The 3 things cats do to drive people crazy—and how to get yours to stop…
Believe it or not, your loveable, flawless feline friend does indeed have the occasional irksome behavior…and that’s without the chemical effects from catnip. Despite how much we love our cats, there are some things we as owners shouldn’t tolerate. For the sake of your physical and mental health, find out what you can do to get your cat to stop driving you nuts .
Ankle attacker
If your cat is attacking your ankles, that’s not normal… nor should it be tolerated. While you may think it’s initially cute as it fulfills your desires to be wanted, your ankles don’t appreciate being the butt of your adolescent cat’s predatorial drive. Your cat’s pouncing on you is an attempt to chase or hunt you down. Help save your ankles and redirect your cat’s pent-up frustrations of play toward something inanimate like a toy instead. Ankle attacking is a sign of boredom, so make sure you’re exercising your cat to provide it some much needed physical and mental stimulation. A good 10-15 minute exercise time with a laser pointer or cat toy will tucker him out so he doesn’t attack you. Just make sure you put some physical distance between you, your ankle, and the toy, so he doesn’t associate playtime with any body parts. Lastly, don’t be lazy and use your foot to rub your cat’s belly when he’s lying there in that sun beam, or you’ll have good reason to be attacked. After all, you don’t want your body parts associated with anything annoying. If all else fails, try negative reinforcement – that spray bottle or Super Soaker water gun - so you can squirt him in the act when he’s actively attacking. Finally, if you’ve tried all else without success, another housecat to tackle instead may be what he needs for some mental stimulation and exercise.
Counter surfing
Ever wonder what your cat does when you’re off at work? Walk all over your counter and table tops. While you may think it’s cute, it’s not hygienic or healthy to tolerate your cat’s counter surfing. Remember where those paws have been? The dusty kitty litter footprints should be a gentle reminder to a) clean the litter box and b) bleach the counter tops. Because of the risk of bacteria or toxoplasmosis spread through fecal-oral contact, it’s best to keep her paws off counters, stovetops, and tables. Try these hints. First of all, be a neat freak. The less crap there is on your counter tops, the less there is to play with. Next, try applying double-sided tape onto the surface you want your cat to avoid. When your cat jumps up, she’ll quickly learn that having her lovely paws stuck to the counter isn’t very fun. Be aware that you’ll have to replace the tape often, as she’ll test the counter tops to see when that tape is gone. If you’re not a neat freak, use empty aluminum cans to line the edge of your counter tops (with a few coins inside to make a homemade rattle and provide some scary noise); after a few inadvertent, loud knock downs, it’ll dissuade and scare your cat away from those countertops.
Using your house as a scratching post If your cat likes to scratch, it’s because it feels good. Not only is he marking with his scent glands (which are under his paw pads), but he’s scratching because he’s trying to wear down those nails. Help minimize your cat’s desire to scratch by keeping his nails trim, so he’s less tempted to naturally wear them down on your sofa – besides which, shorter nails cause less damage. Next, splurge on good scratching posts made of material that feel good to scratch: twine, coarse rope, carpet, or sisal (a type of material that looks like carpet). Most importantly, make sure the post is well placed (like right in front of your sofa). If you just bought a cheap $2 cardboard scratching post and hid it in the dark, dank corner of the basement where nobody wants to go, it’s not going to work. Although it may affect your feng shui, you’ll need to keep the scratching post in the center of the room or next to the vertical or horizontal surface where your cat scratches. Most cats prefer to scratch vertically, so it may be worth getting one that allows him to take out his scratching frustrations that way. Finally, make your furniture less appealing by applying double-sided tape or aluminum foil to the scratched area –that sticky or cold, metallic, crinkling touch will send your cat running away. Your cat will quickly learn that the sofa’s scratching surface isn’t quite as fun and appealing as it used to be. The bad news is that as soon as you take away the tape or foil, your cat may be right back at it with a vengeance. Finally, try bribery. Entice your cat to play around that new scratching post by sprinkling catnip or placing treats or toys on it. Worst-case scenario, some people end up resorting to declawing. I personally don’t perform this surgical procedure, but if it means you not surrendering your cat to the humane society or (even worse), euthanizing your cat, then I support your decision. And of course… if all else fails, you have vet approval to use the trusty Super Soaker.
Hints on keeping your cat from going crazy:
1. Instead of ignoring the behavior, make sure to use negative or positive feedback appropriately. If you actively catch your cat in the act, you can “reprimand” him for it so he associates it with something negative. Likewise, if your cat uses the scratching post like he’s supposed to, reward him immediately with a treat for positive reinforcement.
2. Don’t let boredom reign in your household. A lot of behavioral problems are related to either too many cats in the household or lack of mental stimulation or physical exercise. Indoor cats particularly need more, so make sure to play with your pet.
3. Don’t give up. If your cat is still crazy, consider professional help like a veterinary behaviorist, as your cat may need drugs too. You can find them at: http://www.veterinarybehaviorists.org/
Do you have a crazy kitty? What tricks did you employ? Let us know!
Signing off,
Dr. Justine Lee
Biography:
Dr. Justine Lee is a veterinary emergency critical care specialist and the author of It’s a Dog’s Life… but It’s Your Carpet and It’s a Cat’s World… You Just Live In It (Three Rivers Press).
Ankle attacker
If your cat is attacking your ankles, that’s not normal… nor should it be tolerated. While you may think it’s initially cute as it fulfills your desires to be wanted, your ankles don’t appreciate being the butt of your adolescent cat’s predatorial drive. Your cat’s pouncing on you is an attempt to chase or hunt you down. Help save your ankles and redirect your cat’s pent-up frustrations of play toward something inanimate like a toy instead. Ankle attacking is a sign of boredom, so make sure you’re exercising your cat to provide it some much needed physical and mental stimulation. A good 10-15 minute exercise time with a laser pointer or cat toy will tucker him out so he doesn’t attack you. Just make sure you put some physical distance between you, your ankle, and the toy, so he doesn’t associate playtime with any body parts. Lastly, don’t be lazy and use your foot to rub your cat’s belly when he’s lying there in that sun beam, or you’ll have good reason to be attacked. After all, you don’t want your body parts associated with anything annoying. If all else fails, try negative reinforcement – that spray bottle or Super Soaker water gun - so you can squirt him in the act when he’s actively attacking. Finally, if you’ve tried all else without success, another housecat to tackle instead may be what he needs for some mental stimulation and exercise.
Counter surfing
Ever wonder what your cat does when you’re off at work? Walk all over your counter and table tops. While you may think it’s cute, it’s not hygienic or healthy to tolerate your cat’s counter surfing. Remember where those paws have been? The dusty kitty litter footprints should be a gentle reminder to a) clean the litter box and b) bleach the counter tops. Because of the risk of bacteria or toxoplasmosis spread through fecal-oral contact, it’s best to keep her paws off counters, stovetops, and tables. Try these hints. First of all, be a neat freak. The less crap there is on your counter tops, the less there is to play with. Next, try applying double-sided tape onto the surface you want your cat to avoid. When your cat jumps up, she’ll quickly learn that having her lovely paws stuck to the counter isn’t very fun. Be aware that you’ll have to replace the tape often, as she’ll test the counter tops to see when that tape is gone. If you’re not a neat freak, use empty aluminum cans to line the edge of your counter tops (with a few coins inside to make a homemade rattle and provide some scary noise); after a few inadvertent, loud knock downs, it’ll dissuade and scare your cat away from those countertops.
Using your house as a scratching post If your cat likes to scratch, it’s because it feels good. Not only is he marking with his scent glands (which are under his paw pads), but he’s scratching because he’s trying to wear down those nails. Help minimize your cat’s desire to scratch by keeping his nails trim, so he’s less tempted to naturally wear them down on your sofa – besides which, shorter nails cause less damage. Next, splurge on good scratching posts made of material that feel good to scratch: twine, coarse rope, carpet, or sisal (a type of material that looks like carpet). Most importantly, make sure the post is well placed (like right in front of your sofa). If you just bought a cheap $2 cardboard scratching post and hid it in the dark, dank corner of the basement where nobody wants to go, it’s not going to work. Although it may affect your feng shui, you’ll need to keep the scratching post in the center of the room or next to the vertical or horizontal surface where your cat scratches. Most cats prefer to scratch vertically, so it may be worth getting one that allows him to take out his scratching frustrations that way. Finally, make your furniture less appealing by applying double-sided tape or aluminum foil to the scratched area –that sticky or cold, metallic, crinkling touch will send your cat running away. Your cat will quickly learn that the sofa’s scratching surface isn’t quite as fun and appealing as it used to be. The bad news is that as soon as you take away the tape or foil, your cat may be right back at it with a vengeance. Finally, try bribery. Entice your cat to play around that new scratching post by sprinkling catnip or placing treats or toys on it. Worst-case scenario, some people end up resorting to declawing. I personally don’t perform this surgical procedure, but if it means you not surrendering your cat to the humane society or (even worse), euthanizing your cat, then I support your decision. And of course… if all else fails, you have vet approval to use the trusty Super Soaker.
Hints on keeping your cat from going crazy:
1. Instead of ignoring the behavior, make sure to use negative or positive feedback appropriately. If you actively catch your cat in the act, you can “reprimand” him for it so he associates it with something negative. Likewise, if your cat uses the scratching post like he’s supposed to, reward him immediately with a treat for positive reinforcement.
2. Don’t let boredom reign in your household. A lot of behavioral problems are related to either too many cats in the household or lack of mental stimulation or physical exercise. Indoor cats particularly need more, so make sure to play with your pet.
3. Don’t give up. If your cat is still crazy, consider professional help like a veterinary behaviorist, as your cat may need drugs too. You can find them at: http://www.veterinarybehaviorists.org/
Do you have a crazy kitty? What tricks did you employ? Let us know!
Signing off,
Dr. Justine Lee
Biography:
Dr. Justine Lee is a veterinary emergency critical care specialist and the author of It’s a Dog’s Life… but It’s Your Carpet and It’s a Cat’s World… You Just Live In It (Three Rivers Press).
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