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aggressive cat

Why Is My Cat Angry

May 10 by Maggie

Why Does My Cat Attack Me?

Does your cat strike out at you once in a while?

Does she hiss, growl or swipe a paw at you when you’re not expecting it?

It happens.

Why Is My Cat So Angry With Me Anyway?

First, he probably isn’t angry with you.

Most likely, he is either somewhat confused, worried, scared, stressed out, not feeling 100%, or just a little annoyed with you.

It’s not really anger.

It’s Called Cat Aggression

A household cat being too aggressive is common.

It’s so common that there are standard terms and definitions for the various types of aggressive behavior.

What Does Cat Aggression Look Like?

Aggressive behavior can take a few different forms, but it’s essentially when your cat exhibits unusual behavior under certain circumstances.

She might be displaying threatening or evasive behavior and it’s directed at you, another family member, or another pet.

It is often a defensive or protective reflex.

Your cat may hide, hiss, growl, swat with her paw, bite, scratch, or display an aggressive or defensive posture.

This behavior often confuses a pet owner unless they understand why their cat is doing it.

Types of Feline Aggression

There are 10 general categories of aggressive behavior.

What you observe in your kitty can probably be assigned to one of these categories:

  1. Play Aggression
  2. Redirected Aggression
  3. Competition
  4. Territorial
  5. Petting Induced
  6. Fear Induced
  7. Predatory
  8. Maternal
  9. Pain or Health Induced
  10. Idiopathic

If you can understand your cat and determine what is motivating her to have aggressive displays, you can get started on reducing the factors that are prompting her to act that way.

Play Aggression

This is considered the most common form of unwanted aggressive behavior that owners report.

This occurs when a household cat believes he is engaged in play, but the play is too rough and they end up scratching or biting their owner or other pets.

The two biggest reasons some cats have this issue is either they didn’t learn how to play appropriately when they were kittens or their owner encouraged rough play as they were growing.

Some owners confuse their young cats by encouraging them to see human fingers and feet as toys to play with, swat at, and pounce on.

If an owner does this, they shouldn’t be surprised if their young cat attacks their feet when they aren’t expecting it. The cat merely has playful intentions.

Kittens and young cats play pretty rough. Kittens learn by playing every day with other kittens what the boundaries are.

They learn that biting softly or swatting without scratching is what they are supposed to do.

Kittens that didn’t have littermates may not have learned the boundaries of where play ends and pain begins.

Redirected

Redirected aggression is a common form of feline aggression and one that can confuse owners.

This happens when your cat is agitated or provoked by some external animal or other stimuli, but then he ends up taking it out on you in response.

The most common situation is when kitty is looking out the window and sees another cat, or a dog, or a squirrel or bird.

That outside animal has stimulated your cat’s territorial or predatory reflexes. But there is nothing he can do about it. Then you come up and touch him on the back of the head and he hisses at you. It’s just a reflex, a redirected response.

The owner may never notice what is outside the window, the thing that is actually agitating their cat. So they end up blaming their cat for being in a bad mood.

And if your cat is frightened or really agitated by what he saw outside, that feeling can stay with him and keep him on edge for many minutes.

Typical triggers for getting your cat agitated include:

  • Seeing another cat through a window or door
  • Watching squirrels or birds outside, just out of reach
  • Smelling the scent of another cat on a family member or a visitor
  • Having another pet or person introduced into the household
  • Scary or loud noises
  • Your other indoor pet is harassing or bothering him

If you see your cat appears agitated, if he is pacing, growling, swishing his tail or otherwise looks on edge, don’t approach him.

You can talk to him, you can try to calm him down, but he may not want to be touched just yet.

Competition

Sometimes indoor cats compete for resources.

Sometimes one cat will try to establish a socially dominant position over another cat.

Some cats want to be the boss of the house. Or at least the boss of the other cats.

Some behaviorists call this Status-Induced Aggression or Inter-Cat Aggression.

The social balance of a multiple-cat house can be complicated and too subtle for the owner to notice.

You may notice this if you see your bigger cat lay in a doorway and swat at the other cat as he tries to walk by.

Or you may see this when he growls at you when you try to move him or he appears to be in a bad mood while you are petting another pet.

Territorial

Territorial aggression is similar to competition, except that it centers just around the home or territory of your kitty.

Many animals have territorial instincts. Cats do too.

They may consider certain areas to be just their areas. This might be a small area. This might just be a certain room or a certain spot in a room.

They may growl at the intruder. They may swat. They may chase him. They may wait for their moment to pounce.

Cats will generally not mind sharing territory with humans, but they may direct their territorial aggression and anger at their owner if another feline has them annoyed or worried.

In a typical house, territorial issues arise when a new pet or human is introduced into the household.

It can also happen when one cat returns from the animal hospital and is covered in unusual, strange smells. It can take days before the returning cat gets her usual smell back.

Petting-Induced

Some cats become a little aggressive after being pet for a long while.

Some cats liked to be stroked a little bit, but after a few minutes, they have had enough. They sometimes suddenly nip at the person petting them, quickly get up and walk away.

If you observe this, don’t worry, it’s normal for some felines.

The best thing to do is pet her when she wants to be pet and stop when she doesn’t want it any longer.

The common signals that indicate petting time is over include

  • He stops purring
  • He doesn’t look sleepy any longer
  • He is now turning his head and looking at your hand
  • His tail has started to twitch or flip
  • He appears distracted and a little restless

If your kitty does this, just accept that he has his petting limits. He has a low tolerance for being groomed and stroked.

It’s nothing you’re doing wrong. It’s just how he is. He has a low petting threshold.

Fearful or Defensive Aggression

This type of behavior is easy to understand.

It occurs when your cat sees a threat and reacts to protect herself.

She’s scared.

Fear aggression is a reaction to a person, animal, or sound that has her scared and confused. In her confusion, she may lash out at you.

Don’t approach her. Don’t try to pick her up. Don’t try to physically console her.

How do you tell if she is scared? She may be hiding so you won’t see her.

Or she may be in a defensive posture. She is crouching low to the floor. Her ears are flat. Her tail is tucked. Her fur may be standing on end.

What do you do? Well, nothing. You can try to vocally reassure her. And you wait for the situation to pass.

Predatory

Predatory aggression is different from the other behaviors on this list.

Predatory behaviors are built into the DNA of a cat. Even a housecat. It’s a survival instinct. It’s a good thing for a cat in the wild to possess.

Cats have the desire to stalk prey. They focus. They watch. They wait. They assume a hunting posture. They sprint and chase. They pounce and bite.

Outside the home, this is what many cats have done for thousands of years.

But inside the home, or if you have other household pets and your feline exhibits this type of behavior towards you, another human, or your other pets, it can become a problem.

Maternal

Maternal aggression is simply how a new mother reacts when someone approaches her kittens.

Mother cats (called queens) have deep instincts to protect their young from any threat.

And even though you would never harm her kittens, she may be overly protective and perceive you as a threat.

She will certainly see your other cats as threats too.

She may be very aggressive towards you and your other pets during the first few days.

If she and her kittens seem okay, it’s best to just leave them alone and not provoke her.

Maternal aggression normally goes away as the kittens grow.

Pain-Induced and Irritable Aggression

When an animal is in pain, it is easy to understand why he might act out aggressively at people or another animal.

Pain-induced or irritable aggression can affect any animal, even the nicest, most normally docile one.

Cats in discomfort don’t want to be touched in the painful areas. They don’t want to be handled at all.

If you have a cat, especially an older one, that has always been calm and docile but has suddenly become aggressive, it’s possible that his problem is medical.

He has experienced some decline in his health and that is what is driving his sudden anti-social behavior.

Underlying medical problems should always be ruled out when you are first seeing any anger issues.

Make sure there is no health condition you should be attending to with your kitty.

Idiopathic

Idiopathic aggression is reserved for those cats that are highly aggressive against their human parents, but no underlying cause for it can be found.

A medical exam provides no evidence of any medical condition or complication.

And, even though their owner has thoroughly studied their daily behavior, environment, and history, no other category of aggression triggers seems to apply.

The cause behind their behavior can not be determined.

Generally, if no apparent cause can be found, the underlying condition ends up being either medical or redirected aggression. Both of these conditions may be difficult to uncover.

But sometimes, there is no underlying cause and the cat is labeled as having idiopathic aggression.

If a cat’s aggression is extreme or violent, and yet there is no cause for it, the cat owner will need to consider how to proceed.

Living with a sometimes violent and unpredictable feline can be difficult, especially if there are young children or elderly in the home.

Why Is My Cat So Aggressive and What To Do About It

Once you figure out the scenarios that are triggering your kitty’s aggressive emotions, you can begin curtailing those incidents from happening so often.

Become aware of how your cat sees his environment.

Constantly watch him and how he acts. You want to learn to read his body language.

Their body posture, the position of the ears, the position of the tail, facial expressions, eyes, whiskers, and sounds can all indicate what they are feeling.

Knowing when your kitty is feeling offensive or defensive can help you to avoid her when she wants to be left alone.

Characteristics of Defensive Posturing

  • A general protective posture that includes crouching
  • Feet tucked under the body
  • Head tucked in
  • Eyes wide open
  • Tail curved around the body or tucked underneath
  • Flattened ears or ears back against the head
  • Body may be turned sideways to the perceived threat
  • Hissing

Characteristics of Offensive Posturing

  • Trying to make herself look bigger and more intimidating
  • A tall upright stance
  • Direct stare
  • Tail is up and stiff or could be lowered
  • Fur on tail is puffed out
  • Upright ears
  • May be growling or yowling
  • May be very slowly approaching the perceived threat

How to Stop Play Aggression

If your cat plays too rough, you can try to train her out of doing that.

But if she’s been attacking people’s feet, toes, and fingers all her life, it’s going to be difficult to get her to stop now.

Your main strategy will be to distract her with better toys. Instead of your fingers and toes, make sure you provide her with a lineup of new and interesting toys that she will appreciate.

And if she gets too aggressive with you, your best option is to simply walk away, which ends playtime.

Over time, she should start to associate biting you with making you go away, which isn’t what she wants.

How Do You Stop Redirected Aggression?

When your kitty gets all excited by something he sees outside (like the neighbor’s cat), but he can’t directly respond to it, he may redirect that energy at you.

Your best course of action is to not allow him to see that outdoor cat in the first place. This removes the stimuli for his aggression.

You can close the curtain or put in window blinds if that is reasonable.

Or you can use deterrents to keep strays out of your yard.

There are motion-activated water sprinklers, sticky tape, electronic doormats, and other items that are designed to keep away outdoor pests.

You may have to get creative.

If the stimuli that are getting him spooked are outdoor noises, you may find success with keeping a radio on or using air cleaners as white noise generators to drown out the outdoor noises.

And when your feline gets agitated, be sure to avoid him until he calms down.

Competition Aggression Solutions

If you have a multiple cat home and your cats are competing for resources or each one wants to be the king of the house, you have a problem.

The first step would be to make sure each one is spayed or neutered. Raging sex hormones are behind a lot of behavior issues. It’s fine in the wild, but not so much in the house.

You don’t want to reward any cat that is trying to bully any other. Try ignoring any aggressive behavior.

Pay attention to the other cats, however. Make sure they have access to any resources they want.

How To Stop Territorial Aggression

Territorial problems start when you bring a new cat into your home.

It’s understandable if your existing cat is disappointed that he now has to share his home with someone new.

But if you have a plan to introduce them, and you take it slow, and you put in the effort to reassure your existing cat that nothing has really changed, you should be successful at it.

Take your time when introducing them. Don’t allow your new cat to go everywhere in the house right away. Restrict the new cat’s access for several days, maybe a week, maybe two weeks if things aren’t going too well.

Make sure each cat has food, water, litter, several great sleeping and hiding areas, and plenty of your attention.

Your new cat will gradually take on the smell of your home. He will begin to fit in. Your existing cat can’t stay mad forever.

Things will get better. They may become friends. At least they should tolerate one another.

How to Stop Petting Aggression

You might have a kitty that likes to be pet, but only for about two minutes at a time. If you go any longer than that, she gets angry at you and leaves – that is petting aggression.

The easiest way to put up with it is to just accept it.

You pet her where and when she wants it. You pay attention to her mood and when you notice that her mood is changing, you stop. Simple.

You may be able to lengthen these petting interactions by being careful, considerate, and giving out a few treats.

First, don’t bother her when she’s eating. Don’t pick her up when she isn’t wanting you to pick her up. Don’t wake her up to pet her.

Let her seek you out.

Don’t hold her on your lap with force, preventing her from jumping down.

Find out where she accepts being pet. Many cats don’t want their legs touched. Or their belly. The head and neck are generally safe.

To increase the time you get with her, give her a treat just as a petting session is ending, but before she shows any aggression.

Try to gradually increase each session a little bit. Keep giving the treats so she associates your sessions with those treats.

Stopping Fear-Based Anxiety and Aggression

The simplest way to stop fear aggression is to keep the fearful situations from occurring.

You will need to identify what is scaring your kitty and figure out how to prevent those situations from happening.

If that strategy isn’t possible, then maybe you can desensitize him so he gets over his worries.

By using treats, praise, and patience, you may be able to gradually expose him to whatever frightens him, rewarding him for staying calm, and maybe he will get over his fear a little day by day.

When your cat is afraid and is acting aggressively toward you, try to not reinforce that behavior.

Don’t react by acting afraid. Don’t react by trying to get her to calm down. Don’t reward her behavior. Just leave the room.

Preventing Predatory Aggression

Predatory aggression occurs when your indoor kitty pretends to hunt your other indoor pets or people.

Predatory instincts run deep in the feline world, so you can’t stop your cat from having those hunting urges or from acting on them.

But if he is pouncing on and scratching toddler’s feet, or terrorizing your gerbil or pet bird, you may have to give him other avenues to explore.

The best approach is to provide him with a rotating assortment of life-like toys. Toys with feathers, toys that resemble moles or mice, small toys he can capture and carry around.

What To Do With Health-Induced Aggression

For cases of medical-induced aggression, follow whatever advice your veterinarian has given you.

If your cat is in pain, handle her gently. Be nice. Don’t take it personally if she snaps at you.

An older cat may be confused, insecure, experiencing a loss of normal sensory input, or have any one of several disorders.

Be sure to properly administer any medications your vet gives you.

Wrap Up

If you have a cat that is acting aggressively, it’s your job to figure out why she is acting this way.

You need to observe her and your home’s environment. You need to determine the factors that are triggering her unwanted actions.

Then you need to reduce or eliminate those factors.

Unless the cause is readily apparent, you should work with your veterinarian to rule out a medical issue.

Once health-related issues as a factor have been ruled out, then you can focus on your cat’s behavior in order to formulate a solution to the problem.

Living with an overly aggressive cat can sometimes be risky. Be careful.

NOTE: This article is not intended to be medical or veterinarian advice or guidance. You should not rely on this article for professional health or vet care. The author of this post is not a veterinarian or a medical doctor. This author does not know your pet or your personal situation. This post should be taken as general information only. The advice you really should rely upon for your pet and your situation is the help and assistance you receive from a licensed veterinarian and the professional staff who actually examines your pet. Talk to your vet. That’s what they are there for.

Why does this nice cat get angry sometimes

Filed Under: Training Tagged With: aggressive cat

Help With an Aggressive Cat

January 11 by Maggie

Dealing With an Aggressive Cat – Tips and Techniques

Got a cat that’s too aggressive towards you?

It’s not any fun when you can’t fully trust your furry friend.

The First Step – Figure Out Why She is Being Aggressive

The average cat isn’t naturally overly aggressive or defensive.

Unfortunately, some learn it as a kitten due to lack of socialization or perhaps a bad owner.

Many cases are a result of some previous traumatic life experience, or general fear or anxiety.

Some become aggressive due to something they see or perceive in their current environment.

And still others begin to lash out when they are hurt or unwell.

Typical reasons your cat is acting aggressively are these:

  • He’s scared of you for some reason
  • He’s scared of something else and is redirecting it at you
  • He thinks he has to protect his territory from you or another cat
  • He has an issue with another cat in your home
  • He likes to play rough or play as if he is a hunter
  • He isn’t feeling well and is feeling scared or vulnerable
  • He’s had enough petting or human physical contact for a while
  • She’s a new mother and feels she has to defend her offspring

Whatever the source of their aggression is, your mission is to resolve that issue, and thus, stop your cat’s unwanted behavior.

What To Do First

If you aren’t sure what the underlying issue is, you may need to spend some time observing your cat’s body language and keeping track of her behavior patterns.

Take notice of what seems to trigger aggressive behavior.

Does there seem to be a specific trigger that usually occurs? What is happening in their environment just before their behavior changes? Is there a specific person or animal that is present?

Understanding the environment and how she perceives it is is the first step.

Tips To Deal With an Aggressive Cat

Once you think you have determined what the issue is that is behind your cat’s behavior, you can take steps to help solve those issues.

Depending on what you believe is the cause for your kitty’s aggression, here is a collection of actions you may be able to take to alleviate the situation.

1. Break the Pattern

When you notice your cat is about to become aggressive, try to interrupt the pattern by distracting him.

You could introduce a toy into his environment while talking to him.

Unusual noises work well at distraction too. However, you don’t want to make a loud noise that could scare him and make the situation even worse.

However, if he has already started becoming aggressive, it’s usually best to stop and try again another time.

2. Reduce the Stress

Most cats prefer a low-stress home.

It isn’t always possible for homeowners to provide this. But, if nothing else, try to provide a room or set of rooms your kitty can retreat to when she needs to.

3. Block Your Cat From Seeing Stuff That Upsets Her

Some cats hate seeing outdoor cats near their territory.

If an animal is just outside your house or looking in your patio door, try to get them from coming around.

If you can’t control your yard, perhaps you can block your kitty’s view to the outside with a curtain or window blinds. Or maybe you can discourage your cat from sitting in the window.

4. Modify the Behavior

While it’s hard to do, you may be able to slowly change the behavior of an aggressive cat by using positive reinforcement.

By using treats, food, and kind words, you can reward good behavior. This type of positive reinforcement may help change undesirable behavior.

It takes time and patience, but it’s worthwhile if you can do it.

5. Give Them Alternatives

Some cats have so much pent-up energy that it turns into overly aggressive behavior.

You can provide some alternatives for them to burn off some energy. Give them an interesting environment. Tire them out.

Maybe you can provide things for them to climb on, sleep up high on, scratch on, crawl into, carry around, or push around.

You can spend a little more time with them too, engaging them in playful activities.

6. Give New Mothers Some Space

New mother cats can display maternal aggression when someone or some other animal approaches her kittens.

It’s perfectly natural for these mothers to want to protect their little ones. Give her some space. There usually isn’t any need for you to handle those kittens during their first few days.

Most new mothers will be fine with you being around (and you will want to be around too), but just be sensitive to her needs too.

If you need to examine her offspring and she is being aggressive, her favorite foods or treats may distract her for a few minutes while you take a look at those kittens.

7. Maybe Cut Back on Visitors

If your kitty is not a fan of the people you have over, you can’t let her rule your life, but maybe you can do a few things to help her out.

If you will be having a visitor, you can move kitty to another room before your guest shows up.

It’s not likely that your aggressive cat will want to socialize with new people.

You may want to suggest to your visitors that they ignore him if he decides to come out. Visitors should not stare at him or initiate any petting, even though it may seem like a natural thing to do.

8. Use a Pheromone Diffuser or Spray

There are sprays and diffusers that produce smells that can calm most cats down.

These products emit smells that replicate feline pheromones. Cats recognize these pheromones which can make them feel safe, relaxed and with less anxiety.

9. Give Her a Time Out

When your cat gets too aggressive during playtime, just stop what you’re doing and walk away.

Don’t try to pick her up and put her in another room, simply go away and stop playing with her.

10. Use Food and Treats

Use treats to reward good, non-aggressive behavior.

You may also use feeding time as a way to build their trust.

If she is fearful of another person, that person could be in the room at a safe distance during feeding time.

Cats consider feeding time to be a positive experience, and by having that person in the room, you hope your kitty will start to become less scared of that person.

11. Know When to Stop Petting Him

Cats love to be pet, but there comes a time when many of them have had enough and want you to stop.

Some cats will suddenly stop purring. Others may start to twitch their tail. Some will flatten their ears back. Some will suddenly get up and leave.

You will have to be observant of your cat and how she responds. You will want to stop before she gets irritated and lashes out.

What Not To Do

Don’t physically strike or hit your cat. Don’t yell at her. You can change your voice a little so she knows you disapprove, but you want to remain calm.

Try to not get angry. Don’t throw things at her. Don’t scare her. Don’t stare at her. Don’t throw her off your lap. Don’t corner her. None of that helps.

Remember, she is little when compared to you. You don’t want her injured and you don’t want her to be scared of you.

Don’t approach an aggressive cat — let them come to you.

Don’t pick up an angry cat. But if you have to, protect yourself with thick gloves and long sleeves.

Some owners will throw a towel over a cat before picking him up. This works pretty well, but the cat will not like it at all. So you will have to have a plan about what you are doing with him.

Don’t encourage her to play with your feet or hands. Don’t allow her to think they are toys.

If you have multiple cats and they are really fighting, do not let them continue. You don’t want one or both injured.

A loud clap of the hands can often do the trick. But never attempt to touch or pick up a cat that is fighting.

Maybe Aggression is a Medical Problem

If you can’t identify any reason why your kitty is aggressive, maybe she is suffering from a medical condition.

She is lashing out because she is in pain and feels frustrated and vulnerable. This is called pain-related aggression.

She may have dental pain, arthritis, or areas that are painful to the touch. She doesn’t want anyone to touch her.

Taking her to a veterinarian for a check-up is a good idea.

Your vet may find some obvious medical condition.

He may be able to prescribe medication to reduce her discomfort and allow her to have a happier life. Her pain and aggression may be reduced dramatically.

If no medical reason is found, your vet may have some suggestions on what you might try.

The Last Resort

If you have a cat that is so aggressive that you can’t trust him any more — that’s a big problem.

You aren’t expected to live with a cat you are afraid of.

Cat scratches can be painful, but cat bites can be hazardous.

For the safety of your household, you may have to explore moving your cat to a different environment.

Finding another home for him, like on a small farm with a good family, might be the best thing to do. He will still have humans to take care of him, but he will also have plenty of freedom to do what he wants.

All cats deserve our patience and understanding.

NOTE: This article (along with the other articles on this site) is not intended to be medical or healthcare advice. Do not consider this article to be veterinarian or professional advice. The authors of this article are not doctors. They are not veterinarians. This article is to be read and understood as general information only. The medical advice you should depend on for your situation is the advice and guidance you receive from your own doctor who has examined your pet. Please call your vet with any concerns you have.

Get help with a sometimes aggressive cat

Is your cat kinda mean sometimes? Make your mean cat a little nicer.

Filed Under: Training Tagged With: aggressive cat

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