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Cats do not like to be bossed around. They are proud, independent creatures with wills of their own. Nag a cat for doing something naughty, and it is likely to toss its head and dance away with a devilish gleam in its eye. You can prevent improper behavior in your cats if you go about it the right way, using a bit of feline psychology and a lot of human ingenuity.
Use Psychology
Physical punishment will only offend the cat and make it distrust and dislike you. Rather than
punishing bad behavior after it happens, anticipate trouble and head it off. Instead of angrily shooing your pet off the dinner table, feed the cat before you sit down to eat. Instead of yelling when
your cat chews on an electrical cord, or any other object, coat the cord with Bitter Apple jelly. Reverse the toilet paper roll so that the paper comes out from
the bottom. Hang plants and ferns out of reach.
Stopping Destructive Scratching
Scratching objects is an important part of the feline’s strong instinct for
self-grooming the claws. Some people get the veterinarian to remove the cat’s front claws. Declawing deprives the cat of a crucial defense against harm. It mist never be allowed outdoors, since it would be helpless against dogs and could not climb trees. As an alternative, a cat’s claws can be trimmed or buy a scratching post. If you give the cat its own property to scratch, something even more enticing than your couch, it may well leave your furniture alone. If you go
out, leave your cat in a room with the scratching post.
Litter Box
There are many reasons why a cat might lapse from its toilet training. One dangerous reason is
cystitis, a bladder infection that is more likely to strike males than females. Symptoms include leaving small amounts of urine around the house, blood in the urine, frequent urination, or straining over
the litter bow with no results. The cat can die within hours, so it is essential to get it to the veterinarian fast. Females and males if
they are not neutered, they will spray urine against the walls to mark territory. Some cats will refuse to use their litter box if it is not clean enough. Removing the stool with a scooper twice a day, and washing the box and refilling it with fresh litter once a week , should solve that problem. The box may be too small or too flimsy for the cat to use comfortably. It may not be in a private enough location to suit the cat’s dignity. Some cats have a habit of just missing the box; others dig so vigorously that they send litter flying around the room. In both cases, the solution is a covered litter box. Emotional factors, such a new cat or leaving the cat alone too long, may lead to house soiling. Try to ease the animal’s anxieties by giving extra attention and support. Soiled areas should be cleaned as thoroughly as possible and sprayed with a cat repellent.
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