Welcome to Cat Tips

The Goofiness of Cats

Cats can be pretty funny creatures, but there is a method to the madness. First of all, cats sleep for the majority of the day (sometimes close to 20 hours) so, for the few hours that they are awake they have A LOT of excess energy to burn. Which is why, when you are sound asleep at 3:00am, your cat may suddenly decide it needs to run laps around your house at mach 10, stop suddenly and pretend like nothing happened, and then do the same thing again, but this time counter-clockwise. It is also why cats engage in a number of odd behaviors during the day. Another reason that cat's act "strange" is that they are practicing their predatory skills. An activity that may look very odd to you (like jumping from the floor to a 4ft high banister, stopping on a dime and then sitting there for a minute before jumping back down) may very well be your cat honing it's hunting and survival skills (this is also why they will make an obstacle course out of various parts of your house and run it a few times in a row before settling down to a nice cat nap). As to why cats sometimes knead, (when they look like they're running in place if they are de-clawed or when the pull at the carpet, a blanket or your tummy if they have claws) this is a vestige of when they were kittens and were still nursing. In order to get more milk from a mother cat kittens will knead the area around her teat while they are suckling. This helps the flow of milk to the teat and enables them to consume more. Once cats grow up they sometimes still do this just as a comfort activity, perhaps it reminds them of mom.

How does a cat show affection?

Despite the common misconception, cats are not showing affection when they rub against you with the back of their head and the rest of their body. It´s just cat instinct to mark you with their scent; they are actually claiming you as their territory.

The only time a cat is truly showing affection is when they bump you with the front part of their head, known as head bonks, a cat behavior also called "bunting". He might rub along your chin and nose, engaging in the bunting behavior that began as a kitten when he´d rub around his mother´s head seeking to nurse. Some cats get so carried away that they even drool.

The next time your cat jumps onto the bed and seems to butt you in the face with the top of his head, don´t get irritated, realize the loving compliment your kitty just paid you.

Declawed Cat Bites, Behaves Aggressively

Unfortunately, declawed cats often behave aggressively. It's possible that they feel defenseless and resort to biting as a means of communication. According to veterinarian David Hammett, "A declawed cat frequently
resorts to biting when confronted with even minor threats. Biting
becomes an overcompensation for the insecurity of having no claws."

You may or may not be able to train your cat to bite less. First, she must feel as comfortable as possible - she's biting because she feels threatened. Second, you introduce something that makes her uncomfortable ONLY when she misbehaves. At the exact moment that she tries to bite, use a spray bottle to mist her (do not spray directly in her eyes). Alternatively, you can shake a can with a few coins in it or make another startling noise. Third, if she is biting when she interacts with you, and it is pleasurable for her (such as petting or playing), stop interacting with her immediately. These tactics will require a lot of patience and may never completely stop the biting behavior.

For future cats, please consider alternatives to declawing. There are many scratching posts available and it is easier to train a cat to use one than to teach a cat not to bite. You can also cut the claws or apply "Soft Paws" or another claw covering as needed to protect your furnishings.

Keeping Kitty off the Kitchen Counter

In all of my years with cats, ONLY the cats who regarded the counter tops as ´uninteresting´ would stay off of them. If you react when the cat jumps on the counter, they will learn to do that to get your attention. It´s best to make them realize there is nothing up there they want to see. When you are preparing food, or cooking in the kitchen, allow you new cat to see what you are doing. Either place a chair nearby so their eyes are at counter top level, or just lift the cat up to see there is nothing they are interested in. If you are cooking something they like, throw tiny tidbits or kitty treats on the chair for them. This will teach them to stay on the chair to get what they want, and it will keep them out from under your feet.
However, there are those cats who are willful and must be trained to not jump on the counters. For those cats, you can use one of those motion activated holiday decorations that make a noise and move around. We had a Jack O Lantern that would jump around and moan and groan with flashing eyes. That would startle Kitty into not wanting to go up there. Your goal is to associate jumping on the counter with something unpleasant, so add the Spray Bottle technique to this.
DON´T YELL AT KITTY OR SPANK HIM; that will only cause other more serious behavior problems.
When training a cat, you must remember that they are very curious. By short stepping that curiosity, you can easily train your pet to stay off the counters.

Mouse toys

The best cheap kitty toys (other than homemade ones) are rabbit fur mice. I have yet to meet a cat that didn´t just love a rabbit fur mouse.
Along those lines, you can give your cat a scrap of tanned, processed animal hide/fur to play with. I stress that it should be processed to prevent any bacterial infection from the ´raw´ hide.
Sanitized bird/peacock feathers are also a favorite.

Limit Your Reaction

Cats have a distinct motivation for all that they do; when you understand the ´why´ of your cat´s actions, you can adjust your reaction.
When your new Kitty jumps up somewhere she is not supposed to be, don´t yell at her. Gently pick her up and put her down on the ground. If she continues to jump up onto the no-no area, look for the reason why she is doing it, then eliminate the reason.
Don´t yell at her, that is critical. Just put her down on the floor each time she jumps up on the no-no area. If you react in a loud/obvious manner to Kitty when she jumps up on counters, she will learn to do this to get your attention.

A Mournful Cry

A cat is looking for companionship or attention when she gives a series of short mournful cries... ones that will tear at your heart strings. This is one of the more obvious cries for humans to understand.
Another reason your cat may be meowing is because he isn´t sufficiently stimulated. Make sure you´re engaging in daily interactive sessions.
Live with a cat for a while, and you come to understand the specific meanings of your pet´s various meows, which in broader terms usually mean, "Hey, I want something."

Time Out for Kitty

To stop Kitty`s bad behaviour in the house, start by picking Kitty up and confining him for 15 minutes. This could be in the bathroom, a closet, or even outside. When Kitty returns, if the bad behaviour continues, confine Kitty in his Time Out place 30 minutes.
It is the consistency and duration that will change Kitty`s heart in doing bad things while in the house.
Follow this with Postive Reinforcement for Good Behaviors such as treats, kind words and affection.

Kitty Bites Me While Petting Her

Some cat owners are familiar with this cat behavior problem: you´re petting Kitty, she seems to like it because she is purring and suddenly, CHOMP! Her teeth are lodged in the flesh of your hand.

The general consensus on this problem is that the cat becomes over stimulated during petting, and can´t quite figure out how to tell you to stop. The best thing to do is DON´T PANIC. Slowly withdraw your hand, then move away from the cat. If the cat is in your lap, pull your hands away and allow it to retreat, or stand up and let the cat jump to the floor.

Learn how to recognize the signals that precede biting: wildly flicking tail, ears laid back, their pupils dilating, or their body tensing. When any of these are noticed, stop touching the animal and allow it to move away on its own.

When training a new pet, start with short time periods of petting then slowly increase the length of time. Always back away slowly when the cat shows signs of frustration.

Then there are some cats that prefer other methods of human interaction besides petting; for those animals try playing with them more and petting them less.

Cardboard boxes

Empty cardboard boxes are great for kitties. You can attach some of their toys to it, use them as kitty toy boxes, cut doors in them for a Hideout, or put multiple boxes together and build a BIG Kitty Condo.

When to NOT use Corrective Measures

Never use Corrective Measures if you don´t actually catch Kitty in the act of misbehaving. Using a Corrective Measure after the fact will not stop the unwanted behavior, because Kitty doesn´t associate the Corrective Measure with the unwanted behavior problem. Kitty will just be confused & stressed out if corrected after the fact, and will just cause further cat behavior problems.

Modifying Chewing Behavior

I have often been told that when my cat chews on electrical wires, I should rub Bitter Apple or Tabasco sauce on the wires to stop him. I quickly discovered that he liked these treatments. As a last resort (and also to help "repair" the damaged wires), I wrapped the wires in black electrical tape; to my surprise, my cat soon stopped the unwanted behavior. Why? Well, it seems that he did not like the taste of the tape, or how the glue felt in his mouth. You can get black electrical tape anywhere (some stores even carry various colors), and it`s inexpensive. You don`t need to wrap every single centimeter of your wires; leaving a little space between wraps will give you the same result.

Growls and Screams

A cat is giving a defensive call when they ´growl;´ a quiet, low pitched, tone deep in the throat. They may or may not include a ´rumbling, rattling´ quality to the growl.
The cat ´scream,´ a high pitched, frantic call, is usually used when they are fighting, or a cry of intense pain.
These are the sounds that resemble a baby crying or children shouting and playing.

Cats find their own toys...

We love to spend that dollar or two to bring a new toy home for kitty. The colors and shapes just call our name and demand we take them home. However, most kitties have their own ideas what constitutes a great toy. Some of the toys my cats have found on their own include:
aluminum foil rolled up in a ball, a large paper shell pecan, plastic ring from a gallon milk jug, six inches of plastic beaded Christmas garland, an individual piece of plastic/artificial Christmas tree, styrofoam ball, packing peanuts, paper grocery sacks, children´s plastic bead bracelet, and (of all things)a starlight peppermint in it´s wrapper.

Kitty Nipping at Elbow and Feet

For no apparent reason, your Kitty walks up to you nips you. Of course you react with a loud ´OW!´
It is my experience that Kitty is trying to get your attention when she does this, and since you give such an obvious reaction, she will do it again and again.
To stop this, short step that ´nip´ by picking her up and giving her affection when you see her approaching. Everytime you see her, greet her and talk to her. Take every opportunity to convince your cat that she has your attention, either with a vocal greeting or physical affection or playing with a toy.

Controling Kitty´s Paws

To teach your kitty where she can & cannot put her paws, gently take a hold of her paw and remove it from the no-no area. Then put the paw where you want her to be. For instance, when my cats put their paws on the table during mealtime, I gently encompass the paw in my hand and put it back on their place mat in their chair. (See Keeping Kitty off the Table). Cats naturally don´t like their paws to be held, so this is a gentle means of teaching them. Be persistent, and consistent, and they will learn what you want.
This will work with scratching on furniture, also.

The Neurotically Clean Cat

Cats are incredibly clean animals. A healthy cat will groom as frequently as possible during the day no matter how clean its living area is. The reason for this is part of their predatory nature, cats clean themselves to remove any sc