將不具營養成分的物質吞食的行為稱為異嗜癖，但它不一定是不好的。貓咪有可能因為飲食的匱乏或探索行為受限而吃一些植物或草; 尤其是幼貓，因處於發展探索行為的年齡，對陌生物品產生興趣而出現啃咬，但不一定吞食的行為。

 

異嗜的對象有很多種，包括沙土，橡膠類，紙類，木材類，線狀物，室內植物，羊毛，甚至紡織品，都是貓咪可能接觸到且發展出異嗜癖的物品，且個體都有本身特定的偏好。這些行為非常擾人，而且在失控的情況可以造成貓咪本身的傷害！

 

研究中的有趣的發現是，東方品種，如暹羅貓（又中獎了！）及緬甸貓特別容易表現這種行為，當然不乏其他品種的貓咪，包括混種貓。從2-8個月齡到1-2歲的貓咪都有可能發展此行為問題，而絕大多數都是居住室內的宅貓們！

 

The ingestion of non-nutritive substances is known as pica. However, it is not always abnormal. The eating of plant material may be due to lack of access to grass or vegetation or normal investigatory behavior. Young cats especially, may chew, but not necessarily ingest, non-food substances as part of their normal exploratory behavior.

 

Cats have been reported to ingest may substances including such things as soil, rubber, paper, wood, string, house plants, wool or fabric. Individual cats tend to ingest one type of substance only. Often these behaviors are more annoying than damaging until they start interfering with the animal's normal functioning. 

 

This behavior is reportedly more common in oriental breeds such as Siamese and Burmese, although it has been reported in all breeds including crossbreeds. The behavior is also reported to occur anytime from 2-8 months of age to 1-2 years of age, and more common in cats that are entirely indoors.