Dev Rev 2008;28(1):78-106. First, you should try to increase the exercise your cat gets. We understand cats and why they sometimes misbehave. How to Get Over Rehoming Guilt? This in itself can be inhumane because a shelter is a refuge, not a home. How to correct cat behavior problems. Medical issues, like urinary tract infections, can manifest themselves in scratching or marking, too. If you are having a behavioral problem, please consider behavior modification. If you cannot feel your pet's ribs without pressing, there is probably too much fat. That same study showed that cat allergy among humans is second only to house dust mites.
Cats are demanding, but they don't need to walk 2/3 times a day like dogs do (some cats like walking on harnesses, but that's a topic for another day). In this article, I focus on the factors that may influence owners' decisions to rehabilitate or euthanize pets with behavior problems, with an emphasis on pets with aggression or anxiety disorders. Rehoming Cats - How and When to Rehome a Cat with Bad Behavior –. It sounds like you're making a horribly difficult decision so they can be happy. "There are times when it's OK to find a good, new home for your cat, " she says.
A majority of our cats are in foster homes, some reside in our habits with partner pet stores. Set up a consultation with Class Act Cats or your veterinarian to go over your specific situation. Also, make sure they have plenty of toys to keep them active throughout the day, and try to engage in play with them, so they will be ready for a nap at night. How to fix behavior problems in cats. Some rescues allow owners to foster their pet until they find a home.
For example, a house-trained pet may begin urinating in the house due to a urinary tract infection that a veterinarian can diagnose and easily treat. The owner becomes bored with the cat. Cats who have been rehomed may miss their previous families. Sharing information about your kitty on Facebook can help reach a larger group of people. The coarse texture of the litter is painful for their sensitive paws post-surgery. Rehoming a cat with behavior problems without. Surrendering your pet to a shelter. Thankfully, like dogs, there are ways to both prevent and work on aggression in cats. Maybe you overfeed your kitty.
List any training your dog or cat has had: house-, crate-, and/or obedience training. How much time was the client able to spend on the training exercises? CRAN's priority is taking in cats who have no one else to help. In many cases that may make the most sense.
They'll be living in a completely foreign place, and that will take a while to get used to. DiGiacomo et al (1998). To find out if your cat is too fat, the ASPCA says you should be able to feel the backbone and palpate the ribs of a healthy-weight animal. Hiring a cat behaviorist to help you train your cat to use the litterbox and reduce their environmental anxiety will likely correct those behaviors and is cheaper and easier than it seems. The animal's physiologic status, and the behavior of the victim (did the victim pull away and, thus, inadvertently increase the severity of the injury? Need to find your pet a new home. Despite this, it is always best to be honest – you don't want people to find out about problems after the fact. Appl Anim Behav Sci 1999;62(4):335-349. If a cat is in pain, she can become agitated and act out aggressively. ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS. The recommended process is as follows: - Invite your friend/relative over several times so that they get to know each other.
Sometimes warring factions exist in the home with regard to how the animal and the problem should be handled. Owners of pets with behavior problems have four possible solutions: 1. Cats actually scratch to not only keep their nails nice and groomed, but to burn off energy, mark their territory and play. Phone: (541)689-1503 ext. Post your pet's photo and story and ask your friends to share it on their social streams. Common Cat Behavior Issues. Hopefully by the end you'll see that sometimes finding your cat a new home is the loving thing to do. It also can be miserable for the cats involved.
Am Coll Vet Behaviorists/Am Vet Soc Anim Behav, 2009;11-15. The owner must be able to control the environmental impact. Relationship between aggressive and avoidance behaviour by dogs and their experience in the first six months of life. In time, you and your cat will figure out what the other likes and be able to live in perfect harmony. Serious behavioral disorders in very young animals often indicate congenital or genetic contributions and may indicate a poorer prognosis in some situations. The animal no longer being able to breed. Further, shelters should not adopt out animals with a history of aggression. People who acquire animals for free are more likely to acquire animals on impulse.
Will all the above be true for the next 15 or 20 years? It is a fallacy that once an animal bites, it will always bite again. Cats are placed in foster homes and then adoption sites at PetSmart, Petco or Wags! Also remember, like dogs, bored cats are going to do more damage. It may seem like the only way out. I want to start out by setting a few things out there so there isn't any confusion: - The point of this blog is not to say that I encourage people to rehome their cats. There may be space limitations. Cats are "very, very sensitive, " Moore says, so the slightest change might be enough to fix behavior problems. Preferred type of litter box. You can also ask your veterinarian.