Question for cat owners/cat people

[Chanel_no5]

Hello, my fellow cat people! I know there are plenty of you here.  

I've noticed something that my cats do frequently, and I was just wondering if anyone else's cats do it too. 

They're crazy about licking plastic bags and stuff. They don't chew or eat it, they just lick at it, with a blissful and quite ridiculous look on their faces. And they also love to lie on top of (not inside) plastic bags, as well as everything that makes a rustling sound. I was putting some gift bags together and used cellophane, and I had to give a piece of it to my cats so they would leave me alone. The male cat brought it with him to his bed and lay on top of it, purring like crazy, a whole afternoon.   

WHY would they do this??? Anyone have a clue??

Just in case anyone's concerned, I keep check and they never try to eat it, and I always tie plastic bags into knots to make sure they can't get inside and suffocate. But since they really seem to enjoy this weird little habit, and it doesn't seem to affect them in any bad way, I don't want to take it away from them altogether. But I am curious about what it is that's so satisfying about licking plastic bags and sleeping on top of cellophane, and if this is a common occurence among felines.   Or if it's a sign of a deficiency, but I have a hard time believing there's something of that kind in plastic...?

They might just be weirdos. They do live with me, after all.  

 

[MeForever]

My cat for some reason loves to cuddle shoes, and indeed, lick plastic bags. I have NO clue either why they do it.

[Chanel_no5]

Ah, yes, the good old shoe cuddling. I get it if they play with shoelaces, but what's the deal with the entire shoe? One of my cats was crazy about heels for several years, she stole all the high heeled shoes and boots she could find and put them in the bathtub (??). She later stopped, and I never figured out what was so facinating with those.  

 

[JolliLolli]

My cat may like plastic bags, he may not. I don't think I've ever presented him with one. He does, however, have an obsession with biting and trying to eat my headphone wires. 

[MysteryGirl]

My kitten, Ember, loves plastic bags, but that's mostly because his wet food "magically appears" out of them 

He too enjoys simply sitting on them, after I take a trip to the store and one is just lying around, he immediately flops on it! 

[SneezyHolmes]

Both of my girls loved bags! I think it's just a sign of contentment when they lick things/curiosity.  My first cat loved the plastic rings off of milk jugs! She went crazy for those dang things! 

[Anonymouse]

I read somewhere that there's a chemical in the plastic that attracts them. I used to find my cat nibbling at plastic bags all the time so I googled because wtf.

[MaiMai]

All three of my family's cats love plastic bags, mostly to sit on! I haven't seen them lick them before, but when they find something really soft like a fuzzy blanket or pillow, they usually lick that. So I think it might be to do with contentment, like others have said? Cats are the best, man.

[FadedRose]

My cats love shoes, oml. We can’t keep them out because 3 of my 4 cats will roll over on top of them and rub up against them. Also, one of my cats really likes licking phones and tv remotes. Not sure why.. 

But yes, plastic bags too! My cat loves getting in them and laying on top of them. She goes crazy whenever she sees one! She doesn’t really lick it, she just likes to play in it.

[Chanel_no5]

Hmm, interesting with the chemical thing. I hadn't heard about that before. It doesn't seem to go for all types of plastic though, as they totally ignore some kinds. 

Cats are the best! But they can be SO weird sometimes!! 

Thanks everyone! At least now I know mine aren't the only freaky felines with a plastic fetish.  

 

[Sitruuna]

My cats (especially one of them, the others not as much) love plastic as well. And yes, they don't eat it either, just lick. My aunt had a cat who would eat it though and someone who's supposed to know this stuff suggested it has to do with oil and the cat did, indeed, stop eating plastic when my aunt started giving her canola oil. 

[Chanel_no5]

Oh, that's interesting! I'll get them some and see if it's something they want. Thank you!

 

[NoV]

One of my cats will lick any piece of dust off the floor. Can't do her any good, but can't seem to stop her! The best little vacuum cleaner I have ever owned. 

[Chanel_no5]

On ‎2018‎-‎05‎-‎03 at 8:11 PM, NoV said:

One of my cats will lick any piece of dust off the floor. Can't do her any good, but can't seem to stop her! The best little vacuum cleaner I have ever owned. 

Haha, oh nooo!! Maybe she heard the term "dustbunny" and thinks she's chasing bunnies?   

One of mine deliberately sniffs dust and makes herself sneeze sometimes. It's really weird. I mean, well, you know.  I swear I haven't taught her to do that, and she has never seen me do it either! I don't know why she thinks it's so entertaining. Possibly because it annoys me shitless.  

 

[Garnet]

As others have said, sometimes it's a vitamin or diet deficiency. Sometimes it's that they like the sound and texture because it's so easy to manipulate. Sometimes the bags have food residue or scents. Sometimes cats are just friggin' weird (this is my theory).

But! It's definitely at least somewhat common. Enough so that this post came up on my tumblr dash just now, so I'll leave it riiiight here: