However much you love your cat, human-feline relationships are sometimes tricky. When your cat has a behavior issue, it is hard for the people in the home and is often a sign that something is not quite right in the cat’s life, whether medical, environmental, or something else.

Common behavior issues in cats include toileting in places we don’t approve of, scratching (again in places we don’t approve of), not getting on with other pets, and aggressive behavior (such as biting when petted). If your cat has a behavior issue, here are some steps to take to resolve it.

Make an appointment to see your veterinarian if you notice a sudden change in your cat’s behavior. Medical issues can contribute to or even cause behavior issues. Your vet will run any necessary tests to check for medical issues (such as an infection that might be linked to toileting outside the box).

Pain is associated with a number of behavior changes in cats. For example, suppose a cat has joint pain due to arthritis. In that case, it’s easy to understand that stepping over the edge of a litter box to get into it may be painful or difficult, which might mean they learn to associate the box with pain and start toileting elsewhere. Other signs of pain in cats include not jumping to high-up places like they used to, changing their routine or interactions with you, sleeping more, and claws becoming too long (Ray et al. 2021).

If your cat is a senior, don’t........

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