Cat Purposefully Tearing Bedsheets, Eating String/hairties??

[mashpototo]

The title speaks for itself!!

I got my cat from a friend who found him wandering, most likely an abandoned stray. I took him to the vet a few months ago and the vet gave an estimate: he is a neutered male about 1-2 years old.

Just this month he’s picked up the habit of tearing up bedsheets.

While lounging comfortably on my bed, when the bedsheets catch his interest he will bite them and yank them with all his force. He’ll do this over and over again, as if he were taking the meat from caught prey. This alone leaves a frayed hole on my sheets; this repetitive habit of his is beginning to rip hand-sized holes in the pillowcases, too!!

He also has an obsession with eating string-like objects and hairties.

I can’t wear a ponytail without it catching his attention and him yanking it out of my head with his teeth/claws... it rips about 20-30 hairs in the process. He once saw one on my wrist and pounced on my hand, leaving a nasty variety of deep bite marks and scratches.

I’m planning on giving him catgrass so he can spit out the ones he’s consumed (don’t worry, i hide the ties in a box in the bathroom)

I really don’t want to have to give him away, he’s very sweet at heart but this habit is just too much! I don’t want it to reach a point where i have to ban him from my room altogether.

 

[abyeb]

The cat grass could help by giving him something that he can safely chew on. There are some chew toys specifically for cats that he might enjoy. I'll attach links to a few options:

Petstages Dental Health Chews Cat Toy, Color Varies

Petstages Catnip Plaque Away Pretzel Cat Toy, Color Varies

Petstages ORKAkat Wiggle Worm Cat Toy

Pioneer Pet Catnip Toy Nip Nibblers, 3 count

If you decide to get a chew toy, what you can do is, next time you catch your kitty chewing on something, to give him the toy to chew on instead. There are also some deterrent sprays that you can try.

Chewing on things can be a sign of anxiety in cats. Feliway mimics feline pheromones, which helps cats to relax. This could be something to try, to see if it reduces these behaviors. You could also ask your vet about anti-anxiety medications.

This article has more detailed information: Wool Sucking Cats

 

[susanm9006]

Three suggestions:
He is playing when he is yanking the sheets. I would try the same training you use to stop a cat from pestering you while you are sleeping. A stop phrase said in a loud firm voice like “stop that!” and if he starts back up you set him on the floor. If he comes up again and starts playing with the sheets, same thing except you shut him out of the room for a while. You might need to repeat this dozens of times before he quits.

I would keep a heavy bed spread on the bed and keep the sheets covered so he is less able to get at them.

I would also suggest that there be no playing with him at all in the bedroom so he learns bedrooms are for sleeping and not getting attention.

 

[MeganLLB]

It could also be pica. That's a disease where animals (or people) eat things that are not food. I just watched an episode of My Cat From Hell about two cats that were weaned too early and developed pica. They would chew on blankets, bedsheets, string, socks, rope. They had to pica-proof their house and they even bought small dog toys for them to chew on.

Two Cats Are Eating Furniture on ‘My Cat From Hell’

 

[ArtNJ]

Cats do sometimes like playing with sheets when your under them, especially if you move around a lot. As Susan explained, you can teach them that it isn't play.

I don't think its bad to exclude cats from your bedroom at night. I've done that for years and years. I don't have a choice because of sleep apnea, but even when I was younger I always found that cats can be a legit PITA in the bed anyways. It doesn't mean they won't come in and get petted during the day.

 

[susanm9006]

As far as hair ties and string, I think that cats universally love both. String and rubber bands are both dangerous to cats and should be put away so they can’t get at it. And, I wouldn’t allow the cat to jump up and get your hair ties or to play around your face. Again, use a stern loud mom voice and shoo him away of he tries. If you are lying down. I would remove the hair tie so he isnt tempted.

 

[sargon]

Pica is a relatively common issue in cats, especially certain breeds (or mixed breed cats with a lot of that heritage, for that matter.)

One thing that can help, especially if your cat also has other anxiety or obsessive type behaviors might be "kitty prozac."

It isn't the first thing to try, obviously, and you'll want to pica proof your house as best you can, but if all else fails, it is sometimes worth exploring.

 

[ArtNJ]

As susanm9006 pointed out, most of them seem to like to eat string, so I'm not sure its helpful to label it as Pica even if it literally qualifies. Leaving string/thread around is dangerous. Hair ties also seem to have some universal appeal, although I don't think they are normally dangerous, at least not compared to thread and rubber bands -- going for them when they are on you is a different issue of course.