Cats are quirky, humorous, loving, and lovable animals that we love sharing our lives with, however at occasions, mischief is afoot! Generally, although, that mischief borders on behavioral issues.
Right here, we cowl the most typical behavioral issues that cats can show and some options so that you can strive. This could assist your relationship along with your cat, so you’ll be able to decide if it’s a easy downside or one that may want skilled assist.
The ten Conduct Issues in Cats
1. Extreme Meowing
There are a number of causes for a cat to be vocal. Cats use meowing to speak with us; in actual fact, as soon as cats are adults, they solely meow at people.
A yowling tends to occur extra continuously at evening—notably whenever you’re attempting to sleep—and it may be regular or a sign that one thing may be unsuitable.
- Senior cats may be yowling due to senility or different well being causes, corresponding to dementia, hypertension, hyperthyroidism, shedding their senses, and ache.
- Some breeds, just like the Siamese, are simply vocal usually.
- They may be bored.
- Yowling in the course of the daytime could be a signal of ache, notably in the event that they meow whereas urinating or defecating.
- It’s attention-seeking habits.
2. Aggression
Like meowing, aggression can are available in many kinds and for numerous causes. It may be directed at you and different members of the family or towards different pets.
Aggression tends to happen due to nervousness and stress, hormonal modifications, or ache from a well being or medical challenge.
3. Scratching
This can be a frequent habits that bothers cat mother and father. But it surely’s vital for cats as a result of it’s partly how they mark their territory and sharpen their claws. There are strategies that you should use to redirect this habits, although.
4. Urinary Points
A number of well being points can have an effect on how a cat makes use of the litter field, together with cystitis, bacterial an infection, or bladder stones. A confused cat can even begin eliminating outdoors of the litter field.
Modifications within the dwelling, like a brand new pet or member of the family, transferring, or renovations, could cause sufficient stress for a cat to urinate outdoors the litter field.
5. Chewing
Whereas canines may get pleasure from chewing issues up, they don’t have a nook out there. Cats can even trigger injury by chewing issues. Each cat may present a choice for a selected texture.
They could chew issues as a result of they just like the style or really feel of the fabric, or it may be boredom, a type of aggression, dietary deficiency, or being weaned too younger.
6. Obsessive Grooming
Cats spend a substantial amount of their time licking and grooming themselves, sometimes as much as 50% day-after-day 1. However some cats begin to overgroom, which could be attributable to ache or nervousness and stress. These cats will lick themselves uncooked and hairless on sure elements of their physique.
7. Urine Marking or Spraying
That is totally different from a cat that doesn’t use the litter field. Cats will use their urine to mark their territory, which they are going to be extra inclined to do if there’s battle within the dwelling, notably if there are different cats or modifications to their routine.
8. Tough Play
Some cats simply don’t know how one can play gently and may chunk and scratch too exhausting. There are a number of strategies that you should use to redirect the tough play away from your self, nevertheless it’s greatest to start out when they’re kittens.
9. Compulsive Conduct
This will embody grooming, nevertheless it sometimes consists of pacing, chewing, and sucking on sure supplies, corresponding to wool (referred to as wool sucking), plastic, rubber, and many others.
This will additionally embody the situation of pica, which is when cats eat inappropriate materials that isn’t meals, corresponding to cardboard, plastic, and elastics.
10. Separation Nervousness
Some cats are needier than others and get upset when left alone. This will flip into harmful habits, which might additionally embody spraying and extreme meowing.
Suggestions for Dealing With Your Cat’s Behavioral Issues
If any of those behavioral points all of the sudden begin, the very first thing that you must do is take your cat to your veterinarian to make sure that there isn’t a medical downside.
Your vet may give you any vital drugs and advise about dietary supplements and a change in weight loss program. That mentioned, there are a number of steps you could take your self at dwelling.
Extreme Meowing at Night time
You possibly can strive further playtime earlier than mattress to put on them out. Additionally, contemplate investing in a feeder that works with a timer. This manner, in case your cat wakes you up early each morning as a result of they’re hungry, they’ll be much less probably to take action.
What you shouldn’t do is reply to or give your cat consideration whereas they’re yowling. Attempt to keep away from giving them any consideration, and don’t feed them whereas they’re asking for it. Solely feed them when they’re quiet.
Aggression
Relying on how extreme the aggression is, you may want to talk to your vet. In case your cat has attacked you or somebody in your loved ones, don’t punish them, as it’d simply make the issue worse.
Attempt to not react when it occurs; working away or doing one thing comparable will simply get them extra excited. Direct your cat’s consideration to one thing else, like a toy, and communicate to your vet. They could prescribe treatment, and you may additionally need to strive pheromones like Feliway.
Scratching
Spend money on good, sturdy cat timber and scratching posts. Some cats favor to scratch horizontally, whereas others favor a vertical scratching put up.
You possibly can check out a number of posts in numerous positions and with totally different supplies. Put them in numerous locations round your own home, and if vital, rub catnip over them to make them extra engaging.
Hold your cat’s nails trimmed frequently, and think about using nail caps. There are additionally sofa covers and different gadgets that may shield your furnishings.
Inappropriate Urination and Marking
There are lots of totally different causes {that a} cat may spray and remove outdoors the litter field. In case your cat appears wholesome and doesn’t have bother urinating or defecating, you must examine the litter that you simply’re utilizing and the place the field is situated. Make sure the litter field is giant sufficient to your cat to stroll in and switch round. If it’s situated in a heavy-traffic space or the place there’s a substantial amount of noise, you’ll have to relocate it to a quieter and extra personal area. If the litter is scented, go along with unscented and check out a special texture. Cats are inclined to favor a sandy texture. Additionally, you should definitely scoop the litter day by day. In case you have a number of cats, the rule of thumb is to have one field per cat plus one further.
In case your cat is spraying, having them spayed or neutered ought to cease the marking habits, but when not, see your vet. You may want to make use of calming treats or Feliway diffusers.
Lastly, when your cat eliminates outdoors of the field, use an enzymatic cleaner to scrub up the mess. This manner, your cat gained’t preserve going to the identical spot to do their enterprise.
General, in case your cat is just not appearing like their ordinary self or appears to be straining to urinate or defecate, see your vet. It may very well be a well being situation and never a behavioral downside.
Chewing
Verify along with your vet first to make sure that there aren’t any dental points. If nothing is unsuitable along with your cat’s enamel, this may be one other case for calming treats and diffusers. It may also be an issue with pent-up aggression, so your vet may be capable of assist, whether or not it’s a medical or behavioral downside.
For a bored cat, be certain that they’ve cat-appropriate toys to chew on, and also you may want to think about a bitter spray deterrent for any gadgets that they shouldn’t chew. In the event that they go after electrical cords, put money into wire covers.
Obsessive Grooming
This can be a downside to your vet that will help you with. At dwelling, strive calming chews, pheromone sprays, or diffusers to assist preserve your cat calm. Make sure that their surroundings is as stress free as attainable. Get them tall cat timber and cat cabinets that give them the safety of escaping to high-up areas.
Tough Play
Make sure that your cat has sufficient toys to play with so that they don’t at all times go after you. In case your cat begins enjoying roughly with you, redirect them to one in every of their toys.
In case you have a kitten, don’t use your palms or toes to play with them, as this can solely encourage them to consider that your physique elements are toys.
Compulsive Conduct
Compulsive behaviors are stress associated, so you must have a look at calming treats/diffusers/sprays. Hold your own home as stress free as you’ll be able to handle. Make sure that your cat has sufficient toys and climbing areas.
Converse to your vet, as they may help you with a habits modification program and/or treatment to handle this behavioral challenge.
Separation Nervousness
You can begin by ignoring your cat for quarter-hour earlier than you allow, in addition to whenever you’re again dwelling. Miss a number of of their favourite toys for whenever you’re gone, and put them away as soon as you come.
If you end up dwelling, play with them and spend high quality time petting them. It might additionally assist to put on them out by enjoying earlier than you allow (in case you have time) so they’ll sleep when you’re gone.
Conclusion
So many issues go into behavioral points in cats. It typically begins after they’re kittens, or it may be a short lived downside because of a well being situation. In case your cat appears to all of the sudden act otherwise, communicate to your vet instantly—it’s at all times higher to be protected than sorry.
There are lots of methods to assist your cat, with one of the vital frequent options being a stress-free environment. Consultants, like animal behaviorists, may also be capable of offer you a hand.
Featured Picture Credit score: Fang_Y_M, Pixabay