Behavior Modification for Cats

Physical Correction

• Physical correction doesn't work in changing a dog's behavior and it most certainly doesn't work in changing a cat's behavior. If you scold, scruff, yell or hit your cat, you will accomplish nothing except to create a pet who is fearful of you and who may become aggressive toward you.

Spay/Neuter

• Cats who are unaltered have many more behavioral problems than cats who are spayed or neutered. If your cat yowls, is aggressive, roams, sprays or has other such issues, your first step toward modification is to have your animal fixed.

  Altering a cat decreases fighting and mating, the two activities from which most behavioral problems result.

Desensitization

• Desensitization is one of the most common techniques animal behaviorists recommend for helping to modify the behavior of a fearful, anxious or aggressive cat. The first step in the process is to identify the trigger that causes your cat's behavior. Triggers often include dogs, other cats, strangers or petting.

  In the beginning, remove your cat from the trigger all together.

  Do not attempt to begin desensitizing your cat if it is already anxious or aroused. Begin the first session in a quiet, neutral environment when your pet is relaxed.

  Identify a treat that your cat really enjoys. This may be a bite of tuna, chicken, canned cat food or a commercial treat.

  Have the trigger, perhaps a dog or a person who is a stranger to the cat, get as close to the cat as it will allow while remaining relaxed. Offer your cat treats.

  Over several sessions, gradually allow the trigger to get closer until your cat is more comfortable with the situation.

Litter Box Issues

• Litter box issues--including spraying and going outside the box--are the number one behavioral problem cat owners report.

  The first step in modifying your cat's potty behavior is to have it examined by a veterinarian to ensure that medical issues are not the cause.

  Once medical issues are ruled out, look at where the box is located. The litter box needs to be in a quiet, low-traffic area. Perhaps the problem is the type of litter you are using. Many cats prefer unscented litter. Clean the litter box often. There should also be enough litter boxes. The standard recommendation is at least one litter box per cat, though it is sometimes necessary to have two litter boxes per cat.

  Changes may stress your cat and that can cause litter box issues. A new pet, redecorating your house, a new household member, or a move could be among the factors.

  It may be necessary to retrain your cat to use the litter box.

  Put your cat in a small room, such as a bathroom, and remove all the rugs. Give it food, water and a litter box. Don't place its food and water too close to the box, however.

  Keep the cat in the room for about a week and give it lots of attention during this time.

  When it is consistently using the litter box, allow it access to the rest of the house with supervision.

  If you catch it trying to potty in an inappropriate area, startle it with a loud noise and place it in the litter box.

  If it does have an accident, put it back in the bathroom for a few more days of retraining. Do not swat it or rub its nose in the mistake.

Scratching

• Perhaps the second-most reported behavioral issue in cats is their destructiveness of furniture and other household items by their instinctual and biological need to scratch.

  De-clawing is a solution. However, the procedure usually creates more behavioral issues than it solves. And there is much debate about whether the procedure is cruel.

  A better approach is to train your cat to scratch in appropriate places.

  This technique requires you provide your cat with a place to scratch. A scratching post should be stable and your cat should not feel as if it is going to topple over. The post should provide a place for the cat to scratch horizontally and vertically. You may need to try posts made of different types of material before finding the one your cat likes best and is most likely to use.

  You might consider using Bitter Apple on furniture or areas where your cat tends to scratch. The product is available at most pet stores. Double-sided tape can also deter cats from scratching off-limit items.

  If you catch your cat scratching something it shouldn't, startle it and take it to the scratching post. Show it what it's for by running your fingers on it as it would its claws.

Biting and Aggressive Play

• Biting and aggressive play are especially common in kittens and young cats, especially those who were taken from their mothers before it had the chance to teach them appropriate play behavior.

  If your cat gets too aggressive in play, give a sharp yowl that sounds like a hurt cat. Pull your hand back or let your hand go completely limp.

  Turn your back on the cat and ignore it for a few minutes.

  Hissing at the cat is sometimes effective as well.

Wake-Up Call

• Cats are well known for providing their owners with early morning wake-up calls, especially on those days when the human has the chance to sleep late. Cats do this for several reasons--most often because they want to eat or they want to play.

  If your cat is demanding its breakfast too early, you might consider filling its food bowl before going to sleep so there will be something there for it in the morning.

  The best approach, however, is to set a consistent feeding time when you feed your pet each morning. Your cat will adjust to this time quickly, though there may be a few more days of early morning meowing before it gets the message that its persistence is not going to work.

  If your cat wants you awake so it can play, try having an active playtime just before bed and tire it out. You can also try shutting it out of your bedroom, though many cats will just pound on the door with their paws from the other side until you allow them access. In this instance, you may just have to shut it in another room until you are ready to get out of bed.