Pawfect Manners
Dog and Cat Training

Understanding Aggressive Behavior in Cats

The first thing to realize is that most of the behavior we see as 'aggressive' is merely the cat's way of saying, 'I don't like that,' 'I'm afraid,' or 'Leave me alone.' Hissing, batting with their paws, biting, and scratching are all forms of distancing. They are ways for the cat to say 'back off,' regardless of the reason. Once you understand when and why the cat is acting aggressively, you can prevent the circumstances and start to work with the cat to decrease instances of aggressive display.

Aggression can be a serious problem that results in injury to other animals or people. In addition, zoonotic diseases can be spread from cats to people, and cat to cat, through bites and scratches. Although not a common complaint, aggression is commonly seen in the form of play behavior in kittens. If not addressed, rough play in kittens and can become out of control in the adult cat. Understanding the cat's normal social behavior, body postures, and facial expressions can help prevent aggression behavior.

Preventing aggression towards humans

Aggression may be caused by lack of socialization

There is increased risk of aggression towards humans if a cat did not have human contact during the sensitive growth periods. Cats that are not handled until 14 weeks of age are more fearful and aggressive toward people, regardless of the circumstances.

Such cats do not voluntarily approach humans and may display aggressive behavior if they cannot escape. In contrast, cats that are handled for as little as 5 minutes per day from the day they are born until they are 7 weeks of age are quicker to approach and solicit people for interaction and gentle play, quicker to approach inanimate objects, and quicker to play with toys.

Socializing cats to a variety of people, including men, women, and children, may prevent some forms of human-directed aggression. If possible, expose kittens to humans before the kitten is 7 weeks old. Have the queen present, provided she is not afraid. Handling by people should be frequent, pleasant, and gentle. Include handling that mimics basic health care procedures, including clipping claws, checking ears, and brushing teeth. If an adult cat has not been exposed to such handling as a kitten, you can still socialize them, it will just take more time and patience.

Play aggression - Kittens often play roughly with other cats or kittens. The queen and other kittens teach the kitten to temper their play. Cats that as kittens never learn to moderate their responses may play too aggressively with people. Use interactive toys (eg, a fishing pole-type toy with fabric or feathers at the end of it) or stuffed animals instead of letting the kitten play directly with your hands or feet. Adult supervision is essential when children play with and handle kittens and cats; this supervision will prevent injury to all involved.

Fear/Defensive aggression - Cats who are fearful may display body postures which appear to be similar to canine submissive postures - these can include crouching on the floor, ears back, tail tucked, and possibly rolling slightly to the side. Cats in this posture are not submissive, they are fearful and defensive and may attack if touched.

Aggression associated with petting - Some cats become less tolerant of petting as they mature. Cats with this condition actually solicit attention from people, but tend to bite if petted for more than a few seconds. There may be several different reasons the cat doesn't want to be petted for long. Physical ailments, like arthritis or allergies are a possibility. Mental components must also be considered, depending on the degree of the reaction. These cats may have a form of impulse control aggression. Such aggression can be avoided if the owner learns to give those cats attention in other ways, pet the cat for very short periods, or both. It's always recommended to check with your vet if your cat is reacting poorly to being petted.

Redirected aggression - If a cat is highly aroused by something it sees, usually an outdoor cat or other animal, the cat may redirect that aggression toward anyone nearby. This victim could be another household cat, even one with which there had been no previous problems, or an unsuspecting family member. Never attempt to handle a cat in this aroused state, because serious injury may result. If one cat is attacking another, a noise can distract or startle the attacker and interrupt the event. However, some cats will be rendered more aggressive by these stimuli, so caution is urged in using any disruptive stimulus. If cats must be handled while in this reactive state, throwing a blanket over them can allow safe handling to occur. Try calling them to you with treats instead.

Pain-associated aggression - Pain can cause aggression. A cat may attack an individual who causes pain (eg, a person combing over arthritic hips or brushing a painful tooth), or have lower tolerance because of preexisting pain. Because painful conditions such as arthritis, dental disease, intervertebral disk disease, meningioma, or injury often induce aggression, clients are strongly encouraged to immediately make an appointment for a cat that becomes aggressive suddenly.

Predatory behavior - Cats are hunters and will go after prey even if not hungry. The best way to prevent predatory behavior is to raise kittens with potential prey animals (eg, pocket pets or birds). Even if cats are not aggressive, clients should supervise them whenever they have access to potential prey. To prevent predation of wildlife, keep cats indoors, confine them to outdoor cat enclosures, or leash-walk them. Placing bells on the collars of free roaming cats does not always prevent predation because cats can learn to stalk without the bell ringing.

Remember that predatory behavior may take the form of chasing moving objects, like shoe laces, yarn, or other dangling/moving items. The best way to stop this is to stop the movement and redirect the cat's attention to a proper toy or treat.

Inter-cat/territorial aggression - Aggression between cats within the same household is not uncommon, however, unless there is evidence of wounds, people often miss subtle aggression. Aggressors can control access to food, litter boxes, resting and perching spots, and attention, and the victim usually becomes withdrawn. Both the aggressor and the victim may have undesirable elimination and other behaviors.

Inter-cat aggression is most likely to occur when a new cat is introduced to a household, a resident cat has been absent and returns to the home (eg, after a veterinary visit), or when there is competition for resources (eg, litter boxes, food, and resting areas). Multiple resources should be easily accessible. Changes in the household routine may also cause stress and lead to trouble.

To prevent inter-cat aggression, gradual introductions should be made if adopting another cat. If aggression occurs after the return to the household of a resident cat, the cats should also be reintroduced gradually.

Pheromone products, such as Comfort Zone by Feliway can help reduce aggression when unfamiliar cats are introduced to existing residents. Although these products may be helpful as part of a complete behavior treatment plan, they are not a substitute for social interaction and exposure.

What You Can Do

First, make an appointment with your veterinarian to rule out medical causes for the aggressive behavior.

Seek professional help. An aggression problem will not go away by itself. Working with aggression problems requires extensive help from an animal behavior specialist.

Take precautions. Your first priority is to keep everyone safe. Supervise, confine and/or restrict your cat's activities until you can obtain professional help. You are liable for your cat's behavior.

Avoid exposing your cat to situations where he is more likely to show aggression. You may need to keep him confined to a safe room and limit his people-contact.

What Not To Do

Do Not Punish Your Cat! Punishment won't help and, in fact, will only make the problem worse.

If you punish your cat for growling, hissing, or slapping, he may stop giving those warnings and go to clawing or biting. If the aggression is motivated by fear, punishment will make your cat more fearful, and therefore more aggressive. Punishing territorial, possessive or protective aggression is likely to elicit additional defensive aggression.

Don't encourage aggressive behavior by playing roughly with your cat, pushing him with your hands or allowing the cat to put his mouth on you.

Many times, what is thought to be 'aggressive' behavior is truly just the cat's way of communicating his fear and anxiety. Sometimes, all it takes is some positive reinforcement training to help build the cat's confidence in certain situations. Please call us if you are having any behavior trouble with your cat. The only way to fix a problem is to address it and we can help.

Adapted from material developed by Dumb Friends League and the Humane Society of the United States.

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