Solutions to Cat Behavior Problems
The most frequent complaint I hear about cat behavior problems is that of not using a litter box properly; problems as minor as an isolated incident such as not making it to the litter box on time, or as major as using dozens of different places around the house to serve as a place for the cat to relieve itself.
Places that sometimes include the kid's toy box, on top of your bed, or in the middle of the living room floor.
Ugh! When your cat starts exhibiting behavior problems, it's time to ask yourself some questions.
1.
Could your cat's behavior problems be due to illness? Illness should always be considered if there is an abrupt change in any animal's behavior.
Does he move in any unusual way, drink much more or less water than usual, seem listless, object to being handled, or refuse food? Any of these could be signs of illness and could be at the bottom of a sudden behavior change.
2.
Have there been any changes in the cat's life? For example, have you recently moved, or had a new baby, or bought a new piece of furniture, or, as in the case above, set up a Christmas tree in the house? Has a member of the household moved away? Are you using a different brand of cat food or kitty litter? Is the cat spending more time alone due to an owner's new job? The answers to the above questions may pinpoint something that could very well be responsible for recently developed problem behaviors in your cat.
A friend of mine had a cat who exhibited model litter box behavior until the Christmas season every year.
Then, for several weeks, messy, smelly deposits were deposited in the Christmas tree, under the Christmas tree, and near the Christmas tree.
Talk about frustrated cat owners.
Even the children in the household were about ready to adopt the cat out when gaily wrapped presents with their names on them were mistaken for the litter box.
"Mistaken" is probably a poor word to use.
The cat, in this case, obviously knew where the real litter box was located as she had used it correctly for a number of years.
There was just something about Christmas that caused this abrupt change in behavior each December.
What we can learn from this cat's behavior and from most other instances of cat problem behavior is that there is usually a reason behind whatever a cat (or a human being) does.
Our job is to discover what that reason is, and then, if necessary, find a way to remove whatever it is that is causing the problem or to make the situation more acceptable.
In the case of the problem behavior of the cat I mentioned above, it was pretty easy to figure out that all the new trappings that appeared during the Christmas season roused their pet's instinct for marking the new territory that had suddenly presented itself.
Luckily, a simple solution to that particular problem was found.
The owner of the cat had read in a cat magazine, that most cats do not like the smell of citrus.
Wow.
What a simple solution to a maddening problem.
The family picked up a can of orange-scented room deodorizer at the local grocery store, sprayed it around the area of the living room where the tree was located, and the cat, whose name was Nibbles, couldn't be persuaded to go near it any more.
In fact, she avoided the whole room for the rest of the Christmas season.
The family now loves to tell how a can of orange deodorizer, not the Grinch, saved Christmas at their house.
Places that sometimes include the kid's toy box, on top of your bed, or in the middle of the living room floor.
Ugh! When your cat starts exhibiting behavior problems, it's time to ask yourself some questions.
1.
Could your cat's behavior problems be due to illness? Illness should always be considered if there is an abrupt change in any animal's behavior.
Does he move in any unusual way, drink much more or less water than usual, seem listless, object to being handled, or refuse food? Any of these could be signs of illness and could be at the bottom of a sudden behavior change.
2.
Have there been any changes in the cat's life? For example, have you recently moved, or had a new baby, or bought a new piece of furniture, or, as in the case above, set up a Christmas tree in the house? Has a member of the household moved away? Are you using a different brand of cat food or kitty litter? Is the cat spending more time alone due to an owner's new job? The answers to the above questions may pinpoint something that could very well be responsible for recently developed problem behaviors in your cat.
A friend of mine had a cat who exhibited model litter box behavior until the Christmas season every year.
Then, for several weeks, messy, smelly deposits were deposited in the Christmas tree, under the Christmas tree, and near the Christmas tree.
Talk about frustrated cat owners.
Even the children in the household were about ready to adopt the cat out when gaily wrapped presents with their names on them were mistaken for the litter box.
"Mistaken" is probably a poor word to use.
The cat, in this case, obviously knew where the real litter box was located as she had used it correctly for a number of years.
There was just something about Christmas that caused this abrupt change in behavior each December.
What we can learn from this cat's behavior and from most other instances of cat problem behavior is that there is usually a reason behind whatever a cat (or a human being) does.
Our job is to discover what that reason is, and then, if necessary, find a way to remove whatever it is that is causing the problem or to make the situation more acceptable.
In the case of the problem behavior of the cat I mentioned above, it was pretty easy to figure out that all the new trappings that appeared during the Christmas season roused their pet's instinct for marking the new territory that had suddenly presented itself.
Luckily, a simple solution to that particular problem was found.
The owner of the cat had read in a cat magazine, that most cats do not like the smell of citrus.
Wow.
What a simple solution to a maddening problem.
The family picked up a can of orange-scented room deodorizer at the local grocery store, sprayed it around the area of the living room where the tree was located, and the cat, whose name was Nibbles, couldn't be persuaded to go near it any more.
In fact, she avoided the whole room for the rest of the Christmas season.
The family now loves to tell how a can of orange deodorizer, not the Grinch, saved Christmas at their house.
