Common cat behaviour problems: what can you do?

1Your cat suddenly hides, avoids touch or stops jumping

If a cat that previously enjoyed your company suddenly starts hiding, avoiding touch or no longer jumping onto its favourite windowsill, find out what has changed. Health problems, severe stress or fear following an unpleasant experience may be responsible. Do not assume it is simply having an off day.

How can you help? Check whether your cat has an appetite, moves freely and uses the litter tray as usual. Arrange a veterinary appointment to rule out pain or illness. Provide peace and somewhere to hide; do not force it out of its hiding place.

2Your cat scratches the sofa, door frames or other furniture

Scratching is natural feline behaviour. It helps maintain claws, stretch muscles and leave scent and visual marks in the cat’s surroundings. Choosing the sofa instead of a scratching post is not spite. The post may be unstable, too short, have an unsuitable surface or stand somewhere the cat avoids.

Consider why your cat chooses that particular place. Does it scratch furniture just after waking, near a doorway or beside a favourite resting place? Is the scratching post tall enough for a full stretch?

How can you help? Place a stable scratching post beside the furniture being scratched. Try both vertical and horizontal surfaces. If you already have a post that the cat does not use, try moving it. A good position may be near a window where the cat enjoys resting and watching its surroundings, or beside its bed. More than one scratching post is useful, especially in a large home or a household with several cats. Praise your cat or offer a treat when it uses the post. Protect the furniture during training and do not punish scratching.

3Your cat hunts hands and legs during play

Stalking, chasing and catching prey are natural parts of feline play. If we play with a kitten using our hands, it may continue treating them as prey when grown. The same applies to feet moving under a duvet or legs passing in a hallway.

How can you help? Do not encourage your cat to grab hands or feet. Play regularly, ideally several times a day, using a wand toy or safe balls. Let it watch, stalk, chase and eventually catch the toy. If it pounces on your legs, stop and calmly redirect its attention to a toy rather than encouraging further attacks on your feet. Put strings and wand toys away after play. Remember: hands are for care and affection. Wand toys and balls are for hunting games.

4Your cat bites during stroking

Not every cat enjoys long petting sessions. Some prefer brief strokes or touch only in certain places. Before biting, a cat often signals that it has had enough: its body tenses, its head moves away, its ears turn back, its tail moves or it looks at the stroking hand. If these signals are missed, it may eventually use its teeth to end the contact.

How can you help? Watch your cat and stop stroking as soon as you notice the first signs of discomfort. Let it decide when it wants affection and how long it should last. If it previously enjoyed touch but suddenly reacts nervously, arrange a veterinary appointment. Pain may be the cause.

5Cats begin avoiding each other, blocking routes or fighting

Tension between cats does not always lead to hissing or fighting. One cat may stare persistently at another, guard a doorway or block access to a bowl or litter tray. This is sometimes informally called passive aggression, although ‘subtle signs of tension’ is more accurate. A glance alone does not establish conflict. Context and the other cat’s response matter.

Watch the cat whose route is being blocked. Does it start avoiding rooms? Does it wait to eat until the other cat leaves? Does it hide or stop using the litter tray? These signs may mean it does not feel safe.

Consider what caused the tension. Has a new cat joined the household? Has one returned from the veterinary clinic smelling different? Can the cats avoid one another, or must they pass in a narrow space? Are all the bowls and litter trays placed together?

How can you help? Each additional cat increases the need for space and resources: food, water, litter trays, scratching posts, resting places and hiding places. Distribute these throughout the home and provide elevated resting spots too. Cats can then use resources without having to pass close to one another. Do not force them to stay together. If a fight occurs, do not separate them with bare hands. Persistent tension may benefit from a behaviourist’s help; a sudden change in relationships also requires pain or illness to be ruled out.

6Your cat meows frequently, especially at night

Every cat has its own way of communicating with people. Some Sphynx cats meow often; others are usually quiet but can demand attention loudly when they have a reason. Meowing itself is not a behavioural problem. If you return after many hours away and your cat greets you with loud meows, it may simply want contact and attention.

Consider when and why your cat meows. Has it been alone for a long time? Have feeding or play times changed? Has it lost a feline companion it was bonded with? Does it meow at the door or an empty bowl, or wake you at night for no obvious reason? What matters most is whether this differs from its usual behaviour.

How can you help? If you know what your cat needs, try to provide it. Spend time together, play and maintain a predictable routine. After the loss of a feline companion, allow time to adjust. Do not punish meowing.

However, if your cat suddenly starts calling loudly for hours, especially at night, and you cannot identify a reason, arrange a veterinary appointment. Pain, hyperthyroidism, hypertension or deteriorating sight or hearing may underlie the change. This is particularly relevant to older cats.

7Your cat licks its skin excessively

If a Sphynx persistently licks one area and the skin becomes red, grazed or develops small wounds, the cause needs to be identified. It may be itching, irritation after bathing, pain or stress. Also check for changes in skin odour or a rash.

Consider what has changed. Have you recently bathed your cat? Did you use a new shampoo, grooming product or laundry detergent for its bedding? Does it keep licking one area or its whole body?

How can you help? Do not try random skin treatments or increase bathing frequency. If there are wounds, marked redness or persistent itching, see a veterinarian. If medical causes are ruled out, also check whether licking increases in stressful situations.

8Your cat sucks, chews or swallows fabrics and other objects

Some cats suck blankets, knead them or gently chew fabric. Sucking alone does not necessarily indicate a disorder. Pica is a disorder involving persistent eating of non-food items, such as fabric, plastic film or elastic bands. It should not be confused with accidentally swallowing an object once. Swallowed objects can obstruct the digestive tract, and threads and strings are especially dangerous because they can damage the intestines.

Consider exactly what your cat is doing. Does it only suck a blanket, or bite off and swallow pieces? Does it seek particular materials? Did the behaviour appear suddenly, or has it continued since kittenhood? Is there also vomiting, a change in appetite or difficulty passing stools?

Causes vary. Stress, boredom or an established habit may matter in some cats; in others, medical problems, including gastrointestinal disorders, need investigating. The cause cannot be established solely from the type of object the cat chooses.

How can you help? Keep strings, elastic bands, plastic film and fabrics the cat bites pieces off out of reach. Provide safe toys, daily activity and opportunities to meet its natural needs. If it swallows non-food objects, arrange a veterinary appointment and describe exactly what it eats and how often. Do not punish the behaviour.

Important: if you suspect your cat has swallowed string, a needle or another dangerous object, contact a veterinary clinic urgently, even if there are no symptoms yet. Do not delay help if there is vomiting, loss of appetite, abdominal pain or lethargy. Never pull a thread protruding from the mouth or anus.

9An older cat changes its habits and daily routine

An older cat may jump less, sleep more, meow at night or avoid a litter tray with a high entrance. Do not assume this is simply old age. Joint pain, disease, poorer sight or hearing, or sometimes cognitive dysfunction may be responsible.

How can you help? Arrange a veterinary appointment to identify the cause. At home, provide a low-entry litter tray, steps to favourite places and non-slip surfaces. Put water and food where they are easy to reach. A predictable routine and avoiding unnecessary changes in the surroundings also help the cat feel safe. Many conditions affecting older cats can be treated or effectively relieved.