Chester demonstrates how much cats love to explore high places.
Carolyn Phillips
Beth Groetzinger Strickler, MS, DVM, DACVB, CDBC, and Wailani Sung, MS, PHD, DVM, DACVB
Craig adopted a kitten at an adoption event and was really excited—she was so adorable! He decided to name her Strudel. On the way home with her, he stopped at the pet supply store and picked up a litter box, litter, food and water bowls, cat food, a tall scratching post, and the cutest toys he could find. He set up all her new things and went right back to his regular routine.
Over the next few days, Strudel repeatedly jumped up on the dinner table, counters, and dressers, sampling Craig’s dinner and knocking his belongings all over the floor. He came home one day to find her hanging from the curtains while looking out the window. She began to turn his sofa into shreds. Strudel seemed to start to wind up just as the sun was setting. She would meow and jump on Craig from behind corners and doors. Craig wondered, “What have I done wrong? What have I gotten myself into?”
Many people get a cat because they like the idea of a low-maintenance companion, but that is simply not the reality of owning a cat. Cats are an intelligent, highly social species. A cat’s needs are more complicated than you might imagine. Part of living successfully with a new feline companion is learning what is normal for cats, as well as your cat’s specific likes, needs, and interests.
Strudel’s behaviors, for example, were all quite normal. Cats love to climb, rest in high places, search for their food, and mark areas with their claws. They love to play by hunting and pouncing. Unfortunately, these behaviors are annoying to us, and may even make some people consider giving up their cat. When you know what is and is not normal, what to expect from your cat, when and how to intervene, and when to seek help, the bond between you and her will grow stronger, and you can give her the best possible life.
In some situations, it may be necessary to consult with your veterinarian or a professional knowledgeable in cat behavior to determine whether an undesirable behavior is abnormal. Sometimes, more serious behaviors (such as aggression, anxiety, or compulsive behaviors) need to be ruled out or addressed. A qualified professional can help you get through this process.
Species-specific behavior: A behavior that is specific to members of a species and is unlearned; the animal knows how to do it without specific training. In cats, these behaviors include cheek rubbing, scratching, and hunting small prey.
Motivation: The reason an animal behaves in a particular way.
Crepuscular: More active at dusk and dawn.
Nocturnal: More active at night.
Cats are naturally curious animals with complex behaviors and behavioral needs. If left to their own devices, they often express normal cat behaviors in ways that people may not appreciate. Usually that happens because we are not fulfilling some of our cats’ basic needs (see chapter 3), so they find other ways to display species-specific behaviors. When you understand what your cat needs and provide more appropriate ways for her to express her innate behaviors, everyone in the family will be happier.
In this chapter, we’ll explore why your cat may scratch your furniture, ambush you, jump on the counters, leave you a pile of dead rodents, keep you up at night, and eat your houseplants. To start, we’ll take a closer look at some of the most common problems you may encounter by walking through a typical day in Strudel and Craig’s life.
Craig is lying peacefully in bed thinking about the day ahead. Scritch, scritch, scritch. He hears the sounds of eight little nails digging into the side of the couch. Craig contemplates racing into the room to yell at Strudel or chase her away—as he has done many times before. Not only does the sound drive him crazy, but the couch is now hopelessly damaged.
Why does Strudel do this? Scratching is a normal and essential cat behavior. All cats must scratch. First of all, it is necessary to remove the outer layers of their nails. It also keeps the nails razor sharp. When cats are unable to scratch, those outer layers thicken, and the nails can curve under and dig into the paw pads, causing pain and infection. Cats use their sharp claws to help them climb to high places and anchor themselves as they jump, so keeping them in good condition is important.
Scratching also stretches the spine and helps keep cats limber. Some cats scratch as a displacement behavior—a way to blow off excess energy. Scratching leaves a message behind as well—both in scent and visually. Scent marking is part of normal cat behavior, and scratching, like cheek rubbing, leaves the cat’s scent on objects. Cats have scent glands between their paw pads (and on their cheeks and several other places) that deposit chemicals called pheromones to communicate with other cats.
For cats who spends all or some of their time outside, scent marking is a way of letting other cats know they are in the area and conveying details about their mood. Outside cats scratch on wooden fence posts, logs, and trees, but indoor cats like Strudel scratch on couches and other furniture, leaving gouges in the wood and small holes or tears in the fabric. All cats have an instinct to leave these marks, even if a cat is the only one in a home. It’s like a cat’s own personal billboard. Scent and visual marking makes cats feel more secure in their territory.
As Craig walks sleepily down the hallway, thinking only of his morning coffee, Strudel ambushes him. Suddenly, out of nowhere, she is attached to his leg, hits him a few times with her back paws, and—poof—she is gone! Why would she do that?
Most likely, she’s just an exuberant young cat playing—although this could also be a sign of a serious aggression problem. This is a situation where Craig might want to have a discussion with a behavior professional to help figure out what is going on. Playful stalking behaviors are common in young cats. When cats engage in hunting behavior, it is to their advantage to sneak up on their prey. This does not mean that Strudel views Craig as food. Rather, play is a ritualized display of hunting behavior in cats, and silent, sneaky attacks are part of normal feline play. Other cats and other pets in the home may be targets as well.
Cats are great climbers and jumpers, and they love to explore new places and view the world from elevated spaces. Often this means they jump up on places like the kitchen counters. In Strudel’s case, she may also have been enticed by fascinating smells as Craig prepared his meals, or a desire to be closer to Craig. As for clinging to the curtains, she had probably found a spot where the sun comes in the window, and it felt good to be right there. All those positive experiences made her want to visit those places again.
When Craig comes into the kitchen, he finds Strudel on the countertop. He yells, “Get off!” and uses his arm to sweep her to the floor. As she lands, she’s confused. Why can’t she visit the countertop? It has so many exciting things to investigate!
Chester demonstrates how much cats love to explore high places.
Carolyn Phillips
Craig finishes his coffee, takes a deep breath, and starts back toward the bedroom. Strudel intercepts him in the hallway to deposit a large, dead insect at his feet.
Cats are natural predators. This is likely how they were domesticated thousands of years ago. When humans started farming crops, they also started storing grain. And that attracted rodents—which attracted cats.
Hunting behavior, also known as predatory behavior, is instinctive. All cats are born with the hunting instinct, although some display this behavior more than others, and the hunting skills of cats can vary depending on their experience. When your cat sees any prey animal (often a toy or a moving person), she will immediately exhibit typical hunting body posture, crouching down and staring at the prey. She will begin to stalk the prey, approach, and then leap or pounce, catching her prey in her mouth or paws. The hunt will end as the cat bites the back of the prey’s neck, killing the small animal.
Craig disposes of the dead insect and thinks his day is back on track. Then he notices Strudel chewing on a houseplant. He thinks, “Hey, cats are carnivores; they eat meat. Why is she even doing that?”
No one knows for sure why cats chew on plants, but there are many theories. Eating grass and other greens may be a normal, innate behavior in cats. Even though they do not need to eat grass or other plant material regularly as part of their diet, they must obtain some benefit from this behavior. It’s not limited to domestic felines either. Fecal material recovered from wild relatives of cats, such as cougars, may contain up to 5 to 10 percent of grassy material.
After a day at work, Craig comes home for a relaxing evening. Just as he’s settling on the couch with his favorite movie, Strudel starts running around the house, jumping on and off the furniture. Craig decides to ignore her and go to bed. But in the middle of the night, Strudel wakes him up, meowing and knocking things on the floor.
Nocturnal activities are a common complaint of cat owners. They are especially annoying for people who spend all day at work and want to come home to some peace and quiet. Cats are naturally crepuscular (active at dawn and dusk), because that’s when their most common prey is out and about. The average cat spends a significant amount of time sleeping and resting. An outdoor farm cat may sleep or rest between seven and eleven hours a day, while an indoor laboratory cat (whose light and dark cycle is controlled) may sleep or rest ten to sixteen hours.
Unfortunately, some indoor pet cats have been reported to sleep or rest up to twenty hours per day—typically because they have nothing else to do. It’s no wonder they are awake in the evening when their owners get home from work. Their human companions are the only thing happening in their day!
What myths stand in our way as we try to cope with cats’ annoying behaviors? The first is probably that cats are being spiteful or are just plain naughty when they behave the way Strudel does. Whether your cat is jumping on your counter, eating your plants, or scratching your furniture, these activities are natural behaviors for all cats. Cats of all sizes, ages, and breeds scratch, vocalize, climb, and hunt. Your cat is not out to get you. It’s just what she does.
Will cats hunt even if no one teaches them? Even if you got her as a young kitten without any exposure to the great outdoors? Even if she has never seen another cat do it?
Yes.
Hunting is an instinctive behavior in cats. They will hunt when there is an opportunity to do so. Your kitten does not need a role model to teach her. When your cat sees a small, furry creature scamper across the floor, she will go after it. Cats have receptors in their eyes that are immediately drawn to fast-moving objects. Hunting is part of a sequence of predatory behaviors triggered by the sound or sight of the prey animal.
Why does my cat hunt if she’s not hungry, and why does she bring the things she kills to me? The underlying motivation for capturing and killing prey is not necessarily hunger. In the wild, cats hunt and eat multiple prey items throughout the day. They never know when the next meal will show up, so they do not let any opportunity pass. In other words, your cat may not be able to help herself. If she is truly hungry, she will eat the prey after killing it. When she leaves the dead bodies behind, it may very well be because she is full. Your cat may leave the prey item where she lost interest in it (because it stopped moving), bring it into the house (if she’s allowed outdoors) to possibly snack on it later, or bring it to you as a request for play (Please make this toy move again).
I use a squirt bottle when I’m home to keep the cat off the counter, but I see evidence that she gets up there when I’m not home. What can I do? We know that cats associate behaviors with consequences (see chapter 6). Some cats might associate the presence of the water bottle with the consequence of getting squirted rather than the action of getting on the counter. Those cats may not learn to stay off the counter; instead, they may learn that water bottles predict bad things. When you are home, you need to reward your cat for walking over to the counter, looking up at it, and walking away. She made the right choice. If you play with her and engage her in training games, she may be too tired to jump on the counter when you leave for the day. Alternatively, your cat may just want a high perch in the kitchen, so providing a high vantage point that is not the counter may do the trick.
Why do cats like to knock things on the floor? Cats are curious and interested in whatever is in their environment. Many cats like to use their paws and mouth to engage with items in their world. Sometimes that may mean your cat will inadvertently knock an item on the floor while she is using her paws to manipulate it. Sometimes she may be trying to pick the item up, and it falls down. Other times she may find the item fun to bat around and play with, or enjoy watching the motion as it falls, or like the interesting sound it makes when it hits the floor. Or she may knock things over to get your attention. If your cat knocks something on the floor and you respond by engaging with her in any way, she is likely to do it again.
Cats will examine whatever is in their world. One of Porter’s favorite pastimes is investigating shoes.
Debra F. Horwitz
Why does my cat continue to scratch my sofa even when I have bought her a scratching post and a scratching pad and placed them right next to the sofa? Sometimes a cat needs to stand on her hind legs and really stretch when she scratches. If your sofa is taller than the scratching post, she may prefer the longer length. If you have just a scratching pad on the floor next to the sofa, she may prefer to scratch on a vertical surface. If you have just a post, she may also want a horizontal surface and end up scratching the top of the sofa or the seat cushion. An easy solution is to provide her with a tall scratching post that also has a horizontal surface for her to scratch. That way, you will satisfy both her needs without sacrificing your sofa. If your sofa still carries the wounds inflicted by your cat, she may go back to it because of the visual and scent marks on it. If this is the case, you may need to protect the sofa with a plastic throw or a slipcover.
If it is in a cat’s nature to perform a certain behavior, is all hope lost? Absolutely not! Cats can be trained, and behaviors can be changed. (See chapter 6 to learn how.) Understanding the underlying motivations behind the behavior is an important first step. Deterring your cat from performing a natural behavior in a way you find unacceptable also involves a degree of human behavior modification. In other words, you’ll need to change what you offer your cat and how you interact with her. These strategies typically include:
Providing plenty of physical and mental stimulation
Using management techniques to prevent or discourage the behavior you don’t want
Offering more appropriate outlets for your cat to express the behavior in a way that’s okay with you
Providing an enriching environment where cats can hunt and explore is often all it takes to satisfy most of their basic needs. For example, feeding cats several meals a day mimics their natural eating habits, and offering food-dispensing toys or hiding little food bowls around the house encourages them to hunt for their food and provides appropriate physical and mental outlets for their energy.
Scheduling ten to twenty minutes of playtime with appropriate toys every day affords additional physical and mental stimulation. Engaging your cat in routine, scheduled training sessions will help her find an outlet for her energy and her need to be mentally active. The training sessions will give her the attention she craves and allow her to work off any excess energy she has accumulated during the day—while at the same time giving you a positive way to interact with her.
Do your best to limit temptations and set your cat up for success—that’s what we mean by management techniques. Cover your furniture to prevent her from scratching, put your plants out of reach, do not leave food out on the kitchen counters, and do not allow her outside if you don’t want her to hunt small critters.
Whenever possible, distract your cat either before she starts or while she is performing a behavior you don’t like. When you have her attention, redirect her to other behaviors you would prefer. For example, if you see her approaching the side of the couch, don’t wait for her to scratch it. She doesn’t know it’s the wrong thing to do. Get her attention by calling her name, then direct her to a scratching post (maybe even scratch it a few times yourself) and reward her for scratching there. Instead of allowing your cat to ambush you in the hallway, call her to come to you and then toss a few toys for her to chase in the opposite direction, so you can walk down the hallway unscathed.
We have already discussed why cats like to be up high. This is one of those situations where changing your cat’s behavior may need to start with a change in your own behavior—along with a change in the cat’s environment.
Keep the counters clear of anything of interest to your cat, such as food or plants or even a sun-warmed place to rest. Any of these things will intermittently reward her for jumping up on the counter, even if she only gets access to them every once in a while.
Deterrents may be helpful in the short term to keep your cat off a particular area, but they will not address the underlying motivation for her to go to that location. The problem is that deterrents may cause anxiety and stress, especially if your cat is unable to express her normal climbing and perching behavior elsewhere. If she’s very scared by something that makes a loud noise or sprays air, she may injure herself when attempting to run away. Plus, if the deterrent is associated with you, there is the risk of damaging your precious bond—and of teaching your kitty that she can jump up on anything when you are not around. (See the next section for detailed information about deterrents.)
Ultimately, if your cat loves to climb and to rest on high perches, placing a deterrent in one spot will just motivate her to find another elevated area to explore or rest on. So the best answer is to provide her with places where she is allowed to climb. Cat trees (both homemade and purchased) are great options. Even a simple box or paper bag on a high shelf may be of interest to her. Place these new elevated options in areas where your cat already climbs up high.
A good cat tree can offer high perching areas, hiding areas, and a tall, sturdy scratching post.
Craig Zeichner
Cats typically like to rest on soft surfaces. Place a blanket, thermal mat, or cat bed in an acceptable elevated area, and reward your cat when she is resting there. To make these areas even more attractive, hide small morsels of food there. Not only will this entice your cat to the new spot, but she will be hunting as well—accomplishing two enrichment tasks at once. To keep things interesting, remember to vary the rewards she finds in the areas you want her to explore.
Cats are also attracted to warm areas. Offering a heated bed or thermal mat specifically designed for cats will make a resting space even more appealing.
Let’s take a step back and examine your home. Are you providing your cat with enough scratching posts? Some cats prefer to scratch in more than one location, so make sure to offer your cat at least two options for scratching in different rooms of the house.
Are you providing your cat with a choice of scratching posts made from different materials? Some cats have a preference for certain materials. Commercial cat trees come in a variety of materials, ranging from carpet to sisal to cardboard to natural wood. Offer your cat a choice. For example, provide an inexpensive cardboard scratcher laced with catnip alongside a tall one wound with sisal. When you find out which one she scratches on more frequently, offer more scratchers made of that material. If she has picked your favorite chair and refuses any other substitute, it may be worth your time to get a piece of the upholstery and affix it to one side of a scratching post. Reward her when she scratches on the material.
Keep in mind that some cats may prefer to scratch on horizontal surfaces, such as your carpeting or stair treads. If your cat seems to prefer this, it’s very important to provide scratchers that fulfill her horizontal scratching desires. You can easily figure out if your cat has a horizontal versus a vertical scratching preference by providing two scratchers made from her preferred material. Place one in a horizontal position on the floor, and stand the other one up vertically. Then see which one she uses more.
If you are handy, you can make your own sturdy scratching post. Nail two pieces of untreated wood together at a ninety-degree angle. Make sure the piece of wood you use for the base is big and heavy, so the scratcher doesn’t wobble when your cat uses it. The upright piece should be tall enough that your cat has to stretch to reach the top when she’s standing on her back legs.
Cut a two-by-four to make a diagonal scratching surface extending from the upright piece to the base, completing a triangle. Wrap the two-by-four with sisal or a rough fabric. Nail it securely to the base and the top of the upright, making sure the nails do not stick out. Another good option is to use a wooden log as the angled piece. Wood is the natural choice for most cats living in the wild. Do not use a chemically treated log intended for your fireplace, however.
Is the scratching post located in an area where the cat spends most of her time? Cats living outdoors tend to scratch on objects within their home territory more often than on objects around the periphery. They leave marks on prominent objects to create a visual signal to other cats in the area. That’s why some cats at home prefer to scratch on furniture in a prominent location in one room. After all, what good is it to leave a message that no one will see? Also, just as you may want to stretch your arms out after a good nap, some cats may prefer to scratch close to where they nap.
Provide scratching posts in areas frequented by your cat instead of hiding them behind the sofa or in a back room or the basement. Place one close to where your cat prefers to sleep. Typically, she will tell you where the best spot is—right next to the piece of furniture she is currently scratching. When she starts to scratch her post instead of the furniture, praise and reward her. Then, over the next several weeks, slowly move the scratching post (inches a day) to your desired location, but still within the area preferred by your cat.
Some cats adjust to these changes right away. It may take time for others to learn to like the new options. Be patient and encourage your cat to use the scratching post. While you are retraining her, deter her from scratching on furniture by placing a plastic cover or double-sided sticky tape over the scratched areas. Tape made to deter cats (such as Sticky Paws) is sticky enough to stay on your furniture without leaving behind a gummy residue. Many cats find the stickiness of the tape unpleasant, which provides extra motivation for them to switch from the furniture to the new scratching post.
Sometimes you can entice your cat to scratch on the post by rubbing catnip on it or by playing with a toy that you make move up and down the post. A pheromone product called Feliscratch by Feliway promotes scratching on objects to which it has been applied. Feliscratch contains an artificial version of the pheromone that cats release from the scent glands on their paws when they scratch. By applying the product to the desired surface, you can encourage your cat to scratch there. Over a few weeks, she will learn to consistently scratch on that surface, and the product will no longer be needed.
Pavlov’s Cat Scratch Feeder is a feeder that looks like a big scratching post. When your cat scratches and pulls down on the post, it releases food at the bottom. This helps reinforce using the item. She learns I scratch here, I eat. The more I scratch, the more I get to eat.
Plastic nail caps glued over your cat’s nails can limit the damage caused to your furniture. You can apply them yourself or have a groomer or veterinary technician do it. The nail caps will need to be replaced every six to eight weeks, and some will often fall off or be chewed off within two to three weeks. And you will still need to give your cat plenty of attractive scratching options.
Both the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists and the American Veterinary Medical Association believe that declawing should not be a routine procedure performed on nearly every cat (as it once was). (See chapter 7 for a discussion of this position.) Although ethically questionable, declawing does reduce the risk of injury if scratching directed toward people is part of a cat’s aggressive behavior. However, without behavioral interventions, concurrent changes in environmental triggers, and other treatment options, it is unlikely on its own to be curative and should be avoided in nearly all cases.
Scratching is an essential part of being a cat. With patience and persistence—and the right scratching posts in the right places—you can train your cat to scratch on the surfaces you want her to scratch on.
Place a scratching post right next to the furniture your cat is currently scratching.
Offer a variety of scratching surfaces, sizes, and shapes instead of just one option.
Always offer praise and food rewards or pats whenever your cat scratches on her scratching post.
Our domestic cats may be small compared with their larger, more powerful wild cousins, but they are also very successful hunters. If your cat hunts away from home, you may never realize what a mighty hunter she is. Successful feline hunters can have an impact on the wildlife in their yard or the immediate neighborhood. Cats are often blamed for a reduction in the number of songbirds in an area, for example, and that should be a consideration when they are allowed outside.
The easiest way to protect local wildlife from your cat is not to let her outside. Cats who stay indoors live longer, healthier lives and avoid the risk of infections and devastating interactions with automobiles, predators, and malicious humans.
Alternatively, you can limit and supervise the time your cat spends outside. Consider installing cat-safe fencing to keep her in your yard. Buy or build a window box or catio (a patio for your cat) so that she can enjoy some outside time but not hunt small creatures. Train her to wear a harness and leash so that you can hold on to her when you go out together. But never leave your cat outside alone on a leash or tether!
You can reduce your cat’s urge to hunt by providing plenty of food so she’s not hungry. A well-fed cat may still stalk, chase, and kill prey, but she may be less likely to eat it. And some cats may be less motivated to pursue those little prey animals on a full stomach. Your cat may prefer to take a nap after a satisfying meal.
You can also satisfy your cat’s hunting instinct and keep her entertained indoors by using food-dispensing toys. Choose different types of toys to keep this activity interesting and challenging. You can make a multitude of toys using simple household items such as toilet paper rolls, empty yogurt containers, and small cardboard boxes. These toys can provide endless minutes or hours of amusement for your cat. You can also find plenty of food-dispensing toys at the pet supply store, as well as feeding stations (some of which look like space stations), which will require your cat to stick her paw through the opening, bat at the dry food to knock it down to a lower level, and then fish it out.
Place your cat’s dry food in an empty cardboard toilet paper or paper towel roll, fold the ends in, punch holes in the cylinder, and let the good times roll. You may need to roll the toy around several times and let your cat see the kibble falling out of it to entice her to work for her food.
If your cat is not interested in playing with food-dispensing toys, you can still make her hunt for her food. Buy several small food dishes or soy sauce dishes and divide your cat’s meal between three to five dishes; place them around the house. Initially, you can put one dish in her normal feeding area, then place the others in areas she is likely to walk past or visit, such as the windowsill or her favorite napping spot. You must make sure your cat is getting enough to eat every day, though, so begin slowly. If she’s having trouble “hunting” at first, call her attention to the dishes as you put them down.
It’s easier to change the behavior of cats who have never experienced true hunting in the outside world. Cats who have practiced outdoor hunting need patient owners. The fact that they’ve been able to practice this instinctive behavior makes it difficult to change. It takes people several weeks, even months, to change a behavior, and cats are no different. Bells or ultrasonic devices may limit their hunting success by warning prey of their approach. There is also a product called the CatBib, which inhibits the cat’s ability to kill birds (it’s literally a bib), but it may also cause frustration and fear. Not all cats will be deterred by these products, and some wily cats will still be able to hunt.
Why do cats get the crazies at night? A young, energetic cat like Strudel who has been lying around the house all day may be craving interaction and engagement when you return in the evening. If you don’t play with her before you go to bed, she’ll still be wound up. A short play session in the early evening and another one just before bedtime may help satisfy her need for activity.
Engaging your cat in activities during the day—when you are typically not at home—may require some strategic planning. Opportunities for her to interact with her environment need to be interesting to her and offer her a reward that is motivating enough to keep her at it. Food-dispensing toys can certainly be a part of keeping your cat moving while you’re at work. It may require some trial and error to determine what play objects will keep her active enough during the day that she will sleep well at night.
Another option is to provide a playmate for your cat. This can be a cat or kitten who has a similar activity level and play style. (See chapter 5 for advice about how to avoid problems when introducing a new cat.) A friend of another species may also be a great companion. Many cats develop wonderful friendships with dogs, although many others always remain terrified of canines. Remember that each pet will need individual attention, resources, veterinary care, and more.
Cats who wake up during the night may be responding to noises they hear outside the home, including wildlife and street noises. They also may be reacting to noises they hear inside the home, such as alarms beeping, owners snoring, or even the rustling of mice or other critters in the walls.
Some breeds (such as Siamese and other Oriental breeds) are just naturally chatty and may simply be attempting to communicate with you. If you don’t want your cat to talk to you during the night, don’t answer her when she starts a midnight conversation.
Like many Siamese, Squeak is quite talkative.
Wailani Sung
If your cat cries or yowls throughout the night, make sure she has been spayed (or he has been neutered) and is not responding to hormones. Some hormonal or endocrine disorders also can cause excessive vocalization. So can pain and discomfort, as well as illnesses such as high blood pressure and hyperthyroidism. To rule out these problems, you need to take your cat to the veterinarian.
An older cat who has slept well during the night for most of her life may begin to have disrupted sleep as she ages. She may have difficulty falling asleep, or she may wake up periodically throughout the night. She may even be a bit disoriented and call out. These changes in behavior could be due to pain or another medical condition, such as cognitive dysfunction syndrome (a disease similar to Alzheimer’s disease in people), so a visit to your veterinarian is in order. (See chapter 13 for more about senior and geriatric cats.)
Some cats like to get up early and eat early, and will persistently pester their owners until breakfast (or a two a.m. snack) is provided. Remember, cats are very smart and learn quickly. Many enjoy any type of attention from us, whether it’s food, play, or even yelling at them. Make sure you do not accidentally reward your cat for waking you up in the night.
Most cats prefer to stick to a routine. Your cat may have established a routine of waking up early for breakfast (even on Sunday). Food-dispensing toys left out overnight will help satisfy cats who get hungry at all hours. A feeder with a timer that automatically dispenses food may appease cats who wake up their owners early in the morning for their breakfast. Set the timer to go off a few minutes before the time the cat typically starts meowing. This will take you out of the sequence of events.
Insecurity can be another cause of nighttime waking. Think about whether something has changed in the cat’s routine—or yours. One of our feline patients began waking up at night after a move to a new home. After some sleuthing, the owners realized that the cat’s treasured afghan had not been unpacked and placed on her favorite sleeping spot. Once the afghan was set out, she returned to her usual sleeping routine. Problem solved!
The first step in helping your cat learn how to play appropriately is to engage in daily structured play sessions using toys that are far away from your body (such as fishing-pole or wand toys), items you toss, or items that move on their own. Kittens tend to outgrow pouncing behaviors if they are redirected to appropriate toys and not reinforced for pouncing. If there’s a time of day when your cat typically likes to engage in these playful behaviors, schedule the play session shortly before she is usually ready to play.
Never play with your cat using your hands or feet. Make the initial play sessions short, then extend to fifteen minutes at a time once or twice a day. Use toys that move, flutter, and bounce to allow your cat to engage in her natural stalking, running, and attacking behaviors. Be sure the toys are safe and can’t be swallowed, and put away string toys when you are not playing with your cat.
To avoid boredom and keep your cat fully engaged, rotate and change the toys she plays with. If she loves a laser pointer, be sure that you allow her to “catch” the light by settling it on a treat or toy she can pounce on and catch. Otherwise, the game may become frustrating and just get her more wound up.
Clicker training is a good way to help cats burn off excess energy. You can use it to teach your cat a behavior that is incompatible with pouncing on you, such as “go to your perch” or “sit on your mat.” If you both enjoy clicker training, you can also teach her cool tricks, such as “high five” and “roll over.” (You’ll find excellent ideas for kitty training at PositiveCattitudes, www.youtube.com/user/PositiveCattitudes/videos and www.clickertraining.com.)
Some cats may benefit from outdoor exploration in a safe environment. (See “Hunting” earlier in this chapter.) Training your cat to wear a harness and leash is not very difficult. Walking her will allow her to engage in a continuously changing, structured activity. There are many commercially available outdoor cat tunnels and playpens, as well as innovative cat-safe fencing options, all of which may allow your cat to explore the outdoors safely (see, for example, Purr...fect Fence, www.purrfectfence.com; Coyote Roller, https://coyoteroller.com; and Oscillot, https://oscillot.com.au).
Many cats can learn to wear a harness especially designed for cats and walk nicely on a leash.
Debra F. Horwitz
Consider adding a feline playmate to your home. A good playmate is one who will interact well with your cat, has a similar energy level, and is interested in playing in a similar way. Remember that introducing a new cat to a resident cat may take time and patience and may not work out (see chapter 5). This strategy typically works best with playful kittens and may not be as helpful with adult cats.
It may be helpful to hang bells on your cat’s collar so that you know when she is approaching and can remove yourself from the area or have a toy ready to play with. Be sure to use a safe, quick-release collar that will not get hung up or tangled in items in the environment. Some cats find wearing a bell a fun challenge. We have had feline patients who have been able to quietly stalk without jingling up to ten tiny bells on their collar!
Eating plant matter is a natural behavior for cats. The easiest way to prevent your cat from eating your houseplants is to give her a pot of cat grass or some other safe plant she can chew on. Many pet supply stores carry seeds or grass appropriate for cats to eat. Trim the grass weekly to promote growth of the tips. If your cat tends to vomit after eating grass, try leafy kitchen herbs instead, such as dill, mint, basil, thyme, parsley, or rosemary.
Feral cats have been observed eating greens, and your cat may appreciate some grass grown just for her.
Carlo Siracusa
Make sure all the plants you have are nontoxic. Even if you place the plants out of reach, your cat may figure out a way to reach them. When consumed, plants from the lily family cause fatal kidney failure in cats, and other plants pose dangers to kitties as well.
To see if your plants are safe for cats, check out the Pet Poison Helpline (www.petpoisonhelpline.com). And to find a list of cat-safe plants, see “Poisonous Plants” at the ASPCA’s website (www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants).
Meanwhile, place your houseplants out of reach—perhaps on tall shelves or hanging from ceiling hooks. If you cannot keep your plants out of your cat’s reach, you can apply a bitter-tasting substance that is available at pet supply stores or spray the plants with white vinegar (if you don’t mind the smell). Apply either substance to the underside of the plant’s leaves so that when your cat chews on them, she may be deterred by the taste. Keep in mind that some cats may not mind the taste and will keep chewing, only to vomit up what they have eaten on your nice carpet.
Some cats just like to chew on things, especially if their diet is almost all soft foods. Provide your cat with appropriate items to satisfy her chewing needs, such as dental treats or food just for cats that may provide a different texture for chewing. This might prevent them from eating your plants.
If your cat seems to be chewing on your plants only in your presence, she may have learned that you will give her attention when she does this—even if it’s negative attention like shouting. When you see her moving toward a plant, head her off. Get her attention by calling her name and having her come to you for interaction, rather than attacking your plant. Do not let her repeat the cycle of “chew on plant, get my person’s attention.” Instead, preemptively distract her and provide her with positive, more appropriate activities.
If you catch your cat in the act, distract and redirect her to perform other behaviors or focus on other activities. First, get her attention by making a novel noise. Once she has stopped chewing on the plant, immediately redirect her to another, more acceptable behavior, such as chasing after a crinkle ball that you just threw or trying to catch a fishing-pole toy that you are dangling. Clicker training can be useful to teach her to perform some simple tricks and take her mind off of chewing your plants. You can also use clicker training to reinforce more appropriate behaviors, such as playing with other toys or chewing on her cat grass.
Roses are nontoxic to cats—although some felines do not appreciate the prickly thorns.
Wailani Sung
Cat owners tend to default to punishment (such as squirt bottles, booby traps, and loud noises) to change a cat’s behavior. While this may work in the short term, it will not change who your cat is and the natural behaviors she needs and wants to express. If you are tempted to use a punishment for a quick fix, remember that your actions may result in an aggressive response from your cat. It may also increase your cat’s anxiety and damage the bond between you. And your cat will likely be smart enough to learn not to do certain things in your presence, but to continue to do them when you are not watching.
The more positive solution is to embrace your cat’s natural behaviors and provide ways for her to express them that work for both her and you. Then use positive reinforcement to teach her where and how she can perform these behaviors. Treats and praise can be surprisingly powerful motivators for your cat to climb on the cat tree instead of your curtains, or scratch on the scratching post instead of your couch. Clicker training can be used to reinforce appropriate behaviors, redirect your cat to alternative behaviors, and teach her fun new tricks that stimulate her brain.
One of the most common errors is to accidentally reward your cat, whether it’s chasing her after she has pounced on you, petting or feeding her when she wakes you up in the middle of the night, or giving in to her cries to be let outside. Some cats can learn from just a single interaction or midnight snack that a particular behavior brings them the desired reward, and then they become persistent.
When you try to ignore the behavior, often the cat will persist and perhaps even increase her efforts to get a reward by engaging in the same behavior over and over again. This is called an extinction burst, where the behavior appears to get worse and increases in frequency. But if you remain consistent and persistent, give your cat appropriate outlets, and don’t reward the undesirable behavior, it will eventually fade away.
Eliminate temptation by restricting your cat’s access to certain areas or items. If you can’t get her to stop chewing your plants or scratching one particular chair, for example, keep them in a room she’s not allowed in. If she won’t stay out of the trash, get a trash can with a secure cover. If she insists on cruising for food on the countertops, don’t leave food out. If she gets up on your dresser and knocks your watch on the floor, put it away.
Be sure to reinforce appropriate behaviors and not fixate on your cat when she is doing the wrong thing. When a talkative cat is quiet, pay attention to her at that moment. When your cat walks up to a plant, sniffs it, and walks away, praise and toss treats toward her. Tell her what a good girl she is every time she uses her scratching post. Teach her where to go instead of where not to go. Teach her what she can do instead of punishing her for what she should not do.
And finally, be patient with your cat. Most of what we call nuisance behaviors are normal cat behaviors. Your cat is not doing these things out of spite. It takes time to change an annoying behavior. Understand this, and you will be more successful in the long run.
Many of the behaviors we find undesirable are natural feline behaviors that your cat is hardwired to do. You can’t make her not do them, but you can redirect her to more appropriate outlets for them.
Cats like to explore and interact with their environment. They especially like to be in elevated areas. Provide your cat with raised perches she is allowed to use, and encourage her to explore and rest in those areas.
Cats like to use their claws for scratching. Provide your cat with scratching posts that are tall and sturdy, covered with a material she likes, and in a location she likes, and reward her when you see her using them.
There are many alternatives to declawing, a procedure that is not endorsed or recommended by the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists or the American Veterinary Medical Association.
Hunting is a natural feline behavior. Many cats can satisfy their desire to hunt through play and alternative ways of being fed at home.
Cats who wake owners early in the morning or keep them up at night may benefit from physical and mental engagement throughout the daylight hours, to help them reset their internal clock.
Many cats are very playful but don’t know how to play well with you. You can teach your cat how to play with you in ways you both enjoy.
Cats and houseplants are sometimes a risky mix. Cats eat plants for many reasons, both medical and behavioral. You can redirect your cat by providing her with safe plants to eat, giving her other items to chew on, or engaging her in other activities.
Be proactive by teaching your cat what you want her to do rather than only responding to her misbehaviors. Cats are trainable and enjoy our attention. Have fun helping your cat learn how to live well in your home.