Nope, not a reference to a line from "The Usual Suspects," just
referring to the fact that my cat (whom I should have named Inkspot)
has an unnatural craving for licking the ink of the cheaper variety of
ink pens whenever I use them to write.

She's like some addict after a high whenever I begin to scribble with
one - up she comes to the paper, using her head to push my pen-in-hand
away so that she can lick the ink.  She gets so absorbed in it, it's
almost as if she's a nursing kitten.

This can be annoying, especially when I am in the throes of creative
expression.  The ink doesn't disappear but her insistence on licking
it is perplexing.

My question is this: What ingredient might be in the ink of most
cheaper ink pens that causes my cat to react as if she's in a bed of
catnip?  Is there any chemical in this cheaper ink that is made from
something related to catnip (or any other natural herb a cat might
favor)?

Since I am a writer, I find it curious that my cat loves to lick ink
and shred paper (another of her great loves although I believe she
shreds paper because she likes the sound of it tearing).  Could it be
she is the reincarnation of some frustrated wannabe author?

But I digress.

I'm simply wondering what chemical in ink might be proven to excite a
feline.

Your thoughts?

---

Clarification of Question by midnighttrainto-ga on 13 Jul 2003 21:54 PDT

PS  Comments from other researchers are welcome and this question is
addressed to PinkFreud-ga only.

I can't prove this, but I believe cats can get a distinct "high" from
sniffing and tasting volatile substances such as the solvents in ink.

Most of us have heard scary stories about teenagers caught in the
school storage closet huffing magic markers. I suspect that the same
sort of inhalant-induced intoxication may affect some cats. I have had
two cats who seemed fascinated by the smell and taste of ink, glue,
spot-remover, and even nail polish thinner (not polish remover, but
the stuff that you put into a bottle of thick nail polish to make it
runny again.) The male cat, Tuvix, becomes transfixed with a
glassy-eyed fascination when he smells and licks certain volatile
chemicals. The female, Glenda, is likewise eager to inhale such odors;
she seems sexually excited by them, and sometimes goes into a frenzy
of treading her paws and raising her rump in the air (both Glenda and
Tuvix are neutered). Of the dozens of cats I've known and loved over
the years, these are the only ones who react in this way.

Apropos of nothing in particular, here are photos of the
abovementioned kitties. I don't think either was stoned when I took
these pics, but it's often hard to tell:

Tuvix Lolling in the Kitchen Sink
http://www.mortalwombat.com/Image/Tuvix_in_Sink.jpg

Glenda Enjoying a Cardboard Box
http://www.mortalwombat.com/Image/Glenda_in_Box.jpg

OK, back to the matter of the substance-sniffing and licking. A few
years ago, I decided to try to analyze this odd feline behavior. I
read a bunch of labels, and I found a common ingredient in many of the
substances that my cats sought out: toluene.

Here's an excerpt from an interesting article about the chemistry of
various inks:

"The ballpoint pen, the felt-tip marker, and the fibre-tip pen have
led to inks containing solutions of dyes in water or organic solvents
such as propylene glycol, propyl alcohol, toluene or glyco-ethers.
Other ingredients like resins, preservatives and wetting agents are
also added."

Chembytes E-zine: Ink Chemistry
http://www.chemsoc.org/chembytes/ezine/2003/kunjappu_mar03.htm

Aha. As I said, I cannot prove my theory (would need a whole lot more
cats), but I think toluene is your cat attractant. Why a few cats
react this way, while most do not, is a mystery to me. But, now that I
think of it, so is most cat behavior. ;-)

I hope this is satisfactory. Although I could find no info on the Web
on this subject, my experience as an observer of the feline species is
considerable, and my own amateur analysis of Glenda and Tuvix and
their fondness for toluene parties seems relevant to your situation.

Search terms used:

"ink ingredients"
"ink chemistry"
"ink solvents"

Thanks for asking a neat question. Love your screen name. When I first
registered on GA as a user, I very nearly chose the username
hardheartedhannahthevampofsavannah-ga.

Best,
pinkfreud

Excellent theory!  I never imagined my "Inkspot" was a substance
abuser so I suppose a bit of psycatry is in order.  ;)

Didn't Dolly Parton once write a song about this?

"Toluene, Toluene, Toluene, Toluene
I'm begging of you, don't addict my ca--aa--at..."

You don't say what make or model of cat you have ...

Could it be an Ink Panther?

My two coal black grumpy-pusses aren't into licking ink, but they do
enjoy nibbling on pens.  We haven't decided if it's because they like
the taste or because the behavior so obviously annoys whoever is
trying to write.

Probably the latter.

--Missy

Thank you *very* much for the five stars and the lavish tip! 

My pussycat huffers are a bit miffed over my plans to put them into
kitty rehab (it was recommended by Betty Ford's cat). Looks like
Glenda and Tuvix picked the wrong day to stop sniffing Bics.

~Pink