Dear all

This may be my first and last really serious post on here, I'm not usually that person on forums but I think I could use some proper advice on this

Recently ever since the kitchen floor was ripped up to put in a heating system my tabby (year and a bit old) Nikki has been into licking concrete.

It's almost like a fix or a drug to her - there's only a small strip of it where tiles haven't already been replaced but she visits it whenever she can, she knows when I disapprove so actively looks for ways to get to it when I don't notice, and (this could be paranoia due to my own reading up on what I think is something called "pica" ) she smells, of chemicals, most likely cause she's been doing huge fixes of stuff that is full of sulphur like compounds.

So does anyone have any idea what this behaviour's about? I fully intend to cover up this concrete, perhaps tonight at least in a makeshift way until I can get a weekend on my side to paint it. I don't think it's normal OR healthy, and I wonder if my cat was this cat all along and I had to uncover the floor to bring something out that was always there, or whether she's taken a turn for the worse.

Anyway, out of my depth with answers on this and how to fix it if it can be fixed, would love to hear any other experience on it.

Cheers Andy

From what you described, it does sound like pica. I'd take her to the vet to rule out the possibility of some kind of deficiency in her body. Good luck and keep us posted. :hug:

There are minerals in concrete, perhaps there is a salty taste or something

second coat of thick gloss will be dry by tomorrow am, and the kitchen open again so I'll check back and say how she's reacted to that. I guess it will show habit vs need, because I have walls covered in paint and she's never been into licking walls. But because it's the spot where she got into this habit, I'm hoping that what she'll do is lick a smooth shiny clean surface a couple of times, learn it's not got sulphur/whatever in, and relearn her behaviour and stop doing it - which'd confirm concrete addiction - and not general weird behaviour . conctete addictions as a quirk is ok cause that's the last of it in my house she can get to !! Thanks for replies :kittyluv:

Wow, weird! I'll be interested to hear what happens.