How to Break a Cat's Bad Habits

Though cats have the reputation of being aloof, they actually want your love and attention--your cat's bad habits may be a way of trying to get it. With this in mind, you will be able to replace your cat's bad habits with good ones!

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Visit a vet. Some bad habits, such as litter box or noise problems, may be caused by a health issue. Take your cat to a vet to rule out medical conditions.

2. Use positive reinforcement. When your cat is behaving well, give her a reward that she will enjoy. Play with her, pet her or give her catnip or a small treat. She has to know what behavior you expect to stop her bad habits.

3. Determine why your cat engages in bad habits. He may be trying to tell you something. Before correcting your cat's bad habit, see if he's trying to tell you about one of yours!

4. Avoid your cat when she is using inappropriate ways to get your attention. If you yell at your cat when she's sharpening his claws on the couch, you may actually be reinforcing her bad habit. Some cats—like people—believe that negative attention is better than none.

5. Punish gently. Never strike, shake or throw your cat. This will create a frightened and neurotic cat rather than a well-behaved one. Instead, use firm voice commands, light taps on the nose and a trusty squirt bottle to punish.

6. Change the environment. Try shock pads, aluminum foil, double-sided tape and sound alarms to keep cats away from certain areas. Make sure your house—and your cat's litter box—is absolutely clean. Use a cleaner specifically for pet odors anywhere cats have urinated; they can smell the urine even if you can't.

Tips & Warnings

• Be consistent. Your cat will not understand what you expect from him if you aren't absolutely consistent in your approach.
• Give your cat your love. Though they are known as independent creatures, cats want to know that their owners love them, just like every creature does. They're more likely to behave well for someone they love!
• If your cat has problems using the litter box consistently, try a different size or shape, or try a litter with a different texture. Sometimes this can correct the problem.

Resources

• Learn more about training your cat at Perfect Paws.
• Learn to understand your cat better at Pet Education.

[BennyDupre]

on 10/27/2008 i keep my cat's litter box clean, twice daily i scoop. one cat never has an "accident" the other, a siamese, poops on the side of the litter box or the bathroom rug. now this week he has urinated twice on my bed. what's the deal here? can someone give me some helpful advice before i lose my mind. he's gorgeous and loved on all the time. they sleep with me and get a lot of attention,snacks, etc... i just dont understand why he's doing this. if i leave my clothes on the sofa, sweatshirts or coverlets, he pee's on them!! im at my wits end. please help me.

[annebs]

on 10/17/2008 I have a similar problem. My cat likes to poop in the sink and bath tub???? Any advice?

[sybnann]

on 5/8/2008 I smelled cat feces and cleaned the litter box again, but it was also in my room. I started looking and there was a line of feces on the carpet behind the head of my bed! How can I break her of such behavior?