# Why Does My Cat Do This? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 1, 2003, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-cat-do-this/152136 "2003-02-01T18:34:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-cat-do-this/152136/1 "2003-02-01T18:34:59Z")
My cat will oftentimes come up to me while I’m folding clothes or even go into my closet, specifically to stand there and lick my laudry basket. It’s one of those generic Wal-Mart type plastic ones and she’ll stand there purring and licking it for minutes on end. Anybody know what the fascination is for her? My only possible explanation is that she might like the texture of the plastic. Otherwise, I’m completely clueless? Ideas? ---
**Author:** ![liirogue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dbc845/32.png) [@liirogue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/liirogue)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-cat-do-this/152136/2 "2003-02-01T19:39:04Z")
She may like the taste of it, especially if it “tastes” like laundry detergent or fabric softner. One of my cats will sleep on top of the dryer sheets box if you let him… ---
**Author:** ![80sHairMetalMaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/8/ed655f/32.png) [@80sHairMetalMaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/80sHairMetalMaven)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2003, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-cat-do-this/152136/3 "2003-02-01T20:00:10Z")
Who knows? My cats are extremely attracted to my 4 ft high blue Rubbermaid laundry basket and insist on using it as a scratching post.Thank goodness it’s Rubbermaid and can stand up to that kind of constant abuse.🙂 Cats are wierd.Accept it and everybody will be happier. IDBB ---
**Author:** ![FranticMad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c68b51/32.png) [@FranticMad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FranticMad)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2003, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-cat-do-this/152136/4 "2003-02-02T00:51:59Z")
Some plastics and shopping bags are manufactured using recycled cooking oils. Cats can still smell the beef/pork/chicken, or so I was told. ---
**Author:** ![80sHairMetalMaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/8/ed655f/32.png) [@80sHairMetalMaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/80sHairMetalMaven)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2003, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-cat-do-this/152136/5 "2003-02-02T01:33:27Z")
Hmmm…that’s interesting FranticMad.Got a cite to back it up? IDBB ---
**Author:** ![cdhostage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@cdhostage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cdhostage)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2003, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-cat-do-this/152136/6 "2003-02-02T04:44:14Z")
I dunno about your silly kitty, but my dorm has a pair of Huskies who will lick the living daylights out of you if you are sweaty. Maybe they don’t get enough salt. ---
**Author:** ![the\_Lady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bb73d2/32.png) [@the\_Lady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_Lady)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2003, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-cat-do-this/152136/7 "2003-02-02T05:06:58Z")
My delightful kitty licks plastic all the time. Plastic bags are her favorite. She also loves to lick clean laundry, and the bath mat. I think she’s nuts. ---
**Author:** ![xenothrope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/7ab992/32.png) [@xenothrope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xenothrope)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2003, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-cat-do-this/152136/8 "2003-02-02T05:43:37Z")
Was your cat removed from its mother at a young age? Or is maybe she an indoor only cat? For some reason the cat has a fixation on that basket. Due to either the way it smells tastes or reminds her of somthing. Cats are amazingly intelligent creatures. I knew a girl once who would talk to her saimese and have full on convorsations with it. No joke. I dont belive one or anything does anything simply because “they are weird”. I am of the belief that everyone does everything for a logical explination (albeit sometimes a bit farfetched). Questions like this are what keep pet psychologists employed. -x out ---
**Author:** ![MonkeyMule](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc348/32.png) [@MonkeyMule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MonkeyMule)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2003, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-cat-do-this/152136/9 "2003-02-02T06:52:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by xenothrope \* > \*\* > I dont belive one or anything does anything simply because “they are weird”. I am of the belief that everyone does everything for a logical explination (albeit sometimes a bit farfetched). > > -x out \*\* You obviously don’t have a cat ---
**Author:** ![Bob55](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Bob55](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bob55)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2003, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-cat-do-this/152136/10 "2003-02-02T08:14:04Z")
My cats do a lot of crazy inexplicable things - my conclusion is that they’re trying to throw you off and make you drop your guard, exposing a moment of weakness so they can move in for the kill. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2003, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-cat-do-this/152136/11 "2003-02-02T08:58:22Z")
I know a dog, a male Pembroke Welsh Corgi, who loves to lick pretty much anything. He will methodically, continuously lick anything from human skin to bluejeans to carpeting to leather sofas for no apparent reason. It seems to relax him. ---
**Author:** ![Ficer67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c57346/32.png) [@Ficer67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ficer67)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2003, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-cat-do-this/152136/12 "2003-02-02T10:13:50Z")
Your cat could have sprayed the laundry basket when you were not looking. This smell, though putrid to humans, is like channel no. 5 to cats, and so your cat simply loves it. Its probably so faint that you have not noticed it. Kinda makes you appreciate the good ol out of doors type cat. Ficer67