Cat Behavior Problems: Cat Lover's Guide
Whether you've heard it or not, cats can purr in pride and contentment as the most popular pet in the country. They have passed dogs as favorites and many people respond to their unique personalities and their independence. But all cat people and many who aren't are concerned with cat behavior problems.
Today's cats are descendants of wild, predatory cats. Therefore, care should be taken to prevent them from scratching and biting. If you take the time to learn about their instincts and behaviors, you will be aware of their strength and excitability and avoid any unpleasant incidents.
The things that many owners see as cat behavior problems are merely the cat doing what comes naturally. During play with your kitten, you may be upset when he bites and claws you aggressively, but actually all he's doing is practicing to hunt and kill food. Since most domestic cats never need to use their hunting skills, owners must teach the cat to control this behavior.
Kittens can easily be taught to pull in claws and be more gentle with play fighting with humans. Starting young helps and in addition, alternative ways to express this instinct and energy should tried. Catnip filled toys and fake mice encourage the "attack and kill" with harm to no living creature, and exercise the cat as well. Flyer toys that have feathers substitute nicely for going after real birds.
One of the most disturbing domestic cat behavior problems is spraying. "Spraying", a quite natural act, is when a cat sprays urine and the excretions of the scent glands on the borders of its territory to prove its dominance. Unfortunately, its territory can be the walls and furniture in your home. Spraying can be controlled with repellent sprays, behavioral training and neutering the cat.
Don't assume that all urination outside the litter box is related to cat behavior problems. True, if your cat gets angry with you, he may wet your carpet or bed to let you know. Inappropriate urination can also be a sign that the litter box is not clean enough for your cat to want to use. If these do not seem to be plausible reasons your cat is wetting, especially if you haven't had trouble with him before, it might be a health issue that's causing the problem. In that case, take him to your vet for a check-up to hopefully rule out problems like urinary tract infections or diabetes.
The things that many owners see as cat behavior problems are merely the cats doing what comes naturally. During play with your kitten, you may be upset when he bites and claws you aggressively, but actually all he's doing is practicing to hunt and kill food. Starting as early in a kitten life as possible, they can easily be taught to pull in the claws and be gentler when playing with a human. This way we can prevent ourselves from getting cat scratch. There are many cat lovers who see to that problems regarding cat's behavior is taken care of.
Published December 17th, 2007
Filed in Family
