Cat Behavior Site: Bad Cat Behavior & How To Solve Litter Box Issues

Cats are fantastic, magnificent pets, and are full of curiosity. They can be snuggly, loving and warm companions; often satisfied to nap on a persons lap and be stroked until their fur glistens. Some like Henry, my flame point Himalayan, are more aloof and will only tolerate the occasional sincere head pat before regally stalking off to stretch out and preen in the warmth of the sunshine. Others are just way out there unruly cats, bent on running straight up the walls in quest of unseen prey, knocking down all who dare get in their way. While you cant change the fundamental nature of the cat that you have in your home, you can stop some of the bad cat behavior.

Your first bad cat behavior training tip should be to acknowledge why they do some of the things that they do. Some feline behavior is out of boredom, some out of intermediary changes as they grow out of kitten stages into adulthood, and some can be a warning sign of threatening or continuing illnesses. Being aware of the difference can help you to steer clear of potentially dangerous problems before they become life threatening.

Once you have a basic understanding of the why of your cats bad behavior, you can begin working on the things that he will need to change. Make sure that you have a list of the bad behaviors, and begin with the most horrible behavior offender first. Attempt to teach new behaviors one at a time, because too many changes will make the cat confused and potentially cause worst actions than before. If a cat is doing something that is possibly unsafe that problem should be addressed first, otherwise, it is at your own discretion in using these bad cat behavior training tips.

Appreciate that training a cat is a matter of doggedness triumphing over exasperation. Yelling at a cat doesnt work at all, and in fact will bring up an entire new set of issues. Bashful cats will become even more timid, and aggressive cats may take your shouting as an actual threat, so remember that a frightened cat will not always react with coolness, sometimes they bite.

Punishing your cat is often an ineffective tactic as well. Cats will learn that getting caught doing the targeted behavior brings about some awful reactions, so they will simply learn to hide better. This is seen often with toileting problems. A cat will stop using his litter box for a variety of reasons, including health issues, so you have to find out why. Finding kitty messes after the fact is maddening, but it will not do you any good to haul the offending furball back to the spot, show it to him and then take him to the litter box. Unless he is a brand new cat or you have moved to a new place recently, he knows very well where that litter box was, he just chose not to use it

Find out why your cat is doing this and the behavior should be stopped. Remove all causes, including health problems, and then work from there. Some cats will never use a litter box, but will allow themselves to be trained to use an alternative. Liam, the big fluffy Manx cat is too large for the litter box, but he does scratch at the door when he needs to go. For this one, he deserves a good kitty!

Using the bad cat training behavior tips should be effective with time and patience. Remember, work with your cat to solve the bad cat behavior and ultimately you'll see a happier cat and also find happiness for yourself.