Unlike dogs, cats do not deliberately swallow items to carry them between locations, and they are also less inclined to steal and retain objects as a means of gaining attention. The risk this presents depends upon the type of material being swallowed. The behaviour is usually restricted to chewing or mouthing the material, but in some cases can involve ingestion. Cats may also start to suck and chew leather, cardboard and other items.
Wool is often the first target with progression from that to cotton and and other fabrics over time. Usually the cats show a specific preference for a material but this may generalise or change over time especially if the owner attempts to stop the cat from sucking or chewing the items that it currently favours. If the behaviour persists beyond the age of 6 months, then it may be considered abnormal. The precise reason for this delay in weaning from oral suckling behaviour is not understood but such juvenile behaviour is not considered to be compulsive and does not necessarily lead onto adult 'compulsion'. Cats usually stop ‘wool-sucking’ before the age of 6 months. Typically the cat sucks on and chews the owner’s clothes whilst being held. Some reports indicate that chewing or sucking of woolly items is most common in early-weaned oriental breed cats, that continue to display suckling behaviour but transfer it to clothing and bedding.
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