Disclaimer
Unless specifically stated, any expert comments quoted in this news piece have been taken directly from the TikTok video cited below.
Does your cat scratch the furniture? Are they prone to waking you up in the middle of the night? Do they scratch you when you're trying to pet them?
If you answered yes to any of the above, then you're likely looking for a solution to these common cat behavior problems so you can kiss them goodbye once and for all.
And according to expert trainer and behaviorist Jackson Galaxy, the way to get your feline friend to stop engaging in unwanted behaviors is actually very simple.
Read on as we reveal the advice he shared in a recent TikTok video...
@jacksongalaxy ♬ original sound - Jackson Galaxy
"Your cat is an energetic ballon," Galaxy explains.
"They sleep and take energy in, so the balloon gets bigger, they wake up ready to hunt but they're not hunting anything so the balloon gets bigger, you pet your cat so energy goes in and the balloon gets bigger and then eventually it's going to pop."
Galaxy says that this 'popping', or release of energy, is when we start to see behavioral issues such as cats scratching the couch and climbing the curtains.
"The solution is easy — energy out through play every day.
"Get them hunting, use an interactive toy, run around a little bit, get them tired. Do it around the same time every day and you're going to see results and those results mean no unwanted aggression, no redirected aggression and no overstimulation," he explains.
Playing with your cat for 15-20 minutes twice a day helps them burn off all that excess energy and tires them out so that when playtime is finished, all they want to do is sleep.
So, learn how to play with a cat and not only will you be offering them the mental and physical stimulation they need to thrive, you'll be saving your couch and your curtains in the process!
