Daisy - the Shredder

[nurseangel]

I posted on her a few years back about how Daisy likes to shred.  I was thinking maybe it was a phase she would get over.  "Once a shredder, always a shredder," a member wisely told me.  And she told me true.  Daisy still loves to shred.  But I have noticed a suspicious tendency to her shredding of late.  Several months ago, I left one of my Game of Thrones books out.  Now I was absolutely enthralled with this book...she saw me reading it all the time.  I left it on the sofa by accident and found the cover in tatters the next morning.  An accident, I presumed.  Daisy is a shredder, after all.  A random coincidence, her choice of books.

Now I am reading The Goldfinch.  Daisy was sitting on my lap night before last and she started to bite at the corner of the book.  "No, no," I said gently.  She left it alone for the time.  I put the book in a safe place for the night.  The next night, I was reading. I got up to get myself a Sundrop and when I returned to the living room, the corner of my book was shredded.  Correction:  the corner of my book was in the process of being shredded.  I caught my good girl red-handed!  I gave her a little lecture without raising my voice.  Speck looked shocked; I had to assure him that I wasn't mad.  Daisy was nonplussed.  She didn't care if I was mad.  My little lectures are meaningless jabber that she can, and does, tune out.

There are plenty of books available at my house for the shredding.  I am avid reader.  There are books everywhere.  DH maintains that she shredded this particular book because she is jealous.  I wonder, did that one book look especially tasty?  Is she not a fan of Donna Tartt?  (Maybe she read The Secret History; that would explain a lot.)  Or is like DH said, she is jealous because I am paying so much attention to that book?  

 

[jcat]

I know I shouldn't laugh, but ....LOL. That's a phenomenon I've witnessed a lot with dogs, and although jealousy seems like a logical explanation, it's more likely that your scent is fresh and strong on whatever book you're reading at the moment, making the object more interesting.

 

[misterwhiskers]

Lol!! Glad my phone isn't alive, because f my cat heard me talking to it while I'm in bed, he tries to smother it later. Can't find phone? Look under the cat. As for shredding, he's got the biggest teeth I've seen in a cat, so let's no give him any ideas!!

 

[nurseangel]

She sees...she watches...she waits...she shreds!  

Okay, that looks more like she brushes her teeth...but you get the idea.  

 

Come to think of it, she lays on the phone, too.  And the remote for the TV.  What's really going on?

 

[raysmyheart]

I know I shouldn't laugh, but ....LOL. That's a phenomenon I've witnessed a lot with dogs, and although jealousy seems like a logical explanation, it's more likely that your scent is fresh and strong on whatever book you're reading at the moment, making the object more interesting.

I thought this too about the scent.   I wonder if she is marking territory or want you close to her.

  My Raylene who has passed 

was a shredder.  She loved to shred the corners off of newspapers I was reading.  Then there was her occasional shredding of something of a different nature, like my birth certificate (with official seal from 1961) 

I couldn't stop laughing because of all the papers on the table that day, she had to choose my birth certificate!!

This is such an interesting thread and now has me watching Speedy.  She does not shred, but loves to jump continuously on the keyboard (and I have to delete her entries 

) only when I am engrossed in the computer.  

The interesting thing is how Daisy waits for you to get up!   

 

[cat nap]

I too shouldn't laugh...but I cannot help it.  It's the way you describe "Daisy the shredder"...of Book Covers of certain authors that she may find "not a great read".

  I would be interested in a whole list of Daisy's "two paws down"....Not worth it....or "perfect to chew on" book list.

    (though I guess this would have to go in a separate book thread or something.) 

Sadly, I only listen to audio-books...and cannot quite seem to finish any of the books I start in the summers.  (I need to learn how to speed- read...I think.)

@nurseangel   I really think what is in order here...is a fully Scientific Experiment.  But I cannot remember how you are supposed to keep the "controls"...in the experiment.

I do think it might be your hand scent as well...maybe some hand lotion?...but since your "little lectures" have no effect on Daisy...and your other cat Speck pays attention...then it might be she just enjoys it...and you'll have to invent some special book covers...like my sister makes from ordinary paper...to deter Daisy the Shredder of only Books being Read.  (though...paper with your scent on it...would not work either.  I cannot think of any material that would not be harmful to a cat...if they chewed on it.) 

I would be curious...if you had left 3 books out ...but within the same distance from Daisy...if she would choose the most recent one. 

   But then you'd have to get your DH scent on one...and mask the scent on the third.  I don't know....Science is hard work.  Good Luck. 

(Hey...it could be worse...Daisy could have chosen to chew the last few pages...and that would be truly awful.) 

 

 

 

[raysmyheart]

 
I too shouldn't laugh...but I cannot help it.  It's the way you describe "Daisy the shredder"...of Book Covers of certain authors that she may find "not a great read".

  I would be interested in a whole list of Daisy's "two paws down"....Not worth it....or "perfect to chew on" book list.

    (though I guess this would have to go in a separate book thread or something.) 

Sadly, I only listen to audio-books...and cannot quite seem to finish any of the books I start in the summers.  (I need to learn how to speed- read...I think.)

@nurseangel   I really think what is in order here...is a fully Scientific Experiment.  But I cannot remember how you are supposed to keep the "controls"...in the experiment.

I do think it might be your hand scent as well...maybe some hand lotion?...but since your "little lectures" have no effect on Daisy...and your other cat Speck pays attention...then it might be she just enjoys it...and you'll have to invent some special book covers...like my sister makes from ordinary paper...to deter Daisy the Shredder of only Books being Read.  (though...paper with your scent on it...would not work either.  I cannot think of any material that would not be harmful to a cat...if they chewed on it.) 

I would be curious...if you had left 3 books out ...but within the same distance from Daisy...if she would choose the most recent one. 

   But then you'd have to get your DH scent on one...and mask the scent on the third.  I don't know....Science is hard work.  Good Luck. 

(Hey...it could be worse...Daisy could have chosen to chew the last few pages...and that would be truly awful.) 

 

 

I think this experiment would be very interesting.  I am intrigued by what goes on in cat minds. 

 

[cat nap]

 
I think this experiment would be very interesting.  I am intrigued by what goes on in cat minds. 

So am I.  And I love how I'm learning new things here, always.

I would never think our cats watch us...as we watch them.  Your point of how Daisy waits until nurseangel gets up and leaves the room is very interesting.  It's not like Daisy is obsessed with chewing the book while it's being read...but smartly waits...and then has a go.

I also love that the other cat Speck...does seemed shocked. 

Amazing the different cat personalities...and what mischief they can cause.

 

 

 

 

[csts]

I woke up this morning and found that Sakura shredded the toilet paper for the second time this week (and only the second time ever). She seems to only do it while I and my husband are asleep. It's like cats know that they're doing something bad, so they wait to do whatever they're going to do at the best time they think they won't get caught. It's funny how they think, "No, stop!" is conditional, like it really means "you can't do that in front of me, but it's totally okay if you do it when I'm not looking." Sakura also likes to dig Charvone's food out of his bowl and then eat it, like she thinks "Hey, it's not in his bowl anymore, so it's fair game now!" Cat logic...

 

[nurseangel]

 
I thought this too about the scent.   I wonder if she is marking territory or want you close to her.

  My Raylene who has passed 

was a shredder.  She loved to shred the corners off of newspapers I was reading.  Then there was her occasional shredding of something of a different nature, like my birth certificate (with official seal from 1961) 

I couldn't stop laughing because of all the papers on the table that day, she had to choose my birth certificate!!

This is such an interesting thread and now has me watching Speedy.  She does not shred, but loves to jump continuously on the keyboard (and I have to delete her entries 

) only when I am engrossed in the computer.  

The interesting thing is how Daisy waits for you to get up!   

Your birth certificate, yikes!  

 
I too shouldn't laugh...but I cannot help it.  It's the way you describe "Daisy the shredder"...of Book Covers of certain authors that she may find "not a great read".

  I would be interested in a whole list of Daisy's "two paws down"....Not worth it....or "perfect to chew on" book list.

    (though I guess this would have to go in a separate book thread or something.) 

Sadly, I only listen to audio-books...and cannot quite seem to finish any of the books I start in the summers.  (I need to learn how to speed- read...I think.)

@nurseangel   I really think what is in order here...is a fully Scientific Experiment.  But I cannot remember how you are supposed to keep the "controls"...in the experiment.

I do think it might be your hand scent as well...maybe some hand lotion?...but since your "little lectures" have no effect on Daisy...and your other cat Speck pays attention...then it might be she just enjoys it...and you'll have to invent some special book covers...like my sister makes from ordinary paper...to deter Daisy the Shredder of only Books being Read.  (though...paper with your scent on it...would not work either.  I cannot think of any material that would not be harmful to a cat...if they chewed on it.) 

I would be curious...if you had left 3 books out ...but within the same distance from Daisy...if she would choose the most recent one. 

   But then you'd have to get your DH scent on one...and mask the scent on the third.  I don't know....Science is hard work.  Good Luck. 

(Hey...it could be worse...Daisy could have chosen to chew the last few pages...and that would be truly awful.) 

 

 

Daisy leaves Gillian Flynn, author of Gone Girl, Dark Places, and Sharp Objects alone. Yet she attacks Donna Tartt and George R.R. Martin with a vengeance...or their books, anyway.  Now the characters in Donna Tartt's books often love cats, but Daisy wouldn't be swayed by this.  You might be shocked, but Daisy can be a little rude to cats.  Just tonight, Rue ate some of Daisy's strawberries.  (Daisy loves strawberries, she went wild the first time we brought a basket of strawberries home and set them on the counter.  Finally, we gave her one just to prove that she wouldn't like it.  She ate it.)  Daisy walked in the kitchen, smelled the air, and immediately knew  Rue had eaten some strawberries.  So Daisy draped herself all over the strawberries to guard them.     

 
I think this experiment would be very interesting.  I am intrigued by what goes on in cat minds. 

I shall have to do an experiment.  I, too, am fascinated by what I call "cat politics".  This mostly went with the personal dynamics of the first group of five cats, who have sadly long since crossed the Bridge. I wondered:  why did this cat like that cat, who liked these three cats, but not this other cat, who was afraid of this one cat, but not the one that everybody else was intimidated by?  The book choices sort of work along the same lines.

 
So am I.  And I love how I'm learning new things here, always.

I would never think our cats watch us...as we watch them.  Your point of how Daisy waits until nurseangel gets up and leaves the room is very interesting.  It's not like Daisy is obsessed with chewing the book while it's being read...but smartly waits...and then has a go.

I also love that the other cat Speck...does seemed shocked. 

Amazing the different cat personalities...and what mischief they can cause.

 

 

 

I am hard to stick when it comes to drawing my blood.  I don't have much going for me in the vein department.  A nurse at the doctor's office was trying to draw my blood, but she couldn't get it.  After a few unsuccessful attempts, she asked the doctor.  He came over and started looking at my hands.  Well, having blood drawn from your hand hurts, and I knew that was exactly what he was planning to do.  "No, no," I said, without thinking. He got himself a dose of that cat discipline.  

 
I woke up this morning and found that Sakura shredded the toilet paper for the second time this week (and only the second time ever). She seems to only do it while I and my husband are asleep. It's like cats know that they're doing something bad, so they wait to do whatever they're going to do at the best time they think they won't get caught. It's funny how they think, "No, stop!" is conditional, like it really means "you can't do that in front of me, but it's totally okay if you do it when I'm not looking." Sakura also likes to dig Charvone's food out of his bowl and then eat it, like she thinks "Hey, it's not in his bowl anymore, so it's fair game now!" Cat logic...

Yeah, "no" must be a very subjective word in cat language... 

 

[cat nap]

Originally Posted by nurseangel  
.....

.....

Daisy leaves Gillian Flynn, author of Gone Girl, Dark Places, and Sharp Objects alone. Yet she attacks Donna Tartt and George R.R. Martin with a vengeance...or their books, anyway.  Now the characters in Donna Tartt's books often love cats, but Daisy wouldn't be swayed by this.  You might be shocked, but Daisy can be a little rude to cats.  Just tonight, Rue ate some of Daisy's strawberries.  (Daisy loves strawberries, she went wild the first time we brought a basket of strawberries home and set them on the counter.  Finally, we gave her one just to prove that she wouldn't like it.  She ate it.)  Daisy walked in the kitchen, smelled the air, and immediately knew  Rue had eaten some strawberries.  So Daisy draped herself all over the strawberries to guard them.     

....
....
I am hard to stick when it comes to drawing my blood.  I don't have much going for me in the vein department.  A nurse at the doctor's office was trying to draw my blood, but she couldn't get it.  After a few unsuccessful attempts, she asked the doctor.  He came over and started looking at my hands.  Well, having blood drawn from your hand hurts, and I knew that was exactly what he was planning to do.  "No, no," I said, without thinking. He got himself a dose of that cat discipline.  

Oh, my....I had no idea that some cats liked fruit...and especially strawberries.  So not only is Daisy a Shredder,  and a Book Critic, but also some sort of Fruit bowl Security Guard.  What a cat character.

 

 

Daisy is not a fan of Donna Tartt...but it cannot be because of the characters who 'often love cats'...So it must be the 'cats in the books' that she finds to be unrealistic.  Could be in direct competition to a proper portrayal of what a real cat like Daisy...is like.  Hmm...that is difficult to answer.  My guess is that she just plain did not like one of those fictional cats. 

 

  (I might just have to read some of this material, to be sure.)

I cannot believe that you automatically went into 'cat lecture mode'...with the doctor.  I would have loved to see his face. 

(You're right, the hand and fingers, do hurt more when blood is drawn from there, or needles are stuck in but not every time...so I blame the needle or the day)  Though, your method of using a 'dose of cat discipline'...would be a lot more enjoyable in this situation.  I hope they did not write up a whole string of things in the chart...while you were there.  Daisy would have been proud.  

 

 

[cat nap]

 
I woke up this morning and found that Sakura shredded the toilet paper for the second time this week (and only the second time ever). She seems to only do it while I and my husband are asleep. It's like cats know that they're doing something bad, so they wait to do whatever they're going to do at the best time they think they won't get caught. It's funny how they think, "No, stop!" is conditional, like it really means "you can't do that in front of me, but it's totally okay if you do it when I'm not looking." Sakura also likes to dig Charvone's food out of his bowl and then eat it, like she thinks "Hey, it's not in his bowl anymore, so it's fair game now!" Cat logic...

Oh, this story is so observant and so true.  I agree with both you and 'nurseangel'...."no" must have some magical time limit that expires...when our cats think so.

( @CStS ...Now that is a good idea for a thread..."Cat Logic...or Why Your Loving Cat Can Try to Get Away With Bending the Rules"...or "Cat Logic and Cat Loopholes") 

So cute that Sakura finds that if the cat food is not in Charvone's bowl...then it must be allowable to eat, and if humans are not watching, they really won't mind the mess.  Sounds like great 'cat logic' to me, too.

 

 

[nurseangel]

Maybe Daisy did not like that in The Little Friend, the sweet fictional cat was named Weenie.   I think it's a cute name; but since Daisy didn't even like her own name for the longest time, so that could be the problem.   She would switch her tail and put those ears back whenever we said her name.  She knew we were calling her Daisy...and it made her furious.  

 

[raysmyheart]

Speedy is not a paper shredder, but she does like to put her claws through bananas.  She doesn't eat them, just claw marks.

 

[catlover73]

My hubby found a video on You Tube about how to make a toilet paper cover out of 2 liter pop bottles.  We have them in all our bathrooms right now and no more shredded tp.  My 2 youngest would shred entire rolls of tp before we did this.  They are not destroying anything else in my house after this was done.

 

[cat nap]

 
Maybe Daisy did not like that in The Little Friend, the sweet fictional cat was named Weenie.   I think it's a cute name; but since Daisy didn't even like her own name for the longest time, so that could be the problem.   She would switch her tail and put those ears back whenever we said her name.  She knew we were calling her Daisy...and it made her furious.  

(Note to Self : Do not be drinking any beverages while reading "Daisy the Shredder" thread.)

  So it may be the 'cute cat names' that Daisy objects to.  From your description of ears back, tail swishing...yes...it's entirely possible. (I hope you write a book about Daisy....who cares about all these other authors...who cannot even seem to pass the Daisy Editorial Review.)  I'm not sure if Daisy would participate willingly, though, she sounds a little 'high maintenance'.  Probably demand the same type of treatment that movie-stars get.

 
Speedy is not a paper shredder, but she does like to put her claws through bananas.  She doesn't eat them, just claw marks.

@raysmyheart    Did you get the latest "Kitty Bytes Newsletter" from TCS?   In "Kitty Bytes" this month, it links to the Cat Site Facebook page, and there, you have to watch a hilarious cat video about 'cats and bananas'.  I guarantee, that it will have you laughing, and wondering about bananas and cats.  Speedy might just be watching it on the side.

 
My hubby found a video on You Tube about how to make a toilet paper cover out of 2 liter pop bottles.  We have them in all our bathrooms right now and no more shredded tp.  My 2 youngest would shred entire rolls of tp before we did this.  They are not destroying anything else in my house after this was done.

@catlover73    This is an excellent idea for protecting soft toilet paper.  I had to google it, but only found 'cat toilet paper covers' with images. 

@nurseangel   I did not come across any 'cat proof book covers'...so if you do invent one...you maybe could make millions of dollars.  Of course, it would have to pass Daisy's inspection, first...and seeing as many things are going all digital...perhaps 'millions' is a bit too high of an expectation.  (on second thought, not a good idea...since could be losing money.)

 

[jcat]

My hubby found a video on You Tube about how to make a toilet paper cover out of 2 liter pop bottles.  We have them in all our bathrooms right now and no more shredded tp.  My 2 youngest would shred entire rolls of tp before we did this.  They are not destroying anything else in my house after this was done.

That is definitely something I have to look at. Mogli shreds a couple of rolls a week.

 

[raysmyheart]

That is definitely something I have to look at. Mogli shreds a couple of rolls a week.

If toilet paper rolls were reintroduced as a the newest cat toy, with a big advertising campaign of hours of great fun, maybe shredding of rolls would go way down.  Books also, maybe a Daisy brand.  Somehow, I feel very guilty about outsmarting a cat in this manner.  

 

[csts]

I tried flipping the roll to where the paper comes out under instead of over but that didn't work. I don't have any empty plastic bottles on hand, but I did get a idea for a temporary fix for the time being. I booby-trapped the toilet paper by putting some tomato soup cans I'd been saving (for a tomato soup can-cake recipe) on top of the roll. Now if she tries anything, the cans should fall off and clatter loudly on the floor. So far she's stayed away; maybe she doesn't like the smell of the cans.

On another note, I think I will make a thread on Cat Logic. Hehehe.

 

[ahlysha]

I have a cat that will hunt toilet paper. He gets it off the back off the toilet and runs off with it.When I find it,it has bite and claw marks.
Your shredder cat is indeed, a character. I also named my cat shudder or Smaug.