Living with a cat is incredibly rewarding—but sometimes their behavior can leave us scratching our heads. Is your cat avoiding the litter box? Scratching the furniture? Hiding, fighting with another cat, or acting differently than usual?
You’re not alone, and many common cat behavior challenges can be addressed with the right information, understanding, and support.
Below are resources to help you better understand your cat’s behavior, learn practical solutions, and create a happier, healthier relationship with your feline companion. You’ll also find resources focused on common kitten behaviors and ways to help kittens grow into confident, well-adjusted cats.
Need help with a specific behavior problem? Free cat behavior counseling is available through the FREE National Cat Behavior Helpline to help families work through challenges and find solutions that can keep cats safely and happily in their homes—while also helping reduce the number of cats entering shelters and rescues.
To get started, email felinehelpline@gmail.com with your contact information and a brief blurb about the issue, like “cat not using the litterbox,” and await the response. Read the full article about the Behavior Helpline here.
Inappropriate Elimination Resources
– Is your cat not using the litter box? Cats stop using their litter boxes for a variety of reasons, so check out these detailed causes and solutions by Best Friends Animal Society.
– Litter box issues are one of the most common challenges in the cat community. Cats will suddenly start going outside the box for several, often mysterious reasons. If your cat stops using the box, here’s how The Two Crazy Cat Ladies get their cats to use it again!
General Resources
– Adopt-a-Pet general behavior and training for pets.
– Jackson Galaxy (Los Angeles, CA) offers a number of solutions for various behaviors, including shy cats, changes in litter box habits, stressed cats, helping multiple cats get along, and more.
– The Two Crazy Cat Ladies (Las Vegas, NV) offer solutions, Q&A sessions and partner with an amazing group of vets, behaviorists, communicators, and more. For short, easy tips, follow them on Instagram!
– Kelley Bollen, MS (Reno, NV) Certified Animal Behavior Consultant (CABC) and International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC).
– Pam Johnson-Bennet (TN) best-selling author and pioneer in feline behavior consulting, has multiple resources for behavior, health, and litter box challenges. For short, easy tips, follow her on Instagram!
– Dr. Mikel Maria Delgado PhD (Northern CA) Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist and a Certified Cat Behavior Consultant. For short, easy tips, follow her on Instagram!
– Your go-to place for everything cat: training basics, behavior solutions, adoption tips, bonding advice, and myth-busting truths: check out this resource hub by Best Friends Animal Society.
We know that cats can easily get stressed, but why do so many cats struggle with this issue? While some cats seem to be more skittish by nature, here are some eye-opening human behaviors that can increase cat anxiety.
Check out this link for reducing stress in cats as well as common stress triggers, and click here for how to help a scared cat.
Introducing your cat to other pets for the first time? Or a new baby? Here are three great articles for how to set everyone up for success when bringing home a new feline family member:
- The Do’s and Don’ts of introducing cats: click here
- 5 steps to introducing cats: click here
- Introducing cats to babies: click here
Did your cats suddenly start fighting out of nowhere? This can sometimes happen when there’s a trigger called redirected aggression. Read more about this behavior here.
If you’re having a stressful day, your cat knows it. While it may surprise you, our human energy and lifestyle can directly (and drastically) affect our cats. Click here for more about how you can help your cat just by changing your own mindset.
Household toxins causing health issues in cats: click here
Our homes are meant to be a safe haven for our pets, however, the products we use to keep our living spaces clean and smelling good are often posing a threat to our kitties. Studies show that household toxins are causing allergies (and more) in cats, so take a look and see if your home is causing health issues in your cat.
