Written and edited by Michael @ Pictures of Cats org (PoC) with
contributions from Barbara Bates, Ruth Ockendon Laycock (retired vet
tech), Maggie Sharp,
Susan Sullivan, Finn Frode and Valley Girl who are all highly
experienced cat caretakers. Photos of Bengal cat and British Shorthair
cats copyright Helmi Flick. 
If a domestic cat is well socialised and healthy, cat behavior that we
might consider a problem is probably natural behavior. If we try and
correct it we will create a real cat behavior problem. Dealing with cat
behavior problems, therefore, starts with understanding cat behavior
and our behavior in relation to the cat. This page: cat behavior might help.
1: Think before starting
In cases where a strong human-cat
bond fails to develop the cat is at risk of being abandoned. Clearly
under these circumstances the human sees cat behavior more as a problem
than a joy.
Research has identified "risk factors for a broken bond" leading to
possible abandonment of the cat. Cats..
- acquired at no cost
- that are under the age of 6
months
- that were kept in basements
or garages
- that were not neutered and
- had not been to a
veterinarian were higher risk cats1and
naturally..
- ...when the cat caretaker
reports cat behavior problems the risk of abandonment is intensified.
 The
strong inference from this research is that a good number of people
acquiring a new cat do not, in all honesty, approach the matter with
the correct commitment to giving enough time to caring for their cat in
all its facets. They might also have unrealistic expectations.
Therefore, before even considering adopting a cat, the correct mindset
should be in place. Taking on a domestic cat should be for the life of
a cat or our life. That might sound unrealistic or idealistic but I
believe it is the opposite. We are after all talking about a future
member of the family.
If we are unsure about our ability to care for a cat for the remainder
of its life we should not proceed. That is better for us and the cat,
ultimately. And it certainly avoids cat behavior problems because an
incorrect mindset from us leads to certain problems.
What test can be applied when adopting a cat? Here are some pointers:
- selecting a kitten or cat for personality and
disposition is more important than selecting for appearance. Good
disposition and good health often go together. Well socialised cats
from balanced parents will have a good disposition.
- select a kitten that is confident and eager for
attention. When picked up the kitten should be relaxed. When
stroked it should purr. Check if it likes to play. It should, and if
startled it should quickly recover its composure. These are opposite
traits to tenseness and shyness2. People with experience
of keeping cats should adopt the shy ones as they need homes too!
2: Alter expectations!
Studies have shown that people with "specific and rigid expectations
about the cat's behavior" were more likely
to abandon their cat3. Conversely
people who accepted their cat as a cat (respect the cat)
were more likely to form strong bonds with the cat. For the former
group of people, no doubt the cat did not behave in a way that met the
person's ideas as to how a cat should behave. In short, for these
people the cat had "behavior problems". In fact, the cat behaved
normally and the human caretaker had misplaced ideas about cat behavior.
Let's think about it by taking a typical example. I live with a cat
that likes to jump up onto the kitchen counter. You also live with a
cat that likes to jump up onto the kitchen counter. I don't mind. You
are concerned and see it as a cat behavior problem. I don't have a cat
behavior problem. You do. You decide to accept it. You no longer have a
cat problem. We both now expect our cat to behave like a cat and jump
up onto a surface that to the cat is not out of bounds. Problem sorted.
False expectations can create perceived cat behavior problems. If we
are irritated and upset by our cat constantly doing something that we
find unacceptable such as in the example above and punish our cat
accordingly, it is likely to alienate our cat and make our cat
defensive. Defensive, alienated cats are more likely to be aggressive
towards their human companions for obvious reasons (aggressive cats). That will lead to
further alienation and an eventual breakdown in the relationship. Paragraph 13 gives some pointers on how to
gently modify behavior.
Unrealistic expectations also relate to the amount of commitment
required to properly care for a cat. As cat caretakers, our
expectations are extremely important.
3: Respect the cat
This might sound a little strange. What do I mean? As mentioned, cats
are often treated as members of the family. Or they are adopted for
that purpose. We talk to our cat and look to our cat for comfort (Human-cat relationship).
This is one of the major reasons why we keep cats. We can all tend to
think of our cat as a human child. This is alright provided that we
remind ourselves that a cat will behave like a cat and more....a
domestic cat has a lot of wild cat in his or her genes. If we respect
the cat as a cat and have the right expectations....we
will undoubtedly avoid cat behavior problems. This is because we will
not try and "shoe horn" our cat into behaving like a person. If we try
and do that we can provoke cat behavior problems. We should give our
cat the space to act as a cat, the place to act as a cat, and the love
to be confident enough to express natural cat behavior.
Another thing I'd say
is respect the cat, don't force yourself on him when it's obvious he
wants some 'private time' If he's peacefully sleeping, let him sleep. Talk to your cat, sing to him, make him feel
important and loved and he will reward you a thousand times over with
his love and trust in you. Get down
on the floor with him and look at the world through his eyes, you can
learn a lot that way. I heard this old saying many years ago and
I think it's true: "If you can win a cat's friendship, you've
something to boast about."...Ruth
Don’t force yourself on the cat! The flip side of
this is, especially when dealing with a new cat, is let the cat come to
you. Be nearby, be available, be aware of the cat (while seeming to
ignore it!), but let the cat make the choice to engage you...Valley
Girl
4: Cats as individuals
This is a point that we sometimes forget. Each cat is an individual.
They have their own character. It is in our hands to recognize it and
understand each cat's preferences, likes and dislikes. If we can get
into this mindset, and into the minds of our cats, we are bound to end
up living with a very contented cat because we will have truly learned
to relate to a cat and form a loving bond. Under these circumstances a
cat is very
unlikely to present to us cat behavior problems.
I also firmly
believe that the bit of their face at the top of the nose, between
their eyes that measures approximately an inch across is absolutely
made just the right size for putting a kiss on, and this should be done
at least once daily!...Barbara
5: Have
patience
If you are adopting a cat for the first time have patience and consider
going against the grain and adopting an older cat. Kittens can be more
of a handful. An experienced older cat will usually know the ropes. In
any event, give the cat at least 6 months to settle in and give
yourself 6 months more to get used to looking after a cat. As
mentioned, most cats that are relinquished are kept for relatively
short periods (under 6 months). If you have the correct expectations
and have created the correct environment have patience and things
should improve if you felt uncertain at first.
But, patience works. As does responding to
a small overture from a cat with something not too overwhelming for the
cat. Example: cats often start out checking out a new human by
“casually” walking past where the human is sitting (say). This walking
back and forth can go on for a long time, and unless threatened, the
cat will make the excursions closer and closer to the human as events
progress. Good move (in my experience)- acknowledge the cat’s presence
verbally- “oh, there you are Ms. Cat, I’m glad to see you”. Bad move
(also my experience) grab the cat and try to foist it into your lap as
soon as it’s “walking back and forth” route gets within arms reach
Also.. be consistent in your actions, and in the tone of voice you use
for conveying different kinds of information. Cats do pay a lot
of attention to this, I think....Vallley Girl
6: Never force a cat to do
something
Sounds obvious but we tend to try and do it, at least sometimes. We
have our own pressures. We live in a slightly chaotic world where we
like to try and take back some control over our lives and our cat
refuses to come in or go somewhere...chill out. We adopted our cat to
help us chill out anyway. This motto is linked to the first two. If we
force a cat to do something against his or her will, we will more than
likely get scratched or bitten and in any case we will always lose a
battle with a cat. In addition, we will alienate our cat and we will
call the cat's reaction a behavioral problem.
7: Create an
environment that is natural to a cat
 Well,
it sounds like commonsense. But how many of us think about this? We
naturally create an environment that feels as comfortable as possible
for us. Is it comfortable for a domestic cat that is driven by the same
genetic make up that drives and governs the behavior of the wild cats?
There has to be compromise in the living arrangements if we are to live
with a domestic cat in the same way that we compromise our decision
making when living with a spouse.
We need to respect the cat's innate desires as best as we can; plenty
of play areas and time to simulate the cat's natural desire to hunt is
a good first step (particularly if the cat is a full-time indoor cat).
Not being able to express natural drives may cause the cat to engage in
energy release behavior that we find disturbing. A typical reaction is
compulsive self grooming. Other energy release behaviors might include:
Calm, a routine and a clean, pleasant, reassuring environment helps
tremendously to avoid cat behavior problems. For multiple cat
households, Susan
says this:
Always praise
your cat when you see good behavior. Pet him or her as much as
possible. Always tell your cats how wonderful you think they are and
how much you love them. If you have multiple cats, spend as much
individual time with each cat. This will keep the fighting and other
acting-out behaviors down to a minimum...Susan
8: Don't declaw your cat
 I
am not saying this from the standpoint of ethical and moral grounds.
God knows they are reason enough, more than enough. Declawing
demonstrates a fundamental break down in the relationship between human
and cat and breaks motto number 3. It is more than that.
Although data is hard to come by because rescue centers are
non-cooperative in providing it, declawed cats are more likely to be
relinquished for cat behavior problems such as inappropriate
elimination than intact cats. You want to avoid cat behavior problems?
Don't declaw, please. Respect the cat as a cat, not as a fluffy
creature.
9: Cat scratching is
natural cat behavior
It is common knowledge that cat scratching furniture is one of the top
three reasons for relinquishment of cats. The other two are cat
aggression and inappropriate
elimination. There is not a lot to say about this that has not
already been covered elsewhere in this e-Book, indirectly. Before
adopting a cat we should have developed a mindset that says, "cats have
claws. I accept that there may be some damage to furniture. I may get
the odd scratch. I accept all that.." Voila, no cat behavior problem.
In all honesty, if you categorically cannot cope with cat claws you
should not keep a cat. That is the logical conclusion. Declawing cats
can only be described as an abuse of the cat and it causes behavioral
problems anyway. If you are in the middle ground of attitude towards
claws, dealing with them is commonsense. There are many articles on PoC
that deal with this subject. Here are three:
You teach a cat
as you teach a child, by kindness and distraction. Distract them from
the behaviour that you find unacceptable and reward them when they
learn. For example, after
you've shown the cat how to use his scratching
post, if he goes to scratch anywhere else (or anyone) don't say a
word, simply lift him to his scratching post and praise him when he
uses it. Cats are highly intelligent and soon learn what behaviour
pleases you. All it takes is
patience, kindness and a little bit of your time...Ruth
10: Provide excellent
litter box facilities
 I
have already mentioned inappropriate elimination. It is the top cat
behavioral problem. The problem can often be traced back to us one way
or another, directly or indirectly. A good example would be cat separation anxiety.
Litters should be spotless, of the correct size and
cleaned once or twice daily. The positioning should be suitably quiet
and where there is more than one cat, one litter per cat is the rule.
If the same litter box is used for more than one cat, it is best to
scrub the litter box in hot soapy water at least once a week,
preferably more. A cat's urine is like its own ID card, and urine is
used to mark a cat's territory. Some cats will smell that the other cat
has used ('marked') the litter box and be discouraged to use it. They
will do their 'business' in another litter box, or on the floor if
there is no alternate litter box
A cat might prefer a certain type of litter in a certain place. It is
up to us to discover it. Particularly for full-time indoor cats, our
part of the deal is that we organize the litter to the cat's
requirements if we are too live in harmony with our cat companion. Here
is a list of possible explanations why a cat does not use the litter
box (also see this page):
- cat dislikes litter box and/or litter and acquires a
preference for an area outside it.
- cat dislikes where the litter box is.
- cat associates litter box with a bad experience
(e.g. punishment or being chased).
- cat may have an emotional problem expressed in
inappropriate elimination.
Particular steps that can be tried to treat litter box aversion:
- clean the litter box thoroughly and more frequently.
- use non deodorised litter.
- use litter that is additive free.
- try fine clay based grained litter.
- leave the box uncovered.
- increase the number of litter boxes.
- place new litter box where cat is soiling. If this
works move it incrementally back to the site where you want it.
- ensure cat uses the litter in peace.
- make the site that is being used inappropriately a
bad site for the cat by putting food there or playing there5.
Spraying is not urine elimination. Cats spray for territorial reasons
by depositing scent to indicate their presence. Neutering curbs it. Susan Sullivan
provides this advice:
In order to keep
this [spraying] from happening inside your house as much as possible,
try to keep the number of house cats that you own down to a minimum,
preferable only one cat. If you do have more than one cat, definitely
have more than one litter box, preferable one for each cat, which kept
in his or her favorite area of the house. Keep the box immaculate!
There are also two products that can assist in keeping the urinating
and spraying to a minimum, and they are Boundary and Nature's Miracle.
They not only eliminate the odor to both your sense of smell as well as
the cat's, but have a built-in repellent which discourages the cat from
marking the area again..Susan
11: Groom your cat
Of course cats groom themselves beautifully. But in a natural world
cats can carry fleas and other parasites. We have the chance to improve
on their health. In fact we owe an obligation to do our best for their
health. I know we are busy and distracted all the time and lulled into
the cosy belief that cats look after themselves. They do, but we can
improve things and it is for our benefit too. Grooming our cat allows
for an intimate exchange. It benefits us and lets us inspect and check
for parasites and other readily apparent and unwanted conditions while
reinforcing the bond between cat and human. This can only have positive
repercussions.
12: Have an awareness
of health and behavior
We should be observant about our cat and not shirk our responsibilities
to take our cat to the veterinarian when demanded. I know vets are
expensive, sometimes too expensive. This puts us off. But delay
exacerbates any health problem and health problems affect behavior. We
should acquaint ourselves with basic health issues and expected
behavior. This allows us to recognize problems early. Proactive
measures keep the relationship in balance and avoids cat behavior
problems.
13: Never punish a cat
There is quite a lot of advice on the internet about how to stop cats
misbehaving through punishment. As I have implied, cats don't misbehave
they act naturally in response to what is before them. Cats do not
understand the concept of punishment. It is a human concept and
therefore it is inappropriate to apply it to a cat. We are meant to be
smarter than a cat. Let's use our intelligence to encourage a cat to do
what we wish, provided it is natural for the cat. Positive
reinforcement and reward comes to mind. Punishment, which is the
opposite, is almost certain to create cat behavior problems and it will
alienate a cat. Please don't punish
your cat.
As you know, the
one thing that is really important to me is respect, people need to
respect a cat as a cat. A cat is not a person, they don't think like a
person, they don't behave like a person, and they often don't
understand why people behave in certain ways towards them. If a cat is
playing with you and they bite you and then you hit them, the cat won't
understand why you did that, as far as the cat's concerned you're
punishing it for playing, that's how cats play, biting and scratching
is involved, so when you think about it, are you teaching the cat a
lesson, or are you causing it to lack trust in you and brake down any
bond that is there, because from the cat's point of view, you seem to
lash out at it when it's having fun and behaving in a healthy cat-like
manner. Therefore, you are not respecting the cat and its typical cat
behaviour
The idea of physical discipline
is to inflict pain on the cat in order to deter the cat from doing a
certain thing. Yes, it does get results, because it hurts and scares
the cat so much that it is frightened of doing that due to the fact
that it knows it will have some sort of pain inflicted on it. That's no
way to teach a cat the wrongs and rights. The infliction of pain,
purposely, is also the meaning of cruelty, which is why it is wrong to
physically discipline a cat..Maggie
In my opinion
and experience (36 years of happy well
behaved cats of [my] own), the most important thing is that cats
should never ever be punished.They don't understand punishment as what
they do is natural behaviour for them. They need to be taught like
children but we always need to bear in mind they are not children,they
are cats and they like being cats...Ruth
Maggie mentions the stern "No!" and it's usually enough
for stopping unwanted behaviour. If not, move the cat, but never in an
unkind way. Once it has stopped, do remember to talk calmly to the cat
so that it knows you are not mad at it. I
really can't emphasize the importance of talking to your cat enough.
Even if it feels a bit silly at first, talk to your cat. Even if the
cat doesn't understand a word of it, it helps bonding so much - and
also makes yourself feel better. ;-)..Finn
14: Aggressive cats
What we perceive as aggression in a cat is one of the top cat behavior
problems. A lot is written about it from the standpoint of, "what can
we do to the cat to change things?" This is jumping the gun as we need
to isolate the underlying reason, first. Cats will become aggressive,
like us, if provoked. What provokes a cat is different to what provokes
us.
Also what seems like aggression towards us, is not. I have mentioned
play fighting above. Provided the cat is
properly socialized, aggression in cats is usually defensive behavior
(self-protection). We create the environment. If a cat feels threatened
it is our responsibility to find the solution.
However, if a cat is not socialised (also our responsibility usually)
the cat will struggle to feel relaxed in human company and tend towards
defensive and perhaps, therefore, aggressive behavior. I mentioned this
in the first section. I discuss all
the aggressive cat problems and how to avoid them on this page: Aggressive Cat Behavior.
Photo by Purrs & Paws of A.R.A.S.
15: True cat behavior disorders
True cat disorders are usually associated with medical conditions. Cats
are solitary and independent. They like routine and, as mentioned, not
to be forced to do things. They can become frustrated if they cannot
express their innate drives and/or are disturbed by a change in living
arrangements. Cat behavior is also based on:
- degree of socialisation
- inherited characteristics
- health - example: inappropriate
elimination can be caused by a urinary tract infection.
- age
- sex of the cat
True cat behavior disorders include eating disorders; rarely, anorexia
nervosa affects cats. There will be an underlying medical problem such
as nervous stress and insecurity. A vet is needed. Overeating causing obesity is more common. The cause is taste
gratification (comfort eating) possibly due to boredom and lack of
exercise or competition with other cats eating together. One solution
in part is to feed less palatable food. Abnormal sucking behavior is
also due to a form of mental illness - being weaned too early or being
nutritional deprived as a kitten. The solution? I know of none but some
vets suggest drugs.
What I call true cat behavior disorders relatively rare. A visit to the
veterinarian is the usual answer.
Notes
1 Risk factors for
relinquishment of cats to an animal shelter by Patronek G.J. et al as
referred to in The Cat, Its Behavior, Nutrition & Health by Linda
P. Case page 106.
2 Cat Owner's
Veterinary Handbook by Drs Carlson and Giffin - page 408.
3 The Human-cat
relationship by Karsh E.B. and Turner D.C. referred to The Cat, Its
Behavior, Nutrition & Health by Linda P. Case page 107.
4 Cat Owner's Home
Veterinary Handbook by Drs Carlson DVM and Giffin MD - page 364-365.
5 Cat Owner's Home
Veterinary Handbook - page 363.
Understanding cat behavior to home page |
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