Solving Common Cat Behavior Problems

As most cat owners know, cat behavior can differ vastly from each individual cat and also from each breed. Some kinds of cat behavior are also inherent in all cats. Some of these inherent cat behaviors include excessive scratching, making their territory and some aggression to strangers, whether animals or people.

Scratching

This very common cat behavior is actually not supposed to be destructive or pointless. Cats scratch for various reasons that include working off excess energy, taking off the dead layers of their claws, stretching and sometimes to mark their territories. This inherent cat behavior can turn destructive when they scratch on things that they are not supposed to, like the drapes, furniture and rugs. One way of preventing your home from looking like somebody went at it with a razor is to provide a scratching post or any other acceptable scratching material for your cat. Observe which materials and locations your cat prefers to scratch and provide the scratching posts there.

Marking Their Territory

Another very common cat behavior is marking their territory with urine. Cats seldom mark their territory with feces, thank goodness for that! This is an instinctive behavior that all cats and also dogs have. Before you can go about resolving this cat behavior, you must first learn why they do this. Cats mark their territories when they feel that there is a threat from other animals or there are other animals in the home that they do not feel comfortable with.

To solve this cat behavior you will need to be vigilant regarding when he marks objects. You can interrupt his intent to mark by making a loud noise or squirting your cat with water. As much as possible, do not confront the cat since this might change his regard for you. You might also like to keep your cat indoors as much as possible and away from any other strange dogs or cats to ease his marking instincts. Spaying or neutering your cat may have a positive effect on this particular cat behavior although this is not a guarantee.

Aggression To Strangers

There is aggression when playing and there is real aggression when confronted with strangers. The former cat behavior is common for many cats and you can expect it every time he plays. The latter type of aggression may need the help of a cat whisperer or some one who is knowledgeable with cat behavior.

Learning about these common behaviors that your pet may manifest is essential to owning a cat. This knowledge will also help you deal with these behaviors when the need arises.