Got an issue with your feline friend?

There’s a good chance you’re part of the problem.

Cat behaviourist and author of The Cat Whisperer, Mieshelle Nagelschneider, reveals seven of the most common mistakes cat owners make—and how to fix them.

1. Treating cats as if they’re dogs.

According to cat behaviourist and author of The Cat Whisperer, Mieshelle Nagelschneider, “cats are a little bit more wild—they’re not fully domesticated, and still have many of their wild cat instincts.”

These instincts help explain some of the more curious behaviours exhibited by housecats, including perching high (a means of keeping an eye on potential predators) and fussily refusing to drink day-old water (they’re hard-wired to be wary of bacteria).

2. One cat needs two litter boxes

It’s not just fresh water that felines tend to fuss over.

It turns out they also prefer having more than one litter box to choose from.

“In nature, cats like to separate their urination and defecation behaviours,” explains Nagelschneider.
“In the home, having just one box where there’s both urination and defecation can cause a cat to urinate outside of the box.”

3. Put litter boxes in different rooms

Nagelschneider stresses the importance of distributing litter boxes throughout the home.

“If you have five cats, but can only have three boxes, it’s essential that those three boxes are located in different areas around the house.

According to Nagelschneider, it goes back to a cat’s territorial instincts.

Competition over household litter boxes can cause lasting damage, even causing cats to unfriend each other over time.

4. Don't designate a "cat room"

According to Nagelschneider, scattering pet paraphernalia around the house more accurately reflects conditions in the wild, and creates what she calls a “land of plenty”—an atmosphere that reduces competition between cats.

She even recommends separating the food bowl from the water dish, as cats instinctively avoid water near dead prey, which in the wild would likely be contaminated with bacteria.

5. Cats don't like covered litter boxes

According to Nagelschneider, the complete opposite is true.

“In nature, cats don’t urinate in hollowed-out logs or behind bushes,” she says.

Instead, they’ll opt for a relatively exposed, open location that affords them a good view of potential predators.

“They always need to have a good escape route handy,” she says.

6. Scoop cat litter daily

One of the strongest instincts cats posses is the need to bury their own waste; a habit that effectively throws predators off their scent.

Once indoors—and restricted to the use of a litter box—a housecat’s attempt at burying only does so much to mask the scent; hence the importance of regular scooping.

“Once a week simply isn’t enough,” says Nagelschneider.

You should be scooping daily, and replacing the litter completely every 30 days.

Fresh, clean litter is the best way to prevent messes outside the litter box, and that has consequences on a large scale.

“A third of all cats surrendered to shelters are there for litter box issues,” she says

7. Friendly house cats

In order for cats to live harmoniously under one roof, Nagelschneider says it’s important for them to recognize each other as family—regardless of whether or not they’re actually related.

“If you have a five-cat household, you’ll want each cat to have the scent of all five cats on them,” she says. “This shared scent is like a family’s last name.”

Spreading this group scent is as easy as brushing each cat in the household with the same brush a few times each day.

Not only does the process foster friendlier behaviour between cats, but it also encourages better sharing of litter boxes, as well. I hope you found this video informative. Please click the subscribe button below to subscribe to our channel. And click the bell to get notification when new videos are posted. Also, follow us on our social media links listed in the description section below. This presentation contains images that were used under a Creative Commons License. Click here to see the full list of images and attributions:[ Ссылка ]
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