Cat is destructive when left alone

[mishventurer]

Okay I've not asked for help here in a while because Reiko has been pretty good in the last few months (she's 7 months now).. until recently.

Whenever we are home, she interacts with us, naps with her belly up around us (trust) and plays like any other time. We feed her on schedule, change her water frequently and she uses the litter box beautifully. Everything is pretty much great. Except when she's left alone.

8 out of 10 times when I come home after going out for a few hours, I find something destroyed. First she started pulling out the thumbtacks from my cork board. I had to take down all 3 boards for fear of her swallowing or poking herself with pins the next time. Soon after, she would pull sticky notes off my desk and scatter the floor with bits. I tried the aluminium foil but nope, she shredded them like the paper. It was a HUGE MESS! And today, she shredded my work notes and left scratches over my journals which is starting to really annoy me as I have my work stuff organised that way and she has never touched them until the recent 3 weeks.

I always:
- leave her new toys, tunnels, puzzles and interactive stuff to play with before I leave (swapping them out each day/time) but as I work from home, I rarely leave for too long (just to buy groceries or short meetings or dinners outside)
- she has fresh food and water 3 times a day
- she has 2 hiding spots with blankets
- she gets play time in the morning and before bed

The only change was that she got spayed last week, but her destructive behaviour has been going on way before that so I don't think it's related to the surgery and she has not even come into heat before. She never acts like that when we are around.

I spoke to my vet and his answer was "keep her in a separate room or a large cage whenever you go out" - because it could be a mild separation anxiety which causes her to act out. However he gave her a clean bill of health with good blood work and aside from this she is a gem most of the time and doesn't even scratch furniture. She even plays fetch and loves lap cuddling at least once a day. We video recorded her and she would meow for a bit 5 mins after we leave but then she does about to nap and do normal cat things (which sometimes includes destroying things on my desk).

I just want a cat that I can trust to roam free and not cage up each time I go out. Has anyone here dealt with this problem before? Please advice.

P/s We do not have space (i.e. Extra litter boxes or territory) for another cat so please leave this suggestion out.

 

[missriss]

My cat was a terror at that age. He eventually grew out of the destroy stuff stage. He also loved to pull the thumb tacks off the board! So rude. 

I wouldn't worry about it too much because 7 months  is still really young and cats like to destroy stuff for fun. I would leave all kinds of toys out and Baxter would still shred everything. I would just be really cautious about what you leave out. I keep all my paper stuff in my desk or in file boxes now. He occasionally will still get into the garbage though. 

Maybe keep the room with the desk off limits when not home until she starts to calm down? Rather than locking her up somewhere.

 

[mishventurer]

My cat was a terror at that age. He eventually grew out of the destroy stuff stage. He also loved to pull the thumb tacks off the board! So rude. 

I wouldn't worry about it too much because 7 months  is still really young and cats like to destroy stuff for fun. I would leave all kinds of toys out and Baxter would still shred everything. I would just be really cautious about what you leave out. I keep all my paper stuff in my desk or in file boxes now. He occasionally will still get into the garbage though. 

Maybe keep the room with the desk off limits when not home until she starts to calm down? Rather than locking her up somewhere.

Thanks for your reply. May I ask how old till he grew out of it?? I know I have a long way to go. Because she lives in my room, and I am a journal enthusiast and part time artist, I usually have a lot of stuff strewn about and my biggest fear is her shredding my artwork one day. For now as a temporary solution, I crate her whenever I go out and I need to leave some paintings to dry - but it makes me sad to see her sitting quietly inside. She's good with her crate but if I could, I wouldn't want this choice.

 

[missriss]

He is 3 and will still occasionally shred paper if he is really bored. Is she only allowed in

Thanks for your reply. May I ask how old till he grew out of it?? I know I have a long way to go. Because she lives in my room, and I am a journal enthusiast and part time artist, I usually have a lot of stuff strewn about and my biggest fear is her shredding my artwork one day. For now as a temporary solution, I crate her whenever I go out and I need to leave some paintings to dry - but it makes me sad to see her sitting quietly inside. She's good with her crate but if I could, I wouldn't want this choice.

He is 3 and will still occasionally shred paper if he is really bored. Is she only allowed in your room? That could be why she's destructive/bored. 

 

[mishventurer]

He is 3 and will still occasionally shred paper if he is really bored. Is she only allowed in your room? That could be why she's destructive/bored. 

Yes she's confined only in our room but it's the size of a medium-sized apartment (about nearly 700 sq ft) and her toys and cat perch are all here along both our office tables, bed and furnishings. The rest of the house is unsafe for her as we live with my BF's family who do not use screens and keep all the windows constantly open. It's a large house so there are multiple escape routes.

I hope when we move out next year she would find peace. However for now I'm still trying to correct the issue as I don't want her to trash our new condo once we move.

 

[di and bob]

She is still very much a kitten, and is extremely bored when you are gone.She will stop most of this and get much quieter as she ages. Also having her spayed last week means that most of her hormones are still present, and once those are gone she may settle down some.  A male playmate would be a welcome distraction, and two are really no more expensive or harder to raise than one. If that is not possible than other distractions will have to be provided to keep her occupied. A small covered aquarium might give hert entertainment because of the movement, but it would have to have a secure, tight lid. Get a couple of feet of clear carpet runner with those little 'nubs' to keep her off of your papers, lay it across them, nubs up, and she won't walk there. It is easily moved and replaced. Get a cardboard box and cut holes in it for her to hide in, my cats play for hours with that. Maybe you could get a cage big enough for your paintings to dry in and to keep your papers, she couldn't get to them. I feel sorry for you, I know how irritating this can be, but like a small toddler, she will outgrow it if you can wait it out! 

 

[missriss]

Yes she's confined only in our room but it's the size of a medium-sized apartment (about nearly 700 sq ft) and her toys and cat perch are all here along both our office tables, bed and furnishings. The rest of the house is unsafe for her as we live with my BF's family who do not use screens and keep all the windows constantly open. It's a large house so there are multiple escape routes.

I hope when we move out next year she would find peace. However for now I'm still trying to correct the issue as I don't want her to trash our new condo once we move.

Before you leave try having a good play session 10 - 20 minutes to tire her our and make her un interested in "hunting" other things. Cats work is hunt, eat, clean, sleep, repeat. Play is what is going to make all the difference for her because all that destruction is the unused energy she has. Playing with her (toys on string, laser pointer, fetch) is way more appealing to a young cat that a stationary toy.She will outgrow the Cray Kitty stage, but it does take time. Hang in there!

 

[orange&white]

She has just entered the teenage crazy months, and will probably grow out of it shortly after she's a year old. I've only owned one cat who never outgrew his "destructive phase", and had separation anxiety and pica his entire life, but that's very rare. Every other cat I've owned drove me crazy for those few short months, then settled into wonderful adults.

I agree with others who said try to tire her out with play before you leave the house, so she will hopefully nap more.

 

[tarasgirl06]

Other posters have very helpful suggestions! Just FYI, I know you said your space is too small for another cat. I lived in 332 sq. ft. for a year with my 3 cats. There wasn't much room for anything except us! but we did it.

 

[krazykatjenn]

D'aw, sounds like you're giving Reiko a good kitty life!

One thing I've thought of to add onto the great advice you've gotten so far: cats like having new places to scout and explore. Since Reiko can only be in your room, you can try creating artificial environments you can trade out. New cardboard boxes to explore, maybe change up some shelving in your closet?

I got my cat to stop tearing up my paperwork by getting her a "hideaway scratcher." It's covered in catnip and sitting near my paperwork so whenever she gets the urge to scratch she scratches it instead and it doubles as a hiding spot she likes to nap in!