Just like humans, cats can be sensitive creatures, and your cat probably has a list of all the things you do that make him mad or sad. Here are five of the most common pet peeves amongst cats, and what you can do to get back into your cat’s good books if you’re guilty of any of them!
Dirty Litter Tray
This one should be obvious, after all, would you like using a toilet that’s stinky and over-flowing? Unfortunately some pet parents don’t clean out the litter tray as often as they should, and that leads to an unhappy cat and often toileting in inappropriate places, like behind the sofa! Remember, your cat’s sense of smell is so much stronger than yours, so if you’re starting to smell the litter tray, it must be overpowering to him.
What you can do: Scoop waste out of the tray twice a day as a minimum, and completely change the litter and wash out the tray weekly. For more information on litter tray basics, check out our article on How to Litter Train Your Cat.
Stale Food
Have you ever had a cat turn his nose up at a meal, so you decide to leave it there because “he’ll eat it when he’s hungry’’? Unfortunately, that’s only going to make it worse, because the longer food is left out, the more likely it is to dry out, go stale or turn bad.
What you can do: If your cat leaves some of his food, it’s possible that you are feeing him portion sizes that are too big. Try reducing the amount you give him for each meal, throw away food if it’s been left for over an hour and wash his food bowls between each meal.
Being Given Medication
Although a necessary part of the healing process for a sick cat, the majority of cats detest being given medication of any kind. Cats are notoriously difficult to give tablets to, and even liquid medication can be tricky. You think you’ve disguised the tablet perfectly in some smelly tuna, but he seems to know straight away that it’s there!
What you can do: It’s trial and error, and every cat is different, but being given medication is one pet peeve that he’s going to have to accept from time to time. Make it as easy as possible for him, take the time to discover what works best with him and make sure you’re calm and comforting during and after the process. For more information check out our article on How to Get Your Cat to Swallow a Pill.
Over-enthusiastic Petting
Some cats are complete fuss-monsters, some are happy with a certain level of petting, and some aren’t keen on that kind of interaction at all. Whichever category your cat falls into, you need to make sure you don’t push that line, no matter how cute and cuddly he is.
What you can do: Learn to read your cat’s signals, if you’re going too far you’ll notice his tail swishing, ears flattening and he might even take a swipe at you. Once you know exactly where your cat stands on the petting front you’ll be able to stop before you go too far.
Being Ignored
Yes, typical cat – pet him too much and he won’t like it, but ignore him at your peril! Again, some cats love to be the centre of attention and some shy away from too much, but all cats need interaction, and they don’t like being ignored.
What you can do: Make sure you have dedicated time with your cat, especially if you’re out at work all day. Make the time to pet him, groom him, play with him, and whatever other activity he enjoys with you.
What are your cat’s pet peeves…the things that your cat really hates? Please share below.
Great tips!! You’d like to think keeping a clean litter box is common sense, but sadly it isn’t. I used to do cat sitting, and once in awhile I would sit for someone who had no clue, and would then wonder why her cat wasn’t using the litter box? Thankfully I was able to set them straight, but your post is definitely a must read for anyone that shares their life with a cat.
Great list! We are careful about these things, but giving medication is one of the things we are not so good at. Once before, I put Benadryl in pill pocket and my kitty was pretty mad after tasting bitter pill inside it.
We concur! This list should be required reading for humans. 🙂
Great tips! Especially the one about the litter box. I’ve worked with a few clients who had cats that were having accidents outside the litter box — they usually weren’t cleaning it often enough!
You’re right…we don’t like any of these things! And we don’t like an empty food dish, either. 🙂
Human can be confused to find the purrfect dose between ignoring and too much petting ! Great post ! Purrs
I hope humans take note of these!