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Behavioral Problems Educating yourself on possible behavior problems will assist you in deterring the problems if they should arise. Remember, these wonderful beings do not intentionally cause problems for you. When problems arise, have your veterinarian examine your kitty to rule out and physical reasons for the changes in behavior. Problems that may arise are: Aggression Cats are very much like children. Aggression could be caused by several things. Multiple cat households may see aggressive behaviors because of territorial issues. Make sure you have plenty of hiding places, climbing post, toys a Cats on Your Counters For some people, cats jumping on kitchen and bathroom counters is a problem, for others it is no big deal. If it bothers you, you will have to find ways to detour him/her. You can simply remove the cat from the counter and say firmly “no”. You can place coins in a can and shake the can at the kitty when he begins to jump on the counter. When you are not home, you could place tin foil on your counter (be sure to tape down) or place cookie sheets filled with water on the counters. Make sure that the cookie sheet are not on the edge of the counter. There are other devices like “scat mats” which will give a small electric shock when the cat jumps on them. Cats will jump on counters if things like food, glasses of water, fun things like pens, pencils, paper, etc. are left on them. Keep your counters empty and boring. Your cat will loose interest. Keep things interesting on floor level. Buy some new toys. Rotate toys so that the cats do not loose interest in them. Leave paper bags and boxes out for them to play in. Be creative. Some pets are or become afraid of noises. The reason for this is unknown why. It is more common in dogs than in cats. Fear can soon become a phobia. Phobia is defined as: A persistent, excessive, and irrational fear response. Pets that are fearful of thunderstorms may also be fearful of storm-associated even Signs of noise phobias:
There is no “cure” for noise phobia’s. You can try to reduce the fear. Refrain from rewards (comforting) or punishment. Even saying “It’s OK”, may be interpreted by your cat that it’s ok to be afraid. Treatment for fear phobia’s include: medications, changing the environment, and behavior modification. Ask your veterinarian for assistance. Older Cats Common behavior changes in older cats is common. These changes may include: Inappropriate Elimination: Medical conditions resulting in an increased frequency of urination or defecation m Stress: Stress can be a major factor in inappropriate elimination. Changes in family routine, makeup of the family or moving can be very stressful to your cat. If you are moving, while packing up, keep your cat in a quiet part of the house. Do the same when moving. When you get to the new home, confine your cat to a quiet room with its food, water, litter box, bed and toys. Be sure to spend plenty of time with your cat. Gradually introduce you cat to the new surroundings. When your cat urinates or defecates outside of the litter box be sure to clean the areas using enzyme cleaners. Aggression: A cat in pain (arthritis) may become aggressive. Cats with vision or hearing loss may become aggressive due to being startled. Diseases that have a direct effect on the nervous system can cause aggression. Consult your veterinarian to identify any medical problems. If your cat is medically ok, you will need to redirect its behavior. Learn what stimulates aggression and teach a different response. An animal behaviorist would be a great help. Change In Activity Patterns: Cats have a tendency to be active during the night, playing, keeping us awake, As your kitty gets older there will be behavior changes (just as in humans). Be sure to rule out medical conditions, keep your older cat comfortable and give plenty of love. Urine Spraying Don’t confuse urine spraying with urinating. They are quite different. Urine spraying is a normal, innate territory marking behavior. Spraying is most common in non-neutered males and multi-cat households, however, neutered males and females can and will spray. They will spray on vertical surfaces such as, walls, doors, furniture and drapes. This is their way of identifying “their” property. There are a large number of chemicals in cat urine. This sends a message to other cats that the territory in question is already claimed or occupied. Spraying is a common behavior during the mating season with males and female “communicating” their availability. Generally, spraying behavior occurs against vertical surfaces. The cat stands with rear leg straight, facing away from the object to be sprayed. The tail is usually erect and quivering while a stream of urine is directed towards the surface. Cats may make a treading motion with the hind feet while spraying. Have your cat neutered. View of outdoors. Positive relationship between humans and cats. Keep a schedule. Clean. Try using a product called Feliway and Comfort Zone. These two products are a chemical copy of the facial pheromones present in cats. These pheromones result in an emotional calming, reducing the cats impulse to mark his territory by spraying. I am sure you have seen your kitty rubbing his face on furniture, cabinets, floors and even you. They are marking their territory with facial pheromones.
Scratching on furniture. Cats scratching on furniture is a common complaint by people who share space with them. Many families will give up their cat for this reason. Cats scratch on furniture for two reasons. The one everyone associates with is “sharpening” their claws. More importantly is another reason. Cats scratch on furniture to leave their scent and mark it as their territory. There are sweat glands on the paws and between the pads of their feet.. They leave a scent that tells them “I have been here before”. Recommendations: Praise & positive reinforcement.
Inappropriate elimination not only occurs in aging cat but in younger cats. Again, be sure that there is no underlying medical conditions. Don’t assume that your kitty is ok medically. Once you have determined that your cat is medically sound, you can begin to determine why he/she is not using the litter box. Dirty Litter Box Litter Choice Box Location Again, be sure to clean the areas where your cat has urinated or defecated (outside the litter box) with an enzyme cleaner. Use a pet repellent or Feliway on the cleaned areas. You may need to confine your kitty to one room with food, water, toys and litter box. Once your kitty is used to using the litter box in a confined area, gradually allow your kitty into larger areas. DO NOT punish your kitty. It is not his/her fault. Stress Cats, more than any other pet, are creatures of habit. They can be very resentful of any changes in their routine or environment. Stresses can include changes in environment, physical and emotional. Environmental Stress Physical Health Stress Emotional Stress Anxiety in cats is revealed in a number of ways. They may groom excessively or not groom at all, chew inedible objects, refusing to eat, aggression and litter box oversion. Try to figure out what is causing the stress and eliminate it. Some stresses will go away with time as the cats get used to the changes. If your kitty is dealing with health issues, work very closely with your veterinarian. I your kitty has a problem with another animal in the house, separate them temporarily, and gradually re-introduce them. This may take several weeks. Give each family individual attention, this includes playtimes. Separation Anxiety Yes, cats can and do suffer from separation anxiety. Contrary to what we have previously believed about cats being solitude animals, they are Singns Treatment Research is being conducted in this field. This research will give us more insight about the incidence, cause and treatment. Sucking & Chewing on Wool....& Kneading We don’t really know why cats suck and chew on wool. It seems to be more common in Siamese and Burmese cats. It is also more common in cats that were weaned early (at 2-4 weeks). This may not be the reason for the behavior, but may be somehow associated with it. Some young cats will suck on fabric, This may act as a pacifier for them. Most of these cats may grow out of the behavior. Cats who suck on fabrics run a great chance of swallowing pieces of the fabric. This could cause severe digestive problems and could result in the cat needing surgery. Discourage you cat from sucking and chewing on fabric. Keep your clothes picked up and keep your closets and drawers closed. Kneading-Kittens knead their mothers teats to increase the flow of milk. A cat may continue kneading into adulthood. They may knead on you or a soft blanket or cushion. Kneading is a sign of happiness. Knowing this, try allowing your kitty to knead on your warm lap (even though it may hurt a little) to show his/her appreciation for you.
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Aggression
Litter box problems
nd be sure to spend quality time with each cat. Have you noticed that when you take one of your kittys to the vet, upon your return your other kittys greet the kitty with aggression? This is due to the scent that the cat brings back from the vets office. The sense of smell is very important to a cat. The cat that visited the vet may be hissed at or slapped by the other cats because they do not recognize the cats as being their family member. Of course, after a few minutes of sniffing, hissing, growling and slapping, the other cats will recognize that they in fact do remember the kitty. Try rubbing a towel on one of the stay at home kittys. Rub it on the kitty that goes to the vet. If the kitty that goes to the vet smell like one of the stay at home kittys, perhaps it will curb the aggression upon returning home. Aging cats may show aggression toward people or other animals. In older animals, this aggression could be due to a medical problem. The pain from arthritis, hearing and vision loss resulting in the cat being easily startled or diseases that have direct effects on the nervous system. Stress can cause aggressive behaviors also. In these cases treating the medical conditions will help with aggression. You can teach the kitty a different response in aggressive situations. Be patient with your kitty. If necessary, consult an animal behavior specialist.
ts. These events include, change in barometric pressure, smells associated with the storms, thunder or electrostatic disturbances. Thunderstorms, gunshots, firecrackers and even the sound of birds, can become a noise phobia. Noise phobias may be traced to certain bad experiences of a noise or event. Usually, we don’t know what has caused the phobia. If the owner tries to comfort the animal, unfortunately the animal interprets the comforting as a confirming sign that there really is something to be afraid of. Petting (in this situation) is a positive reinforcement of an undesirable behavior.
Hiding 
ay be the underlying cause for inappropriate elimination. These medical conditions include: colitis, inflammatory bowel disease, hyperthyroidism, diabetes mellitus, kidney or liver disease, and feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD). Conditions which cause pain urinating or defecating, or make it difficult for your cat to get in an out of the litter box, may result in inappropriate elimination. These conditions may include: arthritis, FLUDT, anal sac disease, vision loss, and colitis. Your veterinarian will be able to assist your cat with diagnosis and medications. Place several litter boxes with lower sides (helps get in and out easier) around the house.
and then go to sleep when it is time for us to get up. Your older kitty is no exception. The difference is the cat is not playing, Your older cat may be in pain, may need to urinate or defecate more often. You may see your older cats appetite decrease. They won’t groom themselves as good as they used to. You may need to groom your cat more often and change their eating times. In addition to these changes, your older kitty may become more vocal. This could be due to the cat wanting more attention or it could be due to pain.. Remember, check with your veterinarian for medical problems.
on your furniture, pick your kitty up and put him/her on the scratching post and show it how to scratch on the post. Place the scratching post in an area that your kitty spends most of its time. Cats tend to scratch when the first wake up. If your kitty has already scratched on your furniture, use an enzyme cleaner to eliminate the cats scent. After you have cleaned the furniture spray a cat repellent on the furniture. Cat repellent spray leaves an offensive odor to the cat but not to humans. Be sure to praise your kitty when he/she uses the scratching post.
e and defecate in the same box. Be sure to wash out the box and lid every other week. Use only soap and water (never use pine-sol products or cleaning chemicals).
actually very social creatures. They form very strong bonds with both humans and other animals.
e. These medications could include, Prozac, Buspar, Paxil and Clomicalm. These MUST be prescribed and monitored by your vet. If you want to try handling this on your own, try making the cats environment more stimulating. Set up a perch or a piece of furniture at a window so that your kitty can look out. Place a bird feeder or squirrel feeder outside the window. This will keep kitty entertained. Climbing post with toys 
attached to it will be fun also. Leave the TV on (Animal Planet) or a radio. You can purchase cat videos. You may consider bringing another cat into your home for companionship. According to how severe your cats separation anxiety is, all of the above solutions may need to be tried.
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Bless Their Hearts Kitty Haven, Inc. P.O. Box 26207, Jacksonville, Florida 32226 |
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