![\"20160209_173651\"](\"http:\/\/www.sittingforacause.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/20160209_173651-e1455140641909.jpg\")
<\/a>Jem’s sweet face may fool you but she is quite a handful!<\/p><\/div>\n
1)<\/strong> Aggression towards people and other animals <\/strong>is no joke. It\u2019s not fun at all when you have to constantly supervise your cat around guests or your other pets in fear of an attack. This is an ongoing issue that I\u2019ve had with Jem and one of the most frustrating ones. When I have friends over or when Jem is around my Tuxedo, Bella, I\u2019m always watching for what I call the \u201cpsycho\u201d look before Jem pounces. Fortunately, I\u2019ve found a few solutions that help her stay relaxed and easy-going:<\/p>\n A playful Jem is a happy Jem!<\/p><\/div>\n 2)<\/strong> Biting or scratching during playtime <\/strong>\u2013 Maybe you wouldn\u2019t go as far to call your cat aggressive, but when you play with him or her, it hurts! If you are like me, when you got your cat as a kitten you didn\u2019t realize that using your hands as toys during playtime encourages kittens to play rough with you. Sure, it\u2019s cute when they\u2019re kittens, but it isn\u2019t so cute when they are fully grown adults who can pack a punch! I actually have this issue with Bella, not Jem, and am just starting to work on it. The main thing to remember is that you need to keep your hands out of reach during playtime and use toys only! <\/strong>Cats are natural predators and hunt when they play, so they aren\u2019t going to be gentle with whatever they perceive as their toy.<\/p>\n Bella tries her best to look innocent but she’s a biter!<\/p><\/div>\n It\u2019s also very important that you stay consistent with only using a toy and that everyone in your home does the same so that the message is clear to your kitty: hands are not toys! For more in-depth help, The Humane Society of the United States provides a great guide for teaching your kitty to play nice<\/a>.<\/p>\n 3)<\/strong> Peeing outside of the litter box <\/strong>is the other most frustrating problem I\u2019ve had with Jem. For some reason she used to want nothing to do with the litter box and I could never figure out why. I hate having to clean up urine from the carpet, couches, beds, or worse, and I know I\u2019m not alone. After trying many different things for Jem, I\u2019ve found a few tricks that can help your fussy feline:<\/p>\n\n
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