CATS AND TOILET PAPER – It is well known to all cat owners that their pets love to tear toilet paper into the smallest pieces, as well as to spread it all over the house. This behavior is especially pronounced in small kittens and you must have wondered why cats do it.
Cats and their claws
Domestic cats do not need to use their claws for hunting, but they still have the same hunting instincts as their wild relatives. When a cat walks on a flat surface, its claws are retracted because it does not need them as when climbing. Also, scratching various surfaces is a great way to mark the territory. In this way, cats stretch their back muscles and do a “manicure” at the same time. The pads on the paws have a characteristic smell that they emit, which is specific to each cat, so the cat actually leaves its imprint on that surface by scratching. In addition, cats claws are of course used for defense, and cats, because of their character, see a possible threat everywhere, but also an opportunity to play.
Destroying toilet paper – bad behavior or natural instinct?
Even if you shorten the claws of your four-legged pet, its urge to scratch cannot be completely suppressed. As she grows up and gets used to living indoors, the cat will not automatically become calm, but will only find it a little harder to express its wild side. This applies to toilet paper, but also to carpets, rugs, upholstered furniture and all other surfaces that can be used to sharpen claws.
Why toilet paper?
The first reason is certainly the possibility to get into the bathroom unhindered, because most cat owners keep the litter right in the bathroom. When they are dragged into the bathroom, they will have the opportunity to make confetti unhindered until you catch them and prevent them. Another reason is probably that the act of destroying toilet paper reminds them of hunting. Cats feel a kind of pleasure when they hold something in their paws that their “attack” reduces and changes their appearance. Such physical changes give the cat a signal that its hunt is successful. The third reason is that toilet paper can remind them of a bird, rodent or fish they caught. For the same reason, they like to destroy toys, cardboard boxes and similar items.
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