Aggression in cats and cats: the main causes and solutions to the problem
Most cat lovers make furry friends in the hope that they will only give them affection and love. What a surprise a beloved cat gives them when it suddenly becomes aggressive! Let's consider in the article why cats' behavior changes, what symptoms should be paid attention to, and what to do with an angry cat.
Symptoms and Causes of Aggression
Very aggressive behavior of a cat does not always indicate pathology. The fact is that all wild feline habits cannot be eradicated. If the cat recently became a mother and now attacks the owners who are just passing by her offspring, then this is not surprising. Thus, she shows maternal instinct and protects kittens from possible danger.
Cats can suddenly become aggressive during periods of hormonal surges. They often show dislike towards people in the spring, as at this time they have a cycle of readiness to reproduce. Even neutered cats can react in this way, as the manifestation of dominance and aggression is inherent in the brain.
Interestingly, white cats are most prone to negative behavior (growling, scratching and biting). They are all distant relatives of the Angora breed, famous for its bad temper.
The main symptoms of aggression are:
- nervous tail wagging;
- the cat hides in a corner or snuggles down to the ground;
- ears are pressed to the head;
- dilated pupils;
- hiss;
- when the cat literally rushes at the owners from around every corner.
The reasons for the immoral behavior of a pet are very diverse and require detailed consideration. Let's list the main ones.
- Painful sensations... If a cat is in pain due to illness, injury, surgery, then most likely she will not let anyone close to her. Unfortunately, it is impossible for an animal to explain its good intentions, and sometimes it has to endure attacks in order to at least feed a pet.
- Hormonal problems. A kitten can rush at a person during puberty, and an adult cat and cat - in the spring. The period of estrus in cats causes violent excitement in males, and they all behave extremely aggressively. Some to a greater extent, and some to a lesser extent. The older the animal, the less it is subject to the influence of such phenomena, but there are exceptions. If in old age something like this is observed in a cat or cat, then it is better to leave the animal alone and do nothing.
- Fight for territory. Representatives of the feline family have a certain system of interaction with their fellows: they choose a leader in battles and constantly strive to overthrow him with the help of another fight. Friendship between two same-sex cats is rare. Therefore, it is not surprising that you decided to settle a second cat in your house, and the first one began to show aggression towards him and towards you, including, so to speak, in revenge.
- Stress. If the animal has survived a move to a new place of residence or renovation, another animal (dog, bird, rabbit) appears in the house, or you have a child, then the cat's aggression should not come as a surprise to you. Cats are pets and are very worried when their usual way of life is suddenly disrupted.
- Lack of upbringing. From the very childhood, the kitten must be taught the rules of the game with the owner: do not allow him to scratch and bite, use special toys, punish if he does not fulfill the requirements. Otherwise, the cat will think that he is the owner of the house, and will begin to behave accordingly.
- The animal is hungry or thirsty... Perhaps you accidentally missed the feeding time, or the cat ran out of water or spilled water from the drinker. In these cases, the disgruntled animal does not know how else to tell its owner about its needs, except how to bite or scratch it.
- The pet's nutrition is inadequate. If the cat's diet lacks various vitamins and minerals, then anger and nervous reactions are quite possible. The animal's body must receive adequate nutrition in order for all its systems, including the nervous one, to work properly.
- Mental disorder. Unfortunately, the mental problems were not spared by the cats either. Some animals cannot behave otherwise, simply because they are mentally ill. Whether it is true or not, only a doctor can determine.
To begin to combat aggressive cat behavior, you first need to find the cause of the anger. And already based on it, outline further tactics of action.
What to do?
If you ignore the aggression and wait for it to magically pass by itself, you can only aggravate the situation. The cat is experiencing severe stress at this time, which directly affects its health. Fluffy pets begin to sleep poorly, eat, problems with immunity appear. As a result, the cat can finally go crazy, and his only reaction to all stimuli will be uncontrollable aggression.
That's why no need to postpone the solution to this problem... It is necessary to start taking active steps to save yourself and your beloved animal. It is very simple to pacify a playing kitten: spray it with water... This measure helps to distract the animal and make it possible for him to understand that he is behaving incorrectly. With an adult cat or a cat, the situation is more complicated.
Let's analyze the main measures to prevent aggression from furry friends.
- Visit the veterinarian. It is better to immediately exclude diseases and injuries of the animal than to miss the moment and regret it. You may not notice the outward signs of your cat's illness.And the veterinarian will suspect something was wrong, help stop the pain from which aggression occurs, and prescribe the correct treatment.
- Castration or sterilization. If the deviant behavior of the animal is associated exclusively with the season of the year and the breeding season of the feline, and the cat or cat is sitting at home, then the best solution here would be castration or neutering. There is no need to be afraid of this procedure. If you spend it with an experienced specialist, then the animal will quickly recover and heal with a completely calm life without unnecessary hormonal problems.
- Privacy... With another cat or cat, other pets, if your furry animal makes friends, then with difficulty. To reduce his level of aggression and give him time to get used to his new neighbors, it is better to give him a separate territory: a room or a corner. It is desirable that this place is not accessible to other pets. This will help your cat or cat feel safe and calm down gradually.
- Upbringing. You need to start raising kittens from a very early age. Adults are much more difficult to retrain. But even the most advanced cases can be corrected. To do this, you need to find an approach to your pet, do not allow him to scratch and bite, but do not beat him at the same time. The water method or trapping the cat in another room often helps. Do not allow children to abuse animals, as this can hurt both the cat and the child.
- Selection of nutritious food. In order for the animal to be playful and complacent, it needs to be fed to its fill, and rightly so. You should not buy mass-market feed if you have not found any other reasons for aggression, except for improper nutrition. Opt for premium food that contains the right combination of protein, fat and carbohydrates, as well as vitamin supplements. Include a few vegetables (carrots, zucchini) in the cat's diet, grow grass for him, for example, oats. Fiber is also important for furry pets as a source of micronutrients.
- Euthanasia. Unfortunately, sometimes you have to resort to this at least. If the animal is mentally ill, and no remedies for aggression help, it is better to put it to sleep. Otherwise, you or your family members will continue to be injured, and the nervous situation in the family will escalate to the limit.
As you can see, any problem with the aggressive behavior of a domestic cat can be solved if you approach this issue wisely. Do not delay, watch your pet, look for the cause of the anger and eliminate it at least partially. We are responsible for those we have tamed.
Helpful hints
It usually takes a long time to solve the problem of aggression in cats and cats. It is impossible to change behavior overnight, and from a hellish monster to turn a fluffy into an affectionate purr. But if the cat attacks right now, you can avoid negative consequences for yourself. Pay attention to the helpful recommendations of experts.
- Keep a large blanket or blanket handy. If the cat is preparing to jump and will attack you right now, then it is better to neutralize the threat in a way that is safe for both of you: throw a blanket over the animal, grab it and take it to another room, closing the cat there for a while.
- Buy a water gun. From the stream of water, the animal will be confused and stop showing aggression. Most likely, the cat will just run away. Therefore, a water pistol is an excellent assistant in neutralizing a fit of rage in cats and cats.
- Be calm. If an aggressive animal has not yet been able to calm down, then it should not at least be irritated and provoked. Be quiet in the presence of the cat, do not make sudden movements. Talk affectionately with your pet - he should feel love and security.
Now you have to be patient and wise to save the situation. Do not be discouraged - and you will surely cope with the aggression of your cat.
See below for aggression in cats.
My cat is always shy, afraid of everything, and recently it got so scared of a sharp noise that it jumped off the stool, it fell. He got angry and began to throw very hard, hiss straight, pulled his hand at the moment, after that he had such an attack two more times. How to be?
Valery, I understand you. Try to pull back at the moment of his fright, leave him alone, let him calm down, everything will go away with him quickly.
Tell me, please, did your cat have seizures? How did you deal with this? Our cat got entangled in the bag and got very scared. When I tried to get out, I ripped out my claws. I wanted to calm her down, but she began to throw herself at me and growl. Somehow I managed to get out of the house. After my arrival, she was already calm. We decided to remove the package, and she started throwing herself and growling again.
We have a very aggressive cat, maybe they just rush at us for no reason and scratch hard. Veterinarians say that he just has this character, and with age, he will calm down. While he is calming down, what can you do to keep yourself and the cat safe?
My cat at the dacha pounced on a neighbor's cat and kicked him badly. When a neighbor wanted to kick him away, mine tore his leg so that everything was covered in blood.
Good afternoon. Please help with advice. Our cat is 10 years old, because of their stupidity they did not neutered him, and now the cat has begun to show aggression often. A child appeared in the house, and he began to attack the child, the child is small, just started to walk. Today a situation occurred due to the fact that I was talking loudly: the cat grabbed me, and there was a child in her arms, I moved away, and the cat followed us to attack. It's a pity to put him to sleep, they said it was too late to castrate. How can you reeducate a cat at 10 years old?
If possible, advice, from everyone. A month ago, the cat "ran out of the cuckoo" (as one veterinarian said): aggression, hissing, sounds creepy, like a demon possessed. This went on for several days. She hid, vomited and had diarrhea. Then she began to come to her senses: she shied away from everything, but tried to fondle. Then again the same thing, generally from scratch. She began to bury herself in a blanket and again an attack. Have been tested, everything is in order. They gave recommendations to feed sedatives constantly. It is not given in the hands, I began to be afraid of confined spaces. Slightly something hisses and yells. Euthanasia is excluded.