Question:
O.K. so my 9 mo. old likes to chew on things. He also loves to play fetch. He seems to think he's a dog (perhaps from being lost in the dog kennel at the pound for a couple of days when he was a baby!!). He especially likes rubber or plastic and the corners of wooden furniture. I've just heard about PICA for the first time on this site but it seems people keep talking about wool. What does PICA stand for and does it apply to all chewing?
It isn't really a problem for me I've just had to kitten proof the heck out of my house. Things I'd never even thought of with other cats! It took me while to figure out that I WASN'T losing all my cotton stretchy hair things! Very scary. Many nights of watching to make sure he wasn't blocked. Basically he loves to eat anything that's been in my hair too.
Anyway my question is this. Can anyone think of a good chew toy that I could give him? I've already tried a variety of dog toys(raw hide etc.) but he's not interested. I need some creative ideas. I hate taking stuff away from him 'cause he's having so much fun. If only he wouldn't EAT everything!
Answer:
If it isn't a problem for you, I don't think it's pica. Pica is an obsessive-compulsive behavior disorder where the cat is obsessed with eating all kinds of non-food items, but most of all fabrics. It's an extreme form of what is sometimes called "wool-sucking". Lots of cats are chewers, but they don't have pica. If you can deal with it by cat-proofing, that's good enough. Keep those scrunchies in a drawer!! And at nine months your cat is young and may grow out of it.
http://www.vmth.ucdavis.edu/home/beh/feline_behavior/pica.html
I have one cat who's a chewer, and I got a couple of cat chew toys (yes they do make chew toys for cats!!) and she completely ignores them.

Answer:
Thanks Tim for the PICA info. First I've heard of it. I didn't think he had it but he does chew more than any other kitten I've ever had. And yes, once I realized where the scrunchies were going I locked them all up. Now if I so much as step towards that drawer he comes flying in. Doesn't matter what he was doing. I'm sure he willgrow out of it but in the meantime I was trying to figure out a good sturdy, safe toy that he'd be interested in. I know, I'm asking WAY TOO much!! I may try the cat chew toys although my bet is he'll have the same reaction yours did. Ha ha.
Answer:
I buy Sammy alot of those feather stringy things that hang from a pole... you can get them for cheap at PetSmart, PetCo... or any petstore.
What I do is buy the entire pole with feathery thing, then I cut off the pole, LOL!! It's cheaper to buy the pole with the feathery thing, than it is to buy the feathery thing as a replacement, LOL!!
He also likes toys with legs and toys that have a bell. I also cut out my soda boxes so he can run through them, even if he doesn't fit in all of them, he he.
I have lots of balls with bells inside which he plays with alot!!!
Sammy chews the heck out of some toys, but luckily he has left the furniture alone. However, he is 1.5yo, well past the kitten stage technically I guess... but he sure still acts like one. I've only had him a month, got him from the shelter, and he is just about the sweetest cat there is
Good luck... just keep trying new toys, eventually you'll the find the one that your kitty likes
I never knew such love of animals until I got Jazzy, and now Sampson... what beautiful creatures we share this planet with