Destruction and Meowing
Behaviors that cause the destruction of your home or excessive meowing that disturbs your peace and quite damage your relationship with your cat.
Most people do not appreciate when their cat…
- prevents them from sleeping
- intrudes on their online meetings
- destroys their furniture
- chews on their belongings
- invades them while they are eating
Our action plans transform cats that destroy and infuriate into cats that keep to their things and wait politely, allowing you to enjoy their company once more!
For the consult, you will need to:
- Be sufficiently comfortable with technology to be able to use your email, Zoom, WeTransfer and the internet in general.
- (Zoom requires you to at least have a microphone so you can speak to us and either a headset or speakers to hear us.)
- Fill out the pre-consult questionnaire.
- And provide a hand-drawn plan of your residence and some photos and videos (defined in the questionnaire).
Cat Behavior Help Options
Learn the basics
Consult our articles for help
Free
Initial session
Ideal for developing a plan of action for 1 behavior issue
CA$
149
90 minutes consult on Zoom
Personalized action plan
Additional resources adapted to your case
Additional 60 minutes sessions are available at the price of CA$69.
4 sessions Package
Ideal for progressing through your action plan
CA$
326
90 minutes consult on Zoom
Personalized action plan
Additional resources adapted to your case
Three follow-up sessions of 60 minutes, each with an tailored action plan
All sessions in a package must be completed within 90 days of your initial consultation.
Additional 60 minutes sessions are available at the price of CA$69.
— Reminders —
*** Behavior consultants are NOT veterinary professionals. All medical conditions imperatively need to be swiftly directed to a veterinarian.**
***ANY SUDDEN BEHAVIOR CHANGE IN YOUR CAT CAN BE INDICATIVE OF A POTENTIALLY FATAL HEALTH PROBLEM IF NOT ADDRESSED QUICKLY. CALL YOUR VETERINARIAN NOW TO KNOW IF YOU NEED TO VISIT THEM RIGHT AWAY.**
How to stop cat from scratching furniture?
Scratching surfaces is a species-typical behavior for cats. What does that mean? It means that they are genetically programmed to do this action and find it enjoyable and satisfying. Scratching has several uses:
- Helps keep the claws in good condition by helping to remove the shedding layers (that’s why you sometimes find claw covers around the house)
- Tones the muscles
- Stretches the muscles
- Releases tension
- Releases excitement
- Helps to bring down the state of nervousness
- Visually indicates that the cat has been there.
- Olfactorily indicates that the cat has been there (the pads of the cat’s paws generate semiochemical compounds that are left on the surface when the cat scratches)
Did you know that even cats who have had their toes cut off (a procedure that is now illegal in Quebec and incorrectly referred to as “declawing”) like to scratch if they are given an appropriate substrate? That’s how important this behavior is to them.
How do we solve the problem?
To get your cat to scratch the surfaces you prefer instead of the one you would like to keep in good condition, here are the key points:
- Material: Different cats like different materials, the most popular typically being: sisal rope, cardboard, carpet, wood, fabrics.
- Height: Almost all scratching posts available on the market are too short. An average cat easily reaches 34in or 86cm. Have you ever noticed that the posts of cat trees are often interrupted by one or more of the tree’s levels? This makes them much less pleasant for the cat to use and prevents them from enjoying their full height while scratching.
- Stability: A wobbly scratching post is not pleasant to scratch on. This is unfortunately the case with most scratchers on the market.
- Placement in the house
Cats scratch:
- When they wake up
- When you come back home
- When they are excited during play with another cat
- , etc.
So your cat isn’t going to go down a flight of stairs to the back of the basement to scratch. They need to be able to do it WHEN THEY FEEL THE IMMEDIATE URGE in order for it to be satisfying.
Not sure what’s the best route to take to get your cat to scratch where you want them to? That’s what we’re here for! To schedule an appointment, click here.