Question:
Please help me control my cat's behavior!?
smedrik
2009-12-03 18:07:23 UTC
I have a 3 year old cat whom I have had 5 two years. She has always been a jerk and although we have consistently punished bad behavior by saying no an making a hissing noise, she just does not care.

She scratches at furniture, she bites, she climbs on everything, bullies other animals, demands constant attention and poops in the tub.

A spritz of water will not work as unlike any other cat I have met, she likes water and is constantly climbing in the shower with your or in the sink (when you are trying to do dishes). As she gets older she just seems to get even more hyperactive and develop even more bad behaviors.

She can be an extremely nice cat when she wants to be, she is also extremely cute, however her behavior is just deplorable. Please help!
Three answers:
2009-12-03 18:20:27 UTC
She scratches at furniture, she bites, she climbs on everything, bullies other animals, demands constant attention and poops in the tub.



1. The scratching at furniture is completely normal behaviour. Cats need to scratch! You cannot stop a cat from scratching however there are things you can do to encourage scratching in appropiate areas.



Solutions

Provide a scratching post of at least 1metre tall-room for the cat to strech and scratch with ease, ideally provie one that has different attachment to keep them intertained.



2. Climbing is completely normal- So remove valuable. Cats need to climb to keep there muscle in good shape-So a good scratching post with different things attached would help solve this problem. If she climbing on inappropiate things though have you heard of SSSCAT device?

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2751025&utm_source=googleproduct&utm_campaign=2751025&utm_medium=cse&mr:trackingCode=5FC62C64-C881-DE11-B712-001422107090&mr:referralID=NA



3. I never known a cat not to bully other animals-It in there instinct- It the way the know how to fight back. If you must reduce her tendancy to fight-then put some humane stick on nail caps- called Soft paws in america and soft claws in australia



4.Have a scat device near the furniture, near the sink and shower.



Most of this is completely normal cat behaviour including the biting and scratching. Your cat is not a jerk-You are just misunderstand a cats natural behaviour and yes there are some cats that love water.

Five Reasons Why Kitties Need Their Claws



1. For protection. Honestly, we prefer to run away and not fight at all (unless someone is trespassing on our turf). But there are times when we just can't escape. Claws are our first line of defense, if the hissing and fluffed-out tail doesn't scare away our opponent. Plus, if we get outdoors (it can happen even to indoorcats ) and we need to get away from a dog or another predator, we need our claws to climb trees skillfully. Clawless kitties have been attacked and killed because they couldn't make it up a tree fast enough.



2. To mark our territory. Personally, I think this visual way of showing off our turf is a much nicer way of designating our territory than spraying. Plus, our paw pads leave a scent undetectable to you humans, but which any cat can recognize. That's why you sometimes see declawedcats "scratching " your furniture — they're still leaving their mark, only not as obviously since it's only scent and not visual. If you don't want us marking your furniture with our claws, you should get us acat tree, or a scratching post with cat-approved surface. Our turf is important to us!



3. For fitness. I keep on saying it over and over again, but I can't emphasize it enough: our claws are essential for our paw, front leg, shoulder and back health. We need to be able to dig into a surface and grab onto it so we can stretch our front legs and bodies. This helps us keep our long, lean look (I hear you humans do something called Pilates for the same reason). It also keeps us flexible far into old age. We need to stretch our toes too, and for that claws are necessary.



4. To catch prey. You think that just because you feed us every day that we should not feel the need to catch things. That kind of thinking is totally ridiculous, and really very typical of human shortsightedness. For one thing, wecats are far more instinctual than you humans, and we have to be since we lack the highly sophisticated reasoning ability you people are supposed to have (but seem to so rarely utilize). Plus we need to keep in practice — what would happen if, one day, if we got out and couldn't get back home, or you keeled over and died or something and we had to fend for ourselves? A declawed cat can still catch prey, but nowhere near as well as we want to or may need to! Our hunting skills need to stay finely tuned. So even if our prey is only small bugs or just the cheap toy mice you get from the pet store, having our claws will help us keep in practice. And snatching something in midair with the hook of just one claw is so gratifying!



5. So we can express ourselves. Most of the time you can tell what we're thinking by looking at how we've positioned our ears, and how we are moving our tails. But sometimes we really need to hammer a point home — say, with an unruly new kitten or an overly-friendly dog. Most of the time a good slap, with our claws in, will do the trick, but occasionally we need to flash just a touch of claw. Not enough to do any damage, mind you, but as a warning that there are lines that must not be crossed with us. We can handle our claws with the skill of an expert swordsman. Think Zorro with whiskers and pointy ears. If we knew the alphabet, I bet that most of us kitties could carve the most delicate, nearly invisible "C" on the back of your couch. Unless we are very frightened,cats know exactly how much claw to reveal. Declawed cats must resort to biting when they feel threatened, which is no fun for anyone.
2016-04-07 12:33:43 UTC
It's probably just kitten behavior--my dad had a cat that would still run out from under the table and attack your legs when he was a year and a half old. However, if the cat is biting to the point of drawing blood, start swatting him on the nose and saying 'no' loudly and sharply when he bites. If you don't want to hit him, fill a spray bottle with water and spray him in the face when he bites.
amber
2009-12-03 18:27:23 UTC
First of all cats usually poop in the tub when their litter box isn't clean enough, so try to keep it clean at all times.

Also instead of saying "no" or making a hissing noise try clapping your hands very loud every time she's doing something bad. Usually cats don't like loud noises, it startles them.

I have both a male and a female cat and I've noticed that female cats demand more attention and are a little more aggressive, but that's their personality! I guess they're more like us women.

Buy nail clippers and trim her nails at least once a week so she doesn't ruin your furniture.

Good Luck!


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