Furniture Scratching

• One minute your kitty is attacking that new toy mouse you bought him, and the next his claws are piercing the upholstery of your sofa. This age-old problem is caused by a cat's innate need to scratch. Cats scratch furniture to keep their claws in shape, stretch back muscles and ease stress in a tense situation. A good scratching post will divert your cat's attention from your furniture. Try to select a post that is tall enough for your cat to get a full stretch but sturdy enough not to topple over when in use.
  
  

Litter Box Trouble

• A cat may urinate or defecate outside of his litter box for any number of reasons. You may not have enough litter boxes in your home; the rule of thumb is to have one litter box per cat. Make sure that the litter box is clean--nobody likes a dirty restroom, even your cat. Cats are picky and may not like the type of litter you are using, so try a new type and see if that helps. Finally, determine where your cat is urinating or defecating most when he isn't using his litter box. Begin by placing a litter box in that spot and slowly move it a few inches per day until you have moved it into the spot where you'd like to keep it.
  
  

Tearing Up Trash

• Cats are not dogs, therefore you cannot train a cat in the way that you would train a dog. A few reprimands will usually keep a dog out of the trash can. Not so for a cat. The simple fix here? Purchase a trash can with a lid or keep the trash can in a room the cat does not have access to.
  
  

Eating House Plants

• Any pet store has bitter-tasting sprays that will prevent any unwanted chewing of plants (or other items for that matter). These sprays will be labeled as safe for plants, and they will do nothing more than leave a bad taste in your cat's mouth so that he has no further interest in chewing your plants. Peppermint oil mixed with a bit of water and sprayed on plants will do the same trick. Also, provide your cat with some cat grass of his own that he can chew on.
  
  

Nighttime Noise

• If your cat gets a little rambunctious at night, there are a few precautions you can take to see that you still get a good night's sleep. Leave a few toys out for him to play with. Try to only give him these toys at night, so that they become a special treat for nighttime play. Make sure your cat has access to a window so that he can look out into your yard and be entertained by the world outside. Also, you might try to play with your cat for a good long while before bed--if you tucker him out, he'll be likely to want to catch a few winks, himself.