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Cat Behavior: Aggression

Aggressive cats can create complicated and upsetting problems in a household. An aggressive cat can be dangerous, especially toward children who do not understand the warning signs of aggression. Cat bites and scratches are painful and can transmit disease.

Cats may have many forms of aggression, making it difficult to determine what the actual problem may be.

Early intervention, when cats are young, will help keep the problem from becoming a lifelong habit. Physical punishment will increase fear and anxiety, and some cats may become more aggressive. Certain medications can help, with your veterinarian's supervision. Avoid situations that increase your cat's aggression. Separate cats with issues. Use food treats to reward non-aggressive behavior.

First take your cat to a veterinarian and determine if there is a medical problem - is the cat actually in pain, like arthritis or dental disease. Once medical conditions have been ruled out, then you must determine what kind of aggression that cat is displaying in order to determine a strategy and a solution.

Play aggression is typically bites and scratches during playtime. The kitten or cat's body posture is typically depicted by its tail lashing back and forth, ears flattened back on its head and dilated pupils. Kittens that stalk moving objects are displaying play aggression. Play aggressive cats may stalk or hide, and then jump out and attack as you pass. Try to determine if there is a pattern to your cat's behavior.

When playing with your cat, use play objects that are not close to your hands, and if your cat is a stalker, you may need to keep him from accessing his favorite corners and hiding places.

Fear aggression occurs as a defensive behavior towards unfamiliar stimuli, like people, animals and noises. Unpleasant experiences, like a trip to the vet, may trigger fear aggression. A cat displaying this type of aggression hisses, bares her teech and crouches low with her tail and legs under her body. Her ears are flat against her head, her pupils are dilated and her fur stands on end.

Avoiding the situations that cause the fear aggression is best. Try attempting a gradual method, exposing your cat to small amounts of the stimuli from a safe distance, and rewarding her with food treats for non-aggressive behavior. Above all, do not console her. Kind words and petting communicate approval of her inappropriate behavior. Visitors should not retreat or show fear in front of a fear aggressive cat, because this teaches the cat that this behavior makes the unwanted visitor goes away. Lack of attention is a better strategy.

Predatory aggression is the normal, instinctive desire to hunt prey, including stalking, chasing and attacking rodents and birds. This is inappropriate when directed towards humans or small indoor pets. A cat on the prowl shows hunting body posture. He slinks with a lowered head and a twitching tail, and lunges when the prey is within reach.

If you don't want your cat to hunt outdoors, you will need to keep him inside. Prevent him from contacting small indoor pets that he can threaten. Putting a bell with a breakaway collar on his neck will help you know his whereabouts and foil his sneak attacks on people. Take extra precautions with children and toddlers.

Pain-induced aggression is common in cats who dislike being touched in a painful area, to stop you from handling her. Past trauma can also create this aggression. Resolving the pain is the easiest method of managing the problem, if it is possible to do so. Ask your veterinarian about medications to help your cat cope with pain.

Redirected aggression typically occurs when a cat is aroused by one stimulus, but another pet or a person intervenes, causing the cat to lash out at the wrong thing. A cat exhibiting redirected aggression may growl and pace, his hair stands on end, his tail swishes and his pupiles dilate.

Avoid the cat until he is calm, or gently herd him to a quiet area for a "time out". You may be able to prevent this type of aggression if you can identify what sets him off, and block your cats exposure to the stimuli.