CAT AGGRESSION TOWARDS PEOPLE:
Cat caregivers sometimes have difficulty understanding why their cats,
who seem to be friendly and content one minute, may suddenly bite and
scratch them the next. Aggressive behaviors are part of the normal
behavioral patterns of almost any animal species. Aggressive cats can be
dangerous, so attempting to resolve a chronic cat aggression problem
often requires assistance from a professional who is knowledgeable about
cat behavior.
Types of Aggression
Play Aggression:
Play-motivated aggressive behaviors are commonly observed in young,
active cats less than two years of age, and who live in one-cat
households. Play in cats incorporates a variety of behaviors such as
exploratory, investigative, and predatory behaviors. Play provides young
cats with opportunities to practice skills they would normally need for
survival.
For example, kittens like to explore new areas and investigate anything
that moves. They may bat at, pounce on, and bite objects which to them
resemble prey. Aggressive behaviors can be identified as play based on
the type of situations in which they occur, the cats' body postures, and
the types of behaviors displayed. Playful aggression often results in
scratches and inhibited bites which do not break the skin. Playful
attacks often occur when an unsuspecting owner comes down the stairs,
steps out of the bathtub, rounds a corner, or even moves under the
bedcovers.
Play which involves aggression can be initiated by the owner or by the
cat. Owners may inadvertently contribute to this problem if they
encourage kittens to chase or bite at their hands and feet during play.
The body postures seen during play aggression resemble the postures a
cat would show when searching for or catching prey. The cat may freeze
in a low crouch before pouncing, twitch its tail, flick its ears back
and forth, and/or wrap its front feet around a person's hands or feet
while biting. Most play aggression can be successfully redirected to
appropriate targets. For more information on rough play in cats, please
see our online tips about Kitten's Rough Play.
"Don't Pet Me Anymore" Aggression
It is not uncommon for cats to "suddenly" bite while being petted. This
behavior is not well understood, even by experienced animal
behaviorists. For whatever reason, petting which the cat was previously
enjoying becomes unpleasant. The bite is the cat's signal that she has
had enough petting. Cats vary in how much they will tolerate being
petted or held. People often describe cats as biting "out of the blue"
or without warning; however, their signals may be very subtle and hard
to detect. You should become more aware of your cat's body postures and
cease petting or stop any other kind of interaction before the bite
occurs.
Signals to be aware of include: Restlessness Tail twitching Ears turning
back or flicking back and forth Turning or moving her head toward your
hand When you observe any of these signals, it is time to stop petting
the cat immediately and allow him just to sit quietly on your lap or go
his own way, whichever he prefers. Any kind of physical punishment
almost always makes the problem worse, as it makes the cat more likely
to bite either because he is fearful and/or because petting becomes even
more unpleasant if it is associated with punishment.
If you want to try to prolong the amount of time your cat will tolerate
petting, use some food rewards. Before your cat shows any of the
behaviors described above, offer her a special tidbit of food, such as a
tiny piece of tuna or boiled chicken. At the same time, decrease the
intensity of your petting. Continue to lightly pet your cat for a short
time period while offering him tidbits. In this way, petting will come
to be associated with more pleasant things, and may help her to enjoy
petting for longer time periods. Each time you work with your cat, try
to pet her for slightly longer time periods using the food. If you stop
petting her when she is aggressive, her behavior has succeeded. She has
learned that her aggressive behavior will get her what she
wantsÃÂÃâšÂÃâÂthe petting stops. Thus, it is important to watch
carefully for signals she is growing tired of petting.
Fearful/Defensive Aggression:
Cats who are fearful may display body postures which appear to be
similar to canine submissive posturesÃÂÃâšÂÃâÂcrouching 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. Redirected Aggression: Redirected
aggression occurs when the cat is aroused by one person or animal, but
then redirects this aggression onto another person or animal. For
example, if two family cats have a spat, the losing cat, still aroused,
may walk up and attack the family child.
Territorial Aggression:
This type of aggression is not commonly directed at people. Usually cats
only feel the need to defend their territory from other cats. Cats are,
however, highly territorialÃÂÃâšÂÃâÂeven more so than dogs.
What to Do:
Check first 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 in-home
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 any injuries caused by your cat's behavior.
What Not to Do:
You should never attempt to handle a fearful or aggressive cat. Cat
bites and scratches become infected easily. If you do receive an injury
from your cat, clean the wound carefully and contact your physician.
Punishment will not help and will make the problem worse. If the
aggression is motivated by fear, punishment will make the cat more
fearful, and therefore more aggressive.
Adapted from material originally developed by applied animal
behaviorists at the
Dumb Friends League, Denver, Colorado.
If you have questions or need our services, please contact the shelter
at
618.346.5213 or contact us today via
e-mail
Copyrights 2009 WARREN BILLHARTZ ANIMAL SHELTER OF
COLLINSVILLE. A KTLLC Communications Solution