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Why does my cat chew tape and paper? Is it safe if he eats it?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Male | neutered | 1 year and 3 months old | 11 lbs

Why does my young cat like scotch tape, paper, etc so much? This isn’t a new development. Ever since I got him at 3 months old. He has small mouse toys and we play together. Should I be concerned with him eating these things?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Eryn Taormina, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on November 8th, 2018

Hi there! Sammy sounds like such a fun and frisky kitty cat.
I am not really sure why cats like things like paper or scotch tape so much, but assume it's because of the crinkly sounds that they make when they play with those types of objects.
As with all foreign material though, cats really shouldn't be actually ingesting the tape or paper. They could definitely cause some stomach upset. Even pieces of toys, if swallowed, can get caught on the way through the gastrointestinal tract and cause lots of serious problems. I have even seen a cat have several ponytail hair-ties removed from its tummy after swallowing them!
It sounds like you two play together a lot, which is great, so if Sammy has a tendency to chew his toys and other things into pieces and potentially eat them, I would keep everything out of reach unless you are home and can supervise.
Other than that, he honestly just sounds like he is being a normal, silly cat.
I hope you find this answer helpful! Best of luck!

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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