# Why do cats do this? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 7, 2003, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-cats-do-this/193516 "2003-08-07T04:05:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2003, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-cats-do-this/193516/21 "2003-08-08T03:02:14Z")
I feel so much less cheap. [I love that sentence.] My cat climbs into paper bags and cardboard boxes, and eats menthol cigarettes. She has no interest in non-menthol. ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2003, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-cats-do-this/193516/22 "2003-08-08T03:09:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by j66 \* > \*\*I feel so much less cheap. [I love that sentence.] > > My cat climbs into paper bags and cardboard boxes, and eats menthol cigarettes. She has no interest in non-menthol. \*\* You should be careful with those cigarettes. A few ingested cigarettes is probably enough to kill an animal the size of a cat. Nicotine is poison. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2003, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-cats-do-this/193516/23 "2003-08-08T03:37:16Z")
Like any smoker is going to let the cat eat enough of the cigarettes. Actually, she never ate enough to make herself sick; I only noticed because I kept finding cigarettes with tiny little fangs marks in them. She’d even get them out of the pack some how. To re-assure you, though, I have switched to non menthol in boxes. But now I wonder, is the plastic bag bad for the cat? ---
**Author:** ![Sock\_Munkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Sock\_Munkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sock_Munkey)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2003, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-cats-do-this/193516/24 "2003-08-08T05:39:47Z")
I can just see the cat telling his buddies about the cigs. “Hey guys I found this stuff that is so way better than that catnip crap they push on us!” ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2003, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-cats-do-this/193516/25 "2003-08-08T06:34:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sock Munkey \* > \*\*I can just see the cat telling his buddies about the cigs. > “Hey guys I found this stuff that is so way better than that catnip crap they push on us!” \*\* Those weren’t the _tobacco_ cigarettes! ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2003, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-cats-do-this/193516/26 "2003-08-08T06:40:48Z")
> [@](#): > > Hmmm… my sisters loves to eat green olives and chew on the strings of lights on the Christmas tree. Haha. _Damn_- for a minute I thought you were talking about your sisters, not your sister’s cat. This is why apostrophes are important. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-cats-do-this/193516/27 "2003-08-09T01:56:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by voltaire \* > \*\*Those weren’t the _tobacco_ cigarettes! \*\* Don’t be silly; the dogs go after those. ---
**Author:** ![bizzwire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/958977/32.png) [@bizzwire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bizzwire)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-cats-do-this/193516/28 "2003-08-09T05:02:41Z")
Ok, then…riddle me this: why does my cat have a fetish for \*peeing \*on plastic bags? In fact any large-ish sheet of smooth plastic will do- the bottom of my gym bag, the cover to one of those large plastic storag bins. and of course, our counter top. Anyone want a cat? ---
**Author:** ![Azi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Azi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Azi)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-cats-do-this/193516/29 "2003-08-09T05:30:44Z")
You people have strange cats. Mine just likes to bat the bags around… not lick them or pee on them. Your quoting of “plastic” made me wonder, though… maybe it’s just your local grocer’s bags? ---
**Author:** ![lireth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b487fb/32.png) [@lireth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lireth)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-cats-do-this/193516/30 "2003-08-09T05:49:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Marley23 \* > \*\*Haha. _Damn_- for a minute I thought you were talking about your sisters, not your sister’s cat. This is why apostrophes are important. 🙂 \*\* Yeah, I saw that as soon as I sent it. I clicked on the edit button but it just says "You do not have permission to access this page. " See, I wanted to fix it 🙂 Seriously though. This cat gets up on the window sill behind the tree and bites the bulbs. I guess he cut his tongue once because they found blood on the sill, but he keeps doing it year after year. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-cats-do-this/193516.md?page=1)