Common Behavior Problems in Cats

by Patrick Melese D.V.M. M.A.

Cats have surpassed dogs as the most popular pet in America and have found a niche in the homes of people who lead busy lives in relatively small homes. In general they make great pets, but have their share of problem behaviors, which often can cause their owners great frustration.

Many owners are unaware that help is available from medical professionals to deal with these problems. An example of a common behavior problem is house-soiling which includes urinating or, less commonly, defecating outside of the litter box, as well as spraying on walls and other vertical surfaces.

The first step in any of these house-soiling problems is to have your cat examined by your veterinarian to be sure there is no medical cause (such as a urinary tract infection, intestinal parasites or other intestinal or metabolicdisorders), which can predispose the cat to eliminate outside of its litter box.

URINE SPRAYING is a normal territorial marking behavior, which is common for un-neutered male cats but is also seen in neutered males and females.

Spraying in the house is usually associated with the cat's perceived need to assert its territory, and/or to react to a stressful environment. To curb this unwanted behavior, neutering is indicated if the cat is a sexually intact tom after which treatment usually includes identifying possible inciting causes (for example strays, neighbor or even resident cats which may be annoying the offending individual) which are eliminated to the best of the owner's ability.

All urine odor sources must be neutralized with special odor eliminators and the cat's daily activities are examined for any changes to alleviate possible stress on the cat. An anti-anxiety medication such as Ualsum and Busparare often used at least temporarily if stress is found to be an important factor in the case. Occasionally female hormonal treatments are indicated, but these drugs have many potentially dangerous side-effects which can limit their use.
Various behavior modification principles can be used such as making the areas which are sprayed aversive to the offending cat using things such as aluminum foil, Snappy Trainers (a sort of modified safety mouse trap), and other booby trap devices. Even with these effectiveremedies, spraying can be difficult to completely control in some cats.

URINATING AND DEFECATING OUTSIDE OF THE LITTER BOX (other than spraying)

is all too common among cats that spend significant time inside. In these cases, the litter pan itself is always looked at as a suspect since too many people do not have sufficient boxes for their cats, do not pick out and change the litter suitably for their fastidious pets or have other factors about the litter box (location, cover, litter type, perfume, etc.) which their cat does not care for.

Complete odor control in the inappropriate locations (see above) is always required and the cat's environment and daily life must be evaluated for additional stressors. Confinement to a small bathroom or utility room is often necessary, and to establish a new behavior pattern of regular use of the box. Additionally, a strict feeding schedule (e.g. twice per day) is adopted, allowing the owner to begin to predict elimination patterns so the cat can be supervised to reward appropriate use of the box and perhaps punish potential errors.

PUNISHMENT WHICH IS AFTER THE FACT BY EVEN A MINUTE OR TOO HARSH A REPRIMAND CAN ONLY MAKE THE PROBLEM WORSE!

If immediate punishment must be used, startling noises water streams and other more "remote" punishments are more likely to be effective since they are less directly associated with the owner. When the cat is finally allowed to begin supervised outings from confinement, the places where it used to inappropriately soil are made aversive as mentioned above and these things are very slowly faded away over weeks or months while the new habit of proper litter box use is well established. Supervision must continue until the owners feel sure the problem has resolved.

SCRATCHING furniture is another common cat problem, which is again a normal territorial marking behavior. Cats have scent glands both at the corners of their jaws as well as the pads of their feet. When a cat claws, it accomplishes at least 3 things:

1. Dead layers of claw, which continually build up are removed.

2. The cat also leaves both a visual as well as scent mark of its presence in the territory, and 3. The cat expends pent up energy and relieves boredom.

To control excessive scratching one must be sure the cat has people to play with, as well as many interesting and constantly changing toys. The cat must also be taught to use acceptable alternatives. Scratching posts come in many different styles but one must make or purchase them from the cat's point of view.

It must be tall enough to get a good stretch on, have a substrate which allows a good run of the claws (sisal rope, burlap, tight weave carpet, many sofa fabrics all have been accepted by cats) and be placed in a central location where all the would be intruders would see your cat's mark. Teach the cat when you first adopt it to use the proper place by using catnip rubbed on the post(s), gently holding the paws up and using a scratching motion to have the cat "get" the idea" and gently reprimand the cat for using the wrong areas using a water pistol, can with a few pennies or other device not too related with your presence.

You may need to provide a variety of acceptable things for your cat to scratch and even to continue to clip the claws short for a period of time. Seeking the aid of an authority on cat behavior problems will usually help if your cat resists and last resorts can include blunt claw covers carried by some veterinarians or a declawing procedure if all else fails. In addition to the problems addressed above, aggression towards cats, other animals or people, abnormal ingestion, self mutilation, vocalization and many other problems are regularly handled by those few veterinarians specially trained in applied animal behavior. These notes are not a substitute for a professional behavioral consultation!