COMMON CAT BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS

Photo by Hara

This website is not for those people who already own perfect cats, but, if your cat seems to spend half the day thinking up new ways to behave badly, clawing your furniture, mewing pitifully until you feel like running away from home, doing its business everywhere except in the litter box, and occasionally attacking visitors without provocation, you might want to stick around for a few minutes to see if there is a solution here.

Of course there are probably as many behavior problems in cats as there are cats. Some are unique to a particular cat, but most of them are common problems observed by most people who choose to own cats as pets. Lets look at just a few of them.
 

Excessive Meowing

                                                                      Photo by Clavecin

First we have to define what we mean by "excessive."

A meow or two now and then, even if your cat doesn't have the most pleasant voice in the world, is not excessive. And some breeds of cats, Siamese cats for example, seem to do more meowing than other breeds. Most cats, however, meow because they are trying to communicate something to their owners.

If a cat, especially one in which such behavior is a recent development, suddenly starts meowing for long periods of time, check the cat thoroughly, by feeling all over its body to make sure there are no sore spots or injuries that may have brought on the meowing. Cats can get infections in their bodies just like their owners do, so watch to see if the cat seems to have discomfort. Are his eyes runny or does the cat squint with one eye or the other? Does the cat paw at one of his ears. Is he or she less lively acting than usual? Listless? Is there any sign of vomiting or choking?

Hopefully, after examining your pet, you can rule out any physical ailment as the cause of his excessive meowing.

Sometimes a meow can simply mean, "I'm lonely and just want a little attention." The cure for this is obvious---just spend a few minutes scratching behind your little buddy's ears, or holding him or her on your lap. It won't be long before the cat has had enough and is on its way to investigate something new.

 If you have been paying close attention to your pet, you probably already recognize a meow that means, "I'm hungry," or "I'm thirsty and need fresh water in my bowl." A meow less likely to be recognized is the one that lets you know that the litter box needs cleaning.

Occasionally, even when all the above problems are taken care of, a cat will continue to meow for seemingly no reason at all. Since most cats are social beings, banishing a mewing cat to a spare room or garage for an hour or so will often take care of the problem. Cats are intelligent creatures and as soon as they realize that constant mewing brings isolation, they will change their behavior to avoid being deprived of the companionship they crave.
 

Refusal To Use the Litter Box

Photo by Rew

Among cat owners I have met, a major complaint seems to be that all too often, their cat decides to relieve itself in places other than the litter box. A linen cupboard, behind the sofa, in the children's toy box, and inside any closet left ajar were convenient places for these cats to choose---and, in some cases, who could blame them?

An acquaintance of ours complained that she just couldn't seem to train their cats to use a litter box,  because each cat, after a short time in the household, started shunning the litter box.

At the risk of ruining an otherwise good friendship, I pointed out that a human being would avoid using a litter box piled high with former deposits, so why should anyone expect a fastidious cat to use one with no room left to bury its new deposits ?  (I could have also pointed out, but didn't, that even though the occupants had grown used to the odor caused by untidy litter boxes, we who stopped by for a visit immediately noticed that the litter box was full.)

There are more reasons why cats may refuse to use a litter box than the one described above. Your cat may not like the location of the litter box. Try moving it around to different areas in the house to see if that helps.

Or your cat does not like the type of litter you are using. Buy another type. There has been a big swing to the "clumping" type of litter lately. If you have changed brands, your cat may not be happy with the change so you may want to go back to the old brand.

It is possible that using the litter box is painful or uncomfortable for your cat. A urinary infection may be irritated by the litter. Watch for signs of discomfort in your cat, and if you see any evidence of an illness, check it out with a vet as soon as possible. Make sure the litter box is not too small for your cat. If he or she feels crowded in the box or doesn't have sufficient room to move around to bury the deposited material, your cat may search for a more comfortable place to do its business.

 Check to see that nothing unusual has happened to make your cat anxious or upset if the change about not using the litter box has come about suddenly. It is possible that he associates an unpleasant change with the litter box and thus wishes to avoid it.

Even if you find that one of the above causes is responsible for your cat's behavior problem concerning litter box use, and correct it, you may find it takes a while to get your cat to return to his original litter box behavior so be patient. Praise and reward him when he does choose the proper place to relieve himself and before long, the problem should disappear.
 

Scratching Furniture and Other Items

Clawing furniture is another very common reason people give for getting rid of a cat. Usually the cat has literally destroyed a number of items before the decision is made that the cat must go.

There are several reasons why cats claw furniture. Cats are born with claws for a reason---mainly protection from its enemies. Cats also need to exercise and the scratching, stretching, and pulling develop their muscles and help keep them in shape. It is not the cat's fault that he or she, as a domesticated cat, no longer has to contend with ferocious enemies. The claws are there, and it is instinctive for a cat to keep them honed and ready for a serious encounter. Furniture, especially some types of furniture, is upholstered in fabrics that lend themselves well to the cat's instinctive need to sharpen and test the readiness of its claws periodically.

To save your furniture, invest in one or more good quality scratching posts-posts tall enough that your cat can stretch out to full length as he scratches. If he is hesitant to try the new posts, rub catnip onto them or hang a favorite toy on the post.

A good alternative to commercial scratching posts are inexpensive squares of old carpet reversed to provide an excellent place for kitty paws to be honed. Anchor the pieces to a board or even to an upright post so they don't slide around as they are being used. Some people give up and have their cats declawed, but most experts agree that this should only be done as a last resort. Articles abound online against declawing, but there are good points to consider on the other side, too.

*** If your particular cat problem wasn't covered in this article, Click Here! to find a great source of help with your misbehaving cat. Money back guarantee if you aren't completely satisfied.

SOME INTERESTING CAT FACTS

MOST OF US DON'T KNOW AS MUCH AS WE THOUGHT WE DID ABOUT CATS

There are almost more cats in America than there are people.   If they ever join forces and decide to revolt, the cat lovers of the world may be faced with a really big problem. Cats have been around for a long, long time.

Unfortunately, in today's society, the cat population has exploded, with the result that many new kittens are turned out to become homeless, or placed indiscriminately in homes where they are neglected and often cruelly mistreated.

Below are 5 interesting things I recently learned about cats. If you think cats can't learn to do tricks, that all cats are instinctive hunters, and that cats love sweets, think again. A lot of what we think we know about cats is not true at all.


1. CATS CAN LEARN TO DO TRICKS---EVEN OLDER CATS

Although most of us have had some success in getting our cats to chase a ball, or try to catch a moving target when we dangle it in front of him, we usually don't go beyond those simple tricks, thinking that cats don't have the ability to learn tricks.

Cats may not particularly want to learn to do tricks, but they certainly can learn to do quite a few things if we are patient and willing to work with them long enough.

Cats have been taught to heel, sit, and beg just like a dog; and they can learn to jump through hoops, roll over, open doors, hide things in a box, play dead, eat with their paws, fetch, and, my very favorite trick, to use a toilet.

If you decide to try some of these tricks with your cat, work on one until it is perfected before starting on another.



 2. CATS ARE NOT INSTINCTIVE HUNTERS

   

Because of their portrayal as great mousers, I just assumed that all cats were instinctive hunters. Not necessarily true, although they do instinctively grab at moving objects, whether animate or inanimate.

Animal experts say that kittens born to non-hunting mothers will usually not learn to hunt on their own, thus leading us to believe that hunting is a taught skill. I have a friend who was having trouble with mice in her house. An acquaintance gave her a cat, but the cat would not hunt the mice at all. She finally rid her house of mice through the use of mousetraps and, to this day, the cat still shows no interest in real live mice. Dangle a toy mouse in front of him though, and he is all over it.


3. ONE CAT YEAR IS EQUAL TO ABOUT 6 HUMAN YEARS

Ever wondered why your 5 year-old cat isn't as lively as he or she used to be? It's because cats age much faster than humans.

A 5-year-old child is still dashing around the house hour after hour all day long, while a 5-year-old cat may dash for a few minutes, but soon gives up and heads for its favorite snoozing spot. That's because a 5-year-old cat is more like a 30-year-old human.

They age about 6 years to each 1 year of a human's life on the average, although during their first year or two, cats age even faster than that.  


4. CATS CANNOT TASTE SWEETS

Poor cats. It’s hard to imagine life without being able to taste sweets,(especially chocolate,) but most veterinarians agree that cats do not taste sweets. Our cat really loves to lick out a bowl that has held ice cream or pudding, but maybe just because it is something different from her usual diet. (Or something she perceives as forbidden.)
  










 5. MOST WHITE CATS WITH BLUE EYES ARE DEAF

Some white cats have only one blue eye, and are deaf only in the ear closest to the blue eye. White cats with orange eyes usually hear normally.

I think that blue-eyed white cats are among the most beautiful of all cats, even though I've never owned one. Being deaf would definitely be a real drawback for any cat, especially if its owners permit it to wander around outside where not being able to hear could quickly become fatal. Even inside, it would be a great disadvantage for a cat not to hear approaching feet that might stumble over a cat curled up on the floor.





There are lots of other unusual facts about cats but those above are just a few I chose to share in this article. It might be fun, if you have one or more cats of your own, to start keeping a list of odd things they do to share with other cat lovers online. You won't have to look far to find a cat lover. They are everywhere.


 ***If you'd like to learn some other interesting and unusual facts about cats, click on the picture below to check out this Kindle book called, Cats: Some Awesome Facts You Didn't Know, from
Amazon.com.


 

CAT BOOKS

Just last week, I finished the 24th of Lilian Jackson Braun's series of books about a newspaperman named Qwilleran, spelled with a "W", as he is fond of pointing out, and his two Siamese cats, Koko and Yum Yum. I can just hear my readers shudder...."Twenty-four books, all about the same characters? By the same author?" (And there are still a bunch I haven’t read, yet.)

The entertainment value, alone, of these particular books makes them well worth reading, as, together, Qwilleran and his cats solve all kinds of mysteries. In addition, the author, Lilian Braun paints wonderful pictures with words. For example, instead of merely saying "the cats left the room," she says, "Hearing the word, "dog", the cats turned in unison, and exited the room, four front paws leaving while four back paws were still coming in."

To be fair, the earlier books in this series were better than the more recent ones so, if you don't become a diehard fan like I am, you may decide to stop at 10, or 15, or even 20.

But, whatever you do, at least check out the first few in the series. My list of finished Cat Who books, so far, includes the following titles. They are all delightful.

The Cat Who Could Read Backwards
The Cat Who Ate Danish Modern
The Cat Who Turned On and Off
The Cat Who Saw Red
The Cat Who Played Brahms
The Cat Who Played Post Office
The Cat Who Knew Shakespeare
The Cat Who Sniffed Glue
The Cat Who Went Underground
The Cat Who Talked to Ghosts
The Cat Who Lived High
The Cat Who Knew a Cardinal
The Cat Who Moved a Mountain
The Cat Who Wasn't There
The Cat Who Went into the Closet
The Cat Who Came to Breakfast
The Cat Who Blew the Whistle
The Cat Who Said Cheese
The Cat Who Tailed a Thief
The Cat Who Sang for the Birds
The Cat Who Saw Stars
The Cat Who Robbed a Bank
The Cat Who Smelled a Rat
The Cat Who Went Up the Creek
The Cat Who Went Bananas
The Cat Who Dropped A Bombshell
The Cat Who Had 14 Tales (short stories)
Click the picture to check out this book, or any of Ms. Braun's other "Cat Who..." titles.




Or click the cover of any of these other books you may enjoy:

   

GOOD LUCK CATS

The Japanese are a superstitious people. They have many good luck charms, but Maneki Neko is the most popular of them all.

Maneki Neko is a cat figurine which sits with its front paw raised as though beckoning  to those passing by. It has a little round face and big eyes, and is said to bring good luck, fortune, and customers into your store. It also brings happiness into your home.

Maneki Neko came into existence some time in the late 1800’s but, since no one knows for sure, the details concerning his origin, many stories have grown up about him.

One of these stories is called the legend of GoutokujiTemple. It seems that, in the 1700’s  a run down temple was kept by a priest who had a cat named Tama. The priest constantly complained to Tama about his poverty and asked him to do something for the temple.

One day, Naotaka li, lord of the district, was caught in a rainstorm near the temple. Seeking shelter under a big tree, he noticed a cat who seemed to be inviting him into the temple with a beckoning gesture. Just as he started toward the temple to see what was going on, the tree was struck by lightning.

Naotak believed the cat has saved his life and made the temple his family temple and supported it from that day on. Tama was buried  near the temple, and the modern Maneki Neko. supposedly,  was modeled after this cat.

Another popular story about the origin of the lucky Maneki Neko is one concerning the old woman of Imado. It seems that an old woman of Imado had a pet cat, but was so poor that she was forced to tell the  cat she could not keep it any longer. That night her cat came to her in a dream and told her to make its image in clay and it would bring good luck to her.

She followed the cat’s instructions, and, the very next day, a guest wanted to buy it. She sold it and made another, and another, for guests continued to buy as many as she could make. This, it is said, was the origin of Maneki Neko.

There are many other stories about Maneki Neko’s beginnings, all different, but all about a cat who brings good luck.

There are two popular kinds of Maneki Nekos.

The one with the left paw raised invites customers or people. A cat with an upraised right paw invites good fortune. In Japan, Maneki Neko shows the palm of his hand when beckoning. In America, most Maneki Nekos show the back of their hands.

Maneki Nekos come in many colors. The most popular design is a tricolored cat. It is considered the lucky charm cat, and is often purchased by sailors to bring good luck while they are at sea.
The white Maneki Neko stands for purity and is the second most popular color.

Black Maneki Nekos are supposed to ward off evil, while a red ones get rid of evil spirits and chase away illness.

Gold colored figurines invite money; pink ones attract love.

Most Maneki Nekos have red collars with a bell. Some have aprons on top of the red collar, and a few wear a Koban, a gold coin dating from the Edo era.

Cats often wash themselves to ease anxiety. This has led to the idea that cats can predict the weather, or tell when a visitor is approaching, when actually, a change in the weather or the approach of a stranger makes the cat anxious. Hence, it begins the face washing ritual.

It is possible that the gesture of a Maneki Neko, rather than a beckoning movement, is actually that of a cat starting to wash its face. and that it merely looks like an inviting gesture.

Although the Maneki Neko has been around for a long time, he has not become set in his ways. His design has changed many times over the years in order to make him fit into modern society. Not long ago,  in Japan, an Angel Maneki Neko came out, with wings on his back and a ring that looks like a halo above his head.

At the same time, in the United States, Socks Maneki Neko, modeled after President Clinton’s cat, was gaining in popularity.

If you are creative, you can design and make your own Maneki Neko, using paper mache’. Or, if you are impatient, and a non-creative klutz like me,  you may want to purchase one ready-made.
Whatever you decide,  do  keep your eyes open when you happen to pass a small business, especially if the proprietor is Japanese. There may be a Maneki Neko in the window beckoning  to you.

***CLICK BELOW FOR A PAGE WHERE YOU CAN MAKE AND COLOR YOUR OWN MANEKI NEKO CATS

CATS TO COLOR