Woman Cops To Cat Hair Eating Habit On "My Strange Addiction"

I Lick My Cat - My Strange Addiction

Last night saw the season premiere of TLC's "My Strange Addiction," the series that puts other people's odd, and sometimes dangerous dependencies on display.

The episode was particularly hard to swallow (no pun intended), as it featured a couple addicted to coffee enemas, and a woman with a compulsion for eating cat hair (I'm still trying to decide if this is better or worse than the lady addicted to eating cat food.)


You're gonna do what now?

Lisa, 43, lives in Detroit and has been indulging in her hairy habit for 15 years. It started as a way to feel closer to her pets, but became a full blown addiction two years ago when she adopted a new kitten. The cat needed surgery and wasn't grooming during recovery, so she stepped in as a surrogate cat mom. 

She admits that she eats hair she finds around her apartment, but claims that much like fresh fruit, it's best right from the source. Yes, Lisa straight up licks her cat, but avoids her butt and paws because they touch the litter box. 



The fur foodie eats three quarter-sized hairballs every day, which amounts to more than 3,200 since her addiction began. She repeatedly called the act of eating cat hair "relaxing" and "comforting", and describes the texture as being soft and puffy like cotton candy, while having a cotton ball taste that has less flavor than human hair.



Lisa's sister, Andromeda, is understandably troubled by her sibling's strange addiction, and confronts her about the possible health risks. She convinces her to see a doctor, who warns of long term side effects, including indigestion, bleeding, and ulcers. 

An x-ray of Lisa's stomach doesn't reveal any hairballs just yet, so the doctor tries to scare her straight by showing her a picture of a bezoar taken from the stomach of someone who ingested a large amount of hair for over a year. Lisa seems to be mortified by the image, but in the end decides she's not ready chuck her fluff habit.

"Nobody lives forever and we're all gonna die at some point," she says. "It's one of the most fulfilling things in my life, and I don't plan to give it up."

Woman Cops To Cat Hair Eating Habit On "My Strange Addiction"

Woman Battles Cat Food Cravings On TLC's My Strange Addiction

Cat Food Is Delicious - My Strange Addiction

In case you were too busy watching the Grammy's and missed it, TLC's My Strange Addiction returned last night, with the story of a woman who is addicted to eating cat food.

Mary, 48, calls the experience of crunching on a cat treat, "A burst of flavor in your mouth." Her strange addiction began five years ago after a painful divorce left her spending all her time at home with her three cats (thanks for helping to dispel the crazy cat lady myth there, Mary). She became instantly hooked, to the point where she began consuming a staggering 900 treats A DAY, and an estimated one million since her addiction began.

The cat food connoisseur keeps the treats in her car, in her purse, and by her bed, and some days replaces human food with cat food altogether. Although she is unemployed, she spends $200 a month on kitty food for herself, and her craving recently escalated to enjoying wet food, too. She contends that the gag-worthy liquid at the bottom of the bag reminds her of chicken soup "just like Grandma used to make," (whose Grandma??), and figures that the food is healthy because it has vitamins in it (saying she has a 17-year-old cat to prove it).

Mary's brother and close friend understandably become concerned about the effect her diet is having on her health. They urge her to see a doctor, who warns her that the ingredients in cat food are made of byproducts, carcinogens, and antibiotics that could eventually kill her. After a brief physical examination, the doctor concludes that she is probably anemic, and says her elevated blood pressure could indicate the onset of kidney problems. As treatment, she is advised to return to a normal diet, and start visiting a therapist to get to the root of her problem.

At the therapist, Mary admits that much like an alcoholic, hiding her addiction has left her feeling even more lonely and isolated. She agrees to enter a 12-step program, and an optimistic update at the end of the episode indicates that she has stopped eating cat food, and now seeks out her "crunch" from healthy foods, like vegetables.

Not to make light of the situation - but who is thinking about Mary's poor kitties, here?? My cats gets mad enough when I won't share my own food with them, so I can't imagine how they would feel if I started hoarding their treats for myself.

My Strange Addiction airs Sunday nights at 10/9 c on TLC. You can watch more clips from Mary's episode, which also includes a woman who is addicted to smelling moth balls, here.

Woman Battles Cat Food Cravings On TLC's My Strange Addiction