How to Address Cat Behavior Issues

Like people, cats have a variety of emotions that can influence how they behave, including fear, pleasure, hunger, anxiety, and irritation. 

Many typical feline activities are viewed as unpleasant and can have an impact on the standard of living for both owners and their pets. Thankfully, many of these behaviors are reversible.

Why Do Cats Display Problematic Behavior?

Finding the reason behind specific feline behaviors can be difficult because cats have a tendency to be enigmatic. The fact that each cat has a unique personality and that there isn't always just one reason for behavior only complicates matters further.

Vocalization

Just as you are about to nod off, you hear your cat yowling and wailing loudly outside your bedroom door. This occurs frequently with cats, therefore your cat's behavior can be entirely typical. Cats, like their wild relatives, are nocturnal, so they might be more active at night when you're trying to sleep, however that could also mean that something is wrong. 

• In senior cats, howling may be a sign of senility.
• Because Siamese cats are inherently more vocal than other breeds, they will meow loudly to get your attention at night.
• Your cat may be bored in the dead of night.
• Meows and screams during the day may indicate suffering. Cats who purr while using the litter box are typically in agony or discomfort as they try to urinate or defecate. These vocalizations may also be caused by other painful behaviors that are readily apparent, like indoor catfights or pinched tails.
• During the day, a cat may be howling, meowing, or crying for attention.

Scratching

Cats mark their territory with scratches. By giving your cat scratching posts and other toys for it to dig its claws into, you can stop your cat from damaging things you'd prefer it wouldn't.

Chewing

It is not common knowledge that cats chew as voraciously as dogs. However, some people are still able to cause quite an amount of harm to their teeth. Your cat's chewing behavior may be brought on by boredom, aggression, a nutritional deficiency, kitten teething, or being weaned too early. It might also just be your cat playing or enjoying the taste or texture of the object.

urinary issues

Cats may experience several urinary problems. Cats may spray, urinate outside of the box, have bladder stones, be inflamed, be under stress, have tumors, or be unable to urinate due to a variety of conditions. Conflicts between cats or other pets, as well as changes to the household (such as construction, moving in new family members, or leaving out family members), can stress cats and cause problems with their litter boxes.

Aggression

Cats can develop aggressive behavior toward both people and other animals, and this is a serious behavioral issue. Aggression in cats may result from pain-causing medical conditions, hormonal changes, or stress and anxiety.

Having an Excessive Liking Habit

Cats who lick themselves constantly usually do so out of pain, stress, or anxiety. All cats lick their fur, but excessive licking can be dangerous and needs to be dealt with right away.

It's not always in the area that's hurting when a cat licks a part of its body till it's bald and raw. A cat that is anxious or stressed out may constantly overgroom certain areas of its body or lick its belly until it is completely hairless. 

How to Prevent Behavior Issues

A cat's instincts can contribute to some behavioral disorders, but it's best to start by having your doctor rule out any underlying medical conditions. Go to the vet if you think your cat is ill or in pain. Discuss the use of special diets, pheromones, supplements, medications, and other methods to aid aging cats or reduce excessive licking.

After that, you can start addressing and discouraging particular behaviors, like jumping on counters, or you can assist your cat in resolving the underlying problem.

Too many vocalizations

Giving your cat something to do while you sleep could help stop nocturnal screaming. Additionally, you might encourage more activity throughout the day to make it less active at night.

When your cat wants food, to go outside, or to be patted, it could howl. Your cat will learn to use these vocalizations to get what it wants if you give in to its demands for treats, for example.

Needless Scratching

Place a scratching post in front of the things you don't want your cat to scratch, catnip sprinkled on it, to entice your cat to use it. You may need to experiment with scratching posts that have different textures because some cats prefer particular fabrics and materials more than others. If your cat doesn't like the post it is currently using, try one made out of corrugated cardboard, rope, or carpeting.

You can regularly employ pheromones and nail caps in addition to scratching posts. To safeguard your furniture, you can use nail caps, which are tiny plastic nail covers that are put over your cat's nails. Sprays, wipes, and diffusers containing pheromones are available to calm your cat and prevent any stress- or anxiety-related scratching.

Declawing, which is really an amputation, is a contentious procedure that is occasionally done to stop cats from scratching furniture. You should do extensive research on this irreversible procedure and speak with your vet about it.

difficulty chewing

To find a solution, consider the cause of your cat's chewing:

• Make sure the cat food you are giving has the AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) seal on the container, indicating that it is nutritionally complete.
• To rule out any dental issues, consult your veterinarian.
• Investigate the possibility that your cat is acting out on the thing it's chewing out of aggression. Supplements and other products designed to reduce stress and anxiety, such as pheromones, may aid in reducing aggressive behavior.
• Give your cat some safe toys to play with if it's boring.
• You can use a bitter spray as a deterrent for cats that are persistent in trying to gnaw on things they shouldn't. Plastic casing can also be used to protect small, potentially harmful objects, such as electrical wires.

Litter Box Problems

If you notice your cat struggling to urinate or having trouble, take it to the doctor right away. Your cat may benefit from using special litter, diets, pheromones, supplements, and medications if they are having issues with its urine behavior. 

Once medical causes have been ruled out, a behavioral issue is frequently what needs to be addressed.

• Cats are particular about their restrooms, so make sure the litter box is never unclean.
• Lack of litter boxes could also be a problem. As a general rule, there should be one litter box on each floor and one for each cat. For instance, a home with just one cat needs to have two boxes, a home with two cats needs to have three, and so on.
• It's possible that your cat doesn't like the kind of litter you're using or that the box is too deep. Consider using less, changing to an unscented or different brand of litter, or using an alternative to conventional clay litter.
• Make sure the cats in a multi-cat household can't see each other when they're using separate litter boxes at the same time.
• Look around your home for potential stressors and make an effort to remove them. For instance, you can draw the curtains if an indoor cat starts to get agitated when it hears, senses, or even sees a cat outside.

aggressive attitude

Keep an eye out for anything that might make your cat act aggressively. This is the simplest way to handle aggressive behavior if you can identify the trigger and eliminate it.

Your cat may frequently need to adapt to living with the trigger. Pheromones, supplements, drugs, and special diets may help once more.

 Giving your cat other things to focus its energy on, such as toys that encourage exercise, is another option. Place dividers between the food bowls and litter boxes, or try other low-effort solutions.