Some cats eat things that are not food — wool, plastic bags, cables, cardboard, litter, houseplants, hair ties. The behaviour is called pica, and it ranges from mildly annoying to genuinely life-threatening.
The danger is not the chewing. It is what happens when swallowed material reaches the intestine.
The risk that makes this urgent
Swallowed non-food material can cause an intestinal obstruction, which is a surgical emergency.
String, ribbon, hair ties and tinsel are the worst, because a linear foreign body anchors at one end and the intestine bunches along it, which can saw through the bowel wall.
- Repeated vomiting, especially unproductive retching.
- Not eating.
- Lethargy or hiding.
- Abdominal pain, or a tense abdomen.
- Straining with no or little faeces produced.
- Any known ingestion of string or thread.
Never pull at string protruding from the mouth or anus. If it is anchored internally, pulling causes serious damage. Go to a vet.
Our guides to why a cat is vomiting and emergency vet care in Fresno cover the presentation and where to go.
What cats commonly target
| Material | Why it attracts | Risk level |
|---|---|---|
| String, ribbon, hair ties, tinsel | Movement, texture | Highest — linear foreign body |
| Wool and fabric | Texture, suckling behaviour | High if swallowed |
| Plastic bags | Texture, sound, food residue | High |
| Electrical cables | Texture, chewing outlet | High — also electrical burns |
| Cardboard and paper | Texture | Lower, but still ingestible |
| Litter | Varies — sometimes medical | Moderate; clumping litter worse |
| Houseplants | Natural chewing behaviour | Depends entirely on the plant |
Plastic bags deserve specific mention: some are made with animal-derived slip agents, which is thought to be part of why so many cats target them.
Our guide to cat-safe and toxic plants covers the plant risk, which varies from harmless to fatal.
Rule out medical causes
Pica is sometimes behavioural and sometimes a symptom. This step comes first.
- Anaemia — cats with low red cell counts sometimes eat litter or unusual materials.
- Dietary deficiency — uncommon on a complete diet, but worth excluding.
- Hyperthyroidism — increased appetite and altered behaviour.
- Digestive disease — including inflammatory bowel disease.
- Parasites — particularly in kittens.
- Dental pain — occasionally drives odd oral behaviour.
Litter eating in particular should always prompt a blood test. It is a recognised sign of anaemia and is worth taking seriously rather than treating as a habit.
The American Association of Feline Practitioners publishes guidance on feline behavioural and environmental needs.
The behavioural causes
Once medical causes are excluded, the usual drivers are these.
- Early weaning. Cats separated from their mother too young frequently suckle and chew fabric into adulthood.
- Boredom. Indoor cats with little to do chew significantly more.
- Stress and anxiety. Chewing can be self-soothing.
- Attention. If chewing a cable reliably brings you running, it has been reinforced.
- Breed predisposition. Oriental breeds are over-represented in wool sucking.
The early weaning link is why this behaviour is more common in hand-raised and orphaned cats. Our guide to caring for newborn kittens covers why the mother matters beyond nutrition.
Managing it: environment first
Because the consequences can be surgical, prevention takes priority over training.
- Remove string, ribbon, hair ties, dental floss and tinsel entirely from accessible areas.
- Store plastic bags in a closed cupboard.
- Use cable tidies, conduit or bitter-tasting cable covers.
- Put target fabrics away rather than leaving them out.
- Move or remove houseplants the cat targets.
- Supervise where you cannot remove.
This is one of the situations where restricting a cat’s access to a room while unsupervised is a reasonable measure rather than an overreaction.
Our checklist for cat-proofing your home covers the wider hazard audit.
Providing acceptable outlets
Removing everything without offering an alternative frequently just shifts the target.
Cat grass gives a safe chewing outlet and satisfies much of the urge. Sturdy chew toys and cardboard designed for the purpose help too.
Increase foraging and play. A cat with a puzzle feeder and two daily play sessions has less time and less motivation for chewing furniture.
Our guide to playing with your cat covers the enrichment side, and the Ohio State Indoor Pet Initiative covers indoor environmental needs.
If stress is the driver
Where chewing appears alongside other anxiety signs — over-grooming, hiding, house-soiling — treat the anxiety rather than only the chewing.
Common triggers are a new pet, a house move, building work, household conflict or a cat visible outside.
Our guides to separation anxiety in cats and conflict between household cats cover the two commonest.
When to involve a vet again
Beyond the initial work-up, go back if the behaviour is escalating, if the cat is targeting genuinely dangerous materials, or if environmental management is not holding.
Anti-anxiety medication is appropriate in some cases alongside behavioural work, and a referral to a veterinary behaviourist is worth asking about for entrenched pica.
Given the obstruction risk, persistent pica is one of the behaviour problems where escalating to professional help earlier is justified rather than cautious.
Our guide to choosing a vet covers finding a practice that will engage with behavioural questions properly.
Making the house safer while you work on it
Behaviour and medical work take weeks. Reducing what the cat can reach takes an afternoon and is what prevents an emergency in the meantime.
- Store all wool, string, elastic and hair ties in closed containers.
- Move houseplants out of reach, and check which ones are toxic.
- Tape down or box in cables the cat has shown interest in.
- Keep plastic bags and food wrappers out of accessible bins.
- Supervise anything the cat chews rather than leaving it available.
- Do a floor-level sweep of each room — you find things standing up that you miss sitting down.
Linear foreign bodies — thread, tinsel, elastic — are the dangerous category, because they saw through the intestine rather than passing. Any suspicion a cat has swallowed one is an immediate veterinary matter, not a wait-and-see.
Our guide to cat first aid basics covers what to do and what not to do while you get there.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is pica in cats?
Eating non-food materials — wool, plastic, cables, cardboard, litter or houseplants. It ranges from mildly annoying to life-threatening, because swallowed material can cause intestinal obstruction.
Why is string particularly dangerous?
Because a linear foreign body anchors at one end and the intestine bunches along it, which can saw through the bowel wall. Never pull at string protruding from the mouth or anus — go to a vet.
My cat eats litter — is that a problem?
It always warrants a blood test. Litter eating is a recognised sign of anaemia in cats and should be investigated rather than treated as a habit.
Why does my cat chew wool and fabric?
Frequently linked to early weaning — cats separated from their mother too young often suckle and chew fabric into adulthood. Boredom, stress and breed predisposition also contribute.
How do I stop my cat chewing cables?
Environment first, because the consequences can be surgical. Use cable tidies, conduit or bitter-tasting covers, restrict unsupervised access, and provide acceptable alternatives such as cat grass.
When should pica prompt another vet visit?
If it escalates, if the cat targets genuinely dangerous materials, or if environmental management is not holding. Given the obstruction risk, escalating early is justified rather than cautious.