Cat chewing and gnawing on things still!

Question

Hi, I have a cat who will 2 years old this Summer, so she's not a kitten anymore. What I don't understand is why she will chew and gnaw on things like a dog! My other cat never did this! 
We have decorative banisters that she will chew sometimes (I'm going to have to repaint them this Summer). She likes to get water from the faucet (something my daughter started letting her do that I'm not that happy about!) and she will chew and gnaw on the spout until we turn the faucet on for her.
Right now, she's chewing on a cardboard box playhouse my husband set up for my son. She's chewing on the corners of it. I'm not that concerned about the cardboard box but I'm wondering "Why does she do this?" My other cat doesn't do this, she just kneads stuff with her paws and stuff but doesn't chew on stuff. 
Will my younger cat ever outgrow this? I sometimes think she's part dog!

PrettyKitty1 · Answer

I understand what Savas is saying about them not getting enough nursing. My cat was abandoned. He was a shelter drop off. Someone saw him, felt sorry for the little guy starving on the streets, picked him up and took him to the humane society. So he really didn't socialize in that way. Abby is teaching him, though, how to bite gently. But, the biting 'everything' thing is sometimes an issue. It's like he must bite my clothes and everything else and it's dangerous because he swallows stuff he shouldn't. He has vomitted three times already for eating aquarium plants, plastic stuff etc. He is like a mini garbage disposal!!! I am being extremely careful now that I know he'll bite and swallow anything!! It's like he is anxious or something. But a cat with such previous life...I mean, I couldn't have asked for a more loving kitten. I love him. 

I'm sorry I'm making this about my cats, April. Since you and I share the same issue, I guess I find your thread adequate for me to talk about it. It's something a lot of cat owners struggle with actually. And yes, I know what you're saying, they really don't bite hard at all...it's just they have to bite everything!!

April2 · Answer

Ps. I think she had plenty of time with her mom. We got her from a friend's cat who had a litter and she was the last one. She was already almost 3 months old when we got her.

April2 · Answer

She does gently bite our fingers sometimes but it's so gentle it's almost mouthing. I can tell it's not meant to hurt because obviously she could hurt if she bit hard enough! 

Will she ever outgrow this need to chew or gnaw? I mainly don't like her doing it on our banisters since I'll have to keep touching that up with paint. Besides, I wouldn't think the paint would be good for her. I don't know why she likes it! Maybe because it's wood? Crazy cat! 
She is so funny too. She'll play catch like a dog and will take things off our counters with her mouth and "throw" them down and bat them around! Anything like bottle caps, pencils, even paper! It's no wonder we have things missing around the house all the time!

Savas · Answer

Kitties like humans develop some of their habits from childhood.

Cngrat's you have an orally fixated cat!

These kitties usually didn't get enough nursing time from their mum's and devlop a fixation with chewing as a result. It gives them a sense of emotional security when they have at it and chew away.

My advice is gaurd your fingers carefully. I have one who will nom our fingers when we're sleeping or typing. :->

PrettyKitty1 · Answer

My kitten is the same way. As soon as I brought him home from the shelter I noticed his bad habits. Abby, on the other hand, isn't like this. Dillan really doesn't bite us hard at all. He just bites everything, sheets, wires, bags, hair.....it's crazy!