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Why does my cat chew cardboard? Is it safe for their teeth or health?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | American Shorthair | Male | neutered | 3 years and 1 month old | 12 lbs

My cat likes to chew on cardboard boxes. He full on chews hard on them and rips it apart. Is this normal? Should I be concerned with teeth problems?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Sara Farmer, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on March 13th, 2019

I doubt cardboard could hurt a cat’s teeth, but it could be a problem if he is ingesting a lot of it. If he’s eating the cardboard I would discourage this behavior, otherwise it’s fine to let him to continue.

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