Cat Is Shredding Paper To Get Me To Wake Up.

[kitter-cat-123]

First time on here!

Previously my cat would wake me up by shredding or trying to take down my roommates poster. He knew that messing with stuff on my roommates side of the bedroom was a great way to get me up (moving/scolding him seemed to be enough attention for him). My roommate gave up, took down the battered poster, and encouraged him to shred it.

This seems to have caused the cat to now be obsessed with shredding paper mostly in the morning when I am trying to sleep. What should I do? I am hesitant to just close him out of my room as he can just find other paper to shred as he can open cabinets.

Should I start waking up early (6am) to play with him? Is there a toy that can satiate this desire to shred prey?

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi and welcome! If you're willing to get up early to give him a play session, by all means do it and see if that helps. Most people aren't wanting/willing to do that!

It might also be that he is getting hungry around that time, and wants you to feed him? You could feed him a little later in the evening and see if that helps, but if this behavior has gone on a long time, it may just be habit to him now.

If he is younger, he could also grow out of it over time. And, just in case you decide you don't want to get up early, see if there is anything in this article you might want to try.

How To Stop My Cat From Waking Me Up At Night (step-by-step Plan)

 

[kitter-cat-123]

Hi and welcome! If you willing to get up early to give him a play session, by all means do it and see if that helps. Most people aren't wanting/willing to do that!

It might also be that he is getting hungry around that time, and wants you to feed him? You could feed him a little later in the evening and see if that helps, but if this behavior has gone on a long time, it may just be habit to him now.

If he is younger, he could also grow out of it over time. And, just in case you decide you don't want to get up early, see if there is anything in this article you might want to try.

How To Stop My Cat From Waking Me Up At Night (step-by-step Plan)

Hi! I appreciate your response. Yeah, I am not a morning person but I am sometimes running late because he reallyyy wants attention in the morning. His energy is the highest right before bed and in the morning. I have been making an effort to play with him before bed, and I might make an attempt at early mornings. (:

A lot of the articles like the one you linked tell you to completely ignore the cat, but this is pretty much impossible when the attempt to get your attention is tearing something up that you want/need. It's a very clever strategy! haha

 

[FeebysOwner]

LOL! I am not a big advocate of crating/confining a cat to stop them from the wake up/destruction behavior, but you might have to do so. Is it possible to put him in a bathroom at night - with some toys/cat perches/cat trees (and, of course food/water/litterbox) - away from what you don't want him destroying?

Either with crating or bathroom confinement, it would take diligence and patience as it is going to possibly be weeks to get some results.

I also just read another thread where someone suggested ear plugs to help with the meowing over night - should that be part of your/your roommates solution.

As far as the cabinets - and, then hiding in them what you don't want destroyed - there are all sorts of child-proof (and cat-proof) locks/latches that you could try to use to keep him from getting in them.

 

[Kflowers]

I just want to say you really lucked up in getting a good roommate.

 

[KarenKat]

I just want to say you really lucked up in getting a good roommate.

Your roommate does seem super tolerant.

Gohan bites wires when he’s hungry -similar to shredding your roommates poster, he realized that we hop to it to feed him when he starts wire biting. He never does it any other time, and he never does it unless we are watching.

Maybe a timed feeder that dispenses food around the time he shreds paper?