Aggressive Behavior in Cats

A common problem that troubles cat owners is the aggressive behavior shown by cats. There are many reasons behind cats turning aggressive. The cat being a member of the feline family, shares its lineage with tigers lions, leopards etc. Being aggressive is thus, the natural instinct of cats. It is difficult to predict the reason behind a cat's aggression and the aggression can be minimized by proper training. But there are some fixed reasons behind aggressive behavior. Let's discuss a few of them in the following paragraphs.

Aggressive Play Acting

Playing is one of the favorite activity of cats, other than sleeping. They can play with almost any moving object they come across and have an inborn instinct to attack. Cat owners are caught unawares and are attacked, if they ignore this habit. All the owners can do is to restrict such behavior among cats. The signs of aggressive behavior in cats are the dilation of pupils, swishing of the tail, crouching and flattening of ears. Such kinds of behavior can be moderated if the kittens are adopted at an early age. Clapping loudly when the cat turns aggressive, is also a solution to avoid getting scratched or bitten.

Territory

Remember any documentary on tigers on the Discovery Channel? The tigers spray urine to mark their territory. The members of the 'cat family' in general, are possessive about their territory. The aggressive cat behavior that results from territory-based problems, is most common in cats. If other animals try to encroach their area, cats get involved in fights. The territories of cats could range from backyards, an entire house or as small as single rooms where they spend most of their day's time. Fresh from a fierce cat-fight, a feline might attack its owner. In case of a multi-cat house, the territory-based aggression could increase among the member cats and the problem might actually worsen. Thus, one should be careful while introducing a new cat in the house. For the first few days, the cats should be allowed to interact under supervision. After spending some time, cats get used to each other.

Medical Problems

Medical problems should never be ignored, as the cats might turn violent due to the suffering. Cats suffer from problems such as arthritis of the spine and neurological problems leading to intense and sudden pain. A sudden twinge of pain in the cat, is termed as 'ghost pains'. It is necessary to handle cats with the utmost care, when they develop a medical condition. A carrier should be used to take them to the vet. The skin of a cat ripples during an episode of 'ghost pains'. Regular visits to the vet for keeping a check on health problems is necessary.

Non-Recognition Aggression

This type of aggressive cat behavior is seen in multi-cat houses. If one of the many cats present in the house, spends a considerable amount of time away from the other cats, the non-recognition aggression may crop up. One of the reasons behind the development of this aggression is the scent of sprays or medicines used by a vet. A cat which is taken for treatment, smells of the medicines used. The rest of the cats might not recognize the original scent of the cat when camouflaged in the smell of medicines. Thus, non-recognition aggression develops among the cats. Many cat owners, take all the cats along for a walk to minimize such behavior.

It is difficult to predict the behavior of cats. Unlike dogs, cats exhibit excessive pride in themselves. One has to be patient in dealing with them. Any kind of rash behavior on the part of a cat owner, may be answered by an equally stinging reply by the cat. So, "cat owners, beware!"