Cat Training and Behavior (Domestic and Feral)/Toilet Paper

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Expert: Dear Tabbi - 9/19/2008


Question
My cat is a 6 year old female cat who is spayed and declawed in the front.  The problem I have is she destroys any toilet paper and/or paper towels.  She will carry it around in her mouth and chew it and rip it into a thousand pieces and leave all over the house.  Why is she doing this and what can I do to correct the behavior.  We also have a 6 year old male cat, neutered and declawed.  They have been together since they were kittens but he doesn't do anything like this.

Answer
Angie,

She has just found a 'toy' that she likes to play with. Some cats like the feel of the soft papers and the sound of them shredding. It's fun for them and it's a way to keep themselves amused, albeit a messy one.

I have one that eats just a corner of a piece of toilet paper when she wants to. Some say that it is a need for fiber in their diet.

I have a blind kitty that, when someone uses the restroom, sh runs in there and they have to pull a strip for her to play with and tear. She quits when they are done. Go figure. Sometimes only a cat knows why they do some strange things.

What is weird is I used to come home and about twice a week there would be toilet paper in the litterbox! It stopped so I never knew what THAT was all about, or which cat was....trying to be human?

It's a harmless habit. It depends whether you want her to have fun or you don't want a mess. If it gets too annoying, put the paper towels and toilet paper in a cupboard where she can't get them and try to find her some other type of toys she will like.

Tabbi  

Cat Training and Behavior (Domestic and Feral)

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Dear Tabbi

Expertise

My expertise is in helping people understand their cat (or cats) and their behavior. Questions are welcome even if you don't have a cat....just a question about them. Hopefully my experience, suggestions, and comments will be of help to you...and your cat (or cats). Looking through my past responses to questions will give you additional information and/or answers too. Domestic Cats = cats (no matter what breed) who are tame or not wild, or abandoned cats who were pets that became wild, but can be tamed again. Ferals = cats who are born with one or more parents who were wild stray cats. They usually have had no interactions with people. They have an inbred distrust of humans and are difficult to socialize. They are skittish, hide, and are afraid of people. They take a lot of time and patience to work with them. A lot of kittens from shelters had a feral parent.

Experience

Since I was a child, over 45 years, I have been owned by a LOT of cats and kittens of almost every temperament, behavior, and personality. I have had experience with neurotic, disabled (including blind), stray, and 'problem child' cats and kittens. (A few normal cats too!) Plus all the things a lifetime of owning cats and research has taught me. I also have experience in feral cat behavior (which is different from domestic cats), and some experience with feral colonies that includes colony feeding and feral cat TNR (trap/neuter/release).

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