Cats 101 : Common Cat Problems
Channel: Kitten Life
Date: 10/01/2021

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In today's video, we are going to talk about Common Cat Problems.


We love our feline friends when they rub against our legs, knead our laps, or look us in the eye and purr. Yet sometimes we may not like everything about our four-footed friends. Not when they streak through the house at 3 a.m. or reject a perfectly clean litter box.

The good news is that just about every common cat problem can be managed with a little help.


Common Cat Problems and Their Solutions.


Litter box issues.

It can be extremely frustrating when your kitty decides that the litter box is off-limits. But there's usually a reason cats avoid their box, and fortunately, there's a lot you can do to address the issue.

Talk to your vet first. Bladder stones, urinary tract diseases, and crystals in the urine are all reasons your cat might start avoiding the litter box. To rule these and other health issues out, be sure to have your cat checked by your veterinarian.

Have at least one litter box per cat. If your kitty has to stand in line before they can relieve themselves, they may decide to take their bathroom break elsewhere. Try test-driving a few kinds of litter and litter boxes. Some cats prefer covered boxes, some don't, and some cats prefer one litter over another.

Always keep the litter box clean, even clumping litter has to be changed regularly. A rule of thumb. Clean the box at least once daily, twice if there's more than one cat in the house.


Scratching.

It may seem like kitty is scratching your couch and curtains to annoy you, but they are really doing it to work off energy, to play, to mark their territory, even to get rid of frayed bits of the claw. Scratching is easy to prevent, so you don't have to settle for raggedy furniture or stop kitty from expressing their natural behavior.

To prevent scratching damage, you need to buy one or more scratching posts for your cat, then dab a bit of catnip on the posts to entice your feline friend to use them. Trim your kitty's claws. It may seem daunting, but trimming is easier than you think. Get a quick tutorial from your veterinarian, who can probably do the deed in 10 seconds.

Turn your cat into a fashion plate with colorful claw caps, also called nail caps. These small, vinyl sleeves fit over the kitty's claws, preventing them from doing damage when they scratch.


Cat aggression.

A cat may become aggressive for all kinds of reasons, including illness, overcrowding, lack of socialization, maternal protection, even simple play. To help you deal with aggression between cats, discuss your cat’s aggression with your vet. Pain and sickness can put anyone in a bad mood, so you'll want to rule out any physical causes for the kitty's bad temper before you do anything else. 

Unfixed male cats are more prone to aggression than other cats, and it only takes one intact male to affect the behavior of all the other cats in your house. The solution is simple, spay, or neuter your feline friends.

If your furry household is often in a snit, it could be because there aren’t enough resources to go around. Keep the peace by making sure there are enough litter boxes, food and water bowls, toys, beds, and perches, then spread them through the house to reduce congestion.

You never want to hit an aggressive cat, it may just lead to more aggression, but you do need to stop a catfight in progress. Squirt the cats with water, make a loud noise, or toss something soft at them. Never try pulling fighting cats apart.
If you or your vet cannot figure out why the kitty is being antagonistic, talk to a veterinary behaviorist, who may be able to help you get to the source of your cat's aggression.


Too much nighttime activity.

Until their domestication cats were nocturnal by nature, so it's easy to see why too much nighttime action is a common complaint of many new pet parents. To help the kitty who doesn't understand that nighttime is for sleeping, not for playing with your nose, here's what you need to do.

Make sure your cat has no medical problems. An agitated, active feline could be one that's in pain, so talk to your vet if you think there might be something wrong.
If kitty is just rambunctious at night, you can help tire and relax them with a good play session before bedtime.

Make sure the kitty's environment is enriched so there is plenty to do during the day, making your cat more inclined to sleep at night. You might create a cat enclosure, offer your cat a variety of toys, mount bird or squirrel feeders near a window out which kitty can see, or leave out items for your cat to explore, such as boxes, bags, and packing paper.