Aggression in Cats (Overview)-cat care

Cats are small, and often become the target of other animals, making them vulnerable to all kinds of dangers. 

Anyone who owns a cat understands that it needs protection, especially from dangers that can be encountered outside of the house. 

This vulnerability accounts for the built-in aggression response cats have when they perceive a threat. 

Aggression can also come from fear, a health condition, genetic predisposition, an environmental change, or to protect its territory. 

 However, overaggressive behavior can make a cat difficult to live with.

Many aggressive signs are accompanied by a fearful body posture and facial expression, and with submissive behavior. Some cats exhibit these signs if they are cornered, feel like they cannot escape, or are provoked. 

 There are a few types of aggression, including intercat, predatory, territorial and those induced by fear, pain or punishment. 

Some common signs of these types of fear include:

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StaringStalkingHissingSwattingPouncingShowing teethArched backTail straight upEars pulled backDilated pupilsRaised hair on the back (hackles up)Attacking with claws and teethMarking a territory by chin-rubbing or sprayingDrawing in the limbs (purpose: hide neck and belly)

Of these types, predatory behavior requires separate treatment because it is so strong in cats. Normal predatory behavior sets in at about five to seven weeks of age. Hunting behavior may be passed from mother to kitten because different skills are used to kill certain kinds of prey.

 By 14 weeks, a cat may be a very good hunter. 

Well-fed cats may not be predatory at all, or they may kill and only behead the prey. Stalking and hunting is more common in cats that must fend for themselves.

Stealth, silence, concentration, slinking, lowered head, twitching tail and pounce posture all characterize predatory behavior. 

The cat will then lunge or spring at the prey, clutching the object of its attack with its claws and teeth. 

A new male in a group may kill kittens to encourage a female to come into estrus, or heat. At times, a cat may “prey” on things that are not appropriate, such as a foot, a hand, or an infant.

The causes for inappropriate or unwanted aggression can come from many sources. 

For example, in the same way that some people have serious and grumpy dispositions, cats, can be born with an aggressive personality type, too. 

Also, if the cat had no human contact before the age of three months, or has not had social interaction with other cats, it simply does not know how to behave appropriately.

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Conversely, if the cat shares the home with other cats (or animals), it may be asserting its hierarchy within the social group. 

This may be especially relevant as the cat reaches the age of social maturity -- around two to four years of age. 

Age is a significant consideration regarding behavior, since play aggression is an important developmental stage for a kitten. 

 Natural predatory behavior starts around 10 to 12 weeks of age, and will generally wind down on its own if you respond to it correctly.

Fear can also bring on aggression. 

Cats that are traumatized by unhealthy environments, such as shelters, cages, or overcrowded catteries, occasionally lash out aggressively. 

This can be particularly true if they have been abused by animals or humans, and especially so with children, since small children tend to be rough with animals. 

If your cat has developed a fear of children it may become aggressive with all children.

“Normal” acts of aggression can also take place when the cat feels a need to be on the defensive. 

A mother will naturally be aggressive in protecting her kittens, and likewise, a father cat will do the same. Some cats will stake a certain amount of territory as their own, and will physically assert their dominance of that territory.

If you have exhausted all of the motives that could be causing your cat's inappropriate behavior, and still not found a solution, you will want to take your cat to see your veterinarian, in case there is an underlying medical condition that needs to be treated. 

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Sometimes aggression may indicate that the cat is in pain and does not want to be touched, or that it is suffering from an illness that is affecting its temper.

The diagnosis is generally made from observing dominance behavior, conflict aggression, and social status aggression.

 However, there are also some medical conditions that can bring on behavioral changes and that might be mistaken for aggression. 

Your veterinarian will want to rule these out before addressing any behavioral issues:

The act of urinating on objects or areas as a method of marking territory

a) The term for the plumage on the neck of some male birds

 b) The term for the hairs on the backs of certain types of animals

The time period in which a female is receptive to male attention

An animal’s tendency to overpower another, in character or in activity