Cats make great companions and pets; however, many cats have behavioral issues that their owners find difficult to understand.
Some of the most common reasons for needing to improve how your cat acts around the home include the use of the litter box, interaction with other animals, scratching furniture, and marking their territory. Of course, it’s not just cats that misbehave in the home, dogs also need proper training to get rid of bad behavioral habits.
In this article, you will find out what to do if kitty is behaving badly. You will also find out top tips on how to improve your pet cat’s behavior.
Problems with using the litter box
One of the most common issues that pet owners have with their cats is the litter box. Some cats completely ignore the litter box and decide there are better places to relieve themselves.
The first way to resolve litter box problems is to have your feline friend checked out by a vet. This can identify any urinary tract issues and get these addressed first.
As a rule of thumb, you should have one litter box for every cat in the house plus an extra one. This can encourage cats to use the litter box. You should also try to clean the litter box regularly, if possible, once a day and completely change the litter weekly.
Scratching
Cats need to scratch, but coming home to see marks and tears on your new sofa can be devastating. One of the best ways to resolve destructive scratching is to promote it with scratch-friendly areas. You can arrange these in your home by having one or more scratching posts for your pet cat. You can make these places even more enticing by adding a little catnip.
Remember, that cats scratch to trim their claws. So, regular claw trimming can help reduce and eliminate episodes of destructive scratching.
Marking their territory
Sometimes, urinating outside of the litter box can be a behavioral problem associated with the actual box or placement of it. However, very often male and female cats like to claim their territory by marking it. Some of the reasons for this are:
- An unneutered male cat advertises his availability to other females
- There is a change in the household
- You have more than one cat in the household
- Your pet cat senses danger from cats they can see from the windows
To resolve the problem of cats marking their territory and leaving a pungent urine smell in your home, here are some practical tips:
- Have your cat spayed or neutered
- Draw curtains and blinds so that cats don’t feel threatened by other cats outside
- Use synthetic cat pheromone where marking has occurred to help reduce cat stress
Cat aggression
Cats can sometimes become aggressive because of underlying physical causes. So, if kitty has recently become aggressive, it’s worth getting it checked out by your vet.
If your cat is in good physical health, it’s important to make sure that there is enough to keep your pet occupied throughout the day. You should have enough litter boxes for all your pets, toys, beds, and perches.
You should also try to differentiate between aggression and predatory instincts. All cats are hunters and sometimes these instincts like pouncing, stalking, ambushing, and swatting are all part of your cat’s nature. If you are having problems calming down your cat’s behavior, then you should speak to your local vet.