# Kitty incessantly licking a blanket



## CJinCA (Dec 5, 2011)

we had an episode some time back of Lickorish pulling the 'fur' out of a faux fur throw and swallowing it (maybe she couldn't get it off her tongue). We've taken that away, but now she's moved on to something else...

Last winter I got them an electric pet blanket. Its kind of a velour / faux suede fabric. They didn't use it much. When it got warm, I put it aside in the bedroom next to the window, on top of a chest. I also put a pillow on the chest so kitties can sit there and look out the window. Now I keep finding Lickorish sitting on the pillow licking that blanket, the same way she grooms herself or Squeek! I don't think we ever put food on it, nor was anything spilled on it. Why does she do these things????

oh, by the way, it is NOT plugged in. It is folded up just sitting there next to the pillow.


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## scottd (Jun 28, 2011)

One of our chihuahuas licks everything and anything. I mean everything from toes to the carpet. I just try to make sure it doesn't lick anything bad.


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## catloverami (Jul 5, 2010)

Some cats get a fixation on anything soft and plushy and want to tread on it and lick it...it's somewhat of an infantile behavior but it does act as a stress reliever and they like to do it. If you don't want Lickorish licking the blanket you'll have to remove it. At least she's just _licking _it. I had a cat once that would stand on anything material, sink her teeth in it and pull. I still have the old towels with holes she made in them I used to cover upholstered diningroom chairs. They make good rags for mopping up spills. My girl started this behavior about 4 yrs. of age and did it until she was 17 yrs. No amount of scolding discouraged her from this pulling.


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## CJinCA (Dec 5, 2011)

I don't mind that she's licking it, as long as its not going to hurt her. At least it isn't long 'fur' or string that could cause an intestinal problem. Just don't understand why she's doing it. She didn't do it when I had it on the floor during last winter.


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## catloverami (Jul 5, 2010)

Sometime a behavior like this starts out as a stress reliever.So has anything changed in your home prior to her behavior that you can think of, such as....moved the furniture, new addition to family whether human/animal, difference in amount of visitors, moved to a new home/apt., change in your routine, new job with different hours. Once a cat starts doing this licking it can become a habit and then an obsesssion. It's not likely to do her harm if she isn't digesting fibres.


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