Aggressive Cat Behavior: Understanding And Correcting Your Pet's Actions
Anyone who loves cats will tell you that they are great pets. Many make this statement because of how much love cats show when they cuddle up with you and purr. Others may say that it is because of the way a cat carries itself. Unfortunately, there are cats that are aggressive and for many this gives cats a bad name, and if your cat has suddenly become aggressive this is something to get taken care of quickly.
There are many different ways aggressive cat behavior can manifest itself. Pain Aggression is definitely something to take care of quickly, if they have always been of a mild temper and they are suddenly scratching and biting at you, you need to see a vet as soon as possible. The aggressive cat behavior could well be a signal to you that your cat is sick or injured.
The most common aggressive cat behaviour is Play Aggression. Normally, it is the owner who induced this behavior. Everyone loves to wrestle with their kitten. As the cat gets older it won't understand that it can hurt you or why you don't wrestle any longer. Unfortunately, this behavior can scare others and give your cat a bad reputation. Getting the claws removed only fixes a symptom, not the problem. Instead, try giving them toys and dangling objects to play with so that wrestling is not their favorite pastime. Also, a loud hand clap can stop aggression.
If a cat gets on the defensive, it can act like it is backed into a corner. A cat who has been over stimulated may suddenly turn violent. If they feel worried or scared, they will certainly misbehave. It is an owner's responsibility to learn their cats warning signs and remove it from the source of the agitation. Sometimes there can be misplaced aggression. If a cat sees something out the window that disturbs him, he may take it out on you. When this happens, it will normally growl and hiss and needs a time out.
There are other types of aggressive cat behavior, such as Maternal, Dominance, and Territorial. If a cat has kittens, it may be overly protective of them, it is the owner's job to trust the maternal instincts of the cat and leave the kittens alone. Dominance aggression is more complicated and the only way to treat it is to remove attention until the cat is gentler. Territory fights need to be broken up and the cats separated to their own quiet spaces immediately. Making life boring will be the best way to get them to behave.
The most important thing to remember is that punishment will never fix aggressive behavior. If you feel you need help or their might be a deeper cause to the problem, you should look to a cat whisperer for help. Whisperers have a good knowledge of cats and they relate to them very well, like a therapist. You can find some online that can give you advice. However, for very difficult cases, it might be best to get a whisperer to come to your home.
Unfortunately, there are cats that are aggressive and for many this gives cats a bad name, and if your cat has suddenly become aggressive this is something to get taken care of quickly. It's very common for cat behaviour to manifest itself in play aggression. Typically the owner incites this behavior by riling up his cat. Some other types of aggressive cat behavior are Maternal, Territorial, and Dominance aggression. Punishing a cat will never correct aggressive behavior. Getting help from a cat whisperer, or "feline therapist", if you can't handle the problem yourself, would prove more effective, especially when the problem appears to be a deep-seated one.
Published September 25th, 2007
Filed in Family, Recreation