Cat Behavior Problems

You should never pick cats up by the scruff of the neck, not even tiny little baby kittens. Our hands are big and clumsy; we don't know how much pressure is necessary to clamp a kitten between thumb and forefinger- and we aren't cats. Cats carry kittens by the nape of the neck only until they're big enough to run around, and then stop. After that the kitten's body is too heavy for such treatment. Any cat more than six weeks old can be injured by having its whole weight hung from the nape of the neck- it can cause muscular damage or an abdominal rupture. The best way to pick up a kitten is to slide a hand under its body and lift it all at once, with the other hand ready to support her feet. It is a good idea to do this often, as she will become used to being handled and picked up and will be confident with this handling when she is an adult.

An older cat should be lifted by one hand under the body just behind the front legs, and the other bracing the hind feet. If only one hand is free, hold her parallel to your forearm and brace her body against yours, after you've tucked her into a comfortable position.

Don't carry a cat so that all four legs dangle helplessly- cat's don't like to dangle. If your cat has not been handled much as a kitten, she may be resistant to being picked up. Build up her trust in you slowly; start with stroking, and gradually start to put your arms around her in a gentle restraining motion. When you have done this a few times without her objecting, gently pick her up as described above. Only hold her for a few seconds, and put her down very gently. Hold her for slightly longer periods each time.

If she struggles, put her down gently. Don't try to hold her for longer than she is prepared to tolerate, cats hate being restrained.

When a cat jumps into your lap, stroke her back so she will sit down. Don't try to hold a cat in your lap by force- she will not tolerate this restraint. If you persevere, she will become an adult cat who loves being fussed and held.

Learn how I solved my cat's problem behaviors and rebuilt our relationship

I was at a real loss as how to cure my cat's bad habits. She suddenly stopped going to the toilet outside and did it on the bathroom carpet, much to my horror! My sofa was literally shredded to pieces. I was at my wits end when I stumbled across this amazing book by Liz Barton. Liz is known as a 'cat whisperer' and is the person every cat owner goes to for advice on their cats' unruly behavior.

Liz's 'career' began when she found eleven wild feral kittens abandoned in an old barn. In less than thirteen days, she had transformed them all into well behaved house cats. Since then, she has read and studied more than 100 books about cat behavior and cat care, interrogated dozens of vets and other animal professionals, and listened to stories from countless happy cat owners.

She decided to take all the tips, tricks and advice she gained and compress it all into a sanity saving resource for anyone battling bad cat behavior. The exciting result is

A Quick and Easy, Step-By-Step Guide
That Reveals The Secrets To A Well-Behaved Cat

Thanks to Liz, I have cured my cat's bad behavior and we are enjoying a much closer relationship as the result of Liz's advice. I would urge every cat owner to read this book!

Click here to read more

Scratching is a perfectly normal behaviour for cats, and serves the following functions;

To remove the dead outer layer of their claws; you have probably found these outer 'skins' lying near to where she scratches.

Scratching helps your cat to keep in shape, and is a pretty good workout- it works off excess energy and provides exercise.

To stretch their bodies and exercise feet and claws. Scratching also gives the muscles in your cat's front quarters a work out.

Cats have scent glands on their paws, and the act of scratching will leave a visual mark and scent. They are marking their territory.

Remember, she is not doing it to be deliberately disruptive; to her it is a perfectly natural thing to do.

Learn how I cured my cat's scratching problems in days!

Cat Clip Art

Punishment?
Never be tempted to punish your cat physically- they don't understand it, and she will not make the connection that she is being punished for scratching the sofa. A cat's logic will dictate that you sometimes hurt her and she will lose her trust in you, and may become withdrawn and develop other undesirable behaviours. Remember, to a cat scratching is perfectly natural and pleasurable behaviour, and they will simply not understand that they are doing anything wrong.

Declawing?
One word about declawing- don't! Many people think declawing involves just removing the claws, but this is not so- it is an irreversible surgical procedure that involves amputation of the last joint of a cat's 'toes'. It's like having all your fingers amputated to the first knuckle. This puts them at serious risk of infection and disturbs balance. A cat relies on her toes for balance, and declawing can force a cat to place weight on their hindquarters when walking to compensate for the missing joints in their front paws. This can cause tendon problems, and muscle wastage in their front quarters.

A cat's main defence is her claws, and declawing removes this, which can cause her to become distressed and even hostile. In addition, it can cause her pain when trying to scratch after using the litter tray. In some cases, they will associate the pain with the litter tray and stop using this.

Declawing is now thankfully illegal in many countries, as it is quite rightly considered inhumane. If you intend to go to these lengths to stop your cat clawing, it may be better if you didn't get a cat. More information on the effects of declawing can be found at www.declawing.com.

Prevention
You are never going to be able to stop your kitty from scratching, but you could instead aim to redirect her to scratch acceptable objects rather than furniture. These must be objects that are appealing to your cat and that she will choose to scratch rather than your sofa!

Look at where she is scratching now; location, texture etc. This will give some indication of her preferences. The idea is that you can then provide her with an appropriate substitute. Ideally this would be a scratching post, covered with some kind of covering, such as carpet or rope sisal.

To encourage your cat to use it, do NOT try to 'show her how' to use it by grabbing her front paws and making scratching motions on the post with them. Cats do not appreciate any kind of restraint, and this is likely to put her off it entirely.

Where to put it?
Don't hide the post out of the way, or she will not use it. Ideally, place it near to where she likes to scratch now. The most important spot is where she spends most of her time.

Kitty must be able to extend herself fully, so it needs to be at least 26 inches tall. In addition it must be secure with a wide, stable base; if it topples over even once, or wobbles excessively, she won't use it again. That's part of the appeal of the sofa- it's big and reassuringly solid!

Make the post smell attractive; scent is a powerful motivator for your kitty. Use a catnip spray or rub catnip leaves or powder onto it. Reward her with a treat or affection when she uses it. Make all associations with the post pleasant ones; feed her or play with her near the post. Place her toys around it. Don't do anything to startle or distract her when she is near the post. Don't throw it away when it's worn, as in your kitty's eyes it will have only just been broken in!

If she is still reluctant to give up her old scratching areas entirely, you can try to make them as unappealing to her as possible. Cover them, if at all practical, in foil as this feels horrid to scratch. Move the furniture; cats prefer to scratch corners of furniture, so move sofas etc against walls if you possibly can.

Use scent again; cats do not like certain strong smells. A major turn off for them is any citrus odors; place orange or lemon peel around areas you don't want her to scratch. One tip that worked for me was to buy one of those water spray bottles designed for watering house plants, and filling it with warm water and citrus 'essential oil' available from any chemist. Use the 'mist' spray setting and regularly spray round all undesirable scratching areas.

If she goes to scratch where you don't want her to, try placing her immediately in front of the scratching post and petting her. This will reinforce good associations with the post. Cats have an aversion to sudden loud noises, so a much more effective deterrent would be to place some pebbles in a tin can, and give it a sudden, loud rattle when she starts to scratch your sofa. She will come to realise that scratching there results in a loud, scary noise.

Cat Training Secrets Revealed!

Some cats can develop the habit of chewing household objects, such as plants, fabrics such as wool etc. I even knew of a cat who likes sucking hair! Some of them will even eat them; eating inappropriate objects is called Pica, and usually develops in puberty. Most of the time, a cat may be able to digest these without problems, although a cat will occasionally need surgery to remove these objects.

Sometimes cats will chew electrical cables, which can obviously be very serious, resulting in shock or even death. In any case, chewing, eating or sucking on wool can cause inconvenience and damage to clothing etc.

Why
There are a few reasons why kitty might choose to chew or eat non food objects;

This may be instinctive; in the wild, cats will catch and eat prey such as small birds, mammals etc, and will need to tear through skin, fur, feathers, muscle etc to get at the meat. An indoors cat fed on cat food does not get the opportunity to indulge in this.

It can be a form of redirected suckling in cats who were weaned too young.

Boredom or stress can cause this type of behaviour.

Occasionally chewing/ eating non food objects can indicate a dental problem, or even a condition such as anaemia or hyperthyroidism. It may be a good idea to have your vet check her over. If she looses her appetite, appears to be lethargic or vomits/ drools excessive saliva, take her to the vet immediately, as she may need surgery to remove a foreign object.

If your cat is chewing electrical cables, take the following steps;

Provide plenty of toys for your cat (or kitten) to play with even when you are not around. Even a cardboard box with holes cut in the sides can become a source of fun! Boredom can cause kitty to become very destructive.

Hide small amounts of dried food in boxes, etc, or buy one of those play balls which deposit treats as kitty rolls it. This will encourage her to 'forage' for food, and reduce boredom.

Hide the cords; run them behind furniture, tape them to the walls etc, so they are not trailing enticingly in kitty's view.

You can purchase a tube covering for wires and cords from hardwear stores. You could even make your own from a slit length of hosepipe.
Spray the cords with a repellent spray, or citrus oil to make them taste bad. Remember to do this regularly. Pretty soon she should associate chewing the cords with the disgusting taste and will stop.

Would you like to learn more about eliminating chewing problems?

I was lucky enough to come up with this absolute gem of a book! Dr R J Peters runs a cat rescue shelter, and is the author of the popular email newsletter, kitty times.

But she admits that it wasn't always like this. She used to endure the same frustrations as every body else. Her cats used to destroy the furniture, the carpet and the woodwork. One used to pee on the carpet. She admits to being at her wits end.

But then something happened that changed everything. She went away for a month, and when she returned, realised that her cats had been missing her.

She reasoned that if they have feelings, and she had hurt them, could that explain bad behavior? The answer was very simple, really. It was right there in front of her all the time.

Since she discovered these secrets, everything is different. Her cats all love her, and she loves them. They come when they are called, very rarely scratch the furniture, fight to be in her lap, are very affectionate and purr with pure happiness most of the time!

And because she love cats, she wants to help you make it work, for you and for your kitty.

Since I followed her secrets, my relationship with my cat has totally changed! Before, she would never let me pick her up- now she is happy to be cuddled at any time! She follows me round the house, and is so much more contented.

Check it out here

You owe it to your cat!

This has to be the number one problems with cats, and the main reason why a lot of cats are given over to shelters or put down. Yet, with a little time and patience, most of the problems can actually be resolved quite simply.

Is it medical?
Refusal to use the litter tray can point to a medical problem. Some medical conditions result in the need for increased urination or defecation, such as diabetes, hyperthyroidism, colitis, bowel inflammations, kidney and liver diseases, and feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD). Kitty might simply be unable to make it to the toilet on time. Some of these conditions, such as FLUTD, colitis etc can cause pain on urinating and defecating. Your cat may associate the discomfort with the tray and be reluctant to use it.

Some cats have always 'gone' outside but are now soiling in the house. This could be due to a run in with a neighborhood cat making kitty too frightened to do her 'business' outside. This happened with mine; she suddenly went from being very clean to urinating on the bathroom carpet every morning. I realised that she was being intimidated by a cat who lived next door, and was reluctant to spend much time outside. I put a litter tray in the bathroom, and she uses this as regular as clock work!

Location; cats can be very fussy, and kitty might not like where the litterbox is located. As a rule, they like their privacy and it might be situated in a busy spot. If she has been disturbed by another cat, dog or child whilst toileting, she may be reluctant to use that location again.

Type of litter; Some cats have an aversion to different types of cat litter, and will refuse to use it.

Soiled tray; Cats are quite fastidious creatures, and may not use the tray if it is not cleaned sufficiently. Some are reluctant to urinate in a tray if there are faeces in it. Make sure you keep it clean, and remove solids as soon as possible, but don't overdo it or you will eliminate your cat's natural scent which instructs her to keep going back to that spot.

Sometimes the stress of a change in kitty's routine or having visitors can cause her to soil other areas, especially if she needs to pass by strangers to access her tray.

Get Rid Of Your Cat Urine Odor Problem Once and for All

Cat Clip Art

If she has soiled somewhere else, the biggest mistake you can make is to rub her nose in it or smack her and throw her into her tray. She will not understand why she is being punished, and not only will she become frightened of you, she will associate the litter tray with the punishment too and become afraid to use this. If you catch her 'in the act', try carrying her gently to the tray, place her inside and stroke her to calm her. You need her to associate the litter tray with good things.

If you catch her just before the act, carry her to the tray and leave her, in case she needs privacy as some cats are reluctant to use the tray in company. Every time she uses the tray, lavish praise on her and feed her treats.

When she uses another spot in the house as a toilet, she leaves a scent behind and will keep using that same spot whilst the scent is still there. You will need to completely eliminate all traces of her scent to discourage her from using that spot. Wash the area well with biological washing powder, rinse well with water and leave to dry.

Make the area unappealing to your cat, by covering with tin foil, spraying citrus scents or placing orange peel around the area. Malt vinegar is also very effective for neutralising the odour of urine.

Try placing her food and water bowls on the spot as cats will generally not want to toilet where they eat.

Above all- don't punish, even if you catch her in the act.

Get Rid Of Your Cat Urine Odor Problem Once and for All