Do your cats like to terrorize toilet paper or a box of tissues? Many cats such as the Bengal and the Abyssinian are highly active felines. They demand a lot of activities each day or they will attempt to find random things to do in the house in order to keep them entertained.
However, not everything they find interesting gets our approval. Cats love to play with toilet paper and tissues because they find excitement from unraveling a roll of toilet paper and shredding it into millions of confetti. With a box of tissues, they enjoy pulling them out and perhaps once they run out of tissues, they will proceed to fit their body into the box or anything imaginable.
Cats' curiosity and playfulness may cause you to replace certain items in the house. Though sometimes it is fun to see them turning a roll of toilet paper into smithereens, if they continue doing so, it can become troublesome. What's the explanation behind this kind of behavior?
(Video: Kittens Playing with Toilet Paper)
Cause:
Active cats such as Bengals and Abyssinians need plenty of exercise daily to keep up with their energy level. If they are bored, they will look for things to make their own fun with. Generally, cats that often find themselves tearing up household products are asking for more playtime and more stimulating games. You can redirect their energy to something else they can focus their attention to. Below are a few tips that may help you keep your toilet paper and tissues intact and away from their little paws:
Tissue boxes:
You can turn the tissue boxes upside down to block the entry from your cats, so they cannot sneak their little arm into the slot to snatch tissues.
Toilet Rolls:
In order to prevent your cats from unraveling a roll of toilet paper, one remedy is to install a toilet roll dispenser.
Use an aversive spray:
You can apply an aversive spray on a sheet of toilet paper or tissue, then cover it on top of a tissue box or a toilet paper roll. This will discourage your cat from going back. Bitter Apple is a great aversive spray that is completely harmless to cats. Cats hate the taste of it.
Use a cup of water:
You can even set up a trap by balancing a cup of water on a roll of toilet paper. When your cat comes to destroy your toilet paper, the cup of water will crash onto the floor, creating sounds that will startle your cat away. However, it is the splashing water that will ultimate discourage your cat from returning.
Lots of playtime and games:
The rule of thumb is cats need playtime and attention from their owners. A cat's boredom can get him to behave differently. A cat can forget about toilet paper or tissues very quickly if he is given a good amount of playtime and a few highly fun and interesting games.
Related Post:
Video: Kitten vs. Toilet Paper
Source:
the Cat Behavior Answer Book by Arden Moore