Why does my cat chew on used Q-Tips?

[borlis]

I find this really disgusting and she carries them around the house with her. Needless to say, I find bits and pieces of them everywhere. Last month when I had my carpets and furniture cleaned, the man took the cushions off my couch and there were about 10 under the cushion and he looked at me really funny. I just said "My cat likes to carry them around and chew on them." He just nodded his head like "yeah, sure." I felt like a real idiot. Does anyone else have this problem?

[iconoclastic cat]

1. Yes. We have to lock the bathroom door from the outside at night.

Swabs, cosmetic wedges, tampons, toilet paper---you name it, Mooius chews it. I've even had to pull shoelaces out of his throat to keep him from choking. A cure? I'm thinking of possibly having that crayon removed from his frontal lobe...

[barb162]

7. I have pulled ribbon out of my cat's throat, especially when it

is this time of year with all the wrapping.

[borlis]

14. My husband still talks about the

"necklace" his childhood cat, Luke left for his Mom in the litterbox! LOL!

[City Lights]

29. We had a cat (Tabitha) who was addicted to ribbons and bows.

We used to find lovely-colored vomit all over the house. It got to the point where we didn't bother with either. She also loved to lick and bite any pictures we left out. She was a chemical freak. I think she was brain damaged because of it. She was one kooky cat. :crazy: Best jumper I've ever seen though.

[Lex]

2. Does she go into the trashcan and get them out?

My cat will rescue a rubberband at all costs, and will trashcan-dive for them if necessary.

I try to keep them from her since I'm afraid she will choke on one, but since she's 11 years old, so far so good. I feel like I have to sneak around in my own home with rubberbands.

[iconoclastic cat]

4. I wonder if cats can develop some sort of OCD or something?

[Philostopher]

17. Actually, they do.

It's called pica -- humans develop it, too. Some cats chew on Q-tips for the cotton, some for the earwax -- I used to have a cat that would wake me up in the morning by licking inside my ears. Talk about a wake-up call!

It's like the people in the south who eat clay -- either they're looking for a kinetic sensation or a nutritional component that they aren't getting. I have a cat who chews on plastic and licks grocery bags when she's hungry. She also has really thick fur, and has a tendency to get hairballs -- I think most of the stuff like that she eats (she also will eat cellophane, like candy wrappers, and rubber bands) makes her yak, and that she does it because she's feeling a little 'off' in the stomach.

[borlis]

9. Yes, she goes right in the trash can. She also

steals wrapped straws and hides them. Like if I get a drink out somewhere and leave the wrapped straw next to the drink on the counter top, I'll turn around and it's gone. She chews the life out of them. She is also obsessed with carbonated beverages. Every time I leave the house, if I happen to leave a glass filled with Diet Coke or something, when I get home I have a huge mess to clean up.

[Patsy Stone]

13. I own that same model :)

[illflem]

3. Do you let your cat suck on your earlobes?

[borlis]

10. she would if I let her. She tries to lick my lips at night before she

settles down. I don't let her lick my lips either!!

[DianeG5385]

5. Why does my dog eat my hairbrush?

I hide it, too, when we go to starbucks

[barb162]

6. LOL, LOL , LOL

I got 4 cats and they do all kinds of stuff like this.

But let me tell you a good story about my dog I had as a young kid. One night I was so tired of studying I shut the light off and just fell into bed. My head didn't hit the pillow; it hit a giant bone my dog had placed just slightly under the cover so you couldn't see it. I nearly cracked my head open; it was bleeding in back and it hurt like all hell. So what's a few q-tips.

To your cat, it's like hiding dead mice to eat later. What happens if you get the q-tips in a drawer and your cat can't get at them. DOes your cat have any soft little toy balls that she carries around. I think she needs a variety of samll light weight toys.

[gerrilea]

8. Yup...both my cats chew on them...

I thought it was disgusting, especially when they would take them out of the garbage can in the bathroom or tip it over to get to them. I have gotten into the habit of throwing my used Q-tips into the garbage in the kitchen under my sink...they can't get to them there...Good luck...no suggestions...just understanding...I thought they were just crazy...

[borlis]

12. Glad I am not alone.

They sure do funny things.

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

11. My cats loved them

It always cracked me up to see them carrying them around between their teeth like a little white bone. They also loved to play fetch with them.

I think it's the cotton. It's like licking fur, so they try to "groom" the swabs.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

15. Mine do the same thing

I went to the craft store and bought them a bag of pom pom's they don't come apart when my cat's chew on them and they can bat them around the room too. So far it seems to have ended the obsession with Q-Tips.

[borlis]

16. She has those but it's just not the same.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

18. To tell you the truth I'm not 100% sure it's worked on my little demons

I did find some chewed ones under the bed today when I was cleaning. They may have just gotten sneakier.

[barb162]

25. I know one thing, I never want to move my fridge; I suspect there

are 200 tops for gallon milk carton under it. They just keep batting those things around till they end up in a place they can no longer get.

[SmileyBoy]

19. Your cat must really like ear wax.

Next time, instead of feeding him his usual cat food, feed him a nice dish of ear wax.

Aversion therapy.

[borlis]

20. Anyone who has cats knows

that if you put a dish of earwax in front of them they would just turn up their nose and walk away!

[SmileyBoy]

21. I know, I have a cat too.

They think they're to GOOD to eat ear wax.:D

[SarahB]

22. Cats do weird things.

I used to have a spayed female cat who'd hump my shoes. :shrug:

[China_cat]

23. Earwax is really appealing to cats

and dogs.

Ask my sister whose dog chewed up her hearing aid. (Try getting the insurance to cover that one)

[rug]

24. Yes

Except I keep finding blue paperclips under my cushions

[Ramsey]

26. My cat does that too!

He waits in the bathroom in the morning for me to throw them in the trash can then fishes them out, chews them up and carries them all over the house. He also tries to overturn the Q-tip box in the closet. I find them everywhere!

My last cat would eat tulips. Actually, he would decapitate the tulips and leave the heads all over the floor. Only tulips, no other kind of flower.

Cats are weird.

[Danmel]

27. My cat loved Q tips., Dixie Cups, the milk tops ...

He also sucked my earlobes, and played fetch with pom poms from the kid's craft kits. I'd find all sorts of treasures. I miss the little furball- he was my buddy.

[City Lights]

28. Hey sis!

You know how much Tigger loved my ear wax. He took it off a Q-Tip or right out of my ear.

The grossest thing I've ever witnessed was Klondike (Alaskan Malamute) eating a used tampon and then sitting on the couch next to me to let me enjoy his hot breath. :puke: