Dogs are very careful at their owner and they try to do their best to please their human caretaker but cats are extremely different in this regard. Cats are a mystery for most and they have been described as selfish, independent or even mean. This is because they don’t pay so much attention to what we want them to do and this is a problem for people who don’t have a lot of patience. Let us find out some of the most frequent problems with cat behavior and what you can do to alleviate or fix them.
Furniture Scratches
Kitty has claws and they do enjoy to use them, sometimes even on your precious table legs or leather couch. It is difficult to keep things away from cats as they will jump on kitchen counters or tables so it is important to always keep track of what you leave exposed. Many of the things we eat can do harm to cats so never leave them lying around.
The textured and stable furniture pieces provide the perfect place for your cat to test their claws on and to solve this problem you need to find alternatives. There are scratching posts available in stores and you should think of having both horizontal and vertical alternatives.
Couches can be one of the main targets and some blankets might solve the problem but if that doesn’t work either there are some rubber covers over the nails that you veterinarian can place so that their scratches won’t damage the furniture anymore. You will have to replace this product once every couple of weeks though so this isn’t a perfect solution either.
Missing the Litter Box
Whether they do this on purpose or not, there are often mishaps and they are certainly not pleasant. There are many reasons for this problem and obviously before getting upset you should make sure that your cat is in good health. Various illnesses can lead to diarrhea or vomiting and as the cat’s digestive system is very sensitive this can happen more often than with us humans.
Despite popular belief, it is easier to train a kitten to use the litter than to train a cat. But even if you did this, sometimes they might choose another place. If this is the case try to check how clean the litter box is, as the cats are quite picky. Privacy can also be an issue and if that doesn’t work either then changing the litter will probably be required.
Getting Into Clean Laundry
The smell of fresh laundry is something irresistible for cats and that is why the cats will always love to jump into them. The way of preventing this is by managing the space so that the cat can’t get to the laundry but at the end of the day you are depriving your pet of some really fun activity. A better solution would be to simply wash some cloth that is specifically made for them and let them play with that.
One other attraction might be the laundry basket itself as the cats simply adore to hide and due to the way these baskets are made they will probably consider the basket as a safe area. Obviously, finding a replacement or simply building something similar to a laundry basket for your cat will give them a lot of satisfaction.
Chewing Houseplants
Cats like to explore and things left unattended can become attractive to them. A glass of water might be something they will start drinking and if this is the case you should make sure that their water is clean enough as that might be the reason why they rather have yours. Obviously, if you have a fish tank in the house this becomes a whole new problem.
One other temptation for cats are the houseplants that you might have through the apartment. This is something you should consider before having a cat in your home. There are many plants that can do serious harm to a cat and so you must first check the ASPCA list of toxic and non-toxic plants. Keep the toxic ones out of the reach of cats (a difficult task) and choose some which might do them good.
Cats can use these to get some of the nutritional elements from the plants, to help with their fur balls or just out of curiosity. To help decrease this habit pinecones added to the planters might help them be less attracted and some tape will make it really annoying for them but it is better to simply have some pots specifically for them with things like catnip or other cat-friendly plants.
Waking You Up In the Morning
Cats nap often during the day so they don’t need eight hours of sleep during nighttime as we do. Plus, they might have run out of food and they really need to tell you this at 5 AM in the morning.
The solution to this problem does require some effort but you should start checking the time your cats usually does this. Set the alarm a few minutes before that time and give them some wet food at that moment.
You can change a cat’s behavior if you do it gradually and in this case just set the alarm several minutes later each day. Over time the pet will learn to associate the alarm with the food that is coming and won’t have to wake you up.
This solution does take some time and effort though so if you want a more rapid answer just check out the automatic cat feeders that are available on the market and see if they do the trick.
Meowing Too Much
Some cats meow more than others and this may depend on their breed or training. If the cat starts doing this more often than before though, this might be an indication that something is wrong. Maybe the cat doesn’t feel well and wants to communicate this to you, so check with the vet to make sure it isn’t a medical problem.
If that isn’t it and the cat has plenty of food then it can be just because they want to play. Cats require attention so play with them by giving them something to chase or “hunt”. Once they had this activity you should serve them some wet food and then they will probably leave you to get to their grooming and a well deserved nap.
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