Close the bathroom door

@ljgfromof we would, but that's where the litterbox resides.

Close the door to the bathroom.

If you can't move the litterbox, then maybe keeping the toilet paper on a shelf out of the cat's reach will help.

OOPS, just read that you already tried that.

My cat used to do same thing while she was young. You could get a little storage basket with a lid and keep it next to the toilet with toilet paper rolls inside. Something similar to this: http://www.westelm.com/products/modern-weave-bath-storage-a774/?pkey=cstorage-organization-baskets

My hunch is your cat is bored. Most unwanted behaviors come from frustration. The quickest way I have found to nip a bad behavior in the bud is to play with my cat. Get him a new toy or pick out his favorite one and wear him out! Whenever you catch him heading for the toilet paper, distract him as quickly as you can with an alternative fun game. If you work outside the home and can't keep your eye on him, just plan on wearing him out before you leave or each night before bed. Pretty soon the toilet paper will be unexciting because he has better things to do and he isn't bored with pent up energy. (getting him a playful cat friend might do the trick too)
Good luck!

I would worry a lot more about sending guests into a bathroom with a litterbox. Yuck.

Could you put the TP in a clear, cat-proof container, say on the back of the toilet? Something where guests can see it. I'm thinking something acrylic.

My cat used to do this with paper towels.
I hid them while I was out of the house and would give him a firm "NO" if I caught him thinking of shredding it.
Pretty soon he lost interest and played with the many nip scented toys I got him.

Maybe keep the rolls in a glass cylinder by the toilet? Preferably one with a lid.

What about a thoroughly covered toilet paper holder, like this one? http://www.stacksandstacks.com/architect-toilet-paper-holder-stainless-steel-and-glass?id=176&sku=131966&utm_medium=shoppingengine&utm_source=googlebase

A lot of covered toilet paper holders have easy slots for your cat to get a hold of the paper, but the one I linked to seems pretty encased ...

Its kind of dentist office industrial ugly but you could try this: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/70174742

One of my cats is terrible about this! She will chew on the roll until her gums bleed and half the roll is wasted. We have 2 bathrooms and solved the problem in different ways in each. In the downstairs bathroom which is most used by guests we started spraying Feliway on the cardboard tube. The dispenser is one of those free-standing jobs, so the extra effort for her to reach it plus the Feliway took care of the problem. In the upstairs bath, I hide the TP in a drawer next to the toilet. It hasn't been a problem with guests who used that bathroom. When a person needs toilet paper, they will find it wherever you hide it in the bathroom. :P

He is so adorable I would probably let him have the occasional roll just to spoil him! At least he isn't tearing up the furniture and actually uses his cat box! Hang it from the ceiling just out of range for him and he can have pinata type fun!

Do you have a scratching post for your kitty? I totally agree with housebunny that it could be boredom. It sounds like your cat would like a tall scratching post that he can play with, maybe somthing attached at it to bat at. Another way would be to wrap the toliet paper roll with aluminum foil (which most cats don't like). Hopefully after awhile he will lose interest. Good luck!

Another similar covered toiler paper holder is one i got from IKEA
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/14380185

It seems to work to keep my cat from unraveling the toilet paper, we have them in all 3 bathrooms. But beware, it has sharp teeth, and my mother in law actually scraped her arm on it when she sat on the toilet and got a gnarly scab.

Scare your cat with the toilet paper, or associate it with something he dislikes, like going to the vet, taking a bath, or getting his claws trimmed. He'll never go near it again.

Our cat does the same thing, as well as tries to shred our towels. We keep the bathroom door shut. Can the litter box go somewhere else?

Toilet Paper wouldtotally fir in this!
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/00030262

Step 1: Record video of cat destroying toilet paper and post on YouTube.

Step 2: Buy the container and put little sticky feet on the bottom so it doesn't slide easy

Step 3: Make kitty a nifty litter box, Ikeahacker style

Step 4: Buy him some new kitty toys

Step 5: If all that fails, just go to Costco and buy an industrial size package of TP, put them all over the house, and see if he over does it and loses interest. (YouTube this too)

QueenOfTheFall.blogspot.com

He needs a job. I've got mice. Send him over.

Remove litterbox from bathroom.
Close Door.
Problem Solved.

Hey, everyone likes a good time.

Sorry, I got nothing.

There are so many toilet paper containers that close that should work--and still be obvious to guests.
I think moving the litter box is the best solution though--check this out:
http://www.pawshop.com/whcatliboxca.html
Obviously I would not use it as a nightstand, but it is unobtrusive.

You don't know it but your house smells of cat--cat litter box etc. Your closest friends will not tell you this. Take the litter box out of the bathroom and close the door. Squirt your cat with a water bottle if he tries it again. It sounds obvious, but you must train the cat. They CAN be trained.

Make a fabric toilet paper "cover." Something elasticized that wraps around the roll holder with a flap. And/or crochet a toilet paper cozy for the location on the tank top. These don't have to be granny like--make from linen or hemp. Guests will deduce where the tp is and kitty won't be able to get to it.

And, give kitty his own roll to shred every now and then and lots of appealing cat toys. And, he'll probably grow out of this. Mine did this for the first year + and now don't care about the tp or paper towels.

p.s.

Don't scare your cat to get him to desist in any behavior. It's not needed.

My one cat does that when he's either bored or irritated with me (usually after I refuse to turn the sink on for him to drink out of) If I see him do it (he likes to stare at me while he TPs my bathroom) I pick him up and bring him to his scratching mat to (try to) teach him where he SHOULD be scratching. Aside from that, I make certain he always has access to toys and other things to keep him entertained in addition to paying him specific attention for certain periods of the day. That seems to have helped! Good luck!

I think we're going to investigate the covered toilet paper options - starting with an empty tissue box and moving up from there.

We've tried moving the (cleaned daily) litterbox and keeping the bathroom closed. The former made no difference, and the latter is only effective if kept closed 100% of the time. It doesn't affect the bad habit, as he'll destroy a roll as soon as someone forgets to close the door. Keeping the door closed also results in mold and cold, since we have no exhaust fan and ineffective baseboard heating.

We have another cat, lots of toys, and two scratch boxes, so while we're not home during the day, he does have ample access to toys and a playmate.

Thanks for your suggestions and commiserations!

This is going to sound really mean, but if you catch your cat doing this, shove his face in the shreded toilet paper, then spank his butt. Obviously don't hurt your cat, but he will stay away.

or, move the litterbox, close the door.

you could try the toilet paper rolls like this one (with a metal flip cover over the top).

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.plumbersurplus.com/images/prod/1/Hans_42036000.jpg&imgrefurl=http://myemergencyplumber.org/hansgrohe-axor-starck-double-toilet-paper-holder,-chrome-(40836000)&usg=__zsqJfmnUoOkWI9nyj2epHcrCRg8=&h=345&w=345&sz=8&hl=en&start=16&zoom=0&tbnid=pf8hbeacBUZmSM:&tbnh=120&tbnw=120&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmetal%2Btoilet%2Bpaper%2Bholder%2Bwith%2Bcover%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1

obviously, this one is extremely expensive, but i'm sure you can find a more affordable option at a local hardware store or plumb supply place.

and be sure to face the toilet paper the OPPOSITE direction to make it less easy for him to sit in front of it and bat it to roll out more toilet paper. this helped with our cats.

How about putting the TP in a clear ziploc bag? Your guests will see it and be able to open it, but the cat won't, I think.

Sorry for your situation, but your story did give me a good giggle this afternoon. Gotta love obsessed kitties!

Could you use an empty tissue box or a plastic baby-wipe box so the end piece of toilet paper sticks out of the box? (If a tissue box is too small, maybe create a decoupage one with a box from the craft store... I see using photos of the cat all over it ;)

My office has the TP in a closed dispenser that only allows the last few pieces to hang down... perhaps you could find an office-quality dispenser? I'll check to see if the manufacturer name is visible later.
Good luck!

The most obvious solution is to move the litterbox and then be adamant on shutting the bathroom door. If you forget and kitty gets the toilet paper, then that's actually your fault not his.

If this is too much for you, here are other solutions. Lay a piece of tin foil on the back of toilet and sit the toilet paper there. Spray him with a water bottle anytime you catch him toying with the roll. Put the toilet paper in a see-through container with lid on the back of toilet - might want to warn guests in case they don't notice and then freak since there is no toilet paper on the roll.

Peppermint. Put a branch in the roll and see. Many cats hate mints, spearmint could work too.

You could use facial tissue instead...

I had the same problem with my cat, Mr. Sophie and after trying everything I was admitedly at my wits end when a rather unconvential option occured to me. I wrote a letter and posted it directly above the toilet paper. It read:

Dear Mr. Sophie,
Please refrain from unrolling the toilet paper. May I suggest chasing your tail for an alternate activity.

Thank you.

I am resigned to the fact that Soph's sudden change of behavior (he did indeed stop!!) was due to some other unseen factor but I prefer to believe that he just appreciated my being polite about it.

Change the location every week. If it takes him a few weeks to find the toilet paper, make it a moving target. (On the other hand...what a great cat.)

Try having a small accessible planter filled with cat grass -- a lot of chewing behavior in cats is because they instinctually crave grass to chew. My cat used to chew plastic bags -- he wouldn't eat them, just gnaw on them.

It is difficult to change cat behavior if your not home all day to deter him, so i agree with those who suggested a clear jar or container to keep the toilet paper in and providing other options.

Pick a drawer to be the designated TP drawer, mark the outside so your guests know, and get a babyproof attachment that only opposible thumbs can manipulate.

Oh cats just want to have fun,
That's all they really want.
You keep him in an apt.
He has to use his energy somehow.
He'll get old soon, and sleep all the time.

The problem with any kind of container is that you never know if your guests have washed their hands before putting the TP back into the container. Ick!!! Make sure the container is washable!

some people on this thread clearly do not have cats. in those situations, i am unsure how valuable your suggestions are.

Bored for sure. Different cats (like people) just seem to require different levels of stimulation. I'd check to see if he actually ever plays with the toys you have. A toy one will play with, the other won't touch. One I found accidently that really works with one of mine is the circle toy, chases a ball encassed in the plastic ring. Whenever she seems to leave it alone a bit, I sprinkle some catnip on it again, and she's back to it. Even in the middle of the night. Now that's annoying!

Get a dog.

My grandmother's cat was obsessed with toilet paper (up until his death at age 18 - it doesn't necessarily go away with age!). The solution she finally came up with was to put the paper in a nearby cabinet with a cheap child lock on the door - easy for guests to figure out but will hopefully foil the cat's efforts. Of course, this is assuming your bathrooms are small enough that you can reach one of the cabinets while you're sitting down - good luck!

@obleak1
Not everyone has a special spare room just for a litter box!

Still a nuisance, but maybe worth a try...
http://www.etsy.com/listing/56954737/beautiful-toilet-paper-cover
http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11590256&Ne=4000000&eCat=BC%7C50126%7C50130&N=4014759&Mo=102&No=64&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&cat=50155&Ns=P_Price%7C1%7C%7CP_SignDesc1&lang=en-US&Sp=C
http://www.bathroomfurnituredirect.com/Blomus-68592-RY1704.html

*Found this note from another suffering the same problem: I used a roll he had half way shredded, and wrapped it with clear packing tape, Sticky side out. And hung that on the roller. He was not amused when his little cat paws got stuck to the roll.. It still buys me about 2 weeks of no shredded paper every time I use it.

Melmac's solution, wrapping it in tape sticky side out, is sure to help. I would bait Basil with a roll like that, and try to introduce a new toy at the same time.

This is like NASA spending a billion dollars to develop an ink pen that would write "upside down" in space. The Russians just used a pencil.

Four words: Close the bathroom door.

The toilet paper problem was the only one I ever solved (from 'No More Naughty Kitties) - put an empty soda can on top of the roll. After the 2nd crash down (harmless to kitty) they learn.....although I did feel I was taking some joy out of his life

oops, didn't read reply #2.

Try moving the TP holder higher on the wall?

wow, some people on here really don't have cats. our cats used to shred the TP, but that's b/c it was directly above their litterbox and they were just trying to cover up. what worked for us was turning the way the TP hangs from overhand to underhand. sounds like yours is not so easily discouraged, though. do you think that a covered TP holder (a la - http://www.faucetdirect.com/grohe-40-367-accessories-single-post-tissue-holder-with-cover/p500690) would work? the metal flap may be heavy enough to deter shedding. alternately, i vote for a clear cylindrical vase...w/ a lid on it.

i would relocate the litter box so that you can keep the bathroom door closed.

I didn't read most of the responses, so I don't know if you have tried this or this was suggested. My cat, Mocha, used to do this. The way I solved this was to put an empty can (you can use a clean can from a canned good - not filled obviously or an empty tin) on top of the toilet paper roll. That way when Mocha tried to claw the toilet paper, the can would fall over and make a loud noise. It was effective in that after a few times, she quit clawing the toilet paper. It should not hurt your cat. As far as I can tell, it never hurt mine. It did stop her from shredding the toilet paper!

wrap the roll in a velcro type wrap, sort of nylon-ie flannel is what I used. Make sure it's white. Leave a piece hanging down. Then when your cat goes for it, claws get stuck and it's difficult to get out of it, for just a moment. If you take it off and put it on, at random, then your cat will be confused as to when it's the right stuff and give up. Worked like a charm for me....and it was a pain in the you know what problem!......especially right before guests would arrive at the door for dinner.

LEMON! Tie a lemon on a string and place it near - VERY near - the TP, or spray the whole area with pure lemon juice, just place lemon everywhere around the TP area. This deterred some badly behaved foster kittens from being on the couch, where they liked to pee.

Take a look at this blog. There might be good answers in it:
http://www.moderncat.net/
another is:
http://www.petconnection.com/

Whatever you do, please be kind. Cats don't respond well to being yelled at or humilated, etc. People who think it's acceptable 'training' shouldn't have pets.

Possible solutions:
1. keep the bathroom door closed with kitty inside. Once he's bored and released, he may stay away.
2. move the litter box and then keep the bathroom door closed.
3. buy a bidet and eliminate toilet paper

Do you have a basement? That is where I keep the litter boxes. I keep the door to the basement open at all times and I think it is much better aesthetically not to see the litter box when I'm in my place-- you know, living--- and I have alarms set to remind me to change the kitty litter biweekly. Solves a lot of problems.

Eat the cat- Pretty much anything can be made into passable taco meat with a little creative preparation.

Just want to agree with the people suggesting you shut the toilet paper away and give your cat some attention and something else to play with, and totally disagree with the people suggesting you scare your cat/squirt him with water/rub his face in the shredded paper/hit him. That's all cruel and will distress the cat. And even if you mean people recommending those things aren't bothered about the cat's well-being, when a cat is frightened or distressed it tends to do things like pee on floors, pull fur out all over the house, etc. So your suggestions would probably create worse problems. Work _with_ your cat here, not against him!

If you can't move the box, put the tp in something that is clear so people can see it, but he can't get into. He may outgrow the tendency, especially if it isn't within his vision all the time.

I also agree that he is probably bored and needs something to take his attention.

http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=329706.0

it is a cute, simple fabric toilet roll cover, that adjusts in size as the roll gets smaller. and the fabric can be anything, to match your decor.

It sounds weird but... a paper clip.

My cat did the same thing ever since we got him. We used to keep the door closed, but in our new, smaller place, that was the only place to put the litterbox. So we took a paper clip and clipped the free end of the toilet paper down. Eventually he learned that the toilet paper could not be unrolled and it was no longer fun. He no longer even touches it.

Of course that won't work if he shreds without unrolling first.

I also agree with those people advocating getting him more/more interesting toys. There are some great cat toys and puzzles now that require mental as well as physical activity.

My kitty does this! No amount of love, attention, training, or deterrents could stop her. So, we just keep the toilet paper in a cabinet.

I attached a toilet paper holder to the inside of our under-the-sink cabinet door. In our bathroom, if you open the cabinet door, you can reach it when you are seated. Otherwise, get just remove and replace the roll as needed.

obleak1- "I would worry a lot more about sending guests into a bathroom with a litterbox. Yuck."

Bathrooms are usually the logical places for litter boxes, as they are the only room in the house that most people spend very little time in, usually have tiled floors, and are next to a toilet for easy cleaning and scooping. Not everyone has multiple bathrooms or a laundry room they can put them in.

I'd rather spend 3 minutes in a persons bathroom and smell the litterbox for those 3 minutes then have to smell it in the living room or kitchen (yes, I've known people who keep them there) while we hang out.

If you burn a lot of CDs or DVDs and buy in bulk, say 100 at a time, try using the empty container that they come in. There is a central spindle that the cardboard tube in the roll will fit on, the container is transparent so guests can see what it contains and it locks so that cats can’t get to the contents. The super-sized rolls will not fit so this solution will only work for a small roll. It’s not elegant but problem solved.

Alternatively, special metal containers with a lid are made to store additional rolls and can be kept near the toilet. Again the cats cannot get to the toilet paper, but these containers do cost money.

Good luck and lots of sympathy.

hey now, what's wrong with a litterbox in the bathroom? Guests are already going in there to crap in a ceramic bowl of water, they should be able to handle seeing a plastic box full of clean sand. I can't think of a better place: The kitchen next to the cooking space for the cat to walk all over? The dining room where you eat? The living room where the guests will be spending the most time? Next to your bed where you sleep and be intimate? The hallway where you trip and send scat and sand in all directions?

Stop buying salmon flavored tp. Problem solved.

http://www.bellacor.com/results.cfm?Ntt=toilet%20paper%20cover&Ns=P_hvhmIndex&Nso=0

Hang the rolls from the ceiling with fishing line, which will also serve to distract your guests from the litter box at their feet. Besides, just about everyone forgives cat people for being a little bit crazy. It's expected even. So don't disappoint.

Or you could purchase a decorative birdcage - seems like I've seen one with a hinged lid - and store the tp in that. You could sit it on the floor or hang it from the ceiling. The cognitive dissonance caused by the imagery of a cat litter box near a birdcage will also stimulate the bowel.

Or you could provide each guests with their own roll of tp, but tell them that it's their responsibility to keep up with it while also hiding it from the kitty. It might even become a get-together game, like charades but more challenging. That way you could just keep your personal tp locked away safely in a closet, take it out only when you need, and put it back after every use.

Do not get one of those hideous public restroom contraptions that someone here suggested, or anything that remotely invokes a high school restroom. No one wants to be reminded of that. Especially while they're looking at the litter box.

And whatever you do I just don't see the need in spraying your cat with a squirt gun over this, or rubbing its face in the shredded tissue, or spanking it or any of that nonsense. Whoever does this over shredded toilet paper needs to recalibrate, and channel that hostility elsewhere. It's not like the cat is chewing on your Manolos.

Or just ditch the tp in favor of baby wipes.

Gee I wish I had your problem. My cats have shredded the couch and are now working on the box spring of the bed. Scratching posts galore, sticky paws tape on everything. I give up. I love my cats more than my furniture.

@melle, thank you!

A litterbox doesn't necessarily have to be in a bedroom, kitchen, or living room just because you don't have it in the bathroom. There are better places.

If you have a washer and dryer hookup and the cat won't try to get at the cords, try placing a litterbox there and just leave the door opened partially. I have had a cat - they don't need much space.

Another option is if you have a hallway closet you store linens in. Use the bottom for the litterbox and buy some plastic containers to store the linens in (unless you don't mind the smell of cat pee on your stuff). Again just leave the door partially opened.

One person I know has the litterbox in her closet. The closet has sliding doors and she has just learned to leave one side open. She cleans the litterbox daily so there isn't a problem with smell.

one more idea from me...

have you tried a different brand of TP?

cats seem to have very specific likes/dislikes and detect scents, etc that we don't ... maybe the brand you're using is attractive scent/texture/flavor/feel because of how it's manufactured, who knows ... (though probably just fun to play with!). Trying a different brand might do the trick.

This thread is hilarious.

Some observations...

You can put a litter box inside a larger box with a cat flap and then use that as a seat, table, "landing strip", or whatever in another room -- preferably as far from the eating zone as possible. (I have one in the "library" which is a trunk that serves as a window seat. People rarely notice the cat flap, and the hinged top makes daily scooping easy. Mine is big enough for two litter boxes. It's only smelly when in actual use, but that's mainly because I get good litter.)

My cat likes to bite through PACKAGED TP and paper towels. I presume the texture of the plastic wrapper and the softness of the paper resembles biting prey. We can't leave new products out or he bites them to the extent it's hard to unroll the sheets! Leaves paper on the rod alone, though.

Not a great idea to scoop even flushable clumping litter into toilets, unless you like clogging up the system. (If you don't use clumping litter, you can ignore that.)

I keep imagining a glass bell jar covering a roll of TP. They are heavy, antique, cool looking, and unlikely to appeal to a cat. If you have a convenient flat surface it might be a place for your TP. (And washable, for the squeamish.)

Get a Toto washlet, and ditch the TP.

Or save a few hundred bucks and get a new cat.

@spots LOL!!! hilarious

George II does this, we solved the problem by installing the TP underhanded and using a clothes pin clipped to the top sheets. at most he only pulls the sheets that are hanging below.

I have a cat and she's adorable and a bit of a brat so but she doesn't do this. Still I read the suggestions because they were hi-larious!

Positive reenforcement's virtually always the best way to train pets. Hitting them trains them only to fear you. Distraction and adding mental and physical challenges are good. A tired pet is a good pet.

Put some kind of citrus scented oil on the inside of the roll. Cats hate citrus. I have no idea if this would work, just an idea.

You can deter cats from going to an area with a nubbly mat. Cheap clear no-slip car and rugs mats have little plastic nubs on the bottom so if you turn it upside-down, the cat doesn't like to walk on it. This is commonly used to teach kittens not to go on the stove while it's off so they won't burn themselves later. Maybe you could put some under the holder - he won't want to stand on it to play with the TP.

People, it's just a cat, an animal. Had a cat like this once. My wife would never let me discipline the thing so I got rid of both of them. Well, actually they both left after I hooked the electric fencer up to the TP holder. I thought it was a great Idea. Works great on the cows but I did not tell her in time. The fencer will do the job though. Not as bad as a bug zapper, but cats will never go near the TP roll twice. Another solution that I had not seen anyone mention yet - Put the dang cat outside, remember? cat / animal = outside..... duh? Think I'm cruel? I would never put a litter box in a small room that is not vented AND has mold from high humidity (see previous posts), then force folks who are in dire stress to occupy???? C'mon people, THINK!

put a scratching post next to the TP holder. Once the cat starts using it move it a little bit further away each week until it's out of the bathroom. Worked for me.

Go to old part of town where the old factories were, back in the day. Find one with the old smoke stack still intact. Climb up to the top with cat, and drop cat in.... problem solved