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Aggression is one of the most common behavioral problems in cats.
A cat has five lethal potential weapons – four clawed paws and
his teeth, compared to a dog's weapon of his mouth. Cat bites can
inflict severe lacerations, which can get infected quite easily.
It can also lead to cat scratch fever, an infectious disease
which can cause flu-like symptoms. Let us look at some of the
most common postures associated with feline aggression:
Offensive postures
- An upright, straight-legged, stiff stance
- Stiff rear legs, with a sloped back and a raised rear end
- Stiff tail that is held straight or lowered
- Direct stare
- Upright ears with the back rotated forward
- Piloerection, including the fur on the tail
- Constricted pupils
- Howling, growling or yowling
Defensive postures
- Head tucked in
- Crouching
- Wide open eyes with fully or partially dilated pupils
- Tail curved and tucked in around the cat's body
- Ears that are flattened backward or sideways on the head
- Piloerection
- Anxious cats might retract their whiskers. Fearful cats pan
out their whiskers and extend it forward to asses the distance
between themselves and the danger
- Open mouthed spitting or hissing
Classifying the different types of aggressive
behavior
-
Between cats – Yo will often find unneutered
male cats being aggressive towards each other. They do this to
challenge each other for territory and access to potential
mates. Aggression between two household cats in more complex
and subtle than conflict between two outdoor tomcats. It might
be related to physical size, lack of socializing with other
cats or to a learned association of the opponent with something
unpleasant.
-
Defensive or fearful – Fear aggression is a
common effect of threat perception, especially if the cat is in
a position from which he cannot escape. The more threatening
the animal, person or object his, the more heightened his
aggression will be. The most common body postures associated
with defensive or fearful aggression include defensive signals,
like flattening the ear, crouching, leaning away, tucking the
tail, pupil dilation or rolling to the side, and aggressive
signals like spitting and hissing, growling, piloerection,
biting, swatting and scratching.
The other kinds of aggressive behavior are seen because of
territorial fights, rough play, redirected anger (when your cat
cannot take out his anger on the opponent), excessive petting
(constant petting can lead to the generation of static
electricity in the cat's fur), pain, maternal and predatory
instincts.If your cat is excessively aggressive, he might need a
medical workup. A lot of cats exhibit aggressive behavior because
of some medical complication. Apart from acutely painful
conditions, cats with a thyroid abnormality, orthopedic problems,
cognitive dysfunction, adrenal dysfunction, sensory deficits and
neurological disorders can show increased
aggression and irritability. Geriatric cats tend to suffer
from insecurity and confusion, which can lead to aggressive
behavior. Certain medications can also alter the mood of your cat
and affect his susceptibility to aggression.
Aggression Between Cats at Home: Causes and Solutions
Inter-cat aggression is not unheard of. There could be many
reasons why your cats are being aggressive toward each other.
Being the independent and adaptable animals that they are, cats
do not find the need to get along with other cats at home. They
may try and avoid each other if they do not get along. Cats get
into outright fights only when they are cornered or they know
that the other cat won't retaliate. If your cats have been
engaging in physical conflicts and hostile acts, don't just let
it sit. Cats do not just resolve their fights if you let them be,
chances are their physical brawls will only get worse if you do
not intervene.
What's causing aggression
between your cats?
The first step to resolving the aggression between your cats is
to find out what is causing it in the first place. If your cats
have been living harmoniously previously, and have resorted to
physical fights out of nowhere, then you want to trace back to
see since when their behavior has changed. Is your cat reacting
this way ever since the other cat returned from the vet visit? It
could be its response due to territorial aggression. Or has there
been any changes in and around the house? Your cat could be
redirecting its aggression toward the other cat as a result. They
may just be fighting over the shared food bowl or scratch post, for all you know. Cats resort
to bullying too, especially so if the other cat in question shows
apprehension or similar responses when the cat takes a
threatening or aggressive stance. Sometimes, cats act aggressive
due to conditions like arthritis. Either way, you want to figure
out what is leading to this aggressive behavior in your cats.
Resolving aggression
Separate the cats using a blanket or a water gun. You can even
use a loud rattling noise or clap to startle them and break the
fight. If they are resorting to fights as they have to share the
same resources, then cut down the competition by giving them both
separate bowls, litter boxes and such. Pheromones can help reduce
cat aggression (use it with a diffuser). Isolate them in separate
rooms for a few days, and have brief supervised sessions where
they are in each other's company. If they do not show any signs
of aggression you can increase the time that they spend around
each other, else go back to separating them. Don't try and calm
your cat when it's being aggressive, it is best left alone until
it calms down. Have a vet look at your cat to see if a medical
condition or injury may be leading to aggressive behavior.
