Changing Cat Behavior
As we all know, nobody’s perfect, including those we love. Communication is often the key for our human family members, but we can’t simply ask our cats to please stop doing whatever annoying or dangerous activities they might be engaging in. It’s also very important to be mindful of the fact that cats are doing what they are doing out of biological need, and many of these behaviors are directly driven by instinct. With awareness of what our cats need and a willingness to find acceptable ways to meet those needs, we can develop ways of living together happily. For this #WiseWednesday we’d like to discuss ways to help adjust and modify cat behavior.
Tip 1: Punitive actions are not really effective
Spray bottles, loud noises, and other negative interactions will not create an association between the behaviors and the interaction. These methods will create a negative association with you—the person the cat most needs to trust in order to live a safe and happy life. Since these measures do create an element of fear, you may see the behavior temporarily interrupted. But that will likely be only when you are watching and won't create overall or lasting change. If you can create a negative consequence that is not connected to you, for example, using double sided sticky tape on a surface, that can sometimes be effective.
Tip 2: Strategy is an important place to start
Why is the cat doing what they’re doing? Could potential health concerns be behind the behavior? Is the behavior fear or anxiety related? Are certain needs not being met? Preferences? Is the cat marking because they are not sterilized? For example, if a cat is toileting inappropriately, the problem could be pain caused by crystals in the urine. Or, perhaps another cat is attacking them while they are using the litter box, when they are vulnerable. Or, perhaps the litter box is not kept clean enough. Or, maybe the litter type is unappealing. If not sterilized, marking behavior is a naturally related instinct.
Tip 3: Try targeted interventions
After ruling out or addressing any health concerns, try making an alternative behavior more appealing, and then redirect to that consistently. For example, if the cat is scratching the sofa, provide an appropriate and attractive scratching surface, make it more rewarding by adding matatabi (silver vine) or catnip to the area, and redirect to the scratching area every time the cat scratches the sofa. Be sure that you are providing both horizontal and vertical scratching options. If a cat is always on the counter, try to determine if the issue might be an attempt to connect with you at eye level. One strategy might be to provide another surface at that level, make it more comfortable, and shift the cat to that surface every time they jump on the counter.
Tip 4: Make the undesired behavior or trigger impossible or very difficult
For example, if a cat is constantly knocking objects off a shelf, close off that room or make the shelf inaccessible. If they are responding aggressively to the sight of another cat through a window, block the view. In cases of non-health related inappropriate toileting, caged re-training might be necessary, in which the floor of the cage is covered with litter boxes.
Tip 5: Intervene immediately and consistently
Cats are creatures of habit. It’s really important to address undesired behavior as soon as it begins, so that the behavior does not become habit. It’s also important to consistently work to create positive associations with desired behaviors, so that when the cat is driven to do something, the positive association is stronger.
Living with undesired behavior makes everyone uncomfortable and stressed, which can eventually lead to cats losing homes. At the very least, your anxiety over these ongoing annoyances can spread to the cat. When you first notice a problem, it’s important to quickly search for ideas on how to resolve it. Many cat guardians may have helpful experiences to share if asked, and there’s a lot of information available online.
Here are some other articles on this topic to check out: