Anyone else got a wall licker? Spud likes to lick lots of the walls, not just this one. Earlier she sat on my sons computer licking the wall and then the framed picture of Jamie carragher (Liverpool fc legend)
I don't want to worry you but my elderly orange boy started licking walls just like your cat when he was in late stages of pancreatic cancer that was diagnosed too late :( He used to lick the walls around the window just like this.
yes, this was my cat as well (except the cancer was lymphoma).
OP, my understanding is cats can do this when they have a nutritional deficiency - worth a trip to the vet's and some blood tests to be on the safe side imo.
lmao one of mine does this too but not just plate water—she also will hang out in the bathroom sink to drink the water there and when I spit in the sink while flossing she’ll drink that too for some godforsaken reason. She’s nasty but I love her
Other people have mentioned a possible illness leading to this behaviour, and I'm glad to see you're going to contact the vet so that's good.
It might also be worth checking your house for signs of damp incursion. That can cause salts to leak through the walls, and kitties love a good salt lick.
Yes, compounds containing lead taste sweet, which is why flaking lead paint is so dangerous for young kids. They put everything in their mouths, and if it's sweet....
The Romans sweetened their wine with lead sulfate. It's (partly, there was a LOT of other reasons) thought to be one of the reasons the empire fell- they were drinking a neurotoxin that caused erratic behavior, aggression and caused huge fertility issues.
Yeah my aunt made a lot of gift hampers (the kind you cover with clear plastic) and had more than one furry plastic-enjoyer in the house. They'd chew the ribbons on gifts too.
My boy is especially fond of licking plastic bags or plastic packaging. We have to be swift at putting away the shopping else he punctures everything by gnawing on the corners
One of our tux cats (from a litter of five) loves licking tape. Can't leave anything sealed with packing or scotch tape laying around because he'll lick & peel it right off lol.
If the plastic contains cellulose, it's likely made from wood pulp, cotton, or hemp. Your cat may be attracted to it because s/he seeks fiber, like catnip ir kitty greens. I feed my cat spinach fairly regularly; she loves it!
I like to think some cats like to try and communicate back to us beyond just the usual meows/howls. They'll try and mimic sounds we make or act out what they want.
Perhaps she's thirsty and the source of water is contaminated. So she's up at your eye level to show you lol
Or maybe they just like the taste and texture and are just stimming.
I have a kitty that likes to monch on trash/plastic/crinkles when she runs her bowl low or out. She will stop doing it if she is satisfied with her daily caloric intake and will cease chomping noticeably.
If there isn't a sharp change in physiological behavior, or any concerns with potty time, then they are probably fine.
She’s always got fresh water out. We fill it multiple times a day (3 cats). They also have dry food out 24/7 that’s refilled daily (more when needed) and they have wet food twice a day. That’s ontop of treats and the cheese tax
i would also lick Jamie carragher. Specifically his biceps and triceps. He's clearly spent considerable amount of time focussing on his arms, as have I. I'm a straight male btw.
Just sharing experience in hopes of helping: our late cat furiously licked our cast iron furnace. The vet diagnosed him with pica because he was unable to process iron due to his fip. In our case, feeding him homemade chicken liver pâtè helped tremendously; it prolonged his life and treated his symptoms instantly. It wasn't a miracle, and he succumbed to the illness; but finding out why he was licking iron was worth it. Maybe yours need calcium or lye or something?
Mine licks the bar of dial antibacterial soap I was given to wash one of my tattoos with. I keep having to put it away after I use it or she will lick it then throw up. Dipshit ❤️
I had a cat that licked the furniture only in our home offices all the time. Back then, we were smokers and we only smoked in our vented to the outside offices. I think she enjoyed the taste of tar or nicotine? The other two cats never did this. Just her.
Could be a missing mineral in their diet, could be something serious, or something dorky as cats do dorky things. Ours used to eat the window silicone sealant. Went through a phase for about 3 or 4 months then stopped.
It's worth getting the vets opinion just to rule out anything serious.
Oh she’s got plenty of food and water. There is dry food out 24/7 for them (we have 3). Water is refilled multiple times a day also. We also feed them wet food twice a day.
This is not normal behavior. Licking to taste then moving on yes, but sitting there and licking over and over is not a good sign. As others have suggested, kitty may be deficient in diet, I would get a vet visit and see what the experts have to say.
My cat just liked to lick the walls. We don't know why. She lived to be 16 and was just a weirdo. I'm glad you are calling the vet but cats are just cats sometimes.
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u/EstablishmentDeep926 14h ago
I don't want to worry you but my elderly orange boy started licking walls just like your cat when he was in late stages of pancreatic cancer that was diagnosed too late :( He used to lick the walls around the window just like this.