How to Curb Annoying Kitten Behavior

Discourage your kitten from practicing common, annoying behaviors, such as scratching furniture, aggression and passing waste in inappropriate places. You can do this by training your kitten from an early age and by providing them with a suitable environment. By paying attention to bad behaviors that your kitten is exhibiting you can prevent the cat from carrying these on into adulthood and enjoy a contented family pet. Behavior issues can also be caused by health problems, so if your kitten continues to practice strange behaviors you should arrange for your veterinarian to give the kitten a general health check to ensure that your cat is healthy.

Things You'll Need

  • Scratch post
  • Enzyme cleaner
  • Litter tray
  • Toys
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Instructions

    • 1

      Stop your kitten from scratching the furniture in your house by providing a specialised cat scratching post. Scratching is a natural behavior for cats to practice and therefore it is impossible to prevent them from doing it, although by providing a scratching post you can protect your furniture from being damaged by your cat's claws. Remember that cats scratch to mark their territory as they leave a scent on the scratched surface. Once a cat has scratched a particular place they will often return to the same area to repeat the action. Deter your kitten by cleaning any furniture he has already scratched with an enzyme cleaner to remove his scent. Encourage the kitten to use the scratch post as he is more likely to continue to use it once he has rubbed his scent onto it.

    • 2

      Place a number of litter boxes around the house if your kitten is passing waste in inappropriate places. The kitten may not like the location you have chosen for the litter-box if it is draughty, damp, noisy or busy. Experiment with the amount of litter you place in the tray as some kittens prefer there to be more, whereas others prefer less. Keep the litter trays clean but avoid using harsh chemicals, such as bleach that give off a scent. Whenever you catch your kitten eliminating outside of a tray simply say the word "no" in a stern voice and clean the area thoroughly using an enzyme cleaner to remove the scent of the waste. Place your kitten in the litter tray after meals to encourage her to eliminate there.

    • 3

      Protect yourself from your kitten's acts of play aggression, such as scratching, biting and pouncing by learning to read his body language. Watch out for signs that your kitten wants to play fight, such as a twitching tail or an arched back. If your kitten exhibits these signs immediately stop petting him and move away. You can also help your kitten to burn more energy by playing with him using a variety of specialised cat toys. A length of string with a toy tied to the end of it can also provide hours of fun for your kitten while keeping your hands safely out of reach. If possible adopt a second kitten so that the two kittens can play fight with one another. According to PetPlace.com play aggression is likely to develop when the kitten reaches four months of age, although it will diminish as the cat matures.