Understanding Common Behaviour Issues in Domestic Cats

Sudden changes in elimination behaviour, aggression, or activity level can indicate underlying medical conditions. Before addressing behaviour problems in cats, a veterinary examination is recommended to rule out physical causes.

How domestic cat behaviour differs from dogs

Cats were domesticated more recently than dogs and retain a higher degree of independence in their social structure. They are not pack animals and their behaviour is less shaped by hierarchy than it is by territory, resource availability, and individual temperament. Approaches that work for dogs — repetitive obedience drills, social pressure — are less effective for cats and can produce avoidance or defensive aggression.

Effective behaviour modification for cats relies primarily on environmental management: adjusting the physical setup of the home so that desired behaviour becomes the easiest or most available option, and undesired behaviour becomes less accessible or less rewarding.

Inappropriate elimination

Litter box avoidance is one of the most common concerns reported by cat owners. The causes fall into several categories:

Medical: Urinary tract infections, bladder stones, feline idiopathic cystitis, and kidney disease can all produce changes in elimination frequency, location, or urgency. A veterinary examination is the starting point.
Box maintenance: Cats generally avoid boxes that are not scooped at least once daily. Covered boxes retain odour and may be rejected by some individuals. In multi-cat households, the standard recommendation is one box per cat plus one additional.
Box location: Boxes placed in high-traffic, noisy, or difficult-to-access areas may be avoided. Boxes placed too close to feeding areas are also commonly rejected.
Litter substrate preference: Individual cats vary in their substrate preferences. A trial of an unscented, clumping litter alongside the current litter — in separate boxes — can identify whether the litter itself is the issue.

Cats that eliminate outside the box on soft horizontal surfaces (beds, laundry) often have different causes than those that eliminate on hard vertical surfaces. The location and surface type provide useful diagnostic information when identifying the source of the problem.

Scratching furniture and surfaces

Scratching is a normal feline behaviour that serves several functions: maintaining claw condition, depositing scent markers from glands in the paw pads, and stretching the spine and shoulder muscles. Cats do not scratch furniture out of spite or to destroy possessions.

Redirecting scratching requires providing scratching surfaces that are more attractive than the furniture being targeted. Key variables include:

Orientation: Cats that scratch vertical surfaces (sofas, door frames) typically prefer tall vertical posts. Cats that scratch horizontal surfaces (rugs, carpet) tend to use flat or angled scratchers.
Stability: A scratching post that tips or wobbles during use is usually abandoned quickly. Posts should be secured to a heavy base or wall-mounted.
Placement: Posts placed in the cat's preferred areas — often near sleeping spots or in prominent locations — are used more consistently than posts placed in corners or unused rooms.
Material: Sisal rope is among the most widely accepted materials, though individual preferences vary. Cardboard scratchers are also commonly used.

Temporary physical barriers — double-sided tape, plastic furniture protectors — can deter continued scratching at a specific site while the cat shifts to the new scratching post. Removing the barriers gradually once the new post is established reduces the chance of relapse.

Inter-cat aggression

Aggression between cats living in the same household is most frequently related to resource competition or insufficient space. In a home without enough distinct territories — separate elevated resting areas, feeding stations, litter boxes — one cat may control access to all shared resources, producing persistent conflict.

Introductions between a new and resident cat are a common trigger. A structured multi-week introduction protocol — beginning with scent exchange before any visual contact and proceeding gradually to supervised shared access — reduces the likelihood of established aggression patterns. Rushing this process is the most common cause of persistent inter-cat conflict.

Play aggression toward people

Young cats with insufficient daily play outlets often direct predatory behaviour toward people — stalking legs, ambushing feet, or biting hands during petting. This is not aggression in the same sense as defensive or territorial biting; it reflects a play and predation drive that is not being adequately discharged.

The response is environmental: increasing structured play sessions using wand toys that keep hands and feet at a distance. Sessions of 10–15 minutes two to three times daily, followed by a food reward, simulate a hunt-catch-eat sequence that tends to reduce the motivation for ambush behaviour toward people.

Stress-related behaviour

Changes in routine — a new household member, construction noise, altered furniture layout — can produce visible stress indicators in cats: over-grooming, reduced appetite, hiding, increased vocalisation, or changes in litter box use. Identifying and where possible reducing the stressor, combined with predictable routine, are the primary responses. Environmental enrichment — food puzzles, window access, vertical space — reduces baseline stress in indoor cats.

Synthetic feline facial pheromone diffusers (commercially available in Canada) have been studied for their effects on stress-related behaviour in cats. The evidence base is mixed; effects vary between individuals and are generally more useful as a component of a broader management approach than as a standalone intervention.

Canadian context: indoor-only cats in winter

In many Canadian urban environments, cats are kept indoors year-round for safety and bylaw compliance. Long winter periods without outdoor access reduce the range of sensory experiences available to indoor cats. Window feeding stations for birds, indoor herb gardens that cats can interact with (using cat-safe plants), and rotating toy selection are commonly used strategies to maintain enrichment levels during months when outdoor access is limited.