Cats can seem like mysterious little creatures sometimes, hard to predict, and often simply doing their own thing.
When there’s a behavioral issue with your cat, whether it’s that they’re having accidents outside the litter box, they’re suddenly turning their nose up at the best cat food, or they’re scratching or biting you, it might seem as though it’s come out of nowhere. What can you do to tackle the problem?
Saba Sayyed, known as A Cat Behaviorist on Instagram, has outlined in a new post the one thing that she thinks cat parents need to know, so let’s take a look.
“Nine times out of 10? The issue didn’t start with the behavior,” she explains. “It started way earlier. The biggest mistake most cat parents make is this: They wait until something goes wrong to start learning about cat behavior.
“But by then, the problem has already escalated and their cat is anxious, confused, and suffering.”
The one thing she wants every cat parent to know is that it’s best to get educated before the behavior breaks down. In other words, “Be proactive, not reactive.”
Doing so, according to Sayyed, can prevent months or even years of stress for both feline and human, as well as anxiety in cats.
Remember, too, that positive reinforcement is always vital when you’re trying to address or change your cat’s behavior. We often associate training with dogs, but you can train cats too – try these tips for training your cat.
Just as you might use rewards like treats when training dogs, you can use them with cats – treats and praise are both great options – when your cat gives you the behavior you’re after. This encourages them to repeat those behaviors, meaning that you’re likely to see less of the undesirable behavior in the longer term.
You can also encourage your cats to display desirable behavior by modeling it. Take play, for example. If your cat likes to bite and scratch during play and you’d like to put a stop to cat play aggression, it’s important not to play rough with them and avoid using your fingers during play. Keep them for petting only.
Read next: How to discipline a cat and encourage good behavior, according to a vet
