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Why does my cat chew on plastic?

3 min read Updated on October 8, 2026

In shortA cat chews plastic mostly because it often holds a food smell, because its texture and crinkle are fun, or because he is bored. In kittens, teething, between about 3 and 6 months, adds an urge to chew. Licking a bag carries little risk. The danger is swallowing: a piece of plastic, a hair tie or a ribbon can block the intestine, and a chewed cord can electrocute him. If an adult cat suddenly starts, consider a medical cause too.

What it often means

  • A food smell: grocery bags and meat or kibble packaging keep traces he licks, then nibbles.
  • The pleasure of chewing: a texture that resists, a crinkly sound. For an indoor hunter with nothing to hunt, it is an easy game.
  • Teething in kittens, around 3 to 6 months: he chews whatever he finds, cords included. It often fades once the adult teeth are in.
  • Boredom or stress: a cat alone all day, with no play or hiding spots, falls back on whatever is lying around. Repetition can turn compulsive.
  • More rarely, a medical cause: abnormal hunger (thyroid disease, diabetes), anemia or a digestive problem can push a cat to chew or swallow non-food items, which is called pica.

Signals to read at the same time

  • Licking, chewing or swallowing: a bag that is only licked is about smell; if pieces are missing, he may have swallowed some, and the risk becomes real.
  • What he targets: bags, plastic wrap, cords, hair ties, ribbons, string. Each target needs its own fix.
  • His age: a teething kitten, or an adult who suddenly starts. The second case deserves more attention.
  • The timing: before meals (hunger), when he is alone (boredom), at night, or after a change at home.
  • Related signs: vomiting, appetite, stool, breath, red gums, drooling. A cat who chews and loses weight must be seen.

What you can do

  • Keep bags in a closed cabinet and never leave a bag with handles within reach: he can get his head caught and panic.
  • Protect or hide cords: rigid cord covers, furniture in front, chargers unplugged when you leave. A chewed cord can burn his mouth or electrocute him.
  • Pick up hair ties, ribbons, kitchen twine and small plastic toys: they are classic foreign bodies in cats.
  • Give him things he is allowed to chew: chew toys made for cats, cat grass, and two short hunting-style play sessions a day.
  • Interrupt calmly by offering something else, without yelling or spraying water: otherwise he will chew in secret, when you are not around.

When to see a vet

See your vet as soon as he has swallowed a piece of plastic, a hair tie or a ribbon, even if he seems fine, and go urgently if he vomits, retches, stops eating, stops passing stool or has a tender belly: a foreign body can block the intestine. If a ribbon hangs from his mouth or anus, do not pull. An adult who suddenly takes to plastic also needs a checkup: abnormal hunger, anemia, digestive trouble.

Frequently asked questions

He licks plastic bags. Is that dangerous?

Licking alone carries little risk: he is tasting a food or fat smell. The danger comes from torn-off pieces and from the bag itself, where he can get his head stuck. Put bags away, and throw out the ones that held meat or fish where he cannot reach them.

My kitten bites every cord. Will it pass?

Often, yes, once his adult teeth are in, around 6 to 7 months. Until then the risk is real: mouth burns or electric shock. Protect the cords, unplug what is lying around, and offer him a chew toy every time he heads for a wire.

Do some breeds do it more?

A 1997 study showed that sucking or eating wool and fabric is more common in Oriental breeds such as the Siamese and the Burmese. For plastic, solid data are lacking, and boredom and access to objects remain the first things you can act on.

Is something missing from his diet?

It is rarely the cause in a cat fed a complete diet. An unbalanced homemade ration or meals spaced too far apart can push him to search, though. And growing hunger, with or without weight loss, needs a vet check.

Sources

The studies this page relies on, with a link to the original publication.

  1. Bradshaw et al. (1997). Factors affecting pica in the domestic cat. Applied Animal Behaviour Science.Sucking or eating wool and fabric is more common in Oriental breeds such as the Siamese and the Burmese.

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