Tearing Up Paper

Hi! Created an account just to ask this, so I hope I'm not doing it wrong!

I adopted a cat, and he likes to tear up my homework >.< I googled it and they said it's cos' they're bored usually, so I bought him a toy and he really likes it. Except in the middle of using it, he ran off and started chewing up my papers again! Did he just get bored with the toy? He's only been using it for a couple of days. Also, a couple of other odd things: he also likes to play with my earphones when I leave them lying around, and he was trying to eat my houseplant. I think the plant was because cats eat grass to help with digestion or something though?

Any advice is appreciated Thanks in advance!

sezgsun said:

...........and started chewing up my papers again! Did he just get bored with the toy? He's only been using it for a couple of days. Also, a couple of other odd things: he also likes to play with my earphones when I leave them lying around, and he was trying to eat my houseplant.

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and welcome to TCS!

There could be a certain kind of smell in the paper product that attract cats just like some hoomans like the smell of freshly printed ink.

Can you like standby some newspaper beside you and when your cat comes to your homework, distract him by giving him the newspaper to play. Always use something to distract him whenever he tries to chew on your homework and say 'NO' firmly to him. After a few tries, he'll get the message.

Also be aware of the ear phone buds which the cat may be able to chew off and swallow it. And the other thing is that many plants and flowers are toxic to cats. Here's a check list of what plants are toxic to cats :- cats-plant-list

Well, tabbytom beat me to the punch, and his idea of keeping newspaper nearby as a distraction is genius! Cats just love paper, for some reason. MOST of them can't resist the crinkle of it, and the way it feels when they shred it. My cat prefers a balled-up piece of paper to the most expensive cat toy ever made!

And do get in the habit of putting those earbuds away! That can lead to VERY expensive and dangerous surgery.

There's no way around it. You'll just have to organize your stuff so he can't get to the paper. It's a really good excuse to buy a file cabinet. yes, get one with a little lock. People can open it with a jerk despite the lock but few cats can.

One of mine adored tearing up phone books. I gathered a bunch from friends before they took them to the recycle. She was in heaven.

Paper and paper towels frequently fall victim to felines. Having had cats all my life I have told a teacher my cat ate my homework and one time my cat vomited on my homework- do you still want it?

Joking aside I think all cats go through a paper shredding stage. Some never grow out of it. There are toys that crinkle so look for one of those. I'm not at all surprised that the cat went from playing with the toy to the paper. It wasn't out of boredom but excitement. Why play with just one toy when you have access to two?

Mamanyt1953 said:

My cat prefers a balled-up piece of paper to the most expensive cat toy ever made!

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Yes, yes, paper balls. Crush and roll up a piece of paper into a slightly smaller than a golf ball size and the cats will love it.

My boy love his paper ball more than most of his other ball besides the one favorite other ball that he has.

sezgsun said:

so I bought him a toy and he really likes it.

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The other thing you can do is play with him first then feed him. That will likely to put him on sleep mode.

As for the ear buds. I have a cat that will bite through the thin wires that are attached to the ear buds. Lost two pair before I got trained about hiding them.

If he goes for wires, try coating them with pepper sauce. It's easiest to see what you've done and haven't done if you use the red sauce. You don't have to show the sauce to the cat. They have a good sense of smell.

Oh wow, there's a lot of replies! Thanks everyone!
We don't have newspaper, but we always have tonnes of scrap paper so I can use that, and I will check out that checklist, thank you!
I only really use my earbuds at school, so I'll start keeping them in my bag so he can't get at them. I've only noticed him playing with the earbuds, not any of the other wires. I'll keep an eye on him though
Thanks for all the advice guys!!

sezgsun said:

We don't have newspaper,

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They love paper grocery bags or Starbucks paper bags and cardboard boxes too. For the paper bags, snip off the handles so that your cat won't get caught in it and panic and run off with the bag hanging on the neck. Safety first!

Remember cats who like bags can die in the new 'freshness' bags they make for snacks and pet food. Be sure to put the chip bags and food bags where they can't get to them and cut them into strips before throwing them away. The last protects your cats from trash bin hunts, your neighbors' cats and dogs and the unfortunates who live at the dump.