Question: My cat really struggles to be alone. When I leave the house for any extended period of time, such as to go to work or out for a social occasion, I return to a scene of devastation and a very unhappy cat. I can hear my cat crying out for me as I leave the house, and while I’m not there, they have a habit of destroying furniture and knocking things over. I can’t always be at home – so how do I stop it?

Answer: One of the most common causes of this is loneliness, as this type of behaviour is seen most commonly in house cats where they are the only animal present. A simple solution is to take on another cat, as company for your existing animal. When they have another animal to socialise with, your existing cat may find being separated from you less distressing.

However, that isn’t always an option, so the next step is to create a comfortable scenario for your cat to be alone in. Fill a room with toys and a comforting, familiar blanket. Then, use a small wind-up radio and leave it running. Your cat will therefore always be able to hear a human voice, which they should find reassuring. Ensure when you come home, you lavish affection on your cat to cheer them up and create a sense of confidence that you will always come back.

If your cat is destructive when you are not there, it is best to keep them to one room only while you are not present. Make sure ‘their’ area has some toys, a water dish and a tray, and remember to let kitty out as soon as you’re home.

When it comes to training an animal, there is no doubt that different limitations apply to different animals. Anyone who has seen a dog show will know that dogs can be trained to do a great number of things. Training a cat is certainly possible, but there is no doubt whatsoever that most of the training you can give a cat is corrective rather than creative. It is important to be aware of this before you set out to train your cat.

Undoubtedly, it would be fun if a cat could be trained to run around an obstacle course and bring its owner a rubber bone, like dogs can. However, this is never likely to happen because cats are not of that nature. You can train a cat to go in a litter tray, to stop scratching the curtains and to wait patiently for its food rather than try to catch it on its way out of the can. However, you will be waiting a long time to get it to play dead or roll over.

This is perhaps why people make the mistake of saying that cats cannot be trained. Without a doubt, you will not be able to convince a cat to do creative things, but this does not mean that it cannot be trained. You simply have to become conscious of the limitations. Sometimes, through practice, a cat will begin to do things that entertain, but this will be as a pleasant side-effect of a fuller training program. After all, cats like to play. Just give them a catnip mouse and watch them go.

There is absolutely no doubt that cats are among the most inquisitive creatures on this planet. In fact, they have this in common with humans in many ways. Just as humans are wired up to look at the way something works and consider how it might be improved, so cats have a tendency to explore and work things out – which can work for good or for bad.

Not for nothing is it said “Curiosity killed the cat”. Cats, as wise as they may be, still sometimes make bad decisions. We’ve all heard stories of cats spending some time in washing machines which are in operation, because they sneak in and lie on the clothes before the machine is switched on. However, you can use your cat’s curiosity to work in your favor.

It is very common to find when you take a delivery in your home, that when you take the item out of its box and have a look at it, your cat will have an equally inquisitive interest in checking out the box. Usually it will hop in and curl up to go to sleep. This natural curiosity can be very beneficial when it comes to getting the cat into its carrier when you need to go somewhere.

About half an hour before you need to go, just take the carrier down and leave its door open with a cat bed inside. Your cat, rather than needing to be chased around the house and then stuffed, claws and all, into the carrier, will usually get in of their own accord and go to sleep – making your task a lot easier, and less bloody.