Aggression in cats is a major problem that can lead to injuries to humans and pets. Although feline aggression toward humans is not as commonly reported as dog attacks, it represents a significant challenge for cat owners, a public health concern, and one that, unfortunately, often leads to abandonment of the animal.
Let’s rethink our ideas about aggression and decode what motivates cats as a species to behave “aggressively” towards humans, other cats, and other pets. In addition to learning the reasons why cats may appear aggressive, we will discuss methods to combat this animosity to make the home more harmonious.
Table of Contents
What is aggression in cats?
Aggression is described as a warning or an attack directed towards one or more individuals: either intraspecific (same species) or interspecific (different species).
Aggression in cats is an innate responsethat is essential to their survival as territorial, self-sustaining predators. Aggression can be normal or abnormal depending on the context, but in general it is associated with the animal’s self-preservation and correlated with fear.
Decoding aggression
Aggression is not a diagnosis or a temperament trait!
The emotions felt by felines come from their hereditary brain, often called “emotional drives,” which is responsible for instinctive expressive arousal.
Aggressive behavior can be interpreted by the receptive motivation that reinforces it (Halls, 2020).
According to Panksepp, negative arousal is associated with:
- Frustration
- Fear-anxiety
- Panic
Hostility can also manifest itself in several circumstances. True hostility can be passive (covert) or active (overt)
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Since many forms of aggression in cats can involve the same growling, pawing, scratching, and occasional use of teeth and claws, it can take some time to categorize the type of aggression you witnessed.
Classifications of attacks
Cats can exhibit aggressive behavior due to several motivations. It is important to differentiate the type of aggression in cats to manage it effectively.
Aggression in cats towards humans
Aggression towards humans is usually linked to felines being handled or playing in the house. Unfortunately, most attacks are directed at family members, with one study indicating they are more common against children and women.
While scientific research into the impact of prenatal and postnatal stress of queens, and weaning, on the behavioral development of kittens continues, it has been found that intense exposure Prenatal stress can almost lead to increased reactivity and sensitivity to stressors. Kittens may therefore have a reduced ability to deal with traumatic situations and demonstrate increased emotionality in the form of abnormal levels of fear and aggression.
Additionally, a recent study found that early experiences and premature weaning can increase aggression in cats and stereotyped behaviors in cats. Hand-reared kittens may not learn to deal with frustration because they are not weaned by their queen, despite their caregiver’s best efforts; For some individuals, this can lead to problematic behaviors such as frustration-related aggression.
Cases of aggression in cats towards people should be assessed individually, in conjunction with a veterinary examination, taking detailed information about the cat, its environment, including the initial trigger and progression of the problem. The action plan will vary for everyone depending on the causal factors and situations.
Let’s look at the six main reasons for the occurrence of aggressive behavior towards humans, as well as effective management and prevention techniques:
- Fear Aggression
Although some cats are more fearful than others, mainly due to poor human socialization during the kitten’s sensitive period (2 to 8 weeks), this type of fear-anxiety antagonism concerns a cat facing completely new stimuli such as new people, an additional animal, an unfamiliar or unpleasant situation, and negative experiences.
Fear-based aggression may increase if the owner associates the cat with another stimulus that makes it anxious.
For example, this can happen when an owner is handling another cat and then approaches their cat. The smell of the unknown cat can trigger aggression towards the owner.
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A cat that feels threatened may exhibit defensive behavior when approached.
The cat’s attitude will include crouching on the ground, ears flattened behind the head and possible piloerection, while its reaction may include vocalizations as a warning sign to back away, biting or scratching depending on the level of suspected danger and excitement.
Do not try to physically comfort your cat when it is fearful, as this could lead to injury and make its panic worse.
Changing fearful behavior requires a lot of perseverance because every cat reacts differently.
Provide plenty of hiding places for the cat to escape, and combine these hiding opportunities with structured interactions. Forced contact with new people or pets should be avoided, while a mixture of desensitization and behavior modification techniques will eventually lessen the fear.
- Predatory play/aggression
Misdirected play/predatory attention-seeking behavior is manifested by pouncing followed by a rapid attack with the hands and feet. The most common cause is inappropriate interaction from owners playing with kittens with their hands. Kittens become overstimulated and play roughly, but parents take no action to stop this behavior.
Although kittens often play boisterously with other kittens or cats, the queen will teach its offspring to tone down their play. Adult cats who were not taught to control their reactions as kittens can play too aggressively with people.
Some cats may also “trap” their owners when they walk past them by jumping out from behind furniture and kicking their feet. Often this behavior is reinforced by the owner’s reaction, withdrawing its limbs or running like prey, inspiring predatory responses.
To avoid inappropriate play and predatory aggression, teach kittens to play appropriately from a young age by redirecting them toward inanimate objects such as ping-pong balls, “fishing rod” toys where a person is move a wand, but where the cat chases the toy on the end of the wand rather than the limbs.
Additionally, enrich your kitten’s environment with daily play sessions. Provide multiple climbing and exploration opportunities, problem-solving opportunities and access to the outdoors if possible.
Avoid punishment, stay calm and don’t react. Leave to avoid reinforcing the gripping behavior.
- Aggression induced by petting
To a loving cats owner, this type of enmity can seem deceptive and infuriating, especially since your cat may demand attention and then unexpectedly end the interaction by biting or scratching.
This is the case when a cat wants to have social contact, but not a very intense interaction such as caresses in several places of the body or strong caresses. A friendly adult cat may enjoy gentle petting for brief periods when desired, but will become easily frustrated or excited and may balk at biting its owner’s hands.
A cat may further develop a sense of conflict between pleasure and danger if it becomes too relaxed. This can lead to a sudden violent action. Again, these cats respond to an innate survival mechanism intended to protect them from threats.
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To manage a pooch who becomes agitated or easily excited, owners should pay attention to the cat’s subtle warning signs and avoid prolonged pampering sessions or petting of body parts that make it vulnerable (belly, chest or back).
Pain-induced aggression
A sick cat may inadvertently lash out due to a lower tolerance threshold, as they most often experience pain, distress and irritation. A cat’s aggressive response to discomfort is likely due to the anticipation or experience of pain when touched, which is context-related.
Common illnesses linked to aggressive behavior include degenerative joint disease (DJD), hyperthyroidism, dental conditions, and neurological disorders.
Options for managing discomfort should include veterinary consultation, pain control, complementary therapies, and avoiding touching painful parts of the body in DJD.
- Redirected aggression
When a cat becomes frustrated or agitated by a stimulus that does not achieve its desired outcome, it may respond by “redirecting its aggression” toward the target (i.e., a human or other pet ) located nearby rather than towards the source.
Typical causes are seeing another cat through the window, not being able to chase it away because it is locked inside, or when an owner picks up a cat while it is fighting between them. Likewise, a cat frightened by sudden excessive noise can cause agitation that results in redirected resentment.
To avoid annoyances, try to identify the cause of the stress and remove it if possible. If the source is another cat, draw the curtains or attach opaque film to the bottom of a full-length window. In multi-cat homes, enrich the cat’s environment by giving it unlimited access to all resources and offer it outdoor time. Since cats are sensitive to change, make sure their environment is free of loud noises and boisterous visitors.
- Maternal aggression
Although maternal aggression is less common, some queens nursing their offspring in the postnatal period may display ferocity when approaching certain individuals.
To minimize aggression in cats and reduce stress for the queen and its kittens, limit the number of guests, provide a quiet, stress-free nesting site, and minimize disturbance from nest scent. Always carefully observe the queen’s behavior when someone is caring for its offspring to ensure it is comfortable with their presence.
Finally, let’s look at a common problem facing multi-cat households today:
Aggression between cats
Aggression between cats can be classified as conflict-related, fear-related, play-related, and redirected, triggered by the presence of another cat or separation of residents following hospitalization.
Although many cat owners believe that more cats mean more, felines are solitary and territorial species that generally do not accept newly adopted cats into a home. Arguments between cats are common, especially when individuals are not related or socialized together during the sensitive period.
It has been reported that conflicts between cats within the same household occur at least once a month. It is often subtle and frequently leads to feline distress and behavioral problems. Anecdotally, a cat that frequently experiences obstruction of essential resources may suffer from chronic stress, which may increase the risk of idiopathic cystitis or alopecia.
The queen’s social contact with its offspring is of crucial importance for normal emotional and behavioral development. Kittens completely deprived of maternal care have been shown to be at higher risk of developing fearful or aggressive responses toward other cats and also exhibit diminished learning abilities (Seitz, 1959).
To prevent aggression in households where several cats live, gradual introductions should be made when adopting a brand new cat. Many studies suggest that early exposure and positive interactions with other felines during the sensitivity period are particularly important in fostering greater acceptance of other kitties, including the formation of social bonds later in life. Likewise, pheromone products can help minimize hostility and make introductions easier.
Preventing conflict between cats requires adjustments to the environment aimed at favoring the distribution of cats, reducing competition for resources while reducing distress, irritability, negative emotions and increasing the cat’s self-confidence .
Conclusion
Any form of aggression in cats is dangerous and represents a significant challenge for cats owners. Although classifications differ, aggression in cats is generally associated with fear, frustration, misdirected play, or illness.
Different forms of aggression are often treated through changes in behavior and environment. However, most cases require a visit to the veterinarian to rule out a medical problem.
Assault is often difficult to diagnose and treat. It is therefore essential to seek the help of a qualified animal behaviorist who can develop a personalized treatment plan for your feline companion.
Frequently asked questions
Why does a cat suddenly become aggressive?
Sudden aggression in cats is often a sign of a disease process or condition. In atypical cases, such as partial seizures in the limbic region, cats may demonstrate impulsive aggression that has no apparent trigger or environmental cause.
If your cat has tolerated handling before and suddenly begins to show aggression when petted, make an appointment with your veterinarian.
What does it mean if your cat becomes aggressive?
Aggression may be a behavioral sign and not a diagnosis. It is usually driven by fear of unfamiliar stimuli, frustration from inappropriate or prolonged handling, as well as the distress of a cat unable to escape a negative experience, for example in a veterinary clinic. Aggressive behavior can even be triggered by pain or an external provocation to which the cat is not able to respond immediately and may redirect its hostility towards the owner or another animal nearby.
Here are some signs to watch for when a cat is signaling that it is about to be aggressive: dilated pupils and staring, tense crouching position, tail movement from side to side, accompanied piloerection whistling sounds.
Do cats lose their aggression while playing?
Attention-seeking behavior through play is common in very active kittens and young cats, especially at night, at dawn/dusk, or at mealtimes.
Bored and lonely cats will start stalking, pouncing and attacking humans if they are neglected or not given regular play time.
Most cats grow out of it when owners improve their cats’ lives by teaching them to play appropriately using hanging toys rather than using hands and feet. Owners should redirect kitties to prey-mimicking toys, provide twice-daily interactive play with a feather wand, and introduce leash walking and clicker training.
How do you know if your cats are playing or fighting?
Affiliated individuals will chase, stalk, pounce, and strike each other with their paws. Play sessions are generally silent and cats struggle by rolling onto their sides or backs. Bites can also be experienced in a mild form without causing injury or pain. Happy cats will not scratch, hiss, paw or growl, and there will be a sense of balance and play.
In cases of defensive aggression without play, a cat positions itself in a very protective manner by crouching, moving away from the recipient, flattening its ears, tucking its head in, and raising its hair through hisses and growls. In the event of offensive aggression, a cat will place itself in a very threatening posture: it will stiffen its paws, show a piloerection, stare at the target and move towards it with a rigid tail, emitting long meows and growling.
