Cat behavior can at times prove intriguing and irritating. Your
cat behaves in an extraordinary fashion only because of some
special cause. There are never any bad cats. It is only that
your cats are trying to inform you about something, probably,
which you are unable to understand.
Therefore, train your cat right from the start and pay attention to its behavior patterns to understand what your cat wants to
convey.
Attention-Seeking Behavior
Cats could sometime howl incessantly and at odd times. It
could also meow or cry loudly. Or it could keep going round
your legs. It could try inappropriate scratching on furniture or carpets. Often such attention seeking behavior is due to stress
or anxiety. Such emotions could be due to a recent change of
residence, your new baby or pets in your home, your
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prolonged absence from home, or aggression or sickness of
another cat.
An old cat howling in the middle of the night may be due to
growing senility with increased deafness. Sometimes, cats
race around the house rolling fur on their back. See your vet
to confirm if it is due to Rippling Skin Disorder or feline
hyperesthesia. Veterinarians suggest simple dietary changes
coupled with medication for eradication of fleas and toxins. A
regular exercise program can bring marked behavioral
changes in your cat.
Cats asking for your attention would keep going round your
legs. Insistent meowing is also another form of getting vocal
with you. Schedule some time to sit and talk to your cat. It
will meow back and soon would be happy talking to you. Make
it a routine and your cat will mostly stop meowing and wait for
the specific time to come. Similarly, inappropriate scratching is a form of getting your attention.
Incessant meowing could also be due to pain. In case of
excessive stress or anxiety, veterinarians might suggest anti-
anxiety drugs, (tranquilizers used to relieve anxiety and
reduce tension and irritability).
Aggressive Behavior towards People
Aggression in cats towards people could take the form of
biting, fighting, or scratching. Some cats behave aggressively
due to inadequate training as a kitten. Biting and scratching
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are natural instincts of a cat. Right from the start, you should teach your kitten or cat that your hand is not a toy for
scratching or biting.
The most effective way to instill discipline is to hold your cat by the scruff of the neck, push downwards, and utter a firm
‘No’. This mimics similar disciplinary action by the mother cat
in its childhood. You can release your hold after few seconds.
This incident stays in its memory for a long time.
Bored cats also resort to aggressive behavior. Provide a new
and interesting toy. Sometimes excessive petting could
stimulate your cat. You may not pay attention to its feelings
expressed through pulled back ears and narrowed eyes. It
could be also due to hormonal imbalances, unnoticed wounds,
or distress due to fleas and mites. Veterinarians could suggest
simple remedies for these problems.
Aggression towards Other Cats
Cats within the same household could behave aggressively at
times.
Play fighting or aggression between related and unrelated kittens and cats is normal. Their natural survival instinct
induces them to be predative and stalk other cats. On a
playful note, one will pounce on the other and it will continue
into a repetitive process. Although, this is harmless in the
short term, it could establish the pecking order, if this play
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continues for too long; it could lead to severe aggression with
scratching sessions.
Sexual Aggression is easily identifiable. One cat would try to mount another with hip thrusting movements and bite at the
nape of the other cat’s neck. Try hissing at the cat. Your
action should be gentle yet firm. This should cause your
aggressor cat to be in a subservient posture for some time. It
could roll over. The victim cat would move away whining.
Territorial Aggression could erupt suddenly between cats of the same sex or different sex. This aggression is normally
through territorial marking or urine spraying. Normally, the
aggressor cat would attack other cats with laid-back ears,
straight posture, hissing, and growling. The victim cat would
move away submissively accepting the social hierarchy.
Sometimes, the victim cat will refuse to accept this and
serious fighting could ensue.
The best way to deal with this is to separate the two cats
physically and keep them in separate places so that they do
not come across one another. Be careful while separating
them, as they may not recognize you in their fight and you
could suffer injuries. Separation could be for few hours or
days. The cats later find ways of settling scores between
themselves. They may even forget the incident.
In serious cases, your veterinarian could suggest medications
like Buspirone, Amitriptyline, or Valium. Feliway Plug-In
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releases pheromones into the atmosphere to calm aggressive
cats.
Chewing Incidents by Cats and Kittens
Cats and kittens engaging in destructive chewing could cause
a lot of harm to your possessions and health of your pet.
Chewing could be gnawing at furniture, computer cords,
electrical wiring, and other things. Chewing could be due to
boredom, simple curiosity, nutrient deficiency, or teething in
kittens. You can provide lot of different toys and playthings for your cats and kittens to relieve them of boredom. You could
give them self-exploring cat towers, tunnel shaped cardboard
boxes, or wall or mounted toys.
Chewing on electrical cords could cause instances of choking,
electrical shocks, and even death. Discourage such action by
making all electrical cords and wires inaccessible to your feline pets. You can cover all cords with pre-split hollow tubing or try using corrugated tubing. Apply various rows of double-sided
sticky tape around any cord tangles.
Spray bitter apple spray on your cords to prevent such
chewing incidents by your cats.
Cats could chew on houseplants, some of which are poisonous
for them. Remove such plants or spray them with bitter apple
spray. Some cats chew on leather and fabrics. You can try
hiding these chewable favorites or spray bitter apple spray on
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kittens to chew on while their teeth come in. Plastic drinking
straws prove to be an ideal chewing plaything for kittens and
adult cats alike.
Cats and Their Destructive Scratching
Claws prove to be the greatest weapon of a cat. It is their
natural instinct to scratch claws against hard surfaces like
furniture and carpet sheaths. This is to sharpen their claws
and remove a transparent sheath that grows over their claws
restricting free movement of the claws. Additionally, it tones
the shoulders and back muscles of your cat. Yelling or physical
punishment of your cat for this behavior only causes
confusion. Instead, use simple remedial measures to protect
your furniture and allow your cat to scratch.
Build a few sturdy vertical scratching posts and cover with a
hard material like sisal. Put them around the common
scratching places in your house. Play around this new post for
some time and soon your cat would recognize and use it as an
ideal scratching post. Give small rewards to your cat for using
this post. This refrains cats from going to other scratching
options.
Another way of discouraging unwanted behavior is to spray
your furniture with citrus-scented spray. You can spray a little water on your cat when you catch him in the act. Otherwise,
place some aluminum foil on couch arms and sides. Similarly,
stick double-sided stickers around your furniture to prevent
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cats from venturing anywhere there. Shake a can with a few
pennies the moment you notice your kitten or cat scratching
at some forbidden place. Cats dislike this sound and will stop
immediately.
Litter Box Misuse
Kittens need appropriate litter box training in their initial
months. Normally, cats and kittens like to have individual litter box. Their box should be immaculately clean. A slight change
or odor can make your cat go to the bathroom outside the
litter box. Also, check your cat for any urinary tract problems.
This causes pain while urinating, so cats associate this with
the litter box and therefore pee outside the box. Immediate
medical help is necessary to fix the problem.
Cats are jealous and possessive. A new pet, baby, or anything
that restricts his share of your attention can disrupt your cat’s behavior. Cats are habitual creatures. If you have moved in
recently or shifted the litter box elsewhere, give adequate
time for your cat to adjust to new surroundings and come
back to a regular routine.
Sometimes male or female cats indulge in spraying to mark
their territory. Stress could also be one cause for such
unjustified action by your cats. Veterinarians suggest
anxiolytic drugs, although the results take time to work.
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Compulsive Behavior by Cats
Cats and kittens sometimes develop compulsive behavior of
wool sucking, fur pulling, or excessive licking. There is no
explainable cause for such behavior, although many associate
it with early weaning from the mother. The best way to keep
your fabrics safe is to keep all woolens like sweaters in
closets and drawers out of reach of your feline pets.
If you cannot move away carpets, try spraying it with bitter
sprays or cayenne pepper. This dissuades cats from chewing.
A water pistol or shaking a can of coins can scare away your
cat if caught in action. Another way of stopping such
unwanted chewing habits is to change the diet of your cat or
kitten. Include more fiber by adding wheat or oat bran in
every meal. Chewing lettuce leaves proves very effective.
Include crunchy foods like bacon or green beans in your cat’s
diet.
Anxiety and Stress in Cats
Stress can stem from anywhere but it affects cats drastically.
Stress can causes severe behavioral and health problems. It
causes aggressive behavior, litter box avoidance, withdrawal,
or depression. Cats cannot accept environmental changes
easily. Moving into a new house, having a new spouse, the
inclusion of a new baby or new pet can cause stress. You need
to reassure your cat that he is still the most preferred. You
can do this by giving him sufficient time to adjust, and allow
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him to accept the new environment and people at his own
pace.
Death of a family member or another pet can cause extreme
stress in cats. You can overcome this by giving the cat a piece
of clothing of the deceased. This makes up for the absence of
their physical presence.
Restrict and lower your personal stress levels to bring about
changes in your cat’s stress levels. There are various
homeopathic and other medical remedies.
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