Abnormal Cat Behavior
What is considered to be an abnormal cat behavior that should raise a concern?
Cats can display a whole range of weird behaviors; some cat behaviors can be amusing and are nothing to worry about like when your cat chews or sucks on your hair or fluffy pillows, frantically kneading and salivating… but other times, especially when there is a sudden change in your cat’s behavior pattern, it could be a sign of a psychological or medical problem.
Unusual cat behavior which can be associated with medical problems
- attacking you or other house pets for no apparent reason
- anxiousness, hiding , dilated pupils and hissing with no obvious reason
- eating non food substances like fabric, wood, wool (also called pica)
- self-destructive behavior, self mutilation like chewing or biting parts of the body, constantly grooming
- constantly meowing and avoiding litter tray (in a male cat this could be a sign of urethral obstruction – contact your vet immediately!)
- unusual lethargy
- twitching, circling or other balance disturbances, bumping into objects, head pressing
If you see any of the above listed abnormal cat behavior, call your vet to have your cat checked over.
Cat Allergy: What To Do If You Are Allergic To Your Cat
Cats are considered to be the most allergenic amongst the pets. In earlier years, cat fur was believed to be the cause of cat allergies in people. Now we know that it is a glycoprotein, namely Fel D4 in cat saliva and Fel D 1 in sebaceous glands, that is the culprit which triggers allergic responses. As the cat grooms, the saliva containing the allergen is deposited on fur where it becomes a part of dander.
People diagnosed with allergies to cats are often advised by their doctor to get rid of their cats. If this is your case, don’t panic, in most cases it will not be necessary.
There are several things you can do to decrease the concentration of allergens
1. Keep the cat out of your bedroom. Ideally, you should have one or more ‘cat free’ places in your house where you can take refuge.
2. Use good quality HEPA air filtration systems in rooms where you cats stay frequently. It is worth to get a vacuum cleaner with a good quality HEPA filter as cat dander particles escape normal filters.
3. If possible, consider getting rid of carpets, rugs and plushy furniture. Cat dander gets trapped on these surfaces and as it is small and sticky it will often persist there for months. If this is not a feasible option for you, use environment friendly carpet and upholstery anti-allergen sprays like AllerSafe Dustroy Anti-Allergen Spray which is said to reduce and/or neutralize cat saliva allergens.
4. Wipe your cat with a cloth moistened with anti-allergen pet products like AllerPet Dander Lotion at least once a week to remove dander from the coat and to neutralize saliva allergens. You could also use this lotion in a spray bottle and then comb the hair to spread it equally. The lotion is environment friendly and non-toxic so you can apply it as frequently as required.
5. Wash your hands after petting the cat. Avoid kissing the cat and don’t let him rub against your face. Wash the bedding and rugs in hot water regularly (once in a week).
6. Ask your doctor about hyposensitization injections. Hyposensitization is not always successful but it’s worth of trying. Some people report great relief with homeopathic treatment.
By taking the necessary precautions most people with milder allergies to cats experience significant relief. However, if you experience life threatening allergy symptoms like severe asthma attacks and breathing difficulties, rehoming your cat may be the only option.
Why Is My Cat Rubbing Against Objects
Sometimes cats can exhibit strange behaviors, leaving their puzzled owners wondering: “What is the cat trying to say, what does he want?” These weird cat behavior “mysteries” often have quite logical explanation.
Lets look at one of the fairly common cat behaviors that almost all cats do: pushing their heads into objects and then rubbing their cheeks. You may have noticed your cat rubbing against the table legs or other pieces of furniture. Or when you had visitors over at your house, he may have been brushing against their legs.
There is a common belief that cats are particularly attracted to people with allergies or those who don’t like cats and then come up to brush against their legs to annoy them. However, this is a myth, by rubbing their cheeks on their legs the cat is actually just trying to make the visitor belong at the house.
Cat rubbing his head against objects is simply saying: this belongs to my territory, this belongs here. So it is a form of territorial behavior where by rubbing his cheeks, a small amount of saliva is deposited onto the object or a person marking it with a familiar scent. In your cat’s mind, he owns what he puts his saliva on.
Sometimes, this natural cat behavior can be quite annoying, especially if you have visitors which don’t like cats, and even more so if someone has an allergy to cats. In the last case you should keep the cat out of the room – the glycoprotein contained in cat saliva and sebaceous glands is a strong allergen that can trigger a severe allergic response (from sneezing to life-threatening asthmatic attacks).
Your cat sees the visitors in your home as strange or weird. By brushing his face against them, marking them with his scent, he will try to make them belong in his territory. When your visitor wipes the saliva off, the scent will be gone and the cat will go back and try to do it again. So now when you understand why is he doing it, explain it to your guests and if they agree, allow the cat to rub on their legs couple of times. That is usually all it takes to make your cat content and he will then leave your guests alone.
Cat Spraying – Causes and Solutions
Cat spraying (also referred to as urine marking) in inappropriate places is one of the most frustrating behavior problems which unfortunately is also the number one feline behavioral problem that leads to re-homing or even euthanasia of cats.
However, in most cases urine spraying can be either prevented or eliminated. Just like other cat behavior problems, there is a reason as to why the cat starts spraying and identifying the cause is the first important step in finding the right solution.
So why do they spray?
In entire cats, urine spraying is part of a normal and natural behavior. It is a way to convey territorial and sexual messages to other cats. Not only tomcats spray, female cats in heat will spray too to broadcast know they are ready for mating.
In neutered cats, the most common reasons for spraying are:
- competition and territorial disputes between cats in multi-cat households. As more cats you have, as higher the probability one or more cats will start to spray at some time.
- Stress and insecurity: for example moving to a new house, arrival of a new baby or another pet and situations where the cat feels unsafe and insecure so it may feel the need to ‘reinforce’ its ‘territory’
It is important to identify the reason why your cat is spraying. If for example a new person has moved into the house, have him or her feed your cat to establish a bond between them. Or perhaps there is a “bully” cat entering your home through the cat flap terrorizing your cat while you are away… If you can identify the reason of urine marking, solution is often quite straight forward.
How to stop your cat spraying
Of course, the course of action you take will depend on cause of spraying but here are some general steps you should take in each case:
1. Get your cat neutered
Since urine spraying in entire cat is largely hormonally induced, so neutering will eliminate this behavior in most cases. However, don’t expect your cat will stop spraying right away – it may take up to two months before you see the result.
2. Get rid of the cat urine odor
You can buy special cleaners and odor neutralizers at your local pet store or you can try this simple home odor removal solution: mix equal parts of white vinegar and water.
3. Avoid using household products containing ammonia
Ammonia is a natural ingredient of cat urine so products containing ammonia could stimulate the marking behavior.
4. In multi-cat households – each cat needs its own litter box!
Additionally, you should have an extra litter box “for the house”. So for example if you have 3 cats, you will need 4 litter boxes. Keep boxes clean!
5. Feed and play with your cat in areas where it tends to spray
Most cats will not do their business around their food or where they play.
6. If your cat sprays in only one room, keep them out of this room.
If spraying occurs in one or two places and you cannot keep the cat out of this location, put a litter box or feeding bowls there..
Very IMPORTANT!! – Never punish your cat by dragging him to the litter box or sticking his nose in his excrements! Never hit or kick him! The only thing you will accomplish with it is making the matters much worse. Your cat will not associate the punishment with spraying but with YOU and/or the litter tray! The result: your cat spraying problem gets even worse.
Crash Course in Cat Behavior Training
Cats are fascinating and adorable pets that offer a companionship that is hard to beat. But there is more to your cat then purring and curling up in your lap. At times, they can be a pain in butt to the household too. Scratched furnishings, ripped curtains, spraying urine on objects are just a few things that misbehaving cats can do. Cat behavior problems are number one reason why cat owners seek veterinary advice. Yet, many problems can easily be solved by understanding why they misbehave.
What is this cute cat thinking...
So what are the causes of misbehaving and what can you do about it?
Entire cats misbehave when they are sexually motivated
When the mating time comes your cat can exhibit extremely unpleasant behavior like spraying urine on various objects, meowing loudly in the middle of the night and getting involved in cat fights.
The answer is straight forward: get your cat neutered as soon as possible. It may take a little while until you see an improvement as the body needs some time to adjust to hormonal changes.
Cats misbehave when owners don’t answer to their basic needs
Cats devote a lot of time to their body hygiene and they are very fussy when it comes down to the toilet business. They like their litter box clean and out of the way. They don’t like other cats using their box and they can be very picky about the litter. If something about the litter box doesn’t suit them, be it location, scent or the litter, they simply will find another suitable “toilet”.
Keep the litter box clean. Wash it at least once a week and rinse well to remove remnants of detergent. Put it in an easily accessible and secluded place and fill it with unscented litter. Don’t overfill.
Scratching is a perfectly natural cat behavior that keeps their claws in shape and furthermore is used to mark the territory. If you fail to provide a suitable scratch post, it will be party time on your furniture!
Cats misbehave when they are bored.
When cats are bored stiff they will do naughty things because they need to get rid of their energy in some way. Chasing around the house like mad, running up the curtains and knocking things over will help them to do just that
Boredom can be solved by spending more time with the cat. Playing with it regularly will not only help your cat to get rid of excess energy but it also proves beneficial in establishing a firmer bond. However, do not play immediately after your cat misbehaved otherwise the cat may associate its misbehavior with you giving it more attention.
Cats just love to play with certain things
It may be a plastic bag, a curtain, your table cloth or anything else. They also hate certain smells so this could come in handy for you. Spray unpleasant smells like lavender, citronella or a commercial repellent on those things to deter them.
Cat behavior training requires understanding, patience and consistency, but the results can be very rewarding. And after all, your cat is worth it!