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Help we have cat the ripper

(14 Posts)
Thistledoo Fri 13-Mar-15 19:00:03

I was wondering if anyone could help with this unusual problem with my British shorthaired cat. He is nearly two years old and has a very strange habit, quite amusing at times but a real nuisance at times. He seems to have an obsession with ripping up any paper which is lying a round. This can be the unread newspaper, books, boxes of tissues GC painted pictures even the mail has bee shredded if we are not quick enough to lift it. The last straw was yesterday he chewed up DGD music theory book. He is the most naughty cat I have ever owned. In spite of this I do love him very much. If anyone out there has any experience of a cat doing this I would be so grateful for any advice.

shysal Fri 13-Mar-15 19:33:04

Sorry, I can't offer any advice, but your boy sounds entertaining! Sugababe, my snow Bengal used to run off with paper and take it onto the top bunk in the spare room, where she would shred and trample it to make a nest. Alas, she was run over a while back. Pedigree cats certainly have challenging behaviour at times! Saffron, my brown spotted Bengal is hard work compared to my laid back old rescue boy, Bugsie.
I hope you find a way to solve your problem.

Nelliemoser Fri 13-Mar-15 19:39:58

Send him to Soop and MacSporran they seem to have a way of taming cats.
To be serious I don't know. A noisy "cat scarer" keep off spray or something non injurious whenever he starts on some paper.

He probably enjoys the noise and thinks he is hunting and killing his prey.

Big boxes every where to keep any papers in when he is around? The trouble with cats is that they are not exactly biddable.

Someone else will have a better answer.

Thistledoo Fri 13-Mar-15 19:49:24

Thank you Shysal, I would have loved a Bengal but decided to not to acquire one as I thought we would find it to much like hard work. Huh... This BSH is quite a character. I am going to town tomorrow to purchase a couple of sets of drawers to accommodate al our papers, music and anything made of paper so we can put everything out of reach of this munching monster. All my ornaments and nicknacks are glued down with bluetak as he bats everything of any surface, he even tries to get the pictures off the walls.
If he was a house cat I could excuse him but he has the run of three gardens and spends time outside everyday. As we speak he is trying to wreck the DVD player. shock

Thistledoo Fri 13-Mar-15 19:52:17

Right that it he is going to stay with Soop, Macsporran will have to give him a good talking to.

Lona Fri 13-Mar-15 20:02:46

Maybe he's just bored?
Do cats get bored? Not much help, sorry.

tiggypiro Fri 13-Mar-15 20:58:12

Purdy Puss (9 mths old) likes ripping up paper too. I left her in the house for 3 weeks recently, cared for by kind neighbours and asked that she had lots of newspaper to play with. I came back to a room full of confetti but strangely she has not torn any since. Other than one plant knocked off the paper was the only 'damage'. What a star she is !!

soontobe Fri 13-Mar-15 23:22:17

Ask a vet?

Our current cat has the sharpest claws by far, of any cat we have had previously. But the only slight damage he does is to sides of sofas if you look carefully.
Are your cat's claws sharp?

merlotgran Fri 13-Mar-15 23:36:33

Try some catnip toys/scratching post?

absent Sat 14-Mar-15 07:45:47

It's like anything in life – you make choices. You cannot have an orderly life and have cats. Depending on their predispositions, they will tear the furniture to pieces, sit on your keyboard continuously, pee on the tops of cupboards, shit on the carpet, growl at your friends, steal food, terrorise the neighbourhood dogs, look superior, accuse you of cat abuse, ignore you, bring dead rodents into the sitting room, rummage in the laundry basket for your knickers, shred the only copy of your Booker-prize-winning novel, share your bed and purr.

Marelli Sat 14-Mar-15 08:01:30

Our evenings are really about Daisy. She shows off by racing around, creeping on her side as she claws her way round and round one of the chairs with her mouth open as if she's laughing! She also likes to rip up paper if it happens to be on the floor. Knitting left lying about just doesn't stand a chance!

shysal Sat 14-Mar-15 09:32:16

absent, I love your description! Why do we love them so much?

Thistledoo, My cats love playing a free 'fishing' app on my tablet, which could act as a distraction for Jojo. Good luck!

Katek Sat 14-Mar-15 19:34:15

Our big cat came to us from CP aged 12 months and spent several weeks shredding newspaper. It was a stress symptom with him as he'd been in an outside cage with little to amuse him so all he could do was rip up the paper in the pen. Is there any chance that your cat could be suffering from stress??

Thistledoo Sat 14-Mar-15 22:01:01

No I don't think so, he is completely spoilt and my thoughts are perhaps he is attention seeking, he loves nothing more than to rip up paper in front of us, or, when we are trying to have a bit of a long lie ripping something in the next room, making one of jump up to investigate the source of the destruction. Not sure if this could be classed as stress or just plain naughtiness. Sorry we didn't name him Jack.