Cat Problem- Naughtiness or Illness?
January 6, 2009 by lucky
Filed under Cat Behavior, Cat Problems
If you are experiencing problems with your cat, or her behavior, then it could be a case of simple misunderstanding between you both. If your cat is behaving badly, she could be trying to tell you something rather than just being naughty.
You may see scratching furniture or walls etc as a behavior problem, but to her this is instinctive and natural behavior. She will scratch to mark her territory and shed the outer layer of her claws, so try providing her with a scratching post and encourage her to use this.
If she starts to urinate in inappropriate places when she has always used her litter box, she could be trying to tell you that something is amiss. It could be a sign of illness, such as a kidney infection, so take her to the vets to have this checked out. Sometimes a change in routine such as moving house or introducing another addition to the household could cause this. If she usually goes to the toilet outside and has started using the house instead, she may be being threatened or bullied by other cats in the neighborhood. Older cats sometimes stop using the litter box, this could be a sign of arthritis making it difficult for them to climb in and out, or even dementia, as they could forget where the litter box is. Another sign that she may have dementia is excessive vocalization- she may wander around the house, calling and appearing to be ‘lost’. Again, have your vet check this. If you have a tom that starts spraying, this could be territorial, and neutering could solve this problem.
A cat that suddenly starts to scratch and bite when handled could be in pain, so again have a word with the vet. Cats can also show aggression when they don’t want to be handled or petted, and earlier warning signs such as laying ears back and tail twitching have been ignored. Sometimes cats may become over aggressive in play, the best way of dealing with this is to say a loud ‘No’ or make a noise such as clapping your hands to startle and distract her.
Most cat problems can be overcome with a little time and patience, and learning to listen to what your cat may be trying to tell you.
Click here to learn how to make your cat adore you!
I got a kitten from a shelter 3 months ago, I was able to calm her down a lot and having her spade was a great thing, but because they said that she was severely frightened as a kitten and the shelter found her in a palm tree it seems she has some aggression problems.
I was able to teach her not to scratch the furniture which was easy but I have tried everything to get her to stop biting, she bites less now that she is 6 months but she bites my husband more often than me and sometimes she has fits of anger where she attacks things that she knows she is not allowed to play with, I know she is doing it on purpose because if I leave the room she stops and if I go out and leave her in the house I never find anything broken when I come home. I have taken her to the vet and they found nothing wrong with her. I have put her on some calming food which helped some but still the biting had not stopped.
She is a loving cat and she loves to be pet and often the only way I can stop her from going crazy at times is to pick her up and sit her beside me and calm her down until she relaxes and eventually falls asleep.
I need help please tell me how to make her stop biting I can handle the sudden anger fits and jumping around but I can’t handle the biting.
Hi Elise, sounds as though your cat may have gone through something quite traumatic in her life, it sounds as though she could also be trying to get your attention? I have written an article on stopping biting- it’s at http://www.cat-advice.org/cat-biting.html
I wonder whether it may be worth setting some regular time aside to play with your cat, using toys so that she bites these instead of you.
Or when she starts to bit you you could maybe stop giving her attention, walk away from her and ignore her until she calms down.
I have known some people who give out a loud yelp when their cat bites them, which seems to signal to the cat that this is not acceptable.
She is only young still, and she may grow out of this a lot as she relaxes into her new home and forgets her past.
Good luck, I hope these tips help!
Steph