Again, it depends on what the problem is. Let's create a scenario: The cat is scratching the furniture. Of course, we don't want them to destroy the furniture. You could say no and get them off, try a little squirt with a water bottle, or make that area unappealing by blocking access. You can even use ScatMats on the floor or put different scents on the furniture. There's also a product called Feliscratch by Feliway, which you put on the item you want them to scratch to draw them to it. It depends on the problem, but each solution would be individually tailored for the problem.

It depends on what it is. But yes, cats are trainable. They are different from dogs, but they respond to positive reinforcement and sometimes treats or clicker training. There are training options and, hopefully, they would learn from that.

If we diagnose it here, we will give you treatment options to help you with that problem. We might also refer you to a trainer or a veterinary behaviorist for more specific problems or bigger concerns. There will also be behavior modification training activities. In addition, there might be medication and physical barriers you can put up in your home. It varies depending on the behavioral problem you're having.

If there's a medical reason for it, we would want to treat it sooner to increase the likelihood of finding a cure and correcting the problem. The longer they behave a certain way, the more they think that it is just how they do things and it's normal for them. So the sooner we can correct that, the better the outcome will be.

The number one problem is inappropriate urination or defecation. We just assume cats are going to use their litter box. We never train them to do it because it's just a natural thing that they do. It's great, and it's why cats are so easy to care for. If they're not using their litter box, it's a big concern for owners, and they bring their cat to the veterinarian because of it.