If your cat has chewed through a phone charger, a shoelace, and the corner of your favorite paperback, you are in good company. Plenty of cat parents end up searching “why does my cat chew on everything” after finding teeth marks in something expensive. The short answer is that chewing is one of the main ways cats investigate the world — their mouths tell them whether something is soft, crunchy, or fun to pull apart. Kittens and curious adults do this constantly, which is why plastic, paper, and cords become targets so often.
Here at Purromp, we are cat people first. This guide comes from our own experience living with cats, published feline behavior research, and the questions we hear from cat owners every day. We also make cat chew toys — we will flag them when they come up, and we held them to the same criteria as everything else here.
Tip : See our guide to cat teething toys for more on what chewing means at different ages.
Why Does Your Cat Chew on Everything? Five Behavior-First Reasons
There is rarely one tidy answer to “why does my cat chew on everything,” and most cats are doing more than one of these at once. In our experience, the fastest way to fix the habit is to figure out which bucket your cat falls into before you buy anything.
Exploration. Cats use their mouths the way we use our hands — to test texture, density, and taste. Kittens and naturally curious cats are the usual suspects, and plastic, paper, and cords top the list because they respond so satisfyingly to teeth.
Teething. Around three to seven months, a kitten's baby teeth loosen and adult teeth come in. The gums get sore and itchy, and chewing offers temporary relief. This stage passes on its own, but it is often when a cat first learns that chewing feels good — and the habit can outlast the discomfort.
Stress and displacement. Big changes — a move, a new pet, a new baby, tension between cats — can push a cat into chewing as a way to release nervous energy. It is the feline version of biting your nails.
Boredom and excess energy. Indoor cats who never get to stalk, climb, or solve a problem will invent their own entertainment. Chewing is self-rewarding: it is right there, it feels good, and nobody stops them.
Oral discomfort. Sometimes the answer is pain. Gingivitis, tooth resorption, stomatitis, or a fractured tooth can make a cat chew repeatedly on one side, or on one particular type of hard object, trying to relieve pressure. The 2025 FelineVMA oral health guidelines note that dental disease is common in cats and that cats are remarkably good at hiding it.
Why Some Chewing Needs a Vet: Pica and Dental Pain
Not all chewing is a behavior problem. When a cat repeatedly swallows things that are not food — plastic, yarn, litter, foam, cords — that is pica, and it deserves a different response than ordinary mouthing.
In one case-control study of privately owned cats, the most commonly reported pica targets were shoelaces and string, followed by plastic, fabric, and rubber. Some cats swallowed the material; others only chewed it (Demontigny-Bédard et al., 2016). The authors drew their data from owner questionnaires, so there is room for reporting bias, and they were explicit that a link between pica and vomiting has not been established as cause and effect — only as an association worth studying further.
A UK birth cohort that followed 534 cats found that owners reported at least one pica-type behavior in about 43% of cats at six months, dropping to roughly 31% by 18 months (Kinsman et al., 2021). Most cats in that study focused on a single material. Chronic pica — reported at all three checkpoints — was associated with moving house between six and twelve months of age, renting rather than owning a home, and not having a dog in the household at two to four months. Those are associations, not causes, and the authors frame their findings as a starting point for more research rather than a set of rules.
Pica can also overlap with anemia, gastrointestinal disease, nutritional gaps, stress, or compulsive behavior. The immediate danger is physical: swallowed string, plastic, or foam can block the intestine, and some materials are toxic. If you think your cat has swallowed something, call your vet rather than waiting for symptoms to appear.
Dental pain looks different. Watch for drooling, bad breath, preferring soft food, dropping food while eating, chewing on one side, flinching when you touch the mouth, or red and bleeding gums. We cannot tell you from a blog post whether your cat's chewing is pain or habit — that takes a hands-on exam, and cats hide oral pain well enough that owners often miss it entirely.
Treat it as urgent if you see repeated vomiting or diarrhea, weight loss, lethargy, or if your cat may have swallowed string, a needle, a battery, or a piece of plastic bag. Those can cause a blockage or serious injury within hours.
How to Redirect Your Cat's Chewing to Safe Alternatives
Start with management, because it works immediately. Run cords through covers or tuck them behind furniture, and keep plastic bags, hair ties, medication, and sewing supplies out of reach. For furniture your cat has already claimed, a bitter spray or a physical barrier buys you time while you work on the underlying habit.
Then give your cat something legal to chew. Silvervine sticks work well as a first try, because they offer a natural, woody texture that cats really have to work at — and many cats respond to silvervine even when catnip does nothing for them. Rotating a few textures, from a firm stick to a plush catnip toy to a durable chew, keeps the novelty alive and makes cords and table legs far less interesting by comparison. Our Cat Chew Toys collection is built around that idea, and the Silvervine Sticks are the simplest starting point if you do not yet know what your cat prefers.
Add hunting-style play. Two or three short wand sessions a day, where your cat gets to stalk, chase, pounce, and finally grab the toy, burn off the energy that would otherwise go into chewing. The full sequence matters — a toy that gets yanked away before the catch leaves most cats more wound up, not less.
Use puzzle feeding to fill the quiet hours. A slow feeder, snuffle mat, or treat-dispensing toy gives the brain something to do and cuts down on aimless chewing, especially for cats home alone during the workday.
Finally, reward what you want. When your cat chews the right thing, praise them or toss a treat right away. Punishment raises stress, and stress is often what drives the chewing in the first place — so never scold, spray, or shake a can at your cat.
What to Look For In Cat Chew Toys
Material safety — Food-grade rubber, silvervine, catnip, sisal, and untreated cotton are all reasonable choices. Skip small detachable parts, thin string, brittle plastic, and anything with a sharp edge.
Right size — Big enough that your cat cannot swallow it whole, small enough to bite and hold comfortably. A ball smaller than your cat's mouth is a choking risk, which is why the larger catnip balls tend to be the safer first purchase for a cat who already mouths everything.
Variety of texture — A mix of firmer chews and softer plush toys covers exploration, teething, and mouth comfort. Cats who only ever get one texture tend to get bored and drift back to the furniture.
Easy to clean and inspect — Washable materials with no chemical smell are worth prioritizing. Check every toy before and after play for cracks, shedding, or loose pieces, and replace anything that is starting to come apart.
Supervised use for anything on a string — Feather wands, ropes, and bells are interactive toys, not solo toys. Note: do not let your cat play unsupervised with string toys — yarn can be swallowed but does not pass easily, and it is one of the most common reasons cats end up needing surgery.
If your cat likes to bite down and hold on, the Silvervine Fishbone Toy gives them a shape that is easy to grip with both paws. If they would rather bat and chase, the Catnip and Silvervine Wobbler Toy rocks back upright and keeps a moving target in play. Neither replaces a wand session, but both give a bored cat a legal outlet during the hours you cannot play. The honest tradeoff with any catnip or silvervine toy is that the scent fades after a few weeks, so plan on refreshing or rotating them.
And if budget is tight, do not overlook the free options. A cardboard box, a paper bag with the handles cut off, and a crumpled ball of plain paper (supervised) absorb a surprising amount of chewing and give you a way to test what your cat actually likes before you spend anything.
Why Does My Cat Chew on Everything? FAQs
Is it normal for my cat to chew on everything?
Some chewing is completely normal. Kittens chew while teething, and adult cats chew to explore new textures or burn off energy. It becomes a concern when your cat repeatedly swallows non-food items, keeps going after cords or plastic no matter what you offer instead, or cannot be redirected to a toy at all. Those patterns point toward pica, dental pain, or stress, and they are worth a conversation with your vet.
How do I stop my cat from chewing cords and furniture?
Remove the opportunity first by covering or hiding cords and blocking furniture edges with a bitter spray or a physical barrier. Then give your cat something better to chew, such as a silvervine stick, a durable chew toy, or a stuffed catnip toy, and add two or three wand sessions a day plus a puzzle feeder. Punishment tends to backfire here, because it raises stress, and stress is often what is driving the chewing.
Do silvervine sticks and catnip toys actually help?
They help by giving your cat a safe, satisfying thing to bite, smell, and bat around, which pulls attention away from cords, plastic, and furniture. Silvervine is worth trying even if catnip has never done anything for your cat, since many cats respond to one and not the other. Choose a size your cat cannot swallow, supervise the first few sessions, and replace anything that is cracked or fraying.
When should I see a vet for chewing?
Book an appointment if your cat swallows non-food items, vomits or has diarrhea repeatedly, strains to poop, drools, has bad breath, drops food while eating, loses weight, seems lethargic, or has bleeding gums. If you suspect your cat has swallowed string, a needle, a battery, or a piece of plastic bag, treat it as an emergency and call your vet or the nearest emergency clinic right away.
Can chewing be a sign of dental pain?
Yes. Tooth resorption, gingivitis, stomatitis, and fractured teeth can all make a cat chew in an attempt to relieve pressure. If your cat is also eating only soft food, chewing on one side, flinching when you touch their mouth, or drooling, ask your vet for an oral exam. Dental disease is common in cats and they hide it well, so it is often found during a checkup rather than at home.
What if my cat chews plastic or fabric?
Plastic and fabric are two of the most commonly reported pica targets, so start by putting both out of reach and offering a substitute chew. Increase play and puzzle feeding to cover the boredom angle, and watch closely to see whether your cat swallows the material or only chews it. If the behavior continues no matter what you change, have your vet check for anemia, gastrointestinal issues, and nutritional gaps.
Conclusion
Chewing on everything can be ordinary kitten exploration, or it can be boredom, stress, dental pain, or pica — and it is worth finding out which one you are dealing with rather than assuming it will pass. Rule out medical causes first, then meet the real need with safe chews, a tidier environment, hunting games, and puzzle feeding. Start with a single chew toy that is too big to swallow, watch for one to two weeks, and keep notes on when the chewing happens most; if nothing changes, or you spot any of the red flags above, that is your cue to call your vet.
Sources
- Demontigny-Bédard, I., Beauchamp, G., Bélanger, M. C., & Frank, D. (2016). Characterization of pica and chewing behaviors in privately owned cats: a case-control study. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 18(8):652-657. link
- Kinsman, R., Casey, R., & Murray, J. (2021). Owner-Reported Pica in Domestic Cats Enrolled onto a Birth Cohort Study. Animals (Basel), 11(4):1101. link
- Lobprise, H., St Denis, K., Anderson, J. G., Hoyer, N., Fiani, N., & Yaroslav, J. (2025). 2025 FelineVMA feline oral health and dental care guidelines. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 27(11):1098612X251398793. link
