Cat Behavior 101: Lesson 7: Attention Seeking Behavior

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Cat Behavior 101 Lesson 7: Attention Seeking Behavior From Franny Syufy, your Guide to Cats Cats will often practice attention-seeking behavior, such as loud meowing, or scratching on doors to be let in (or out.) Such behavior may be both annoying and puzzling to humans, as sometimes it isn't clear exactly what the cat is asking for. Attention-Seeking Behavior An Over-View Sometimes what may seem to be a "behavior problem" may be completely normal behavior in a given cat. Weigh all the factors before deciding that your cat has a problem that needs correcting. Readers may be surprised at some of the activities that are related to or mistaken for attention-seeking behavior. Learn more about the basics of attention-seeking behavior with this article by Franny Syufy. Ask Amy: Cat Wake Up Call Susan B. says, "I adopted a female cat two years ago and she is approximately 2-1/2 years old. I leave my bedroom door closed at night and Amore frequently sits outside my door meowing and scratching at the door and the rug. In the morning she meows when I guess she awakens. That's normally long before I wish to receive a meow wake-up. Is there any way to retrain Amore from this behavior? Amy's reply contains some surprising, but useful advice. Ask Amy: How Can I Stop Cat's Constant Meowing? Irina and Mark love their kitty, but her escalating loud meowing is becoming hard to handle. Their efforts to train her seem to just exacerbate her meowing, so that now it's not just in the morning, but most of the day. Read Amy's advice, which suggests a form of "tough kitty love." Ask Amy - Meowing Cats "My cat is 17. She is deaf, hyperthyroid, has chronic kidney failure and arthritis in one knee. Despite all of this she's in pretty good shape, but she has a habit of staring into space and yowling and crying loudly just before she lies down to go to sleep. If you walk in on her when she's doing this, or if she senses movement, she'll immediately stop." This problem is likely caused by the deafness, and Amy offers a solution to give this old girl the comfort she needs. Top Ways to Avoid Cat-Related Sleep Deprivation Does your cat constantly wake you at night by either playing on the bed, waking you to be fed, or wanting cuddle time when all you want is sleep? Many people with sleeping disorders have problems going back to sleep after being awakened by a cat. There is no need to suffer from cat-related sleep deprivation. Try one or more of these suggestions by Franny Syufy to get a full night's sleep, and still give your cat the attention he needs. Ask Amy: Pica - Chewing Plastic Doris and Dave's cat Toby loves to chew on plastic bags. "The vet had not seen that before," says Doris. Although Pica isn't really an attention-seeking habit, I mention it here, because it certainly does get our attention. Read Amy's response to this fairly common question. Cat Scratching as Communication It may come as a surprise that cats would use illegal scratching as a means of gaining your attention. However, even cats who are well-trained to use their scratching post, may, indeed, scratch the walls or carpet instead. C.H.U., Guest Author explains the details. This email is written by: Franny Syufy Cats Guide Email Me | My Blog | My Forum   Missing a lesson? Click here. About U. is our collection of free online courses designed to help you learn a new skill, solve a problem, get something done, or just learn more about your world. Sign up now, and we will email you lessons on a daily or weekly basis. You are receiving this email because you subscribed to the About.com 'Cat Behavior 101' email. If you wish to unsubscribe, please click here. About respects your privacy: Our Privacy Policy Contact Information: 249 West 17th Street New York, NY, 10011 © 2010 About.com   Advertisement