# Milo Has a Fabric Fetish



## Milo's Mom (Aug 31, 2008)

Does anyone has a Hav who loves to lick and then make holes in fabric?
Milo has chewed through leashes, pillows, clothes, blankets, duvet covers, handles on canvas bags, etc. He licked and ripped a cushion on my daughter's sofa and did the same thing to a friend's pants (while she was wearing them !). He's very sneaky - he often does the deed when we're in another room. The interesting thing is that he'll go months without touching anything. I also can't figure out any direct triggers for this behavior. Just wondered if anyone had the same problem. Any ideas for behavior mod here? We try to keep him away from fabric whenever possible, but that is very difficult


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## swaye (Mar 28, 2013)

I am not knowledgeable on behavior or modifications, but I am wondering if you have ever "caught him in the act"? If you have, did you swap out the object of his attention for an appropriate toy to mouth or chew? How old is he?

I know others will join in here.


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## Milo's Mom (Aug 31, 2008)

Milo is 4. He's very sneaky, but I have caught him in the act. Yes, I have traded off with something he likes. After the event, he may not go for something again for another month or two. He's very unpredictable with this. Last night it was the pillow sham on my bed. It's very frustrating.


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## jabojenny (Sep 18, 2011)

Timmy's a licker but he hasn't wrecked anything. He will lick blankets, my shirt etc... but I think for him it's more of a comfort thing. He's not obsessive, he'll stop when I say so and I don't think he does it when he's alone. Sorry I'm not any more help, could it be like an OCD thing? Maybe when he was younger this type of activity calmed him and it turned into a habit? My friend had a cat when I was younger that would eat fabric and stuffed animals, weird. Just my two cents, I'm not sure how you would stop him except to say "no" redirect him and either treat or give him an appropriate activity. If he does it when you're not there though this would go out the window. :frusty:


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## whimsy (Apr 3, 2010)

Whimsy likes to lick fabric also ,just like Timmy, and she also doesn't destroy anything either She will stop if I tell her to. Her favorite is one of her soft furry toys..she licks the darn thing like she's in love with it. LOL Not sure why they do that.


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## misstray (Feb 6, 2011)

Brody is like Timmy. He likes to lick things: blankets, sheets, my clothes. He's never been much of a chewer though and really hasn't wrecked anything. He will sit sometimes with his toy in his paws and lick it rather than chew it. 

I have to be careful with my clothes though. I like to leave out what I'm putting on the next day and Brody will totally go for my clothing. I had to move a chair away from where I put the clothes because he'd drag all my clothing down onto the floor and roll in them and lick them. I can't leave my socks there though. Brody will attempt acrobatic feats to get at my (clean) socks. He's never wrecked any, but he'll run off with them and hide them for his cuddling/licking pleasure.


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## Milo's Mom (Aug 31, 2008)

Milo licks the material until it is totally soaked; it then tears very easily. I can stop him if I see him. We never leave any clothes where he can get to them. Last night he pulled a pillow off the bed in our spare bedroom. It had a beautiful sham cover on it - not so beautiful now. The weird thing is he will do this and not do it again for several months. Very frustrating! I'm afraid to bring him to other people's houses without watching him every minute.


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