Containment and behaviour – what to watch out for
Cats love routine and knowing what to expect! Things can upset them including sudden changes in the environment (this could include a new pet coming into the home, moving house, or a change in routine), a lack of enrichment causing boredom or frustration, and being suddenly contained instead of transitioning over time.
While you are transitioning your cat to containment, keep an eye out for the following:
- Excessive vocalisation
- Urine spraying and/or going to the toilet outside the litter box
- Aggressive behaviours (between cats, to owners, to visitors)
- Hyperactivity, including attempting to escape
- Anxiety or fear, which can look like excessively hiding under beds or in cupboards, withdrawing from social interactions or play, trembling, hissing, and even not eating as much as normal.
It’s important with any change in behaviour from your cat to rule out an underlying medical condition by discussing changes with your veterinarian.
To address these behaviours, and try to avoid them developing, it’s important to:
- Slowly transition your cat to containment
- Ensure there are enough litterboxes throughout your house – there should be one litterbox per cat, plus one additional spare litterbox. This also applies to food and water bowls in multi-cat households. For example, if you have two cats, you will need three litterboxes, three food bowls, and three water bowls.
- In multi-cat households, ensure there is enough vertical space and hiding places for your cats to be away from each other when they need some time alone.
- Provide enough, and different kinds, of enrichment (social-time, play-time, toys, food-treats, puzzles, access to contained outdoor spaces, vertical spaces, and hiding places).
- Introduce any change to their routine slowly – this can include any changes to their diet, where their litterbox, food or water is located, using a different type of litter, and introducing a new pet or person to the household.
- Desex your cat, preferably before puberty.
- If your cat is very active during the night and early mornings, having an automatic timed feeder can help. Set the timer for their breakfast when your cat usually wakes you up, so you don’t need to get out of bed. You can also set the timer to deliver some food during the night if that is when your cat is most active. Offering enough social interaction during the afternoon and early evening, and overnight enrichment like puzzles or treat treasure-hunts that can be done by your cat unsupervised, may also help.
If you would like some personalised advice to help you transition your cat to being contained, or you are noticing some of the above behaviours, RSPCA Victoria offers a free pet behaviour helpline for dog and cat owners. Our experienced behaviourists can give you advice on how to transition your cat to being contained in a stress-free way.Learn more