Behavior problems in cats can be divided into 4 categories:
Unpleasant (to humans) behavior caused by a medical problem. An example of this would be the cat that urinates on the kitchen counter because she has a bladder infection.
Unpleasant (to humans) behavior caused by stress. An example of this would be the cat that urinates beside the dining room window because a tom cat terrorized him by spraying just outside while you were away at work.
Perfectly normal behavior that we don’t like. An example of this would be the cat that scratches your brand new couch.
Truly abnormal behavior – this is actually fairly uncommon when compared to the other categories. An example of this would be the cat that chews on its tail until it becomes so badly damaged that it requires amputation.
When presented with a behavioral issue, our first goal is to rule out a medical problem. If we treat a medical problem with behavioral modification, the kitty will continue to suffer discomfort and the behavior will not improve.
Whenever possible we use changes in environment (see link to the indoor cat initiative below) and behavioral modification techniques to deal with non-medical issues. This may mean advising a much larger litter box, changing your home so your cat can spend some safe time out of doors, or using a Scare Crow sprinkler to scare that tom cat away from the window. We will usually pair these changes with an anti-anxiety herbal remedy and/or Feliway.
In cases where our initial therapies are not successful or when the behavior is so objectionable that we need to progress more rapidly, we will prescribe one of a number of recommended behavior modification drugs. Which drug we choose depends on the behavior, your cat’s age and pre-existing medical conditions, and how difficult your cat is to medicate.
We also can refer you and your cat to a veterinary behaviorist board certified by the American College of Veterinary Behavior.
