Cat Behavior Problems

The key to preventing behavior problems is to identify and provide appropriate outlets for all of kitten’s needs. This is especially important for the indoor cat, since all of his play, predation, exploration, scratching, elimination, and social needs will need to be channeled into acceptable indoor options. The cat’s sexual motivation can be reduced by neutering or spaying.

Most of the outdoor cat’s physical activity would be focused on the hunt or on predatory and social play. Interactive play should therefore be designed as substitutes. To provide multiple predatory play sessions, use wands and movable toys, or small, light toys of plastic, fabric, feathers, or fleece that can be batted, chased, and retrieved.

Feedings can be broken up and made more interactive by feeding multiple small meals, some of which can be given in foraging toys, stuffed into feeding toys, or hidden inside bags and boxes.

A kitten’s interest in exploration might be addressed by providing new toys that can be batted and chased, and new areas to explore, such as paper bags and cardboard boxes. Interest might be stimulated and maintained by hiding food treats or catnip in the toys, and providing exploration and climbing areas. A comfortable blanket or rug for napping, counters, shelves, or play centers for perching, posts for scratching, and a proper litter area for elimination will round out most of the cat’s needs.

One important rule of thumb is that each kitten is different. You must choose the types of play and toys that are most appealing to your cat and most appropriate for your household. In addition to social play session with owners, highly social and playful cats may also benefit from having a second social and playful cat in the home.

Preventing Fear in the New Kitten

Most kittens are highly social, but sociability and social play might begin to wane after two months of age. Therefore, as soon as the kitten has been introduced to the home, you should make every attempt to introduce the kitten to a wide variety of people of all ages, a wide variety of environments, other pets, and as many new stimuli as possible (e.g., noises, car rides, elevators). One way to help ensure a positive relationship with each new person, pet, place, and event is to give the kitten one of its favored treats or toys with each new meeting and greeting.

Teaching a New Kitten to Enjoy Handling

Your kitten’s response to being handled will depend on its personality and early experiences. The kitten may enjoy, accept, tolerate, or dislike certain types of handling, from petting to bathing.

In order for the kitten to learn to accept and enjoy physical contact from humans, it is critical that the human hand only be associated with positive experiences and that all physical punishment be avoided. Begin with those types of handling sessions that the cat enjoys or is willing to accept and provide small treats at each of the first few sessions. Once the cat learns to associate food with these sessions, slightly longer or more intense sessions can be practiced. This type of handling can be used to help the cat become accustomed to, and perhaps enjoy, patting, grooming, teeth brushing, nail trimming, and even bathing.

Over time you can introduce a brush or comb so that you can help keep your cat’s coat clean and free of mats. Regular grooming will also help decrease hairball formation. Never force this type of handling upon your cat, as any negative experience will only make the problem worse and the cat more resistant to further handling.

It is important to remember that physical discipline is inappropriate; it can scare your cat and make him afraid of being picked up or held.

Training Your Kitten

It can be very useful and enjoyable to train your kitten to follow a few simple commands, such as to “come” when it is called. This can be accomplished by starting early.

Take either a food treat or the cat food bowl and show it to your kitten while slowly moving away from him, and at the same time saying his name and the word “come.” As the kitten follows and comes to you, give the treat or food to him. With each repetition, start a bit farther away. Always reward the kitten when it gets to you with praise and a food treat. Remember not to proceed too quickly, and make sure the kitten is successful each time.

As the kitten learns the task, gradually phase out food rewards — beginning with a treat every time to a treat every other time, gradually lessening the treats — but always use praise and petting. Over time, your kitten should come eagerly when called.

Similarly, your kitten can be encouraged to sit or give a paw. Use food lures to encourage the behavior and when the kitten responds consistently, add an appropriate “prompt word” just before the cat displays the behavior.

Training your kitten to accept a carrier without distress and fear will also come in handy over its lifetime. Using food rewards and play toys, you can entice the kitten to enter and explore the carrier. When the kitten has voluntarily entered the carrier, the door can be briefly closed and then re-opened. Each time, try to leave the kitten in a bit longer before allowing it to exit. Be sure to never allow the kitten out when it cries or scratches at the crate or it will associate those behaviors with escape. Instead, wait until the kitten is calm and quiet, use words of praise, and allow it to exit. Do not keep it in the carrier longer than necessary during the initial training, but gradually increase the time spent inside. If car travel will be frequent with your cat, short trips can be taken for practice to get the kitten used to traveling in the car.

In some cases it may be preferable to use a larger animal crate as a safe haven for your kitten to grow into – a crate that accommodates a rest area, litter box, and food and water.

In summary, a cat can become very demanding of attention, play, and affection if not trained early. Begin early to teach your kitten how to ask nicely for interaction. Obnoxious behavior such as swatting, excessive vocalization, biting, and pouncing should not be tolerated. If your kitten begins to exhibit these behaviors, quickly and quietly leave the area and cease all interactions. Once the kitten is calm and quiet, call him over and resume interactions.

The goal is for the kitten to learn that calm, gentle behaviors will get a positive reaction, not wild or aggressive ones. For this to be effective, you must be certain that you make time each day for appropriate interactions with your kitten; that includes playing, petting, grooming, and naturally, meeting its needs for food, water, and a clean litter box.