# Cat chewing paper...PICA? Needs fiber?



## koobe (Nov 8, 2009)

My cat Panther (the one on the right) likes to chew paper. He will chew corners of paper. Of course he loves paper towel and toilet paper.

I read online that when cats are chewing inedible objects, it is called PICA. And when they are chewing paper, they might be lacking fiber.

I have seen others saying cat should have 5% of veggies in their raw diet, because in the wild, they get the fiber in the stomach of the prey they catch.

I am not doing that now, I am wondering how many of us on the forum is actually adding veggies.

And Cheetah especially like chewing cords, does that mean he is lacking something in his diet ? (I do not think he is lacking rubber/plastic)


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Not PICA. My cats love chewing paper, mostly cardboard. They don't necessarily chew it to eat it, they just like to chew it. And cords. Gigi chews plastic, but I have to keep it away from her because I think she would swallow it.

For cords, you can get wraps for them at places like Home Depot, or spray them with Bitter Apple. One taste and my girls stopped.


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## Kobster (Feb 1, 2007)

My cats do it just to annoy me! Just kidding, but I have handed in several papers with the kitties "input" on the edges. I think they just do it because its fun. My Sully is big cardboard chewer and will reduce a box to little bits in an afternoon. He never eats it. I think a better judge of whether or not your cat needs anything added to his diet is his over all appearance and health, size and consistency of his stools, things like that. 

If it ain't broke, don't fix it!


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## Auntie Crazy (Dec 10, 2006)

koobe said:


> ...I have seen others saying cat should have 5% of veggies in their raw diet, because in the wild, they get the fiber in the stomach of the prey they catch....


Hi, Koobe!

I think you know in your heart your kitties don't need any veggies added to their diets. ;-)

Cats have no need of and can't properly digest anything that isn't animal-based. Proponents of the "in the wild, they get their 'fiber needs' met through eating the stomach contents of their prey" don't realize that first, cats prefer NOT to eat stomach contents and, unless they're starving, won't eat them, and second, everything in the stomach has been PRE-digested by animals very suited to processing grains, fruits and veggies. 

But back to the paper chewing - I've got three who LOVE paper in all it's various forms and another who totally grooves on chewing plastic bags. Silly kitties. *heart*


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## koobe (Nov 8, 2009)

Dear All, 

Thank you for your inputs. Panther is doing great, active, running, heavy, soft coat and hard poos. So I guess he is doing great. He just annoys me when he is pulling out bank statements and starts chewing.

I figured it is best to ask.


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## furryfriends251 (Jan 1, 2009)

Blizzard loves to chew (and sometimes eat!) plastic gloves. They now are kept out of his reach - in a bag hung from the ceiling of the barn!


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## tanyuh (Jun 7, 2003)

My cat Sigma also chews on cords, mostly when he's hungry and is purposefully being annoying; he's ruined at least four sets of headphones, one within 18 hours of purchasing them. We moved into a new house and it's perfect for keeping the cats upstairs overnight, away from the cables - he can't be trusted  I'd love to try Bitter Apple, but I haven't had any success finding it in Europe.

A cat I used to have called Psi (he lives with my ex now, /sniffle) would chew (and subsquently spit out) cardboard boxes as well. Silly kitties!


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## razzle (May 20, 2010)

Geets will chew up paper if I don't get up and feed him around 5 or 6 am. So I have to make sure there is no paper in my bedroom he can get into. He has also gotten into my bookcase and ripped up books. Bad kitty. So I had to put plastic over the bookcase.

Kathy


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## Auntie Crazy (Dec 10, 2006)

By the way, Koobe - that's a beautiful siggy you've got!! Your cats are gorgeous.


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