Pica is a medical issue that involves eating or chewing on inedible objects, like plastic or cardboard. If your cat is chewing on or eating unusual things, it may be a sign of dental or gastrointestinal disease. [2] X Research source Dementia could be causing your cat to cry at night. [3] X Research source Medical issues should be ruled out before behavioral issues are considered.
Your cat may be acting out if she’s bored. [5] X Research source If your cat does not have enough toys to play with or doesn’t get the attention she wants from you, she may find other things to do out of boredom, like tearing up toilet paper. Keep in mind that she probably does not realize that the behavior is wrong; she’s simply doing something to keep her busy. Your cat may misbehave if she hasn’t been properly trained. [6] X Research source Although cats are typically very smart, they still need to be trained to do the right thing. If she has not been trained, she will not know what’s right and what’s wrong and will essentially do as she pleases. Cat aggression usually comes from a place of feeling stressed or anxious, being new to the household, or having an illness. [7] X Expert Source Rita ReimersCat Behaviorist Expert Interview. 22 June 2021.
Make sure you are providing your cat with an interesting, enriching environment. Puzzle feeders, scratch posts, toys, climbing towers, and engaging in active play every day are all ways your cat can redirect the behavior.
Although you may think that spraying water on your cat will deter her from the bad behavior, she is actually learning to perform that behavior when you are not around. [13] X Research source Jessica Char. Cat & Dog Behaviorist. Use of the spray bottle can also make her fearful and wary of you. [14] X Research source Also, your cat will start to associate you with the water bottle, which will make her afraid of you. [15] X Expert Source Rita ReimersCat Behaviorist Expert Interview. 22 June 2021. Rubbing your cat’s nose in her urine if she goes outside of her litterbox is an ineffective disciplinary method. It actually reminds her of a good spot to go to the bathroom. Scruffing should not be used as punishment. It can be a method to disrupt bad behavior, but is not an effective method to punish your cat. [16] X Research source
In addition to playing with her more, you can also try giving her massages. [19] X Research source
Making aspects of her environment undesirable when you are not around is called ‘environmental punishment. ’[21] X Trustworthy Source American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Leading organization dedicated to the prevention of animal cruelty Go to source If your cat likes to jump on the countertops or table, try balancing a cookie sheet or baking sheet on the edge of those surfaces. When she jumps up, the baking or cookie sheet will fall to the floor and make a loud noise. She won’t like the loud noise, and landing on an uneven surface will throw off her balance. Eventually, she will learn not to jump up where she’s not supposed to. [22] X Trustworthy Source American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Leading organization dedicated to the prevention of animal cruelty Go to source If your cat keeps on eating your plants or urinating in the soil, make the plant undesirable by spraying bitter apple or bitter orange on the plant leaves. You can also cover the dirt with aluminum foil or gravel. Commercially available deterrent devices can also make bad behavior undesirable. Examples of these devices include upside-down mousetraps that spring into the air when touched and motion-activated devices that spray a blast of compressed air. These devices are available at your local pet store and are useful to keep your cat from going into areas where she is not allowed. [23] X Research source Cats are social and like to spend time with you. If your cat is being aggressive, you could put her in a separate room and give her time to cool off. [24] X Expert Source Rita ReimersCat Behaviorist Expert Interview. 22 June 2021.
