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When Cats Are Aggressive

By: Virginia Sutherland Cats are usually considered relatively calm and peaceful animals. Many assume that a cat will be loving and docile, playful and independent, in other words, acting like a cat, if they are just given good food, clean water and a safe place to rest.

But not all cats have the laid back couch potato meditative zen type of style. Some cats are constantly going at 160 mph. Fast, agile, interested, investigating, and bouncing off the walls, keeping their owners awake at night by leaping across the bed or attacking toes under the blanket. Cats are as different to each others as humans are. As long as the personality style is acceptable by the owner there is no problem.

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 inflict a lot of damage. While a cat can't compare to the damage that can be done by a large dog, their speed and agility can cause some great pain. Aggressive cats should never be around young children with supervision.

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.