Cat shredding paper and cardboard??

[glittercat]

Is it odd that one of my cats seems to really like shredding cardboard and paper?

She doesn't ever eat any of it; she just really likes ripping it up. (it's Feora, who generally appears to be very special and sweet in her own way...!)

Inevitably I get home to find she has ripped up bits of post that have arrived, or at least edges of envelopes are distinctly torn. (I think that's how duck eggs in the kitchen got broken some time ago, as she was pulling on the box they were in - it looked very holey) .

She's just ripped bits off of a box on the sofa that I'd been to lazy to put in the kitchen after applying some meds to Dari.

Does this behaviour mean anything particularly? Anything that I need to be looking at?

Thanks

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi! LOL! I think it means that she is finding her own entertainment!! As long as she is not consuming it, it is probably not an issue (other than you having to clean it up). Is this a younger cat? Maybe more constructive entertainment - although that rarely seems to work, if you know what I mean!!

 

[glittercat]

Hi! LOL! I think it means that she is finding her own entertainment!! As long as she is not consuming it, it is probably not an issue (other than you having to clean it up). Is this a younger cat? Maybe more constructive entertainment - although that rarely seems to work, if you know what I mean!!

. She's about 18 months old. She's always shredded things, so it's not new.... She's also very much a coverer of food and spends time scraping round food bowls and so on.

I have never seen her eat any of the card or paper, she just seems to enjoy the tearing it up and throwing the bits about process.

We play fetch a lot with her toy mice and I've recently been able to open up access to the catio (though shut currently whilst I'm out at work).

As long as it isn't anything I really need to worry about I'll just keep an eye out. She's already been through the wars (pelvic injury and 2 months cage rest @ 4 months old : spay in Feb last year followed by a second(!) spay in Oct last year which resulted in 7 weeks cage rest : and as a result of that, she now has a hernia which I need to monitor).

She is a real cutie but incredibly unlucky! I don't want to put her through any undue stress if not needed...

 

[vince]

Seems normal behavior for a cat. Mine do the same thing, as have most cats I've had over the years. As long as eating is not a problem, let her do it. Shouldn't require too much effort on her part, so It most likely wouldn't bother the hernia.

 

[amethyst]

I've got several cats that love to shred paper and cardboard, I like to think that maybe it mimics tearing apart prey, lol. They actually make cardboard cat scratchers in all kinds of shapes specifically for cats that like to shred cardboard. My cats like the chew and scratch on the cardboard scratchers, it helps at least a little with redirecting them away from things that I would rather they didn't destroy. I got brown paper as packing material in some of my packages for the holidays, and the kittens especially, loved tearing that up and throwing it around.

 

[glittercat]

Ah fab, thanks for the replies all.

Never really had any cats do this before and if anyone is going to get into a pickle, it's Feora!!

I do love this site, everyone is so helpful, even if it's just replying to ease any budding concerns.

Thank you

x

 

[ArtNJ]

I agree with the above, but sometimes they do only become chewers (of cords, cardboard, plastic or tape, depending on the cat) when really hungry or really bored, so it can be a signal of sorts. I had one cat where the link was crystal clear -- if he got too hungry, he would find some plastic, somewhere, no matter how much we tried to not leave any out.

 

[Jemima Lucca]

I too laugh thinking about my cats over the years and a lot of them were often bent on shredding paper, biting cardboard as well as scratching cardboard to pieces! Of course we have to be mindful of their safety but I believe it’s probably normal for them. I want to add, don’t let them get ahold of ribbon, it seems also common with cats. It is unsafe for cats!

 

[tabbytom]

Is it odd that one of my cats seems to really like shredding cardboard and paper?

It’s pretty normal for cats to do this. My boy likes to chew on cardboard boxes occasionally as I think he likes the perforated part as it gives a crunch when he bites into it.
He also likes to bite on the harder crisp plastic bags as it also gives a crunching sound to it.

 

[verna davies]

One of mine loves shredding the inside of cardboard boxes. I always give her any I have, keeps her entertained for hours.

 

[glittercat]

Cats are weird and wonderful

Actually, having thought, one of my Bengals was a chewer but his preference was the cords for the blinds, and we couldn't break the habit. I do also think he chewed through a cord for an aquarium lighting unit - how he didn't hurt himself I will never know.

Don't have any ribbon or string - well the only ribbon is on cat toys with fake feathers.

They all like to sit on crunchy noisy plastic bags etc but none of them tear at them, just Feora with the card and any post