What causes sudden aggression in cats? Why does a cat attack its owner for no apparent reason? What could be the prerequisites and what should be done in this case? In the article, we talked about breeds prone to aggression and considered options for response.
Usually a gentle and affectionate domestic cat, the family favorite with a loud purr and soft paws sometimes turns into a hissing, scratching monster in a second. Owners are often faced with such dramatic changes in the behavior of their beloved pets and do not know what they should do. Let's try to figure out what causes unexpected changes and what to do about it.
What to do about cat aggression
Which breeds are the most aggressive?
There are breeds for which rapid mood changes are quite typical. Such cases cannot be called unexpected aggression, since when getting an animal of a particular breed, a responsible owner must study its characteristics. What breeds are we talking about?
- Siamese cat.
An ancient breed, its history is determined by the difficult character of the Siamese representatives. There is a legend according to which in ancient Thailand Siamese cats protected homes and were “guard cats.” Because of this, the idea of \u200b\u200bthe aggression of the Siamese is firmly rooted in the minds of people. But in practice, these blue-eyed cats become strongly attached to their owners, and can show aggression towards strangers if they encroach on what the cats think belongs to them. Beloved owners fall into the property category. Provided the Siamese cat is properly raised and given attention, he will not rush at his owner without reason.
Siamese cat
- British shorthair cat.
Britons are by nature very independent and self-sufficient. If they are not inclined to communicate, and they are forced into contact, they may attack. Due to their often strong build, such attacks can result in painful injuries.
- Bengal cat.
Hybrid of wild and domestic cat. Bengals are always happy to hunt: for a toy or human hands. It is important to accustom a kitten to handling from an early age, then an adult pet will be able to dispel the myth about the bloodthirstiness and uncontrollability of its breed.
- White cats.
Cats with white coats, including Turkish Angoras, are often deaf in one ear or completely deaf from birth. The relationship between a genetic predisposition to hearing impairment and white coat color has been well studied; it was noted by Charles Darwin. However, white cats can often feel unsafe because they cannot hear a threat coming from behind. It is these qualities that explain the tendency to aggression.
In general, I would like to add that the opinion that all individuals of the same breed are identical is akin to racial prejudice. All animals are unique, they have their own conditions for growing up and developing character. And if you once got hurt by a barn cat, you may have pulled its tail too hard. When any kitten grows up in an atmosphere of love and respect, when it receives enough attention and care, it simply does not have a chance to grow up to be an unbridled aggressor who keeps all household members in fear.
White cats may be prone to attacks due to deafness
What should an owner do if a cat bites and attacks?
You can understand what to do if a cat attacks its owner using the reason for its aggressiveness. The problem that arises can be solved by proper education or treatment.
Bring up
Regardless of the reason for the pet’s inappropriate behavior, retaliatory aggression on the part of the owner is unacceptable. Animals respond best to being ignored. If the attack occurs while playing together, demonstratively leave the room and do not come into contact with the cat until it realizes its mistake.
Education begins from the first days of the appearance of a mustachioed pet in the house. If the moment has already been missed, then more time will be required. It is more difficult for adults to overcome established habits than for kittens.
The following recommendations will be useful for retraining your cat:
- Avoid playing with your hands. Reconsider your arsenal of toys in favor of teasing fishing rods and mice that are suitable for displaying the hunting instinct.
- Don’t break away when another conflict arises. Gently remove your hand when the grip loosens and leave the room immediately.
- Buy a scratching post. Make sure the type you choose is suitable for your pet. The scratching post will not only shorten the length of the claws, but will also absorb some of the energy.
- Use a spray bottle. A jet of water is the ideal tool to prevent unwanted actions.
- Get another pet. If the cause of aggression lies in a lack of attention, then an additional playmate will quickly solve the problem.
Be patient. Over time, your efforts will definitely bring results.
Treat
If a disease is detected, the problem is eliminated after it is cured. Prolonged and frequent attacks require a mandatory check with a veterinarian.
A cat with an unsatisfied sexual instinct will have to undergo castration. If you have a mental disorder, you will need long-term drug treatment, but rabies cannot be cured. The patient will have to be isolated in a special box to confirm or refute the disease. A positive prognosis is only possible if you are vaccinated against the virus.
Main reasons for attacks
So, we found out that the cat rushes at its owners not because it has a “bad breed,” what to do next. First you need to find out the reasons and exclude possible diseases.
Miseducation
When a kitten appears in the house, it becomes the object of everyone's attention and a source of boundless joy. Plays with all movable objects, suddenly attacks immovable ones during his childhood games. It is important to track the moment and not develop the habit of the animal throwing itself at the feet of passing owners and not making its hands the only toy. The cat will grow up, baby teeth will be replaced by strong teeth, claws will become larger in size, as will the animal itself, which will gain weight and strength. Then playing with your hand will bring joy to only one side.
When a kitten appears, make sure that you provide him with leisure time, buy toys, and perhaps a house in which he can jump and climb. Then the focus will shift, the animal will still be happy, and you will be safe.
By allowing the kitten to scratch itself, the owner encourages incorrect behavior
Breed characteristics
To avoid having to lament what an evil cat you got, study the characteristics of the breed and talk to the breeder. If there are prerequisites, pay special attention to the kitten in the first months of its life. Get used to holding, stroking and caressing your baby. If there are noticeable preconditions for aggression, punish. But don’t hit, this will cause retaliatory aggression, immediate or hidden.
Separation from mom
The formation of normal social behavior begins in childhood. When a baby is left early by his mother, he is automatically deprived of a basic sense of security and is left to his own devices. This is the main reason why a kitten bites and lunges at its owner for no apparent reason. Being a loner, a kitten must be constantly ready to defend itself. Such an animal, showing aggression in adulthood, seeks security for itself. In this case, you must be patient and show him for a long time with your behavior that he has nothing to fear, and now you will protect him if something happens.
Often the reason for a cat's aggression lies in its childhood.
Other Possible Causes
At least nine other reasons can be identified:
- Some kittens, for one reason or another, are isolated from their brothers and sisters, and as a result, their social behavior is not formed in the correct way. Then a tendency to react incorrectly to other animals, including aggression, may develop.
- It happens that owners do not understand the needs of the cat. For example, a cat that scratches and bites is taken with them to the dacha, it has space for life and games, as well as the opportunity for secluded tranquility, and everything falls into place, there is no trace of aggression left.
- Aggression caused by fear is in turn divided into four degrees according to the degree of complexity: mild, moderate, severe and very severe degree of fear. The first is typical for meeting a new animal, person or home: the cat warily studies the object. During the second stage, the tail curls up, the whole body tenses, and the mood seems very restrained. Can be observed during a visit to the doctor. The severe stage is characterized by a quick reaction, not always adequate, to what is happening: the animal defends itself with teeth and claws. Saves, for example, during a dog attack. A very severe stage is dangerous not so much for the person as for the cat itself. Involuntary urination may occur, the pupils dilate, at this moment a maximum dose of adrenaline is present in the blood, and the heart rate goes off scale. In this case, you need to cover the cat, for example, with a box, and leave it alone for a while.
When defending their territory, cats often attack people.
- Fighting within one species can take place not only when a newcomer appears in the house, but can also be activated when the animals live happily together.
- Cats suffering from loneliness can also become unfriendly. In nature, cats always have something to do. Make sure that your pet has the opportunity to release energy on his own if you cannot participate in this. There are breeds that simply need company, such as Orientals. If you don't have the opportunity to spend time with a charming cat, give him company in the form of a second cat or dog.
- Sometimes, on the contrary, anger becomes a reaction to a large crowd of people. There are known cases of heart attacks in cats whose house was visited by “uninvited guests.” Confusion in the face of insecurity on one's own territory can cause anger, and as a result, an attack.
- The need to fight for territory with other animals, and sometimes people, is a common reason for aggression. A new pet appears in the house, an unfamiliar cat walks outside the apartment door or under the window, or even a small child uses a bed for a needle - all this can cause an unexpected reaction.
Playing with foreign objects develops good habits
- When playing with a cat, you can cause an aggressive reaction without noticing it. We are talking about cases when the animal “plays”, and the fun smoothly flows into fighting. In this case, cats usually give a warning by meowing before throwing. Do not continue the game, calmly and smoothly move away from the animal, give it time to calm down.
- Finally, if an adult cat suddenly begins to attack its owners, the cause may be physical illness. Try to track the beginning of aggressive behavior. If after eating the pet does not show pleasure, does not lick itself, but begins to wag its tail and express anxiety, the cause may be poor-quality food or problems with the gastrointestinal tract.
Aggression may indicate the manifestation of an invisible disease, such as toxoplasmosis, hepatoencephalopathy, ischemic encephalopathy, meningioma, chemical poisoning, epilepsy. Inexplicable anger can be caused by injuries or hormonal imbalance.
In case of repeated unexplained attacks of aggression, take the cat to the veterinarian - the cause may be a disease that can only be diagnosed by a specialist.
A well-behaved kitten will never harm a child
Aggression towards other animals (cats and dogs)
A striking example is the aggression of a mother cat when danger appears for her kittens. Such cat “negativity” can manifest itself both towards people and animals. Therefore, it is better not to disturb the mother cat and her offspring again. The place where she is with the kittens must be safe so that the cat is calm and that her babies are not in danger.
Enmity between two or more cats can also turn into aggression. They can fight for territory or simply “find out” which of them is stronger by meeting in open territory. Aggressive relationships arise between animals if one of them was recently brought into the house, and the other has been living in it for a long time, and even if the cats have been living in the same territory for a long time, then something can provoke their mutual aggression.
Sometimes a cat attacks and bites, reacting to a stimulus it sees and hears, to which it does not have access, so it takes out its feelings on those it can reach - household members or animals, even if they have done absolutely nothing to it. This is especially common in cats of oriental breeds. This phenomenon is called redirected aggression. At the same time, it may seem that the cat begins to fight for no reason at all. At the same time, the animal can remain so “reactive” for quite a long time.
Aggression over the division of territory can also manifest itself in “war” between species.
Cats often share a home with other pets, including those of the same species. And each of them may have their own reasons for “evicting” their opponent. In a cat, territorial type aggression can be directed towards various living objects - people, other animals, regardless of their species. But most often these are other cats. In this regard, it is dangerous to keep two sexually mature males in an apartment, as life will turn into a complete nightmare.
And even if the animals previously tolerated each other completely normally, but at some point one of them returned, for example, from the veterinarian, carrying a lot of unfamiliar (and even somewhat scary) odors, then the pet, staying at home at this time, unexpected aggression may arise. Since representatives of the feline family recognize members of their pride by their smell, if the absent animal comes back and smells different from everyone else, then it may be mistaken for a stranger. Much the same thing happens when one of the owners, who has been absent for a long time, returns home, then at first the cats may not accept him and behave aggressively.
The owner's actions in response to aggression
If we are talking about a kitten that is excessively active during play, it is recommended to play with the baby more often with a toy with a string on a stick. This way he will be able to waste excess energy, after which he can be caressed and stroked. You need to make it clear to the small pet that you do not allow him to attack you; to do this, you can firmly grab him by the withers for a while, showing that you are in charge here. Experienced owners also suggest a method of calming with a spray bottle. Splashes of water cool the ardor.
When it comes to an adult with suddenly enlarged pupils, waving its tail and frozen in a hunter's pose, the first thing you need to do is remain calm. Do not make sudden movements and under no circumstances attempt to use physical force. Slowly move away to a safe distance, try to distract the animal with a toy. The spray bottle method can also help, keeping the cat switched and occupied for at least a while. As punishment, it is enough to leave the animal alone for at least an hour.
Punish the animal
Remember that in all cases violence begets violence. Punishment, whether verbal or physical, will cause repeated aggression
Never hit a cat!
As punishment, grab the cat by the scruff of the neck, this is a gesture of behavioral superiority. Take the animal out of the room and leave it alone for a while. It is possible to retrain a pet at any age, but the older it is, the more work and patience will be required from you.
Punishment will only cause retaliatory aggression
Engage in education
Raising a cat doesn't end when it's no longer a kitten. Just as you can spoil an animal at any age, you can also instill in it good habits. It is important that your pet understands that you are not equal to him, and that you are in charge here. In parenting, you should not succumb to provocations: if you decide to teach your cat a lesson by being alone, plaintive meows should not make you change your intentions.
Caress treatment
Not the safest, but effective way to combat aggressive behavior is treatment with affection. Noticing that the cat's mood is changing, arching its back, flattening its ears, waving its tail from side to side, caress it with all the tenderness that you have. The aggressor will have no one to fight with and nothing to fight for. The animal will feel safe and calm.
How does aggression manifest in a cat?
The severe nature of an aggressive pet is externally manifested:
- Hissing, growling, loud meowing
- Twitching in the back area
- Raising the wool
- Arching your back
- Swinging a paw
Changes in the animal's behavior signal to the owner that the cat is not happy and is ready to attack. During this period, do not tease your pet, do not provoke it, behave calmly. In the presence of a cat, do not make sudden movements, speak kindly. Your pet should feel safe.
What else do veterinarians advise?
Sterilization is often the only way to avoid cat temperament. A safe operation changes the animal’s hormonal background, making it more balanced, sometimes even more affectionate.
If you are faced with the problem of unexplained outbursts of aggression in your pet, you should remember that everything happens for a reason. We need to figure out what is bothering the cat, why it needs to protect itself and from whom. The first symptoms of anger will help relieve your calmness, love and care in all forms. At the slightest suspicion of a health threat, ensure that your pet visits a specialist.
Methods to combat aggression in cats
What to do if a cat lunges at its owners? In fact, there are few options in this situation. Your main task will be to make the animal understand that aggression is unacceptable, and that any manifestation of it will be immediately punished. Try the following cat training methods:
- After your pet attacks you, it must be punished immediately. Scold him loudly, shame him. You can also spray the cat with a spray bottle of water several times.
- Try to play with your cat more often and spend more time with it. This will help her burn off excess energy and she will be calmer.
- If the owner is attacked by a cat, the cat should not be allowed to sleep with her for several nights, and the animal should not be allowed into the bedroom. If the cat meows and scratches near the door, ignore her attempts to get into the room. This method will show the animal who is boss in the house, and, ultimately, the cat will behave calmer.
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Remember that you need to punish a cat not so much with physical methods as with psychological ones. The use of force in such cases can only aggravate the situation and make the animal even more inadequate. Focus on making your cat understand which of his actions are unacceptable and cause your displeasure.
It would be a good idea to contact a veterinarian in such a situation. The specialist will be able to give more detailed recommendations on raising a cat, and will also check for the presence of pathophysiological disorders in the animal.
The nuances of raising a kitten from the first days of life together
In order to raise a kitten to be obedient and affectionate, you need to know the characteristics of the periods of its development. And in each of them apply the most appropriate methods of influence.
They begin raising the baby immediately after the completion of the period of adaptation to the new place of residence.
They begin to raise the baby immediately after the completion of the period of adaptation to the new place of residence. The first and main concern at this time is litter box training. This must be done affectionately, calmly and persistently. Many cats immediately understand what is wanted from them and begin to perceive the litter box as their latrine.
Immediately after a kitten appears in the house, they carefully observe it, trying to find out what kind of character the pet has. Punishment, even with the best intentions, is unacceptable. The kitten is not yet able to understand what exactly caused the owner’s dissatisfaction, and physical pain will only cause fear or resentment.
With systematic punishment, the animal will develop character traits such as aggressiveness and bitterness. Or on the contrary: the animal will become downtrodden and fearful. In the first six months, it is recommended to avoid situations that are stressful for your pet: noisy feasts and parties.
