By Rob Metras
We are usually drawn to cats because of their independent nature, but that same independent nature can cause certain behavior problems that we just don't know how to deal with, and this is usually the reason why so many cats are given up for adoption.
An essential key in getting your cat to change his behavior is to catch the unwanted behavior early on. Most owners let a bad behavior go on to long. The longer a behavior goes on the harder it is to change. The following tips will help you change unwanted behaviors to wanted behaviors.
Go to the veterinarian - When you first notice the irregular behavior, you want to make sure that it is not a medical problem. A lot of medical problems that can affect your cat manifest themselves in the form of a behavioral problem. For example, if a cat stops using the litter box, and urinates in different places of the house, it could be because of a urinary infection. It could also be because the cat is getting older and it is too hard for him to get in and out of the litter box. In this type of case there are simple solutions, but only a vet can tell you if it is a medical problem.
Understand your Cat - Before you want to change his behavior you need to understand what is a normal reaction for your cat. What you might think of as misbehaving may actually be your cats natural behavior. For example, your cat doesn't scratch your furniture on purpose, he does it because his claws are growing. In order to curb a behavior like this you need to get him a cat scratch tower. To get him to use it there are a few things you can do like putting sticky tape on the furniture where he has been scratching. Cats don't like to get their claws sticky. You can also tape aluminum foil there, they don't like the sound of aluminum foil.
Get your Cat away from the affected area - If you are trying to change a cats behavior then you need to get him away from the area in which he is behaving badly. Place things the cat doesn't like in the areas he is misbehaving in. So if he is peeing in a certain area of the house, place oranges in that area. Cats hate the smell of oranges.
Non violence - Whatever you do, use non violent techniques to get your pet cat to change its behavior. Cats love to be praised so you need to use as much positive reinforcement as possible.
Curbing Aggressive Behavior - If you have brought another animal into the house and the cat seems to always be fighting, this is normal behavior for the cat. Cats are territorial. If it's a dog you have brought into the house give the cat preference by feeding him above the dog. That way the dog will know the cat outranks him, and this will make the cat feel more at ease. Lessen aggressive behavior by giving your cat the space he needs. The first thing you can do is to get separate litter boxes, separate food bowls, and separate water. Giving their own space will help them control their aggressive behavior.
Cats can be moody at times, and some cats seem to be moodier than others. Remember when a cat is feeling sick his emotions and his behavior will also be affected.
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