Article From SubmitYOURArticle.com: Cat Behavior Problems And What To Do About Them

Our beautiful feline friends are one of the most
beloved and cherished of pets. It's hard to find
someone who has not spent at least part of their
life with a cat. They are beautiful,
entertaining, affectionate, and do double duty as
self appointed rodent catchers, and even insects
will be attacked and kept in their place by
diligent cats. Humans and felines are a match
made in heaven, but problems can and do arise. If
problem cat behavior is not addressed, it can
lead to great frustration and heartache for the
human, and possibly a loss of home and family and
even life for the cat.

Many of the problems with cat behavior, are not
really problems, but instinctual feline
behaviors. A kitten is driven by instinct to jump
out from the shadows and attack. The fact that
it's your leg is of no difference to that kitten.
That doesn't mean that cute bundle of fur can't
be taught. A quick squirt from a water bottle can
begin to teach that legs should not be attacked.
Yes, it's hard to carry around a water bottle,
but it won't take long for that little kitty to
learn and your legs will once again be safe.

Biting is another issue with cats. I live with a
17 year old neutered male who has been known to
grab my arm and bite it in the middle of the
night! Not too hard, but of course this is
unacceptable behavior. He want's my attention,
wants his tuna and thinks he can get me to do his
bidding. Cat's are very focused on what they
want! I stopped this behavior by reacting loudly,
clapping my hands and not giving him what he
wants. I have learned to watch his body language
during the day. A flicking tail from him means
he's annoyed and beware!

Another big problem for cat owners can be the
litter box. If a cat isn't using his litter box,
the first thing that should be determined is if
there is a medical problem. A urinary track
infection, or some other digestive upset can
cause this behavior. A cat is very sensitive to
stress and these stresses can be difficult for us
to determine. It might be a new cat or person in
the house, or even a cat or dog that he sees
lurking around his yard. It could be as simple as
your cat not liking the new cat litter you
bought, or the type of litter you're using. Until
you learn the reason for the misbehavior, your
cat should not be given free reign of the house
because you do not want soiling of clothing or
furniture to become a habit. This behavior has
caused many cats to be surrendered so it is
necessary to address it early on. There's always
a reason, you just must find it. A good place to
start is with your vet.

Whatever you do, never scream at or strike a cat.
They won't know what they did wrong and will only
be frightened and stressed further. A cat doesn't
understand that scratching on your new leather
couch isn't ok. Especially if you haven't given
him an scratching post as an alternative. The
butter left on the counter is almost irresistible
to a cat, and hissing and puffing up is a natural
way of warning that they want to be left alone or
are afraid. None of these behaviors make the cat
bad, but they are a problem for us. With
understanding and patience we can learn why our
cats are acting like they do and then find a way
to modify the undesired behavior. Our cat
companions are certainly worth it.

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Kristin Alexander is a cat owner, writer, and
works in marketing.
For more great information on the mysterious
behavior of cats and
what to do about it, visit:
http://www.fixcatbehaviorproblems.com
Help for the cat owner that works!
Kristin@ireviewebooks.com

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