aggressiveness in cats is one of the problems for which the veterinarian consults more frequently. The first thing you should understand about this is that the feline does not adopt an aggressive attitude by chance or caprice, but rather that this always responds to specific reasons. That is why our site presents this article on why your cat has become aggressive, where you will find the main reasons that trigger violent attacks and tips on how deal with these situations. Keep reading!
When can you tell that a cat is aggressive?
We talk about aggressiveness when a cat that usually has a calm behavior, adopts threatening attitudes, being able to attack people, other cats or other pets. Aggression can be just some warning signs to prevent someone or something from getting close to the feline, or dangerous bites and scratches by the feline.
A cat's aggressiveness is accompanied by certain signs prior to a possible attack, which are easy to identify for those who know him. In this sense, the cat is said to adopt a defensive posture when:
- Shrinks his body
- Set the view
- His pupils dilate
- The tail curls
- Ears flatten
- The fur stands on end
- Knocks with front paws
- Grumble
On the contrary, the offensive attitude manifests itself in:
- Body and tail raised
- Dominant Stance
- Ears stretched out
- Ruffled Fur
- Shrinking Pupils
- Stare
- Pearing growls and howls
Faced with these signs, the cat wants that which threatens it to retreat. Otherwise, it won't stop when the time is right to attack. To know how to solve this problem and prevent it from happening to adults, with someone injured in between, it is necessary to know what causes aggressiveness, so below you We detail the most common reasons why a cat becomes aggressive.
The cat has become aggressive due to pain or illness
The main reason a cat becomes aggressive is because he is in pain. Cats are usually not very expressive when something hurts, so you may only realize something is wrong when you accidentally touch the area where it hurts. Find the reason for your pain. In this sense, some diseases are very painful, such as arthritis, otitis, peritonitis, dental problems, as well as injuries resulting from a fight with another pet or an accident during a game or a hunt, and abscesses, which also produce severe inflammation.
Diseases such as hypothyroidism, whose symptoms are not usually so obvious, also cause aggressiveness problems in some cats, so exhaustive thyroid tests will be necessary. Similarly, some conditions do not cause pain, such as neurological problems, feline leukemia, rabies, among others, but the cat will become violent as part of the effect that these produce, or as a way to prevent them from approaching him when he feels most vulnerable.
Feel fear
Fear in cats is caused by situations that make them feel threatened, in which they can hide or become violent In general, A well-socialized cat should not be afraid of normal stimuli in its environment, such as the sound of a horn or the arrival of a visitor to the home. However, new sounds and smells, as well as unfamiliar pets, can trigger a suspicious attitude, especially if you associate these unfamiliar stimuli with negative experiences (a pet that has been fought with, for example). Also, approaching them from behind, sudden sounds and sudden movements can scare them into attacking, but as a reflex
Aggressiveness due to poor socialization
Socialization is very important for cats, as it allows them to obtain information about how they should behave in certain situations. Kittens receive their first lessons in socialization from their mother and littermates, with whom they learn how to hunt, how to play and how to react to different stimuli that they show up. This is why feral cats are so distrustful of human beings: man is not among the stimuli to which he was exposed as a child, or when he did, it was always in situations that caused him fear or caused him harm. In general, this cause occurs when the cat has become aggressive with strangers or other animals, and not so much with the usual members of the household.
If you rescue a very small kitten, it is best to let it meet other people and animals from the beginning, as well as reassure it when it is startled with sounds that are common in the area where you live, to who can keep calm at all times. For more information, see our article on "How to Socialize a Puppy Cat."
Litter Protection
Cats are very jealous of the puppies in their litter, especially the first few weeks, so they won't like it if you try touching or carrying the minnows, so trying to do so may cause her to claw at you, as she will go to great lengths to protect her little ones from any threat.
Don't worry, when this is the reason for aggressiveness, the cat calms down as the days go by, so the best thing you can do is make sure the feline family doesn't lack nothing or in danger, and approach them discreetly so that they are calm.
He doesn't want to be hugged
Hugging, holding and caressing a cat is a temptation for many, how not to do it, seeing it so cute and fluffy? However, for felines it is very important to have their own space, and not to feel overwhelmed or dominated That is why it is so common that, when they have decided to snuggle up next to you or on your knees, suddenly snapping at you if you spend too much time petting it. So, in this case, it's not that the cat has suddenly become aggressive, but that it simply needs you to respect its calmness
The most important thing is to know when your cat has started to get annoyed or uncomfortable with your caresses, since he will give you several warnings before deciding to bite or scratch you. If you notice him excessively awake, instead of relaxed, with his ears flattened and his tail going up and down in a somewhat irritated way, it is best to stop your petting session if you do not want to get a scratch. Don't miss our article on the body language of cats and discover more about the meaning of their movements.
Has the cat become aggressive or is he playing?
Especially in cats that do not have other feline companions at home, playing can become the only way for the cat to drain all its energy and to put into practice its hunting instinct.
When they meet their mother, kittens learn to hunt with her through play, but in orphaned felines this possibility does not exist, so it is more difficult for them to know in what At this time they should limit the use of their teeth and claws when they are having fun. In addition, while the cat is a puppy, many times we find the attempts it makes to bite and scratch us funny, but as it grows this behavior becomes annoying, because the claws and teeth are those of an adult, capable of doing damage. Likewise, on many occasions we ourselves are the ones who promote this behavior, playing with him to bite our hands As we said, during the puppy stage we don't feel any pain, however, with this type of game he interprets that he has total freedom to "hunt" our hands and bite them whenever he wants to play, harming us as adults and making us believe that he has become aggressive.
he wants to protect his territory
The character of cats is as varied as the combinations that adorn their fur. Some are calmer, others more hyperactive, others more intolerant. A sweet cat with human beings can be, at the same time, very territorial when it comes to allowing other pets to get close to what it considers “his territory”, which brings about quite violent attitudes.
When the cat wants to defend its territory, it adopts a defensive posture, screeching and meowingor threateningly, because with These sounds are intended to intimidate potential intruders. Among males, it is usually common during the mating stages, since they not only want to protect their own territory but also ensure mating.
The attacked animal decides to leave or not, but this becomes a difficult problem of coexistence when the victim is another of the household pets. Although this aggressiveness is usually directed at other felines, and can lead to a fight, it can also occur against dogs and even against certain people.
The cat has become aggressive because of your actions
Sometimes you yourself are to blame that the cat has adopted aggressive behavior, without you knowing that you have contributed to it. If ever, in the face of a violent attitude, you have tried to calm him down with food, affection or even leaving him alone, it is possible that you teach him that, when he repeats the aggressiveness, he will receive some of these things that are beneficial for him.
Likewise, when you scold or attack it (which you should NEVER do) the feline's violence increases, predisposing it against you and against the action that triggered its violence (a bath, for example).
Aggressiveness with no known or redirected cause
Sometimes the cat may not be able to release his aggression towards the object causing it, so he attacks the first thing in his path. It usually happens when the cat sees or smells something or someone that bothers him (another cat that is outside his house, for example) and he can't attack it because he has no way out, so when you get close to him he jumps on you, or on some object that is nearby. The action is triggered by a reflex, product of accumulated anger.
When the aggressiveness is not due to any of the reasons mentioned above, and it is not possible to define why the cat has become aggressive, the origin is said to be unknown. It is the most difficult to combat, because you cannot be sure when it will be unleashed, or what stimuli should be avoided to prevent this behavior.
What to do when a cat is aggressive?
In the event of an outbreak of aggressiveness, adopt the following measures:
- Do not try to touch the cat or pick it up.
- Don't scold, hit or yell at him.
- Take a towel and put it over the feline, pick it up like this and place it inside a kennel or animal carrier until it calms down. From this refuge you will be able to observe it more calmly and detect any superficial wound. Walking away from him until he calms down also works.
- In the case of cats that are aggressive due to hormones, consider spaying or neutering.
- To get used to a new member of the family, try sensitization therapies, which consist of bringing both animals closer gradually, always under supervision, so that they get used to each other's smell and in territory neutral.
- In young cats, socialization begins after 3 weeks of life.
- Give your cattoys, scratching posts and interesting activities that he can exercise with. You will also need a space where you can be alone, be it a bed or a simple cardboard box.
- In households with many pets, increase the number of litter boxes, beds and feeders, this way you will avoid rivalries.
- Vaccine the feline against rabies and other diseases.
- Rewards positive behavior.
- Try to detect the reason for the aggressiveness. Go to your veterinarian for better advice.
And if none of these tips work and your cat continues to be aggressive, don't hesitate to See a feline ethologist for you to examine and treat properly.
