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Analysis Of Cat Behavior
The most important thing to remember in analyzing the behavior of
your cat is that your pet is not a human. Cats are not rational beings
and their actions are not based on emotion. Changes in his behavior are
not stemmed from any repressed anger with you; your cat is not trying
to get revenge on you for being away from home too much or bringing a
new baby into the house.
Negative changes in cat behavior are typically cause by stress
or anxiety for the cat. It is easy to see why pet owners tend to
conclude that the cat's feelings toward them are causing the behavioral
differences; it is human nature to correlate two unrelated events. In
reality, there is a missing link: your behavior may cause the cat
physical anxiety, thus the cat's behavior alteration is based on
physiological changes in his body.
One common complaint among cat owners is that their cat has
suddenly chosen a new favorite place to deposit wastes instead of his
litter box. This could be a result of a few factors. First, it may be a
medical problem. Cats are prone to urinary track infections that make
it extremely painful to urinate. Cats then associate the pain of
urination with the litter box, so they do not like to visit their
designated urination station. If your cat has stopped using the litter
box, your first step should be to take him to the vet and have a
thorough check-up run on him. Cats also have natural preferences for
certain textures and smells, so if you have recently changed the type
of cat litter you use, the cat may be showing that he does not care for
the new feeling or smell of his litter. In avoiding the litter box, the
cat may have become attached to new textures and locations around your
household, perhaps the soft living room rug or bedroom closet. The best
strategy is not to punish the cat; he will not understand. Rather, have
a medical check up, switch litters, and continuously reintroduce the
cat to his litter box. Reward him for using it, just like he was a
kitten again.
To relieve any anxiety your cat may be feeling, carefully
analyze any changes that have occurred in his life as of late. If a new
baby or roommate comes into the house, your cat may feel threatened, so
be sure to give him extra attention. If you suddenly have to spend more
time away from home than normal, consider getting a second cat so that
your cat does not spend his days alone. Although the cat is not having
emotional reactions, his body feels different due to changes around
him.
Be in tune with what may be causing your cat to feel anxious,
analyze the situation, and do the loyal owner duty of relieving his
stress.
Tags: Cat Training and Behavior Cat Behavior Analysis Of Cat Behavior cat owners litter box |
