One of my cats (the one who needs to be discouraged from biting, in fact) has, in the last few days, started licking papers that he finds around the house (mostly on my desk). He last saw the vet two months ago and all was in order then, and I haven't observed any other behavior changes or suspicious symptoms. We've made no (known) changes in his environment (indoor cat) or diet. He has toys to chew and otherwise play with (that he likes), and I try to make sure he gets enough interactive play time.
He's not chewing on the paper, just licking it. He seems to prefer photocopies and laser-printed pages to other sorts, and has shown no interest in newsprint, magazines, or books.
What might be prompting this new behavior? Or is it just that cats are weird sometimes and he's just going through a phase -- spring is in the air, or something like that?
Update: six months later he still does this (and I stop him when I see him doing it), so it wasn't just something seasonal. He's been to the vet since I asked this question and the vet found no problems in his mouth or his bloodwork. It is possible that he only does this when I'm around (I wouldn't know, not having a cat-cam); I now wonder if it's a weird way of demanding attention.
(Male, neutered, indoor-only, estimated age 6-7.)