Motivated to Change

It’s a question every cat owner has asked at some point: why does my cat do [that thing]? With many behavior issues, getting to the heart of “why” can get us on the right path to better cat behavior.

What is Motivation?

Motivation as what inspires a cat to behave a certain way. By understanding your cat’s motivation, you can change their behavior.

Consequences
Much of our cats’ behavior is driven by consequences. In other words, what happens because they do a behavior? Cats can use their behavior to get something they want (like food) or to escape something unpleasant (like the vacuum). Most importantly, your cat decides whether a particular consequence is worth seeking or avoiding. If they don’t care about something, it won’t motivate them. 

Emotions
​ Much  ​Emotionally-based motivations, like escaping something the cat thinks is scary, are very important to consider. Fear and anxiety can be strong motivators for a cat’s behavior and often your cat can’t control their emotions in the same way that they control their behavior. For example, they can’t choose to not be afraid like they can choose to work for or ignore a treat. But emotional motivation can change too; with careful training, cats can learn to feel safe around things that previously scared them.

Identifying Motivation

If your cat is doing something you would like to change, try the “why” game. Like a small child, each time you come up with an answer as to why your cat is doing a particular behavior, ask “why” again. Instead of stopping when you think “my cat is jealous,” keep going until you’ve identified a basic motivation that you can either use or work to change.

Some common motivators are:

Food
​Every cat needs to eat so food is one of the “primary” motivators - they don’t need to learn to want it. It is also one of the easiest for us to use to change behaviors. 

Play
Cats are natural hunters. Before they had kibble in their bowl, they had to hunt for every bite of food. This connection has left cats with a strong desire to practice their hunting behaviors. In our homes, we call this “play.”

Attention
Despite media claims, cats aren’t antisocial. Most cats seek out the attention of their favorite people and are even more likely to interact if a person shows an interest in them as well. 

Safety and Security
All beings, cats included, need to feel safe. Cats often do things that confuse us but are related to their desire to feel more secure in their space. Many litter box issues relate to a cat’s concern about their safety. The cat may be reluctant to go to where their box is or they may be trying to communicate and avoid conflict with other cats in or around their territory. Many other issues (aggression, for example) can also be linked to a cat’s need to feel safe and escape perceived threats.

Other Motivators
This is only a partial list and other motivators will vary from cat to cat. Many motivators, like getting access to a certain area, are learned based on a cat’s experiences. Cats also have natural needs like a place to scratch and a clean, safe place to eliminate that must be met. 

Notice that none of these motivators are personality traits. It doesn’t help us to call a cat “stubborn” or “alpha.” Labels like this don’t show us how to change the behavior.


Using Motivation to Change Behavior

Once you understand why your cat is behaving a certain way, you can use that information to improve their behavior. 

Meet Their Needs    
Make sure your cat is getting what they need, like a clean place to eliminate, a place to scratch, playtime, and raised perches. Otherwise they will continue to seek it out, probably in ways you don’t like. Many problem behaviors can be solved simply by providing the things your cat naturally needs.

Build Security and Lower Stress
Since stress is a common cause of cat behavior problems, commit to building their sense of security in your home. Create a cat-friendly home setup, provide regular interactive play, respect your cat’s boundaries, and maintain a regular routine as much as possible. 

Add a Reward
Now that you know what motivates your cat, use this to reward any behavior you want. Food and treats are a great way to encourage a cat to repeat desirable behaviors. Also, don’t ignore good behavior, make sure to tell your cat!

Remove the Reward
​If your cat’s problem behavior is their attempt to get something they want, you can decrease the behavior by making sure they don’t get their reward. For example, ignoring demanding meowing or putting away food on the counter. Always make sure your cat is having their needs met in other ways.

Behavior never just comes out of the blue. Your cat’s reasons may be hidden at first but it is worth trying to figure out the “why” in order to live a happier life together!

This material was written in collaboration with cat behavior consultant Jessica Char.
Learn more at  www.FelineEngineering.com