People adore having cats as pets. They are more independent than dogs and often require less work. Their purring sound can also decrease stress levels and lower blood pressure. However, they do have behavior problems, the top two being litter box problems and scratching of furniture and carpets. There are some ways you can stop these problems and with some patience and work, they can wonderful addition to your home.
- Have them checked out by the vet before you attempt anything else. They can become stressed very easily by changes, moves or additions to your family. They may be reacting to the change by not using the litter box, scratching up your furniture or spraying things. In addition, sick cats may have difficulty making it to the litter box in time. Before training, take them to the vet to make sure they’re healthy.
- Clean the litter box twice a day. Many will not use a litter box that is dirty. If you are able, scrub the litter box out and let air dry once a week. Make sure you use an unscented, clumping litter.
- Consider having multiple litter boxes. Many of them like urinating and defecating in different places. You should also have an additional one for each cat in your home. They can be very picky about using one other cats have used.
- If your cat is urinating on carpet, drapes or furniture, clean the area with an enzymatic cleaner. This will help eliminate the smell and the stain. Your local pet store should sell such a product.
- Spay or neuter your cat. When understanding cat behavior, know that a lot of aggression issues worsen when cats are not fixed. This will often stop spraying on furniture and drapes in 90 percent of cats. This will also help if your male cat has aggression issues.
- If your pet is a clawer, start by keeping their nails trimmed. You can ask your vet or your local pet store for a recommendation on a claw clipper. To trim nails, press gently on the footpad to extend the claw. Snip off the tip of the nail, being careful not to cut into the pink part of the nail. If you do go into pink part, the nail will bleed and they may jump and try to run away from you. If you have difficulty, ask your vet to show you how.
- Give them a place to claw, like a scratching post, or a tree trunk. Rub catnip (catnip does not work on cats less than 5 months old) into the scratching post and show them what to do with it. Encourage the behavior with treats and praise. Training may take a while, but with the right mentality can be a rewarding experience.
- Use double sided-sticky tape. If they are using a door post or couch constantly for scratching, try applying double sided-sticky tape to discourage them from scratching that area. This is a great training technique. Do this only if you have given them another place to scratch, like a post-otherwise, they will simply find a new place.
- Use a foul smelling product like No Scratch. Check with your vet or local pet store for recommendations.
- Apply claw covers to nails. Claw covers, under the product name Soft Paws or Soft Claws, are a relatively new product. Plastic tips are applied to cover laws. Your vet may be able to apply them or you may be able to apply them if you have a mellow cat.