What do You do With a Naughty Cat?

You’ve spent a busy day in the office, and you come home to find that your cat as been hard at work too! The corners of your favorite chair are shredded, there’s a wet present on the carpet, and your cherished vase is in pieces on the floor. When you reach for a snack, you find only crumbs and boxes scattered about the cupboard.

The bond between you and your cat may be a strong one, but inappropriate behaviour can spoil the best relationship. But don’t blame your cat. Without realizing it, you might be responsible for your cat’s behaviour, both good and bad.

Praise and Rewards
Changing your cat behaviour involves understanding, patience, and common sense. Anyone who has raised a two-year-old child will be familiar with the training techniques that work best with cats. Like preschoolers, felines respond well to praise and reward as incentive for good behaviour.

The process of reinforcing behaviour through praise and reward is called "conditioning" for example, if your cat comes when called and then is always petted or fed, you are "conditioning" your cat to repeat that good behaviour. If your cat has been taught to scratch on a scratching post, rather than on your drapes or furniture, you have redirected your pet to the right object, and you should praise her for this behaviour appropriately.

Aversion Conditioning
Punishment and scolding do not work well, although a method called "aversion conditioning" does. For example if your cat jumps on a kitchen counter, the uncomfortable feeling of a sticky tape placed there will stop kitty from trying it again. House soiling, urinating and defecating outside the little box are common problems with a variety of possible causes. For example, the litter may need to be cleaned, or it’s located in a spot your cat finds too noisy, busy, or hard to reach. Your cat may also dislike the texture or smell of the litter you’re using.

To keep your cat using the litter box, try making the box more attractive, and other places less attractive. Clean it often and place it in a quiet area, if your cat is using the bathtub as a litter box, keep the tub filled with water; if kitty is turning a throw rug into a public toilet, cover the rug with plastic.

If spraying is a problem, try feeding your cat in the area. Cats will not soil in the area in which they are fed; using foil or another type of noisemaker in the area can also be effective.

Counter Conditioning
Fighting is another problem, especially in your own unneutered male, which may threaten or fight violently with other cats. Even friendly feline housemates may suddenly start fighting if they are startled or frightened. Aggression may also be caused by boredom or may be an attempt to get attention from you. Whatever the cause, the best way to deal with aggressive behaviour is through gradual "counter conditioning." For example two cats that fight with each other should be petted or fed side by side, if your cat always pounces on your feet, try offering him a toy. Destructive behaviour such as chewing plants or scratching furniture is part of a cat’s natural activity. Trimming nails and giving your cat other places to scratch, such as a scratching post, are remedies. Tabasco sauce on plants, sticky tape on counters, and others methods can solve most destructive behaviour. Your may want to discuss possible solutions with your veterinarian.

When training your cat, be consistent. If you don’t constantly correct inappropriate behaviour, your cat will quickly learn that is okay to misbehave. Remember to reward good behaviour too. When you come home from a day’s work to a purring cat curled up in her favorite spot, be sure to give her a pet and treat.