Common Cat Behavioral Problems

There are several common cat behaviors that are seen as undesirable and can affect the quality of life for both owners and their pets. This may just be reasons why there are more pet dog owners than cats in Nigeria.

The most common feline behavior problems are associated with elimination. Some of these are related to the litter box, while others reflect social conflicts and involve anxiety or aggression. Much feline aggression is subtle and passive, so its real frequency may be greatly underestimated.

If you find yourself in this situation, try to remain calm. Many of these behavioral problems have simple solutions. Contact your vet as soon as possible for professional help.

Some Cat Behavioral Problems and Solutions

Elimination disorders

Elimination disorders in cats are typified by elimination outside of a preferred area. Diagnostic indicators include urine marking (which can also be a normal behavior) and toileting outside of the litter box.

Prior to implementing behavioral treatment, treatment of any underlying medical conditions that may be contributing to the problem is essential.

Environmental changes are the first line of treatment and are often effective. Examples include providing extra litter boxes, cleaning litter boxes more often, and changing litter type/litter box style to improve access.

Aggression

Aggression is the second most common feline behavior problem seen by animal behaviorists. In pet cats, aggressive behavior can range from cats who hiss and avoid the target of their aggression to cats who attack.

Cats can bite and inflict severe lacerations, which are painful and can easily become infected. Aggressive cats can be risky to have at home and can pose a real danger to family and visitors.

Consult your vet to see it the cause of aggression is medically related and also closely work with an animal behaviorist. A qualified professional can take a complete behavior history, develop a treatment plan customized for your cat and coach you through its implementation.

Play aggression

Play aggression, as it is called, is a normal feature of feline development. Kittens are adorable, but when they are around four months of age, a shady side to their personality. Sometimes it involves aggression. In an instant, a kitten can turn aggressive, inflicting painful scratches and bites.

Scratching

Cats scratch to mark their territory. If your cat is scratching objects that you prefer it wouldn’t, you can redirect the behavior by providing scratching posts and other toys your kitty can dig its claws into. Trim your kitty’s claws. It may seem daunting, but trimming is easier than you think

Night time Activities

Naturally, wild big cats are nocturnal which can result in domestic cats displaying tremendous energy at night. It is not surprising to be awakened in the middle of the night by your cat running madly around the house including your sleeping. While this may be amusing at first, folks around your neighborhood here in Nigeria may percieve and relate it supernatural activities.

Luckily, it is behavior that you can easily modify by playing with the cat before bedtime. You can also get another cat but that could result in two cats running around the house madly. With some patience, however, you should be able to modify your cat’s schedule to allow you a good night’s sleep.

Yowling of a cat in heat

When a female cat is in heat, they’ll often become very affectionate and vocal, meowing and yowling as they attempt to alert a potential mate of their fertile status. Likewise, a male cat may become talkative when they are hearing or smelling a female cat in heat.

This yowling and other mating behaviors may repeat themselves every 18-24 days throughout a cat’s eight month breeding season. The most effective way of tackling this is to get your cat spayed or neutered.