Cat licking my couch

[Blombosmom]

For the past year my cat licks my couches.  It leaves a ring which I have to clean.  My cat has developed dry skin which is being treated, but I still have the problem with her licking my couch.  Any suggestions you have would help.

[AnnieBrooke]

Well, I wasn't thinking of putting out a salt lick or anything.  :)  I didn't know that a cat will always go for salt.  I was just thinking of a dab of food with a few extra grains of salt.  But good to know; if it isn't a valid test don't waste your time.

[opus88]

annie maybe onto something that never occurred to me..of the possibility that perhaps some snacking is happening on the couch? If your family is like many this could well be the cause...?

I must add my 2cents in about the salting the food or I wouldn't be able to sleep tonight...cats love salt and your kitty like every other would go to the salted food hands down before the unsalted one....it was a well meaning suggestion however since salt is very dangerous for cats I would strongly urge you to not experiment with that.

[AnnieBrooke]

If people sit on the couch a lot in warm weather and are wearing shorts, it is possible salt from their skin has soaked into it.  You could try this theory by salting a little bit of the cat's canned food, and leaving a little bit unsalted (same salt level as it comes out of the can) and letting the cat taste both and seeing which the cat prefers.  Do people eat snacks sitting on the couch, and could they have spilled?  Moths eat holes in sweaters for the same reason, little tiny food specks from the person eating.

Does the cat have Siamese ancestry?  Siamese are kind of noted for pica, peculiar appetites.  I saw a picture of a  Siamese licking photographic emulsion off a glossy photo one time.

[MYoungAtHeart]

my kitty is addicted to the plastic bags that come from the grocery store.  She loves the taste and the sound of the plastic as she licks them and then she crawls into them and licks the inside of them also.  At night she drags them around like they are babies and mews loudly and sleeps with them underneath her.

She got real sick this spring and almost used up her nine lives and the vets that treated her in the hospital agree that she probably found some aspirin tablets that rolled under a couch or table and ate them.  Because they were not 100 percent sure it was aspirin poisoning I have been keeping her bags that she loves away from her in case there was something in the plastic that I am unaware of.

I am thinking there is something about the fabric of the sofa, either the taste or the feel of it on her tongue that is causing your kittys licking.  I always keep a fresh clean sheet draped over my fabric couch for easier cleaning.  Instead of scrubbing fabric couch cushions or backs, I just take the full size sheet off and pop it into the washer once or twice a week.

I hope there are more members like Opus88 who might have a few insights into this brand of cat behavior....

M

[opus88]

what type of material is your couch? leather or cloth? not that it really matters that much, there is something in the fabric makeup or what type of cleaner you are using that he likes the taste of...and whatever that is it 'can't' be good for him. can you cover it at least temporarily with a blanket or plastic just to get him out of the habit...just a thought.

and what are you using to treat his dry skin issues? Omega3 fatty acids added to his diet are the best to use....or even a bit of salmon oil from the tinned salmon, don't advise using tuna tho...to high in mercury.

also is you are feeding dry kibble, thats very dehydrating....try feeding canned food and preferably one without grains...dry skin can be a sign of an allergy to the grains in dry kibble, and can lead to patches of hair loss and sores...good luck