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Treating Aggression in Cats

What to Do with a Cat That Hisses, Scratches and Bites

Jul 11, 2008 Jennifer Copley

There are several effective strategies to decrease aggression in cats. Approaches will vary depending on the cause of the behaviour.

Batting at things or tackling moving objects is normal behaviour in cats. If your cat pounces on you or other members of the household, she may simply be bored and require more interactive playtime. However, unprovoked hissing, growling, scratching and biting can indicate a problem.

Causes of Aggression

Cats may be aggressive because they were not properly socialized as kittens or because they have been mistreated. Some cats are aggressive because they have inherited the tendency from a parent, and sometimes people train their cats to be aggressive without realizing it. Encouraging a kitten to pounce on your feet and bite your toes or tackle your wiggling hands may be cute, but when an adult cat does this, someone might end up in hospital with an infected bite wound. Cats may also become aggressive as a result of pain or anxiety. It is important to bring your cat in for a veterinary check-up to rule out any medical problems before attempting other treatments for aggression.

Aggression Toward Smaller Animals

Aggression toward smaller animals is a natural hunting behaviour, and it is unreasonable to expect cats to curtail these tendencies. If you don’t want your cat to catch birds and mice, putting a noisy bell on her collar will ensure that she rarely has a successful hunt.

Aggression Toward Cats and Dogs

Cats are highly territorial, both toward their own species and animals of other species. Also, dogs are natural predators of cats in the wild, and many cats retain the instinct to defend themselves aggressively. This defense instinct may also be applied to people. If you have a cat that is attacking other pets or people in your home, there are treatment options available.

Desensitization

There are strategies that can be used to help new pets grow comfortable with resident pets and vice versa. These include desensitization, which means allowing the two animals to gradually become accustomed first to one another’s scent and then to the sight of one another. This can be done by feeding two cats on either side of a closed door or confining a dog with a baby gate to one portion of the house until the two animals are comfortable in each other’s presence.

Conditioning

Conditioning involves associating one thing with another. For example, if you provide her favourite food whenever your aggressive cat is in the same room as the animal or person to whom she is showing aggression, she may come to associate the presence of that individual with the positive experience of good food. When using this strategy, it is important to ensure that other people and animals keep a respectful distance and don’t bother the cat while she is eating.

Reinforcement

Reinforcement involves providing rewards, which can be anything from verbal praise to pats to treats, when the cat curbs her aggressive response. When the cat is in the room with the person or animal that provokes her hostility, you can first calm her down by patting her and speaking in a soothing voice, and then offer the reward when she is behaving calmly.

Punishment

Punishment, which can be physical or verbal, actually increases fear and aggression in cats, and should be avoided. A cat that is punished in the presence of the animal or person to whom she shows aggression will associate that individual with negative experience and the hostility will be exacerbated. If your cat is scratching or biting, you can grab her gently by the scruff of the neck to pull her away and say “no,” but anything more forceful, such as hitting or shouting, will likely increase her aggression rather than diminish it.

Medication

There are a number of medications used to treat anxiety and aggression in cats, including tricyclic antidepressants, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and benzodiazepines. These medications can also be used to treat other anxiety-induced behaviours, such as pulling out fur. However, they should only be used as a last resort, as they can have side effects and cats may become addicted to benzodiazepines. Medication is usually only used for a few months, though in some cases it is required for more than a year.

Consult a Veterinarian

Before implementing treatment for aggression, consult a veterinarian. Specific medical issues may be contributing to your cat’s aggression, so it is important to speak to a professional in order to develop the most effective treatment strategy.

References:

  • Merck & Co., Inc., Eds. Cynthia M. Kahn, BA, MA & Scott Line, DVM, PhD, Dipl ACVB. (2007). The Merck/Merial Manual for Pet Health, Home Edition.
  • Whiteley, E., Dr. (2008). “How to Solve Cat Behaviour Problems.” HowStuffWorks.com.

The copyright of the article Treating Aggression in Cats in Cats is owned by Jennifer Copley. Permission to republish Treating Aggression in Cats in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
A Formerly Aggressive Cat, Jennifer Copley A Formerly Aggressive Cat
   
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May 10, 2009 7:02 AM
Guest :
My cat likes to "wrestle" with my legs and feet. At first we thought it was for play, the cat is 3 years old, but now we think it is a mild case of fighting. The "wrestling" behavior happens mostly when kitty is mad because we do not let him out. He also likes to hunt. That is why we do not like him outside. He might catch and eat something that is bad for him. We brought him home from a rescue center. He was locked up with many other animals in a trailer where the owner had died and kitty almost starved to death. So, how do we stop the attacks to our legs and feet when kitty is mad? We tried being strict or stern and it only provoked anger in return.
Please let us know what we can do.
With sincere appreciation
Doerthe Paul
spaul@neb.rr.com
Jun 29, 2009 1:45 PM
Guest :
I have been working to slowly acclimate my cats to each other for a year. I can now bring the youngest one out on a leash near the other ones. This is huge progress after a year of work. Still, he was loose one day when I was confident that it was time to let them be loose together for the first time, and he immediately jumped on the older male's back. Both are neutered, but they just hate each other. I am at my wits end. I have never seen this aggressive behavior before and I have had cats my whole life. I have tried Rescue Remedy, Feliway, a crate to keep them apart, and completely separating them with slow periods of exposure and visits. I am trying to put soft paws on the younger one but was only able to get 4 of them on today. If anyone has any other ideas please let me know.
Dec 15, 2009 5:06 PM
Guest :
The article is great for as little as it tells you...

I am well over 60 and have never teased an animal or played rough with one.

My cats have a large toy basket with aprox. 30 toys, they have a scratching post, a large wrestling toy with rope,a big plastic circle toy with a ball that they chase,so exercise and a means of getting rid of frustration is not in question.AND there is always a bowl with dry food in it and fresh water.

I lost one of my two cats a while back and decided after about five or six months to get another one since the one I had left is 15 years old .

I went to The Cat Protection Society (a no kill shelter) to find my new family member and after spending over five hours there settled on one that looks so much like the black and white one pictured here that they could be identical twins! She was about 12 to 14 months old when I adopted her six months ago. She weighs four pounds and is full grown.

The cats at this shelter are all feral to a point since they do not accept house or previously owned pets...only cats that have been found wandering or caught by animal control and known to have never been owned. We have other no kill shelters here that take cats and dogs from owners who can either no longer take care of them for one reason or another or no longer want them..

I named her Snuggles hoping she would "become" her name. She has been loved so much here; never hit or abused in any way...BUT...she will at times attack. One time I was sitting in a chair at the dining room table and wasn't even looking at her and she all of a sudden attacked my arm with her claws so badly that it took four very heavy paper towels to finally stop the bleeding.

When she did this I looked at her and her ears were laid back and she looked very angry.

She will stand on the bath vanity and tap my arm to pet her but then when I pet her she lunges and bites...HARD enough to bring blood.

She will want me to pet her then suddenly back up and swat hard and then cringe. I have never hit her and I know for a fact that it takes a lot of control to not automatically lash out but as is my rule I never hit.I am a long time pet owner owner and animal lover.

But as much as I love her I am taking her back to the shelter since I have older friends and family that I am afraid she will decide to attack.

I guess what I am saying is that sometimes there are just ornery cats and like ornery people they have their reasons but that doesn't mean they can all be changed even with love and understanding. Maybe the damage is just to deep.
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