Your cat enriches your life.  She comforts you when you are sad, amuses you when you are bored.  Feline companions give humans unconditional love, and provide company when we are lonely.  They can also dig holes in your favorite couch, climb your new curtains, and refuse to recognize the existence of the fancy new litter box you just bought!  When your cuddly little friend is driving you up with the wall with her naughty antics, what can you do?  Is there a cure for bad cat behavior?  Here are some common cat behavior problems along with solutions for restoring harmony in your home.

Scratching.  If your cat is shredding your favorite chair, don’t despair!  Cats scratch furniture for several reasons.  Sofas and chairs are just the right height for a cat to stretch up and grab.  Cat claws need to be sharpened in order to slough off dead ends.  In addition, cats mark their territory by scratching, which leaves a scent that tells other cats to stay away.  To keep your tabby from your furniture, invest in a scratching post.  Make sure it’s tall enough to let your cat satisfy her urge to stretch.  Scratching posts should be covered in sisal or rope, rough enough to really let her dig in to sharpen those claws.  Put it near the abused furniture at first, then as your cat begins switching her attention to the post, move away a bit at a time.  Soon she’ll forget all about the sofa!

Peeing outside the box.  If your cat is ignoring the litter box in favor of your Oriental rug, first make sure she’s healthy.  Urinary tract infections are hard to detect, but may be the reason she’s not making it to the box.  If you determine that she’s fine, but still avoiding the box, make sure that the litter is several inches deep; cats like to be able to really dig, and to cover their mess when they are done.  They also prefer rough, grainy sand.  Unfortunately, once a cat has urinated in an inappropriate spot, she is drawn back there by the odor.  Treat old urine stains thoroughly with an odor remover to keep your cat from returning to the scene of the crime.

Sibling rivalry.  Your older child may not have been thrilled when you brought her baby sister home.  The same may be true for your cat.  Particularly if your feline has been the only cat in the house for many years, there can be territorial issues.  The key to bringing a new cat into your home is to do it gradually, keeping the two cats from engaging in aggressive behavior.  Put the new cat in her own room, keeping food and litter boxes separate.  Once she has become accustomed to you and to her new home, begin by letting the cats spend a little bit of time together, then separating them again.  Gradually increase their time together.  Once they are used to each other, their aggressive behavior should diminish.  And have realistic expectations.  Although your cats may eventually become friends, some cats will merely tolerate each other.

Copyright by Catpert