Cats are emotional creatures. Cats can feel lonely, bored, frightened, or stressed. They show stress in a variety of ways, from vocalizing to forgetting their toilet habits. By taking the time to observe your cat you, will hopefully begin to see patterns to their behaviors and be able to more fully understand your cat companion. Not surprisingly, most cat owners know how important the litterbox is to keeping all family members, including the cat, happy. When a cat stops using the litterbox to urinate, it can become a major issue and may put the cat out of his or her home.  There are many reasons why a cat may fail to use the litter box. It may be as simple as the cat not liking its litter, either the texture or smell. Most cats prefer an unscented litter. An elderly cat may not be able to get into the box due to arthritis. The box may be overly dirty and need to be scooped and cleaned (with soap and water) more frequently.  A sudden noise, a dog, or some other noise or animal may have scared the cat while using the litter box. In a multiple cat household, a dominant cat may be keeping a submissive cat from using the box. In these cases, it is always wise to have one more litter box than number of cats. If you have two cats, you’ll need three boxes. The litter boxes should be in different spots to keep the dominant cat from guarding the boxes. Urinating in odd spots, like the owner’s bed, chair, or on plastic bags, may indicate your cat has a urinary tract infection or other serious diseases. This can also occur when the owner has been away for several days indicating distress at your absence. If your cat does suddenly start urinating outside the box, it is best to consult with your veterinarian to rule out any medical causes for this behavior. Cats actually scratch because they find it enjoyable and in order to manicure their claws. Because scratching is so important to cats, you can't really get them to stop doing it. The best way to get a cat to stop scratching your favorite chair or sofa is to redirect their attention. Give your cat a scratching post and entice it to use the post by scenting it with catnip and toys. If your cat doesn't like the scratching post, it might not be the right texture. Try attaching a different texture fabric and see if your cat likes to scratch that better.
++++++++++
One-sentence summary -- Understand that cats show unhappiness or displeasure is a wide variety of ways. Make sure the cat's litter box is not causing your cat to urinate elsewhere. Look for other reasons for urination misbehavior. Understand why a cat scratches objects in your house.


One of the best parts of falling in love is envisioning the future you’ll share with your loved one. Do not let yourself spend even a moment imagining your shared future. Live only in the present and the moment you find yourself unable to do this, pull the plug.  Avoid scheduling out your time together. Try to plan your meet-ups day of so they’re more impromptu and less routine. If you find yourself fantasizing about your friend with benefits, you may not be in the correct emotional space to pursue a relationship like this. Telling your friend with benefits your biggest secrets and making yourself vulnerable to them can only result in you feeling closer to them. This will make it that much harder for you to maintain the distance and separation you need to make this relationship work.  Talk about fun things, like books, movies, music and work. Treat your friend with benefits like a co-worker or acquaintance that you don’t know very well. You and your partner are both human, so it might be inevitable that some jealousy emerges during your relationship. It’s very important to communicate about the feelings you’re having, otherwise, your friendship will fail.  When you or your partner start getting jealous, have a conversation about whether this relationship is still working for you. Recognize that your jealous feelings may mean you have fallen in love, and if so, get out of the relationship as soon as possible. It's easy to fall in love with someone when you see them every day, so a good way to keep from falling in love is to limit the amount of time you spend with a sexual partner. The longer you go without seeing a person, the easier it becomes to stop obsessing about them.  Giving yourself space also includes other forms of communication. Don't call them or reach out to them online. To get yourself through the separation, trying exercising or giving hugs. Exercise increases your dopamine levels and touch increases the oxytocin in your system, which will make you feel happier and calmer. A great way to keep from falling in love is to become too busy to even think about it. Throw your energy into your work, or your hobbies. Concentrate on getting into shape or learning a new skill. Do whatever it takes to keep your mind occupied on yourself and not on the person you're obsessing over.  Dating a new person is also a great way to get your mind off of someone else. When you feel yourself starting to go down the love rabbit hole, force your mind to think of something else.
++++++++++
One-sentence summary --
Don’t fantasize about the future. Don’t share too much emotionally. Keep jealousy out of the equation. Give yourself some space. Focus your energy elsewhere.