Cats are often thought of as low-maintenance pets when compared to dogs, making them a great choice for all types of families. Cats are generally viewed as independent creatures, and the fact that they don’t require daily walks, can use a litter box, and are generally comfortable spending time alone only sweetens the deal for many pet owners.
However, when owners gush about their cats, they might not share the details of what can be considered one of the most frustrating aspects of owning any pet: behavior problems. While cats may be low-maintenance in some aspects, they certainly aren’t exempt from their share of feline behavior problems, ranging from destructive behaviors like scratching and biting to concerning and frustrating issues such as fear-driven aggression, inappropriate elimination, and overgrooming.
In this blog, we’ll explain a few of the most common behavior problems that cat owners encounter and share how your veterinarian can be a valuable ally in addressing these issues.
Is It Possible To Fix Behavior Issues In A Cat?
Yes, it is completely possible to fix behavior issues in a cat, but it will take some time and effort on your part as an owner.
Working under the guidance of a veterinarian or experienced feline behaviorist can provide the best chances for “fixing” behavior problems in cats, or at the very least, better managing them so that the cat and their owner can live improved lives. While there is no universally definite success rate for treating cat behavior problems, veterinarians and behaviorists alike report that owners can see substantial improvement or resolution of their cat’s problematic behavior if professional recommendations are followed correctly and consistently.
There are a number of techniques that can be employed to identify feline behavior problems, determine their root, and eliminate or better manage them. These commonly include environmental enrichment, positive reinforcement, and behavior modification techniques. However, regardless of the technique used to address a cat’s behavior, experts all agree that punishment should never be used. This can cause the cat to form negative associations with their owner and leave their bad behavior unaddressed, or even worsened.
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Preventing the Development of Feline Behavior Problems
One of the best things you can do for your relationship with your cat is working to prevent behavior problems in the first place. Ensuring your cat’s needs are met and allowing them to engage in “normal” cat behavior is thought to be one of the most effective deterrents to the development of feline behavior problems. While every cat is different, veterinary research has found that a cat’s major behavioral needs include:
- Eating and hunting
- Drinking
- Elimination of both urine and feces
- Security
- Play and exploration
- Climbing, perching, and scratching
When all of a cat’s physical and mental needs are met and they are living in a safe and clean environment, the development of behavioral problems is less likely.
Signs of Cat Behavioral Problems
Cats experiencing behavioral problems may exhibit some common signs that pet owners can pick up on:
- Excessive vocalizations: Frequent meowing, different sounds, or excessive howling, which can indicate stress or a need for attention.
- Litter box issues: Avoiding the litter box and eliminating elsewhere in the house.
- Scratching: Damaging furniture, curtains, or carpets due to a lack of enrichment.
- Aggression: Hissing, growling, swatting, biting, or attacking other animals or people.
- Changes in appetite or thirst: Increased or decreased food and water consumption.
Common Cat Behavior Issues
Aggression
Aggression in cats is categorized as hostile or violent behavior intended to dominate or intimidate another animal or a person. While aggression is a fairly common issue in cats, its causes have the potential to be complex, making some cases of aggressive behavior difficult to resolve or rectify.
Cat behavior problems associated with aggression commonly include:
- Play aggression: Common in kittens and young cats, this occurs when play behavior becomes too rough, including biting, scratching, and pouncing.
- Fear aggression: A defensive response when a cat feels threatened or cornered.
- Territorial aggression: Occurs when a cat perceives a person, animal, or object as an intruder in their territory and acts to defend it.
- Redirected aggression: Aggression directed at a person or animal because the cat cannot reach the actual source of its frustration.
- Petting-induced aggression: A cat initially enjoys petting but suddenly bites or scratches.
- Status-related aggression: Occurs when a cat tries to assert dominance over people or other pets.
- Maternal aggression: Mother cats may become aggressive when protecting their kittens. This type of aggression typically subsides as the kittens grow and develop independence.
- Pain-induced aggression: Aggression due to pain or discomfort, often when touched in a sensitive area, often caused by an injury or medical condition.
- Inter-cat aggression: Aggression between cats in the same household. This is more commonly exhibited in male cats, and can often be helped by neutering the cats.
- Idiopathic aggression: Aggression with no identifiable cause. Intervention from a trained veterinary behaviorist is the best course of action in these cases.
Elimination
Some of the most common – and frustrating – feline behavior problems that owners struggle with are related to elimination. Elimination in cats refers to their urination and defecation, and elimination issues in cats can range from refusing to use the litterbox to spraying urine on varying surfaces around the house. The most common elimination issues cat owners encounter include:
- Litterbox aversion: This occurs when a cat refuses to use the litter box and eliminates elsewhere.
- Inappropriate Elimination: Also known as house soiling, inappropriate elimination is the urination or defecation outside the litter box without an apparent medical cause.
- Spraying: A type of urine marking that is defined by a cat standing with a quivering tail and spraying urine on vertical surfaces, often due to territorial behaviors or stress.
- Defecation Outside the Litter Box: Occurs when a cat urinates in the box but defecates elsewhere. This can be due to pain or discomfort, litterbox aversion, or even anxiety.
- Substrate and Location Preferences: Occurs when the cat prefers a specific surface (e.g., soft fabric) or location for elimination. This behavior may stem from negative experiences with litterbox, lack of litterbox cleanliness, or lack of litterbox options.
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Fear
While fear is generally considered a normal emotional response in cats that typically helps them avoid danger from situations or predators, there are certain cases when excessive fear can cause behavior problems as well as distress and other negative outcomes. Gradual desensitization and counter-conditioning can help cats overcome fears or anxieties by slowly exposing them to triggers in a controlled, positive way.
Feline Compulsive Disorders
In some cases, cats may exhibit abnormal behaviors that aren’t necessarily frustrating for pet owners, but can be detrimental to the cat’s overall health – in these cases, compulsive disorders are often to blame. Feline Compulsive Disorders (FCD) are repetitive, exaggerated behaviors that seem to have no clear purpose. These behaviors can interfere with a cat's daily life and may stem from stress, frustration, or underlying medical issues. Cats suffering from FCDs may experience:
- Overgrooming: Excessive licking or grooming leading to hair loss, redness, or sores.
- Object sucking or fabric chewing: Chewing, sucking, or eating non-food items like wool, cotton, or plastic.Some breeds, like Siamese and Burmese cats, may be more prone to certain compulsions like wool-sucking, so it’s important to work with your vet to properly diagnose this behavior.
- Pacing or circling: Repetitive walking along the same path or circling.
- Tail Chasing and Self-Mutilation: Chasing, biting, or attacking their own tail.
How a Veterinarian Can Help Solve Your Cat’s Behavioral Problems
The first step in getting professional help for any behavioral issues or concerns you may have with your cat is getting in touch with your veterinarian. If you notice any sudden or significant changes in your cat's behavior, like increased aggression, excessive meowing, litter box issues, excessive grooming, lethargy, or changes in eating habits or activity levels it’s likely time to get your cat into the vet’s office for an evaluation to see what’s going on. Involving your vet early on in the process once behavior issues are recognized can help better determine the behavior’s root cause, as well as rule out any medical problems that may be to blame like arthritis, thyroid problems, urinary tract infections, cognitive dysfunction or anxiety related to stress or fear.
Early detection and diagnosis are crucial because cats are often adept at hiding signs of illness, and addressing behavioral issues early can prevent them from worsening and allow for more effective treatment strategies, potentially improving the cat's quality of life.
A veterinarian will try to diagnose behavior problems through a thorough physical exam, a detailed history of the behavior, and may recommend further tests like bloodwork or urinalysis to rule out medical causes. However, once diagnosed owners will need to be ready to do their part in executing their veterinarian’s recommendations for behavior management or treatment. Because, while many cat behavioral problems are correctable, the time, resources, and dedication needed to help cats successfully overcome behavior problems are often considerable. Owners need to be fully prepared for this reality in order to produce the best possible outcomes for their cat.
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