Cats Behavior Issues Come From Natural Instincts
Anyone who spends much time around them knows that with all cats behavior can be a mystery to humans. We have a natural tendency to see cats behavior in terms of human behavior and many failures at cat control are because of making wrong assumption about a very different species.
Humans are not pure carnivores or predators but cats are. They play and eat and behave the way they do as part of their history of living as hunting creatures in the wild. Too many humans try seeing cats behavior in human terms and understanding and this causes conflict. We would never expect an elephant to act the same way that a parakeet does, but many cat owners expect their pets to act human.
Cats do not respond at all well to "negative reinforcement." With some animals it works, but not cats. A cat considers it an attack, defends against it, and becomes even more hostile and bad-tempered. "Positive reinforcement" is best, but even "No!" and removing the cat from the problem works better than trying to whack a cat.
Many of the behaviors people have difficulty with a cat are just instinct for the cat. One example is the spraying of urine. Cats do this when living outdoors to mark their territory and to protect their group. When a cat does this inside your home, it is not a very welcome experience. Training a cat to have better indoor behaviors is effective. Neutering is an even better option to control this.
If you are concerned about your cat scratching furniture or your pants, there are several products available for your feline friend. Cats work hard to keep their claws trim and sharp and need to be trained to only use scratching boxes or posts. Your veterinarian can assist you in selecting the best scratching products and toys to aid in protecting your furniture and clothing.
Cats will stalk prey and use them for entertainment like a toy after capture. Toys that are safe to bite or chew can often be treated with catnip. In this way it will help your cat play and get rid of some of their pent up energy. If your cat is an outdoors car, it will eventually bring home a fresh kill as a "gift". This is a cat's natural instinct and so it should never be punished as a result. Even indoor cats will treat you with such gifts as a bug or a mouse.
Don't expect a cat to think the way you think it should. Cats have their own behaviors so to understand them better you should do some reading on their natural instincts before automatically assuming a cat is behaving badly. There will always be present in a cat some amount of wild feline, so it is better to learn to work with their instincts rather than presume they don't exist in your cat.
Cat owners have a natural tendency to think of their pets as part of the family, which they are. Still, it's critical to remember that cats and humans have some very basic differences. A cats behavior cannot be compared to a child's. Remembering that cats have different instincts than humans will help immensely with cat control, and if you forget this, you're likely to end up "herding cats." Domestic kitties need to be trained how to scratch in more appropriate places than on your furniture. Your cat vet will be able to help you choose appropriate scratching boxes, posts, and toys for your pet.
Published November 24th, 2007
Filed in Pets
