Many mistakes that people make when dealing with the behavior of their cats is due to thinking that cats will react to training like dogs. Cats don't work that way. Dogs form social hierarchies that a person can take advantage of by placing themselves at the top. Cats tend to form social groups only by necessity and the arrangement is based on respecting territory, not by listening to the 'leader of the pack'. You can train your cat not to perform inappropriate behavior by teaching your cat to perform some other behavior alternative to the inappropriate behavior. Another thing to remember... never hit a cat or use any sort of physical punishment. You will only be teaching your cat to fear you, and that won't help you accomplish your training goals. Essentially, you do not so much teach your cat as bribe him. -- Lynn Hollyn If you feel the need to call your cat's attention to inappropriate behavior, noise usually does the trick. Cats hate to
be surprised, and you can clap or hiss or make other sudden noises
to help stop unwanted behavior. I do not recommend using water as a punishment, as this will associate grooming with bad behavior and cause unnecessary
stress for your cat (and groomer). Be aware that most noise tactics (except perhaps the empty soda cans I sometimes keep on the kitchen counter to surprise my cat if he tries to jump up there while we are out) will not
work when you are not present. And always keep in mind -- timing is very important. If your noise-making after your cat does something inappropriate is even a few seconds too late, it may prove to be ineffective. You must do it as soon as your cat begins
the unwanted behavior. Dogs come when they're called. Cats take a message and get back to you later. -- Mary Bly |
Scratching: Scratching is a totally natural thing for cats. They scratch to condition and shorten their claws, stretch, and mark their territory. Cats that spend time outdoors find their preferred scratching areas outside on a tree. Indoor cats need to find something to scratch... and if a substitute for the tree is not available, that choice will most likely be your furniture.  If your cat has been scratching in a certain location, place the a scratching post there, to start (later, you can move it to another location nearby). Posts come in many forms -- upright, at an angle, door-mounted, etc... and are made of many types of material -- such as tightly woven cloth, hessian, and sisal. There are also larger structures with springy toys and multilevel hidey-holes . If your cat continues to prefer the sofa to the post or structure, set some aluminum foil onto that area of the sofa. The crinkling noise will keep them away, and give your cat more reason to use the post instead. And, if none of this works? People tend to ask about declawing. I feel that declawing is not an acceptable procedure unless the only alternative is euthanasia. Declawing involves the surgical removal of the front feet claws by amputating the last section of bone at the end of the feet. Picture chopping off the first joint on all of your fingers... this can traumatize your cat, and even be disfiguring. Fortunately, there are better options now -- such as Soft Claws (nail caps for your cats nails). And, of course, clipping the nails is the cheapest choice... and clipping nails gets easier over time, even with the most difficult of cats.  Soft Claws Nail Caps |
Litter-boxes: If your cat isn't using the litter-box, there are many possible causes. First, you need to determine if the problem is medical... so, a visit to your veterinarian is in order. Of course, there are some things you should try to observe about your cat before the appointment. Such as, if you notice that your cat is urinating or defecating more frequently, then an illness could be the cause. You may notice some changes in what you find while cleaning the box. If there are any traces of blood in the urine or feces, then medical assistance should be sought immediately. You should also look for any increase in thirst and if your cat strains while using the box. It's always important to have this sort of issue checked out right away. Cats can break their litter-box habits if they have a dislike to the location of the box or to the type of box used. They can also be picky about the type of litter used or if the box is not clean. We all have our bathroom habits, and cats are no different in this matter. It is important that you clean up your cat's box properly and frequently. Another thing to keep in mind is that a cat often smells it's own scent (unpleasant as it may be to you) in the litter-box, which triggers that 'hey, this is where I go to the bathroom' memory. So, it's important that when you clean the box... that you leave no smell behind - not even that of your cleansers. The best method is to use an enzymatic cleaner, which you can pick up at pet stores. As for the cat who doesn't like certain litter material (or even certain boxes), you may need to test out more than one box for a while. See what the cat prefers, and use that choice, eventually eliminating the other box. The same thing with location. You can try to move the box and see if that helps the situation. Also, keep in mind that cats do not like to have the box near where they eat... just like we (well, most of us, anyway) don't have our dinner while on the toilet. Which brings me to another trick, if your cat has been going somewhere other than the litter-box. You can try changing the cat's perception of the soiled areas by feeding it in that spot and leaving its drinking bowls there too. This will mark the area as a feeding area and not as a place to go potty. I've had this work with one of my own cats. One more thing... handling a these kinds of problems with cats can be difficult. Seek advice from your veterinarian if you are having no success. Good luck! 
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