Inappropriate Feline Behavior Advice

The most common feline behavior is in non-neutered males and multi-cat households, the spraying of feline urine on vertical surfaces like drapes and furniture is his way of identifying 'his' property or covering the scent of other cats feline urine. All cats are capable of feline urine-marking, both males and females, intact and neutered. The likelihood of feline urine marking is greatest in the intact male cat; neutered males are next most likely to feline urine mark, then intact females, and finally spayed females. I have over the years experienced this problem and know from first hand it is unpleasant and hard to deal with in some cats.

Cat spraying is the most common form of this feline urine behavior. In spraying, cats back up to a vertical surface, shake the tip of their tail, and deliver a fine stream of feline urine onto the surface. The purpose of this cat behavior is to place a scented urine message for subsequent passers-by to detect (ie other cats).

Sometimes, feline urological problems can trigger spraying and, if present, must be addressed first. Take the feline to the vet and have a feline urine analysis to rule this out or fix the problem.

This feline urine behavior problem and the causes typically fall into two motivational categories:

Litterbox aversion or substrate preference:

Typical causes include a dirty litter box, a preference for a certain kind of litter (Try different kinds of litter to include paper strips, clumping and non scented to see if this helps) or a litterbox that is placed in an inconvenient or noisy area of the home as most cat prefer a quiet place to go with privacy.

Territorial feline urine marking:

Most frequently, spraying is associated with un-neutered male cats who tend to spray during mating season and is a common feline behavior. Neutered male or female cats may spray as a result of anxiety. If the cat is already neutered, identifying and if possible, removing the stressful stimulus is important.

"Cat Behavior Secrets Revealed"''
"No More Bad Cats!"
Home Remedies For Cats & Dogs
Humane Society
ASPCA
Cat Wiki
CFA Breeds

Your Sofa and chairs are showing their internal contents, your carpet now has a hole next to the door and your lower hanging curtains now have obvious snag marks. You're scolding your cat, knowing all the while that it's futile. This is one of nature's most independent and self sufficient animals. Your cat looks at you with a sideways head. "Why the Fuss?" she seems to say. "What are you complaining about? I'm simply doing what comes natural............what's your problem? My cat Sweat Pea (Pictured Above) is one of the worst with this particular feline behavior and I have the sofa to prove it. Maybe I should post a pic of it too! Leave a comment and let me know what you think.

A word of caution from years of experience cats do not understand physical punishment. In addition to it being wrong to hit your cat, punishment simply doesn't work and is likely to make your situation worse (I have had cats that know what revenge is.....Think about it). Clever though your feline may be about many things, she won't understand that you're punishing her for scratching the couch. She will only understand that sometimes (ie - when you catch her) she is punished.

Eventually you will break the trust and security that is the basis for your cat's relationship with you, and you will find it very difficult to catch her for any reason at all.

Cats have excellent memories and hold serious grudges.

Try filling a can with coins and shaking it when this occurs you may find the results astounding.

Cat scratching is a normal feline behavior that serves to mark and claim territory. It also helps cats to stretch their muscles and tendons and to remove the husks of old nails. Cats can destroy furniture and carpets creating a lot of frustration for owners. You can have the cat declawed by your veterinarian however some find this process to be undesirable especially if the cat also goes outdoors and will need to keep it's natural defense. Alternatives to declaw surgery are often effective and include: scratching posts, deterrents (both physical and chemical), environmental measures such as reducing stress and territorial squabbles, nail covers and nail trimming.

Cats meow to get human attention. Occasional meowing is cute and adorable but excessive meowing can be a serious feline behavior problem. As with most feline behavioral problems there is always the underlying possibility that it stems from some physical ailment. It is important to rule this out before treating any behavioral problem.

This is often caused because the cat has learned that this gets them what they want. This can become a bit of a habit and the cat starts to do it more and more often and even in the middle of the night. They are used to getting what they want when they meow, so only give them their food etc when they are quiet. Follow this up with lots of attention when they are quiet and none when they are noisy.

Excessive cat meowing can be most annoying when we are trying to sleep. Some cats have the habit of meowing and/or scratching in front of the bedroom door until we let them in. The first rule of thumb is do not respond directly to the cat's meowing. Getting up to see what the cat wants, shushing or yelling at the cat is the worst thing to do because you are reinforcing the undesirable feline behavior by giving the cat attention that she wants. Your attention is its reward. If you do not respond to the cat's meowing it will probably stop within a few days.

If that does not work, you can try some of the following tips:

Keep your cat engaged during your waking hours and especially in the evening with toys, extra play etc. This will help your cat to sleep when you sleep.

Squirting - Have a spray bottle ready and when your cat wakes you with its meowing wait behind your closed door. At the very next meow, spray the cat's paws from under the door. The cat will learn to associate this feline behavior with a unwanted response.

Cats claw, scratch, bite and chew for many reasons. If they are doing these things to food items or their cat toys, that is great, but many times they will find something else and this feline behavior can be very destructive. Cats that chew on the new divan or the electrical cords are not only destroying property, they are also potentially put their own lives in danger. Young cats will mouth or chew on things for the same reasons that puppies and human babies do, they are exploring their world, as well as teething. Give them substitutes and reward them for chewing on the right items. If an older cat has suddenly developed a urge to gnaw on things other than food or usual toys, then consider whether he is bored, or if it is possible that he has a nutritional deficiency.

Poorly trained cats will often start using the entire house as their personal litter box. If you have ever walked in the house when the litter box needs to be changed, you know how disgusting that can truly be. If your cat is using items like your bed or favorite chair to potty on, he might be sending you a message. Does he loathe the new litter you bought? Did you move his litter box? Or, has something in the cat's environment been changed?

I like cats, but let's face it some feline behavior problems have to be dealt with. There are many guides and resources available that will help you to understand and solve these problems. Some of these problems can also be caused by health issues so make sure you understand what is causing the feline behavior and your training program will be greatly improved. Understanding feline behaviors and causes is key do developing a well trained cat and creating a loving relationship with your pet which one of the main reasons I like cats.

Before we start training our cats to do something or to stop doing something, we need to look at how cats learn. They don't understand language; they can't read books or attend lectures. They learn by experience. If the experience is good, they will try to repeat it. If the experience is unpleasant, they will try to avoid it in the future.

The cat is a very independent animal, and many cat owners will tell you that this independence is what makes the cat such a comfortable companion around the house and is another reason I like cats. Cats are not as demanding of attention as dogs. And, unlike dogs, most cats don't make any particular effort to win your approval and often wait for you to come to them rather than run around trying to catch your eye. A well trained cat can be very entertaining and enjoyable pet giving years of companionship and love. The advantages of training far outweigh the disadvantages.

Cats are wondrous, wonderful creatures, and are filled with curiosity. They can be snuggly, affectionate and friendly creatures; often content to nap on a human lap and be stroked until their fur glistens. Some are more standoffish and will only allow the occasional solemn head pat before regally stalking off to stretch and preen in the sunshine. And others are just way out there wild cats, hell bent on running straight up the walls in pursuit of invisible prey, knocking down all who dare get in their pathway. While you cannot change the basic nature of the cat that you have in your home, you can change some of his more obnoxious feline behaviors.

Your first cat-training tip should be to understand why they do some of the things that they do. Some feline behavior is out of boredom, some out of transitional changes as they grow out of kitten stages into adulthood, and some can be a symptom of impending or ongoing illnesses. Knowing which is which can help you to avoid potentially dangerous problems before they become life threatening.

Once you have a basic understanding of the why of feline behavior, you can start working on the things that he will need to change. Make sure that you have a list of the poor behavior, and start with the worst offender first. Try to teach new behaviors one at a time, because too many changes will make the cat confused and potentially worst behaved than before. If a cat is doing something that is possibly dangerous that problem should be addressed first, otherwise, it is at your own discretion.

Remember that training a cat is a matter of patience triumphing over frustration. Shouting at a cat does not work at all, and in fact will bring up a whole new set of issues. Timid cats will become even more fearful, and aggressive cats may take your shouting as an actual threat, so remember that a startled cat will not always react with James Bond coolness sometimes they claw and bite.

Do not bother with reprimanding your cat, as it is often an ineffective maneuver as well. Cats will learn that getting caught doing the targeted behavior brings about some horrible reactions, so they will simply learn to hide better. This is seen frequently with toileting issues. A cat will stop using his litter box for a variety of reasons, including illness, so that you must find out why. Finding kitty messes after the fact is a pain, but it will not do you any good to drag the offending animal over to the spot, show it to him and then take him to the litter box. Unless he is a brand new cat or you have moved homes recently, he knows full well where that litter box was, he just did not use it. Find out why and the feline behavior should be stopped. Eliminate all causes, including sickness, and then work from there. Some cats will never use a litter box, but will allow themselves to be trained to use an alternative. Fuzzby, our big fluffy cat was too big for the litter box, but he did scratch at the door when he needed to go, for this he deserved a good kitty!

Cat Nutrition

Top 5 Cat Illnesses

Some possible clues to why you senior cat will not eat

Feline Chronic Renal Failure

Advantages of Training Your Cat

Cat Aggression in the Middle of the Night