"Understanding and Addressing Common Cat Behavior Problems"

"Understanding and Addressing Common Cat Behavior Problems"


Like humans, cats experience fear, pleasure, hunger, anxiety, frustration, and many other emotions that may affect their behavior. Several common kitty behaviors are seen as undesirable and can affect the quality of life for both owners and their pets. Fortunately, many of these behaviors can be corrected.

Why Do Cats Have Behavior Problems?

Cats tend to be mysterious, so discovering the cause of certain feline behaviors can be a challenge. To further complicate things, there’s not necessarily one single reason behind a particular behavior, and every cat has a distinct personality.

Vocalization:

Just as you finally drift off to sleep, your cat starts howling and crying loudly outside your bedroom door. This behavior is quite common among cats and can be perfectly normal for your feline friend. Cats are nocturnal creatures, similar to their wild ancestors, which means they might be more active during the night while you’re trying to rest. However, it could also indicate that something is amiss.

Howling in older cats can sometimes indicate senility. Breeds like the Siamese are naturally more vocal and may simply meow loudly at night to get your attention. Your cat might also be feeling bored during the night. If you hear daytime meows or howls, it could mean your cat is in pain. Cats that cry when using the litter box may be experiencing pain or discomfort while urinating or defecating. Other clear signs of distress, such as injuries from catfights or pinched tails, can also cause vocalizations. Sometimes, meowing, crying, or howling during the day is just a way for your cat to seek attention.

Scratching:

Cats scratch to establish their territory. If your cat is scratching things you’d rather it didn’t, you can redirect this behavior by offering scratching posts and other toys that are suitable for it to scratch.

Chewing:

While cats aren’t typically as heavy chewers as dogs, some can still cause significant damage with their teeth. Chewing in cats can result from boredom, aggression, nutritional deficiencies, teething in kittens, or being weaned too early. It may also just be a playful behavior or a preference for the texture or taste of the object.

Urinary Problems:

Cats can experience a range of urinary problems. Factors such as infections, inflammation, bladder stones, stress, tumors, and more can cause them to urinate outside the litter box, spray, or struggle to urinate. Tensions between cats or other pets, as well as changes in the household (like renovations, departures of family members, or the arrival of new ones), can also stress cats and contribute to litter box issues.

Aggression:

Cats can exhibit aggression towards other pets and people, which is a significant behavioral issue. This aggression may stem from stress and anxiety or from medical conditions that cause pain or hormonal changes in the cat.

Obsessive-Compulsive Licking:

Chronic licking in cats usually arises from pain or stress and anxiety. While all cats groom themselves, excessive licking can be a serious issue that requires prompt attention.

A cat experiencing pain might lick a specific area of its body until it becomes hairless and raw, which isn’t always directly related to the source of the pain. Similarly, a stressed or anxious cat may excessively lick its belly until it loses fur or overgroom other parts of its body.

How to Stop Behavior Problems:

While some behavioral issues may arise from a cat’s instincts, it’s important to first consult your vet to rule out any medical problems. If you believe your cat is unwell or in pain, seek veterinary assistance. Talk about options like supplements, medications, pheromones, special diets, and other strategies aimed at helping older cats or reducing excessive licking.

Once medical issues are addressed, you can work on discouraging specific behaviors, such as jumping on counters, or assist your cat in overcoming the underlying issues.

Excessive Vocalizations:

Giving your cat something to occupy itself while you sleep may help reduce nighttime howling. Additionally, increasing its exercise during the day can make it less active at night.

Cats might howl to express hunger, desire to go outside, or to be petted. How you respond to these vocalizations—such as giving in to its requests for treats—can reinforce this behavior, leading your cat to continue howling to get what it wants.

Unwanted Scratching:

Encourage your cat to use a scratching post by sprinkling catnip on it and positioning it in front of items you want to protect. Since cats have different preferences for fabrics and materials, you may need to experiment with scratching posts that feature various textures. If your cat isn’t fond of its current post, try options made from carpeting, rope, or corrugated cardboard.

In addition to scratching posts, you can use pheromones and nail caps regularly. Nail caps are small plastic coverings that are glued to your cat’s nails to help safeguard your furniture. Pheromones come in sprays, wipes, and diffusers to help soothe your cat and discourage scratching related to stress or anxiety.

Declawing—essentially an amputation—is a controversial procedure sometimes considered to prevent scratching. This irreversible surgery should be carefully researched and discussed with your veterinarian.

Problem Chewing:

If you’re worried about your cat’s chewing, consider the underlying causes to find a solution:

  • Ensure your cat is eating a nutritionally complete food that has the AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) seal on the packaging.
  • Consult your vet to rule out any dental issues.
  • Consider whether your cat may be directing its aggression towards the objects it chews. Products designed to reduce stress and anxiety, such as pheromones and supplements, might help curb aggressive behavior.
  • If boredom is a factor, provide safe toys for your cat to play with.
  • For cats that persistently chew on inappropriate items, you can use a bitter spray as a deterrent and cover small, hazardous items like electrical cords with protective plastic housing.

Litter Box Issues:

If you notice your cat straining or unable to urinate, it requires immediate veterinary attention. Various solutions, such as specialized litter, diets, pheromones, supplements, and medications, can assist with urinary behavioral issues in your cat. Once medical causes have been ruled out, it’s often a behavioral problem that needs to be addressed.

  • Make sure the litter box is kept clean, as cats are very particular about their toileting habits. Having too few litter boxes can also be a problem; the general guideline is to have one litter box for each cat plus one extra, with at least one box on each floor. For example, a household with one cat should have two boxes, while a two-cat household should have three.
  • Your cat might dislike the type of litter you’re using or find it too deep. Consider using less litter, switching to an unscented brand, or trying an alternative to standard clay litters.
  • In multi-cat households, ensure that one cat cannot see another while they’re using different boxes at the same time. Additionally, look for and try to eliminate potential stressors in your home. For instance, if an indoor cat becomes anxious seeing or hearing a cat outside, closing the curtains can help.

Aggressive Behavior:

Watch your cat for any triggers that lead to aggressive behavior. Identifying and removing these triggers is often the simplest way to manage aggression.

In many cases, your cat may need to learn to cope with the trigger. Pheromones, supplements, medications, and specialized diets can be beneficial. Additionally, providing your cat with energy-burning toys can help redirect its focus. Other straightforward solutions include placing dividers between food bowls and litter boxes.

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