Eating fabric!?

My older cat, Timine (8 month) has always had a slight tendancy to chew at things. Especially ribbons and cords..stuff like that.
Recently, I found that he was not only chewing, but savagely ravaging and eating holes into my knitted shirts, blankets, etc. I hate for him to do that, because he eats the stuff and I find it in his litter box the day after. He's got a toy for chewing, and when he does, his teeth clash together and makes horrible noises.

Now, I'm more worried about his well being then the holes in my clothes. That I can live with, but I remember someone on this board...I think Hissy, once mentionned something about a cat illness were they eat wool. Now, I checked, of course, and he tends to eat only 100% acrylic fabric. Could it be the same problem?
Does it have something to do with his dentition?
At first I thought maybe he was hungry so I gave him more food?
I don't know what to do, I'm kind of worried....

Pica, ie eating fabrics* - usually wool, is not unusual. And it isnt quite harmless. Sometimes surgery is needed. Luckyly not so often after all.

Yes, this may be his itching in the mouth.


* Observe, I, a foreigner am talking about cats eating fabrics - which I do believe is namned Pica in proper english.

But if Pica is name for a disease - remember I dont know anything about it.

I know this can be dangerous for cats...esp cords, threads etc, as once it gets inside them it can cut through their intestines and even cause death. I`m not sure about "chunks"...????
Our Toby took to pulling off bits of our blankets (The "fuzzy-duck" kind that has foam inside the 2 layers of "fuzz".....I had to buy sheets to sandwich the blankets in, and that seems to have discouraged him. (Also makes the blankets warmer),,,but is a bit of work.
I don`t know what you can do about clothing.....just keep out of his reach I guess....maybe he will outgrow whatever is driving him to do this...hopefully.

Originally Posted by stampit3d

I know this can be dangerous for cats...esp cords, threads etc, as once it gets inside them it can cut through their intestines and even cause death. .

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yes, threads, cords etc ARE dangerous. Beware of loose endings

But to eat fabrics seems not to be alike dangerous. But yes, here are dangers too, essentially the same as for cords.

Well, that's what I do...try to keep everything he takes a fancy to out of reach.
I was just worried, because if it's a symptom of Pica, just making him stop wouldn't help him....

Originally Posted by Lilycurly

I was just worried, because if it's a symptom of Pica, just making him stop wouldn't help him....

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Ah! Dont hang around on words too much. I picked this word from a book on cat behavior, therefore I know cats eating textiles is Pica - proud to know the proper english word (english is NOT my homelanguage).

But if Pica has also other semantic nuances - is beyond my knowledge!

And therefore IM NOT GIVING ANY DIAGNOSE! Im only talking about eating fabrics - and loose threads and cords, because this I know something little about...

Hey all ... Just to clarify, "pica" is an eating disorder where people (typically young children) eat non-nutritious things, such as dirt, rocks, pennies and so forth. It can be symptomatic of autism and is considered a serious eating disorder when it becomes compulsive and the fixation lasts for over a month. Children often put things into their mouths that aren't food, as this is a part of growing up: they learn how things taste, how it feels in their mouth, and so forth. It is not considered abnormal behaviour in children less than two years of age (because at that age, it is impossible for a child to recognise what is and is not food, but after 24 months children begin to learn the difference). Pica is often noticed in pregnant women, as well. The biggest concern regarding pica is that sometimes the non-food items the child craves can be dangerous or just plain dirty, such as paint chips or cigarette butts. I hadn't heard the term "pica" (which means "magpie" in Latin, for your useful tidbit of triva for the day!) applied to cats before, but I don't see why it couldn't be applied. (I'm just more familiar with behavioural problems in humans, as I studied psychology in university.)

I wouldn't worry about it too much, unless your cat is eating things that are bad for him, like the aforementioned cords and paint chips. You might want to see a vet to rule out dental problems, but your cat might be doing it "just because." One of my cats, Oz, likes to chew on cardboard boxes; my other cat, Spike, will eat pretty much any kind of food he can stick his face into (which he's not allowed to do!). Be aware that things like tinsel, garland, hair ties and elastic bands -- all very popular with cats, in my experience -- can be quite dangerous, as they can get caught up in their intestines (also, I believe at one point tinsel/garland contained lead paint, but I could be wrong ...).

Thank you!
Those comments calmed me down a bit...so I'll just try to create a very safe environement for him...wich is a good thing, it'll keep me motivated to put away my clothes instead of letting them lie around in a pile.lol