.

The most common, seen by veterinarians, involve inappropriate urination and defecation, for example, spraying or not using the litter box. Others include aggression, usually toward other cats, but sometimes even to the owner; excessive fearfulness, fussiness and scratching the furniture. Let’s look at some of these.

Begin by bearing in mind how life looks from your cat’s point of view. Most cats enjoy affection and attention. However, their primary focus in life really revolves around having a comfortable, safe environment with food and a sunny place to sleep. They like cleanliness.

By nature, cats are loners. They must keep tabs on their world and make sure other cats do not intrude on their hunting range. They want to go in and out all day to check and mark their territory.

When cats urinate outside the litter box, they are usually unhappy about something in the environment. It’s a cat’s way of expressing agitation. Maybe the litter box is not clean or large enough, and even the location can be a source of dislike. Some long haired cats get annoyed when the litter sticks to their fur. Pooping outside the box is anger.

If the cat is spraying, marking territory, it can mean the cat is disturbed by recent adjustments in its life and surroundings. A new person in the household, a more anxious attitude from you due to stress, or a move to a new home. It can also be an indicator of chronic health problems such as allergies.

Most other problems are a matter of proper training. Scratching furniture indicates a lack of proper cat scratching furniture. Scratching posts should be a minimum of 3 to 4 ft. high, preferably wrapped with sisal. They may be a tad pricey, but rescuing the arms, backs, etc. of your furniture should make it a worthwhile investment.

You can also pin/tape aluminum foil to the furniture, they don’t like the texture. Spraying Jean Nate after bath lotion on the furniture is another valuable tool.

If you own cat condos and they are not being used, it’s because you don’t have them in the room where you spend the most time. These condos are usually quite attractive and should be placed in the den or living room or wherever you spend the most time.

*"This article is provided for information only, not written by PSPS."

*Reference Source: Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs & Cats

    Send mail to Webmaster with questions or comments about this web site.
                             Last modified: May 20, 2008