articles

Cat Articles

Serious Cat Behavior Problems
By Dr. Michael W. Fox

House soiling
When a cat changes behavior, it is important for you and your veterinarian to determine if the underlying problem is physical or psychological. Breakdowns in toilet training are among the most common cat behavior problems. If the litter tray is clean and there is no evidence of a clinical problem like feline urologic syndrome, constipation, or impacted anal glands, which can case pain-associated aversion to the litter box, then refusal to use the litter box could be an emotional reason. After your veterinarian rules out any physical problems, your vet can refer you to a local pet therapist, or work with you to deal with the behavioral problem. When the cause of house soiling is anxiety related, prescription drugs can help.

When cats feel insecure, they may stop their normal practice of burying their urine and feces in the litter box. It is as though they must mark their home base even more with their own odors to feel safe. A cat prowling, yowling and spraying outside, a new baby or visitor at home can trigger insecurity. A change in relationships among cats living together can also be the cause of soiling outside the litter box, and then a home may have to be found for the bully or the insecure house-messer if the problem does not resolve itself over time.

Cats sometimes refuse to use the litter box because the box is not kept sufficiently clean, especially when other cats share the same box. Covered boxes can become extremely smelly inside, the pungent and irritating ammonia-urine smell being a deterrent to cats entering the dirty container. A change in the type of litter may lead to litter box aversion. Different types of litter should be tried in three or four separate boxes. The location of the litter box in the home must also be considered because some cats like the box in a quiet, secure corner, or in a place not too dark.

Once all possible causes have been checked and eliminated, the cat may have to be retrained to use the litter box. Keeping the cat in a small room or holding pen for a few days with a pillow, food, water, and litter box close by will often help the cat reconnect things. In the interim, all places in the house that have been soiled should be cleaned and deodorized. Do not clean soiled areas with ammonia, since this mimics the smell of cat�s urine and may encourage the cat to urinate on cleaned areas. A biological detergent or diluted solution of white vinegar or chlorine bleach is preferable. Punishing the cat is likely to aggravate the problem.

Excessive grooming
Excessive grooming is a habit some disturbed cats will develop and will lick themselves raw. This may be caused by some easily rectifiable change within the family, or be a side-effect of spaying. Diazepam treatment can help cure with a fear or anxiety-based etiology. Hormone replacement therapy may resolve the latter problem.

Nymphomania
Nymphomania may develop in female cats that have repeated heats and are not bred and develop cystic ovaries. Life with such cats is difficult, and the best remedy is spaying. It�s a myth that cats (and dogs) need a litter in order to �improve their temperaments.�

Jealousy
Cats get jealous when another animal or person is getting all the attention. Jealousy can cause a cat to act aggressively, sulk, and avoid contact, or become unhousebroken. The jealous cat must be treated with patience and made to feel loved and secure again, exactly as one would treat a child who exhibits sibling rivalry.

Aggression
Aggression toward other cats in the home is a common problem in cats who are intolerant of one or more other cats. Sometimes two cats who do not get along together improve when a third cat is added to the family. Working out the social dynamics and situational triggers of aggression is the first step toward resolution. Likewise, identifying the situation or context in which cats display aggression toward humans, as when they are being petted, disturbed by a cat outside, or when playing and suddenly going wild, is the first step toward prevention.

Dr. Michael W. Fox, born in England, obtained his veterinary degree from the Royal Veterinary College, University of London, and moved to the US in 1962, subsequently earning his PhD and Doctor of Science. He serves as a consulting veterinarian, animal behaviorist, and international lecturer. He has authored over 40 books on animal behavior and care and has the syndicated newspaper column "Ask Your Animal Doctor."

Natural Cat Behaviors That Seem Unnatural
Many cats become wilder at night, more active, playful and restless. Some people don�t understand these �night crazies� and think their cats have a behavioral problem. But this is a normal circadian activity cycle associated with nocturnal hunting and other night-time activities. Night-time is a good time for people to play with their cats.

Some normal, instinctual feline behaviors can cause owners concern. The rolling, rubbing, self-licking and calling of an unaltered female cat, especially a Siamese, are often misinterpreted as hysteria. They are, in fact, signs of sexual arousal. The cat is in heat and so pent-up that the courtship display of rolling and rubbing is spontaneous and may be directed toward humans in the home.

Urine is used to mark territory. Male cats especially will spray certain objects to establish and proclaim their property rights. Neutering will usually help reduce or eliminate the problem. Indoor marking in neutered cats can sometimes be controlled by prescription drugs. When spraying occurs indoors, the cat may be emotionally insecure, as by the presence of visitors or the addition of a new human or animal member to the family, and thus need more attention. Or the cat may be disturbed by cats outdoors. However, identifying and changing conditions that may trigger this behavior is important.

When a cat claws at carpets and furniture, he�s not just sharpening his claws. Clawing may be associated with territorial marking; a display of excitement as when his human companion comes home; or a signal that the cat is in the mood to play. Since this display generally occurs in specific places, near the door for instance, setting up a scratching post or log there will protect furniture.

�Love bites� can be disturbing, especially when the cat holds on to your arm and his eyes become glassy. This �love bite� is comparable to the scruff bite of a male trying to hold his mate. If the bite isn�t too hard, it should be accepted graciously.

Cats are extremely sensitive to odors. A cat who comes home smelling different (after a sojourn at the veterinary hospital, for example) may be attacked by a resident companion cat because he smells different. People also have been attacked by their own cats when they wear a perfume containing musk, which comes from the anal glands of wild civet cats.

Cats will frequently needle a person with their claws and make kneading movements with their paws while being petted. They will even drool a little at the mouth. This is natural and social behavior. At such times, the cat is �regressing,� acting like a kitten and sham-nursing. Some cats like to nuzzle into a person�s ear or arm pit, which is an infantile social behavior that often occurs between cats. A mild tap on the nose will stop the regressing behavior. Kittens who have been weaned too early are more likely to develop a vice, such as nursing on blankets, chewing up woolens, and even sucking on their own tails as adults.

A cat who �loses face� after being disciplined will often very briefly lick her paw and then rub her face with that paw. This gesture indicates that the cat is embarrassed and is not unlike a nervous person adjusting her hair or clothing.

Dr. Michael W. Fox , born in England, obtained his veterinary degree from the Royal Veterinary College, University of London, and moved to the US in 1962, subsequently earning his PhD and Doctor of Science. He serves as a consulting veterinarian, animal behaviorist, and international lecturer. He has authored over 40 books on animal behavior and care. He has a syndicated newspaper column "Ask Your Animal Doctor."