Cat Behaviours

Cat Behavioural Problems

Most people have the idea that cats can't be trained. They think any behavioural problems a cat has can't be changed because cats are supposed to be totally self-centered and independent. More people are finding out that you can in fact train a cat to solve a lot of common behavioural problems.

Some people might wonder why they should take the time to train their cat. There are several reasons, including being able to have a better connection and relationship with your feline companion. Training will make your cat more active and responsive to you and its surroundings. It can make frightened and shy cats more confident and outgoing. If you have a dominant cat you can make them less aggressive.

If you are using treats when training, to make it easier you should not leave food out so the cat can eat any time it wants. If you put your cat on a regular feeding schedule and remove any uneaten food it will make the treats you are using for training more effective. You need to also remember your cat is not a mind reader and you have to be very clear on what you want them to do. Another thing to remember is to never lose your temper, if your cat is not responding to you take a break and try again later.

One type of behavioural problem that your cat might display is scratching. When it comes to scratching it is important to remember that this is a natural and inbred action. It is impossible to get a cat to stop scratching, but they can be trained to only scratch on acceptable objects rather than your favourite armchair.

A cat will scratch for many different reasons. They do this to remove the dead outer layers of their claws. They also use scratching to mark territory and to stretch their bodies and flex their feet and claws. If you have scratching objects which are convenient and appealing to your cat they will use these.

To find the perfect scratching item for your cat you should observe where and what they seem to want to scratch on most. You will want to notice where these objects are located such as near their bed or by the front door.

After you have decided what and where they prefer substitute similar items in these locations. There are many different scratching posts available including rope wrapped posts, cardboard or even logs are sometimes preferred. Now cover the area where they usually want to scratch with something they find unappealing. Aluminium foil works well for this purpose because most cats don't like the noise it makes when touched.

After your cat is consistently scratching on the desirable object you can remove the foil from the other item. You should never punish your cat for scratching. Just tell them no and provide something acceptable for them to use. Punishment won't change the bad behaviour and can make your cat afraid of you or its environment.

Depending on what kind of behavioural problems your cat is having will determine what type of action is necessary. You should always check with your vet if your cat starts misbehaving and being aggressive. These can be signs of an illness or condition. There is also professional help available. There are people who can help you to combat your cat's bad behaviour. These types of people are cat behavioural specialists and can be found in your area.

To make sure your cat stays healthy and will enjoy a long life, you might want to consider buying cat insurance in case their will be unforeseen medical expenses in the years to come. You have health insurance on the rest of your family and for peace of mind you might want to get pet insurance on your feline companions.

Please call us at Animal Friends Insurance on 0844 55 70 300 to purchase a pet plan to cover your companion quote and buy online from AFI - an ethical insurer.

Terrible cat behavior problem!?
I love cats and have many in my lifetime but never a cat like this. I have even had cats with terrible attitudes...mean to people, mean to other cats, etc. But they were still behaved. The cat I have now is really awesome when he's good, but that's only like 10% of the time. The other 90% he bites, he thinks he's being playful but he never stops and it hurts, and he constantly is trying to get human food even though he always has cat food. He'll dig through trash, get in the sink...if we're in the kitchen making food he paces around us and meows loudly. He constantly gets on the table to knock things over and destroys all the house blinds. Whenever he does any of these things I yell at him and gently swat him on the head...and right after he does it, but it hasn't corrected his behavior at all. I don't know what to do and I've never had to give up a cat before...He is a male cat, still kind of a kitten...about 6 months old. Will his behavior stop? If I got him fixed would he be less wild?

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My male cat won't stop pacing and meowing all over the house. HELP!?
He is not fixed and is for the most part an indoor cat unless he is able to dash out when company is coming or going. He is just constantly meowing and running from room to room. We are going crazy!!!! He eats and drinks normally and uses the litter box regularly. What can we do to stop this crazy cat behavior?

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cat behavior question?
I adopted a cat less than a week ago.. he's 3 yrs and 8 months old.. he is still scared and hides most of the day but when I call him and try to comfort him he would come out and rub himself against my legs and meow.. so I think he's hungry, put food for him but no he refuses to eat but would continue with the rubbing and meawing.. his tail also wiggles left and right.. does anybody knows what it means? thnx

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Can a cat have a mental disorder?
Ok, I have a cat that a neighbor of mine found in his garage. He brought him to me because he doesn't like cats. We also have 3 other cats, 2 (who are brothers) we raised from kittens and 1 that adopted us as her new family (she kept coming to our house so eventually we kept her). Anyway, Sandy, the newest cat (is almost a year old) acts kinda odd sometimes. It seems like he can see pretty well because he can follow flies and mosquitos, and he loves the laser pointer....but other times, it's like he's blind! For instance, he'll just randomly run into walls and things, or jump for a table and completely miss! Another thing: Our cats kinda have a system, they jump on the window sill whenever they want inside, we open the door, and they come in. Sandy has somehow not caught on yet. He'll sit on the window sill, we open the door, and nothing. I have to actually go outside and call him for him to come! It's no problem or anything, I'm just curious...can this be a medical thing (like a balance or vision probelm...maybe mental like autism?) or is he just...not that smart?? It's weird though, he's reaalllyy smart about some things (first one of our cats to figure out where the laser light was coming from, he's also really good at catching things, also first cat to realize it was us who made the curtains move lol) But other times, he just acts oblivious! When he was a kitten, when we first got him, he was covered in fleas....like a crazy amount! But, we gave him a bath, and after 2 baths (with mild hand soap, not flea poison or anything), like 98% of his fleas were gone. The next day we took him to the vet, and had all the appropriate things (shots, etc..). He's a really sweet cat, and very playful. He's kinda weird about people petting him though. I'm the only one he goes up to and wants me to pet him. He also startles very easily!! It's funny, because we're always joking that he's my son, because I run into walls sometimes and I also startle very easily, haha :) Anyway, so does anyone know anything about cat behavior?? Thanks. -Sorry if this is worded weird I took some benedryl earlier and I'm pretty sleepy!

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