress-induced hair-pulling, but the seasonal nature of this cat's behavior suggests an allergy, Dodman says.

"I've mentioned this to other people, and most say this is very unusual. The fur then grows back short and smooth, getting longer in winter. Instead, the feline tends to pull his fur out with his teeth in spring, sometimes leaving bare patches. Laura’s orange tabby grows a two-inch-long winter coat but doesn’t shed. (See National Geographic readers' pictures of cats.) Cat Mats It’s not dangerous-unless the cat is ingesting the plastic, which can lead to intestinal blockages. Licking plastic bags is a "texture-specific eating disorder,” meaning the cats just like that texture, he adds. WATCH: An energetic cat named Jesperpus hits the trails with his two-legged friend Aina Stormo in Norway.