We love our cats. They enrich our lives, make us smile, and even offer up a good cuddle every now and then. But let’s admit it—some of the most infamous cat behaviors are the ones we don’t love, like scratching furniture, spraying, and getting on counters. Is there any way to deter these and get back to the cat behaviors we do love?
Luckily, the answer is yes. It may take some work and focus, but it can be done. The main things for you to do are to reinforce good behavior, deter unwanted behavior, and never use physical or verbal abuse or force.
Scratching Furniture
What can you do to stop your cat from scratching on your new sofa? Better yet, how can you prevent your cat from ever starting? First, we must remember that scratching is a natural behavior of cats, so make sure you’re providing ample appropriate scratch items, like scratching posts or cat trees. It’s important to place these close to the object you don’t want them to scratch for the most effective redirection. If you have multiple cats, have multiple scratching posts. Another idea is to cover your sofa with a very tight-fitting sheet. Your cats won’t enjoy scratching on this and will head to the nearby scratching post.
Getting on Countertops
No one wants their cat walking across food prep areas during a dinner party or getting into food items they shouldn’t be. Remember, cats like to be up high, so the counters provide a great space for them. In order to redirect this behavior, have plenty of other high places for them to go, like your cat tree, a secure book shelf, or another safe, high spot for your cat. Again, even though it may seem counterintuitive, the closer it is to the counters, the less likely your cat will be tempted to cruise the countertops. They’ll have a more desirable place to be.
Spraying and Marking
Intact males spray to show potential mates their availability and, because cats are territorial creatures, they often want to mark their favorite spots. Again, this is a natural behavior, but that doesn’t make it a desirable one. To deter this behavior, neutering your male cat is a great solution that we recommend for a number of reasons. But if your cat is marking to declare territory, you’ll have to turn to other interventions. Make sure to have specific food and water areas as well as separate litter boxes for each cat. If your cat does mark by spraying, it’s crucial to clean up thoroughly. If not, your cat may be tempted to remark the area time and time again.
Some behaviors like spraying or biting may be due to underlying medical conditions. If you’ve tried deterrents and redirection to no avail, have your vet take a look to make sure no medical conditions are causing these behaviors.
Most unwanted behaviors can be remedied. It may not happen overnight, so be patient and remember that your cat is an animal with instincts and specific innate behaviors. Please do not use negative consequences or physical or verbal force or abuse. With patience and consistency, those unwanted behaviors will be a thing of the past.