Aggression In Cats

Cats are usually viewed as relatively peaceful creatures. Most people assume that if a cat is given food, water, and a suitable place to rest then it will remain docile and loving toward its owners while also displaying the usual feline independence.

Not all cats are wired this way. Individual cats have varying personalities, just like people do. While one cat might be cuddly and laid back, another cat might be so high strung that the owners miss out on sleep at night because the cat is constantly bouncing off the walls. As long as the personality quirks of each cat are acceptable to the owners, there isn't a problem about differing personalities among cats.

The one personality trait that most cat owners aren't willing to deal with, however, is aggressive tendencies within cats. Dogs can sometimes get away with aggressive personalities because some owners actually want a dog that is mean and able to scare people away. Cats, on the other hand, are generally brought into a home in order to protect the family. For this reason, aggressiveness is not really a trait that most cat owners look for.

Aggressive cats can be quite dangerous. Although cats don't have the ability to do as much damage as some other animals can, cats are agile and quick and can inflict great pain in a quick moment and then disappear. An aggressive cat around young children and babies is a highly dangerous situation, because babies don't know how to defend themselves against an attack from a cat. An attack from an aggressive cat, for example, can permanently scar a child's face.

Some cats are aggressive by nature, but other cats become aggressive after dealing with abusive owners or other unfortunate situations. It's no wonder that a cat dealing with a sadistic owner would become aggressive, no matter what its natural demeanor once was. Some people refer to aggressive cats as "feral," but this isn't entirely accurate because an aggressive cat might be quite domesticated in terms of using a litter box and eating from a bowl. By the same token, not every undomesticated cat is aggressive.

If your cat is acting aggressively what should you do? First, have your cat examined by a veterinarian to diagnose any teeth or gum problems or other painful physical ailments. Then, get a book on cat behavior and learn to spot the signs you cat is giving you when she is getting agitated. Be affectionate with your cat so she learns to trust you, play with her frequently, that helps the bonding between the two of you. Research a product called Feliway which is very successful in helping aggressive animals to calm down.

You'll have to accept the fact that some cats are just aggressive by nature, and that it isn't something they can necessarily be trained away from doing. If your cat endangers the residents within your home - such as young children or babies - then you'll have to make the decision of whether to keep the cat or find it another home. If you surrender the cat to a local shelter you need to inform them of the cat's aggressive tendencies so that it doesn't wind up in another home with young children.

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