Understanding more about your cat's basic nature will often help you solve cat behavior problems. Domestic cats are descendants of wild relatives and therefore many instinctive traits carry over as part of their nature. This can become quite frustrating when you are trying to raise a well-behaved domestic cat!
Consider that cats are hunters by nature. In the wild, most of the smaller cat species subside on hunting small rodents. They are typically solitary, nocturnal animals that catch their own food to feed only themselves. Therefore, stalking and pouncing on small prey is a common behavior of cats in the wild.
Stalking and pouncing on your furniture is one of the many downsides of a domestic cats natural behavior! Your cat may be sharpening his claws, "hunting" a small thread, or marking his territory on your sofa. To solve this behavior problem, you can start by providing your cat with a designated scratch post.
Often times your cat will still prefer to use the sofa instead of the scratch post. There are many things you should try in order to direct your cat's predatory behavior away from your furniture. First, try using a towel or blanket to cover the piece of furniture they are attacking. If they are still going after your furniture, make a loud noise by shaking an aluminum can full of coins.
You can also try putting your cat in an area of the house where there is no furniture that they like to scratch. Put your scratch post in this area where it can be the only choice for scratching. Keep this up for several days if necessary. When it's time for your cat to come back to the rest of the house, put the scratch post near or in front of the piece of furniture that he scratches.
From time to time, your cat will likely revert back to scratching your piece of furniture. You will want to continue disciplining your cat with the noisy aluminum can or one of several other methods. Air Cans and water bottles can be used to create a condition your cat will want to avoid. Air cans make a disturbing noise, and cats hate to be sprayed by water. To be effective, you need to catch your cat in the act of scratching.
When your cat uses the scratch post, offer them rewards such as praise, treats, or brushing. When your cat uses the furniture, use your disciplinary methods. Positive and negative reinforcement are a major key to changing problem cat behavior. You must however, use behavior reinforcement by catching your cat in the act.
Remember that many cat behavior problems are the result of a cat's instinctive nature. Although you can't change a cat's nature, you can often change their behavior problems. If you implement the correct strategies, your wild cat will be well on the way to becoming a model catizen!
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