How to Change Bad Cat Behavior

Cats can be affectionate and welcome house pets, but they do have a few tendencies toward bad behavior. You can train your cat with a few simple techniques, if you have patience and practice consistent strategies. Train your cat in order to change his bad behavior and he will continue to be a beloved pet for years.

Things You'll Need

  • Training clicker
  • Bubble wrap
  • Nail trimmers
  • Scratching post
  • Litter box and supplies
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Instructions

    • 1

      Use a clicker and some cat treats to reward good behavior. If, for example, your cat scratches her scratching post instead of your couch, click a training clicker and give her praise and a cat treat when you see her doing this. Then she will associate the good behavior with the reward and your praise. When her good behavior becomes consistent, you can remove the treat from the equation and simply praise her when you see her doing the good behavior.

    • 2

      Place bubble wrap on the ground near any area your cat likes to scratch--such as in front of the couch or curtains. Your cat will dislike the popping noise from the bubble wrap and will eventually avoid those areas altogether.

    • 3

      Keep your cat's nails trimmed regularly. This will decrease his need for scratching. Also keep a scratching post in the house so he has a place to scratch that is owner-approved.

    • 4

      Keep the litter box clean. Having a clean litter box means your cats will be more likely to use it. If you let the litter box get full, they will look elsewhere for a substitute.

    • 5

      Use a loud, firm voice and say "No!" when your cat exhibits bad behavior. Cats dislike being surprised, so this will deter them from the behavior if you do it regularly. Say "No!" as soon as you see your cat doing the bad behavior (such as climbing on counters or eating plants); if you wait too long, the cat will not associate your reprimand with the negative behavior.