Pica or wool-sucking is common in oriental cat breeds. Nicholas Dodman, BVMS, director of the Animal Behavior Clinic at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University shares an experience with a pica cat and discusses the disorder.
Source: Cat Talk, March 2012.
These days, wool-sucking/pica is regarded as a form of feline compulsive disorder and, as such, has genetic underpinnings, evidenced by the fact that it typically affects Oriental breeds of cats. Unlike humans, we do not have the luxury of cognitive therapy in cats as we can’t talk to them and explain why they should not engage in it. However, we do have one non-pharmacological option available to us — environmental enrichment — and if this is conducted properly, it can go a long way toward attenuating the condition, especially if used along with pharmacotherapy…at least for a while.