Just like humans, cats experience a variety of emotions including fear, anxiety, hunger, pleasure and many others.
Some common behaviours our felines might exhibit may be seen as a problem both for them and us. Some of these behaviors can affect the lives of our cats and even our lives negatively but thankfully they can be fixed.
Vocalisation
After a long day at work you finally come home and all you want to do is rest. The last thing any human wants at bed time or when they have finally found sleep is noise but that’s when some cats think it’s OK to cry and howl at the top of their lungs just outside your bedroom door where you can hear them.
This kind of behavior may seem like a normal one for many cats but it could as well be a sign of selinity in some older cats. Certain breeds of cats are natural more vocal than others. Cats like the Siamese are very loud noise makers and will meow at the top of their voice at night just because they want your attention.
You might not want to blame the card because they are nocturnal animals which means they are naturally wired to be more active at night when all you want to do is catch some sleep.
If your cat isn’t so old that you think senility could be responsible for its nightly noise making then all you need to get some things to keep it engaged at night while you sleep or better still make them get plenty of exercise during the day so that they are tired at night and are forced to rest while you sleep.
If you feel senility is responsible for your cat’s behavior, you should visit the vet immediately and discuss medications, supplements, special diets, pheromones and other things that will help cats dealing with such problems get better.
Does your cat howl and meow during the day? it could be due to pains. If you notice that your cat cries when it tries to dedicate our urinate then it is a sign that something is wrong and thought pet is uncomfortable.
Some other obvious sources of pains like pinched tails in doors and cat fights are possible reasons for such vocalizations during the day. If you suspected that your feline is going through some pains it is only right that you consult a vet for immediate attention before the condition gets worse.
Howling, crying or meowing during the day could also be a way of attention seeking on the part of your feline. This attention seeking behavior could occur is your cat wants to go outside, wants to be touched, or even wants food.
The way you respond to these vocalizations will either train your cat’s to continue making them or to stop. For example, if your cat meows whenever it wants a treat and you give in, that behavior will continue everyday because your cat already knows that when it does that, you give it what it wants.
If you notice any changes in your cat’s voice, it could be because they have cried for a long period of time and it has led to some kind of irritation in their throat.
Such a thing can happen when a tube has been placed down your cat’s throat after surgery or your cat is sick. Illnesses such as asthma of lung worms may cause your feline to sound differently. Whenever you suspect this cat has an illness, consult your vet.
Scratching
Cats are very territorial creatures and one of the ways they mark their territories is by scratching things. If your cat is scratching things that are valuable to you then you have to find a way to redirect their scratching activities to scratching posts and any other toy that they can easily claw at.
You can entice a cat to use a scratching post by sprinkling some catnip on the scratch post and placing it in where in places where your cat likes to do is scratching activities.
Different cats prefer different materials and surfaces when it comes to scratching so try providing scratching posts that are covered with different texture of materials such as corrugated cardboard, ropes, and maybe carpet materials.
You can try nail caps and pheromones instead of scratching posts. Nail caps and pheromones are best for cats that refuse to use scratch posts. Because nail caps will protect your furniture since they are made of plastic and will be glued to the cats nails, you can easily allow your cat do is thing without worries.
If your suspect that your cat engages in scratching because of anxiety issues then pheromones are the best option. Pheromones come in diffusers, sprays, and wipes that will help to calm your cat down and discourage it from scratching things.
Declawing is another option you can consider. However, because it is amputation or has become a very controversial topic when it comes to technics used to prevent scratching. Before you decide to have this surgery done on your cat, make sure to do enough research on it and also consult your vet.
Chewing
Cats are not chewers by nature like dogs. However, some cats will still do a huge damage with those teeth of theirs to the amazement if their owners.
Chewing behaviours in domestic cats can be due to Boredom, teething in the case of kittens, aggression, playing, being weaned too young, liking the taste of texture of an item, and even a nutritional deficiency.
Ensure that you are feeding your feline with a healthy and nutritionally complete food that carries the Association of American Feed Control Officials seal on the pack of container. It is important that you known your feline has no dental concern and he or she isn’t chewing on an item just because they are channeling their aggression towards that often.
Products designed to help reduce stress and anxiety in cats such as supplements and pheromones can also help reduce aggressive behaviours just the way preventing your indoor cat from seeing other cats that are outside will help to keep it calm and unaggressive.
If your cat’s problem is boredom, provide toys that are safe to play with and if that doesn’t stop the chewing you can get bitter spray to discourage then from taking their mouth activities near your items.
Urinary problems
Felines are vulnerable to a number of urinary problems. Tumors, stones, infections, stress, inflammations and a variety of other factors can make your cat urinate outside its box, become unable to urinate, or even engage in spraying.
If your cat is unable to urinate or ever straining it means you have to give it immediate vet care. If your vet has been able to rule of illness as the reason for your cat’s urinary problems then it’s often a behavioural issue that must be addressed.
Pheromones, special litters, medications, diets, and supplements can help solve your cat’s urinary problems. A dirty litter box, too deep litter box, too few litter boxes, cover litter box, or even a scented litter box may also encourage your cat to urinate somewhere else in your house.
Problems with other cats both inside the house and those outside, the construction of your house, family members and other stressors can cause your cat to have urinary problems. If you can’t get your cat to correct it’s urinary issues then you may need to see a cat behaviorist.
Aggression
Cats can become aggressive towards people and other animals and it a serious behavioural problem that can affect your relationship with visitors and even your spouse. The aggression displayed by your cat can be a result of stress, pain, or even due to anxiety caused by a medical problem.
Once you have paid your vet a visit and medical problems have been ruled out as a possible cause, the next thing you should do will be to watch your cat from a distance and find out what triggers their aggressive behaviour.
Most times your cat may have to live with the trigger so once you identify the trigger, you need to take steps to help your cat cope with it or prevent this cat from having access to the trigger.
Obsessive-compulsive licking
When a cat starts a chronic licking behaviour, it is usually due to stress, pain, or anxiety. Cats that are in pain may begin to lick a particular area on their body till all the hair in that area falls off and it becomes raw.
The area they lick isn’t anyways the spot where the pain is however excessive grooming isn’t healthy and you need to see your vet so that your cat can be taken care of.
