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>> Litter box behaviour, Spraying and Scratching
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Litter box behaviour, Spraying and Scratching
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Litter Box behaviour:
If your cat's litter habits change, be sure to have
it examined by a veterinarian to first rule out any medical problems.
Once you have ruled out a medical condition, make sure that it's not the
litter box itself that is dissuading your cat. Is it clean? Is there
something about the location that your cat doesn't like? If none of
these seems to be the problem, consider the following factors: Are there
any new people or pets in the house? Is there a new cat in the neighbourhood
or construction nearby? Once your cat has adapted to the
change, it should revert back to normal litter habits.
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Spraying:
In addition to urinating out of physiological
necessity, many cats use their urine to mark their territory. This behaviour
is called urine spraying. Instead of squatting and urinating in
a big puddle, the cat will raise his tail and squirt the urine backwards
towards the object that it is trying to mark. Both males and females
spray urine although the behaviour is much more common in tomcats. The
easiest form of treatment is to castrate the cat. In 90% of all tomcats
this procedure is effective.
As a rule, cats will only start to exhibit this type of behaviour when
they feel their territory is threatened, such as bringing a newcomer
onto the scene. Some indoor cats may feel threatened if an outdoor cat
starts making himself present at the window. In this case you can and
should intervene by trying to encourage the outdoor cat to find some
other type of hangout. Mothballs can be placed outside your door as a
form of deterrent, but use caution when handling these because they can
be harmful if eaten (children and puppies may not know any better).
Consult with your veterinarian about possible health problems which may
be causing this behaviour. Veterinarians have had success treating cats
with drug therapy to help reduce their anxiety.
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Scratching:
Scratching is a biological necessity for your cat. So you can't really
punish her for clawing the furniture, unless you have provided her with
an alternative like a scratching post. If your cat has already scratched
something, cover it with plastic and she will likely turn to the post
instead. When you catch your cat scratching furniture, try squirting her
with a water pistol or squirt bottle and use a firm "no." When
she scratches her scratching post, reward her with praise.
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Articles and graphics courtesy of "The Cat Furniture Depot"
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