![]() An agitated cat who feels unsafe at home is more likely to run away at the first opportunity to look for a new home. One of the few needs a cat has is to feel safe and secure in her home. Pulling on your cat’s tail (or letting your kids do so), blowing in her face, ruffling her fur while she’s sleeping, picking her up if she dislikes being handled, jiggling her in your arms-such antagonizing behavior confuses and agitates your cat. Popular games are catching feathers or toys at the end of wands, and chasing laser lights. When you leave, tune the radio to a classical music station (at low volume), place a comfortable cat perch by a window, and pack a food dispensing toy with a part of your cat’s meal. And at least a few times a week-if not every day-take time to play with your cat. Left alone for long periods of times, cats will get bored and maybe a little stir crazy. Make an appointment with your veterinarian if you ever think that your cat is in pain. Monitoring your cat’s well-being means being a pain detective so that you know something is ailing your cat, even if she can’t tell you directly. Cats are masters at hiding their discomfort, whether because an infected tooth makes eating difficult or a urinary tract infection makes litter box visits pure agony. Looking away when your cat repeatedly chews at a sore spot on her belly or furiously scratches at her ears. Anger does not teach your cat to “behave,” it simply teaches her to be afraid of you. ![]() Grabbing her and shoving her face in a mess will leave her petrified, and fear will often make a cat’s behavior worse rather than better. Yelling “bad cat,” throwing things, swatting, and scolding your cat when she misses the litter box or claws the sofa does tell your cat that you are unhappy, but she’ll have no idea why. A cat who hears shouting will flatten her ears, lower her head, and look for a place to hide, away from the sound and fury. Feline ears are extra sensitive to loud and especially high-pitched noises. The bonus is that it is not nearly as gross when done frequently. How often does a litter box need to be cleaned? Ideally, it should be done daily. Dirty litter boxes also make it much more likely for cats to use another part of the house as their toilet. Imagine leaving your own toilet unflushed all week long, and you’ll know how your cat feels. So you wait until the weekend for that dreaded chore of cleaning the cat litter box. Leaving the box filled with kitty’s waste because some new cat litter promises freshness for multiple days. Perhaps because felines lack the eager-to-please openness of their canine colleagues, humans overlook the big and small ways they can break a cat’s spirit. Are you guilty of any of these? Not Cleaning the Litter Box Famously independent, sometimes falsely assumed to be immune to feelings, cats are in truth super-sensitive to emotions, sound, and stress.
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