If there's a cat in your home, you aren't alone, since cats have surpassed dogs as the most popular pet. Cats can be funny, mysterious, cuddly, and sometimes perplexing, but they are a unique companion animal. Understanding cat behavior problems means understanding you have a little tiger in the house.

Even though cats have been domesticated for ages, their feline behavior has remained much like that of a jungle cat like the lion or the tiger. Even our adorable little pussycats still retain certain predatory instincts, so much of what appears to be cat behavior problems only reflects their genetic brain formation for the life they were originally meant to lead.

If you have raised a kitten, or more than one kitten, you will undoubtedly notice that kittens become aggressive in their play when they are active. Doing this helps them learn skills that would help them catch prey in the wild to survive. With indoor cats, however, you should teach them to channel these aggressive instincts into acceptable forms, so they do not try to bite your fingers or toes!

Remember to provide appealing toys for your kitten, especially tools that are tempting to bite and chase. Kittens offend grasp a toy with their front paws and use their back legs to scratch the toy, which puts on an entertaining display for observers as well as gives the kitten vigorous exercise. Toy mice with a furry texture entice kittens to jump and chew them. Nearly grown kittens and adult cats may respond more actively to toys containing catnip; however, not all cats are affected by catnip and some kittens may require a few weeks of exposure to feel the effects.

When the cat is engaging in this play, you need to set limits and teach the cat not to bite, scratch or chew humans, or anything else that is off limits. Never hit a cat, as this will cause more cat behavior problems instead of stopping them. It destroys trust between you and the pet and may make the cat more aggressive and angry. A sharp "No!" followed by removing the cat from the situation or offering something appropriate is the way to go, and always reward obedience with "Good kitty!" and sometimes treats.

Scratching trees and other rough surfaces is the natural way for cats to control the growth of their claws. Their instincts drive them to do this. To avert having your cat scratch your furniture or other indoor valuables, provide a cat scratcher. A cat scratcher can be purchased at a pet store. A cat scratcher can also be made at home. To make a traditional cat scratcher, attach carpet scraps to scrap wood. If you do not have wood, you can use strips of cardboard in a box. If you do not have room for a traditional cat scratcher, you can buy a cat scratcher that hangs from a doorknob. You can entice your cat to use use the cat scratcher by spraying it with catnip spray.