Dealing With Aggressive Cat Behaviors

No matter how much you love your cats, certain cat behaviors are almost certain to send cat owners reeling. If your cat is behaving aggressively, leaving you scratching your head, or just plain demanding "why", read on to find out what might be motivating your feline friend, and what you can do to change the worse of your cat's aggressive behavioral problems.

If your cat is behaving aggressively toward another cat in your home, then you might need to take a closer look at why he or she is exhibiting this particular cat behavior to see how you can help him or her to cope. Some cats are particularly territorial and will not tolerate another cat in their home, and these cats may do better in a single cat family, however in many cases the aggressive cat behavior can be countered with careful intervention on your part.

Territorial aggression is a common cat behavior, and is triggered when your cat feels that his or her home is being invaded. The territorial cat behavior is very common among cats, more so even than among dogs, and can be demonstrated by aggressive acts such as chasing or ambushing the intruder, and may include hissing or swatting when contact between the two cats occurs.

If you have recently brought a new kitten or adult cat into your home, or if a kitten has recently reached maturity, then the aggression that you are seeing might be borne of territorial cat behavior. Your cat might also be aggressive toward neighborhood cats that it sees outside or toward some cats in your home, but not toward others.

Your cat behavior problems might also stem from inter-male aggression. Male cats tend to want to be dominant, and other male cats threaten that, causing them to desire to fight for dominance in the middle of your living room. This might be a fight over a female, or it might be a fight for outright dominance, however you should know that spaying and neutering all of your animals can seriously curb this behavior, especially when it is done early on.

Inter-male aggressive cat behavior is often a noisy affair, and you might be dealing with howling and yowling in addition to the posturing, stalking, and even outright attacks. Cats don't often injure each other during these posting matches, however it is possible for puncture wounds to occur and to become infected.

Anther type of aggression is motivated by fear, and your cat's behavior might be motivated by an attempt to escape a perceived threat. Your cat will crouch low, lay his or her ears flat, and will tuck his or her tail and possibly lean to one side. Anyone approaching a cat in this position is asking to be attacked.

Your cat may also redirect his aggression, attacking the other family cat because he or she cannot get to the cat outside the window, for example. No matter which cat behavior you are facing, there is hope. Check your cat out with your vet first, especially if your cat's behavior changes suddenly. Once he or she is okayed, it is time to look into spaying and neutering all of your cats (not just the problem animal), and starting the slow introduction process all over again.

Do not allow your cats to fight. Scare them apart (don't try to pull them apart!), and separate them while you try to determine your next steps. Figuring out how to help your animals live in harmony does not involve punishing your cats – they're just acting the way that cat behavior dictates they should.