Problem behaviors in cats, such as aggression and fighting, can occur suddenly or gradually. When fights happen, it can be stressful for you and your cat.
Any sudden change in your cat's behavior could be a sign of an underlying medical condition. Conditions such as hyperthyroidism, osteoarthritis, dental disease, and central nervous system problems can cause aggression. Contact your veterinarian to make sure your cat is healthy.
If your veterinarian has ruled out medical problems, you will need to determine the cause of the aggression in order to develop a behavior modification plan.
Types and causes of cat aggression
If your cat has no medical reason for aggressive behavior, one of the following may be occurring:
Aggression of fear
Fear aggression can occur in situations where your cat feels threatened or trapped. If your cat is afraid, she may act aggressively to protect herself.
Maternal aggression
Maternal aggression can occur when an animal or person approaches a mother cat and her kittens. A mother cat may growl or hiss, smack, chase, or even try to bite another cat that gets too close, even if they usually get along.
Maternal aggression usually subsides after kittens are weaned. If a cat is showing too much maternal aggression, then it may be worth not allowing her any more time until the kittens are born.
Aggression game
All cat play consists of feigned aggression, so rough play is not unusual. Cats may chase, stalk, sneak, sneak, pounce, kick, ambush, and even scratch or bite each other while playing.
However, play can lead to overstimulation, which can develop into aggression. This usually occurs between cats with significant age differences.
Territorial aggression
All animals can be territorial, and cats are no exception. When cats see their territory being invaded, they may hiss, clap, growl, and even chase and/or chase the "intruder" - be it another cat or a human.
Cats vs dogs
The most common picture is a dog chasing a cat, and the cat runs away. In real life, cats themselves often begin to attack dogs. But, regardless of the situation, we are not talking about the same thing, and conflicts arise due to misunderstandings. If we consider all dogs, they can be divided into 2 types. The first category includes dogs that are distinguished by their sociability, who strive to make new acquaintances and are not averse to communicating with other animals, including cats that are not very sociable.
In this case, the pugnacity of the latter is caused not by aggression, but by a completely understandable desire to protect one’s own person from intrusive attention. Felines do not particularly like physical contact and try to explain this to dogs. At first they do it softly, as if brushing it off. But if the dog doesn’t understand, then they can release their claws.
The second category is dogs that have a pathological hatred of cats. Whatever this feeling causes, the meeting of such an animal with a cat often turns into a tragedy. Large dogs can not only injure a cat, but also cause fatal injuries to it.
If such hostility occurs in the house, then the issue should be resolved immediately. Either resettle the pets or seek help from a dog handler. A specialist will not teach a dog to love cats, but will make him ignore her.
Understanding cat body language
Your cat's eyes, ears, body and tail are trying to communicate their feelings to you and other cats and animals. Some postures and cues to pay attention to include:
- If your cat's ears are turned back, to the sides, or lying flat ("airplane ears"), they are likely irritated, angry, or fearful.
- If her pupils are dilated, she may be nervous, submissive, or aggressively defensive.
- If her tail is down or tucked between her legs, she may become restless. If she's pacing back and forth, she's probably agitated.
- If her back is arched and her fur stands on end, she is scared or angry.
Cat sounds also convey their feelings:
- Growling and/or hissing indicates that your cat is irritated, angry, fearful, or aggressive.
- Howling or growling means your cat is in distress. They may be in pain, trapped, or afraid.
In case of injury
Light bruises are treated with cold compresses, astringents, pressure bandages, and subsequently it is impossible to do without thermal procedures and alcohol-drying bandages.
And, most importantly: after providing first aid, immediately consult a doctor. Especially if you are concerned about the severity of your injuries.
If you find an error, please select a piece of text and press Ctrl+Enter
.
The answer to this question should be sought in the character of the pet, temperament, and the very essence of the feline. These four-legged creatures are freedom-loving, independent and sometimes even proud creatures. Deep down, every second cat is an egoist who divides everything around him into two halves: “mine”, “not mine”. The latter is rarely brought up for consideration. Even for some breeds, such as the American Wirehair cat, the owner is branded
as "mine". The animal's territory is also no exception. By regularly checking its territory, the pet identifies changes and innovations each time, evaluating them.
However, what happens if two individuals are placed in one room or other enclosed space?
And it doesn’t matter at all whether they are same-sex or different-sex. In the second case, we exclude the period of estrus
If you come back after a while, you can see a picture of cats fighting
. It can be very rare when, in a closed room, two representatives of the cat family sit opposite each other and look at each other with unblinking gazes. This may be possible if the meeting of rivals took place on the street and everyone has the opportunity to run away at any time. Then yes, the opponents will be in each other’s field of vision, and exchange threatening sounds, postures, “drilling” their gaze at the opponent.
How to help cats live together
Treatment for aggression or fighting between cats varies depending on the type of aggressive behavior, but may include desensitization, counterconditioning, or drug therapy.
Methods for managing cat aggression include:
Castrate cats and sterilize cats.
Fighting often occurs between intact (non-spayed) male cats, and intact female cats are likely to have litters, leading to aggression on the part of the mother.
Provide additional perches and hiding places such as boxes and cat trees
This allows your cat(s) to run away and/or hide when they feel threatened or afraid.
Have more cat supplies
Having several food and water bowls, toiletries, perches and toys can prevent competition for resources.
Emphasize incompatible behavior—any behavior that cannot occur at the same time as the problem behavior. Praise them and give them cat treats to reward your cats.
Try using pheromones
There are products that mimic a cat's natural odor that can be effective in reducing aggression.
Keep cats separated, especially when eating
The separation may only last a few days, but if the aggression is persistent and severe, it may take several weeks before you can gradually bring the cats back.
Male vs female
Most often, owners are misled by the cat's behavior towards the cat. She seems to accept his dominance and fulfills his every whim. However, this is not the case. The cunning of females knows no bounds, and they successfully use it, “powdering the brains” of both the cat and the owner. This tactic of behavior allows the cat to achieve what it wants without open conflict, and fights between animals of different sexes are rather nonsense.
Yes, the male can afford to hiss at his girlfriend or lightly touch her with his paw, but this is not a full-fledged fight, but only a reminder of who is boss in the house. Serious fights between a cat and a cat break out extremely rarely, and only if the female ceases to obey and shows leadership qualities. Usually cats go crazy because of this behavior of cats and find no other way out than to give the presumptuous “madame” a beating. In this case, short fights can break out out of nowhere; they proceed loudly, but not for long.
It is worth noting that the war between a cat and a cat is a fight to the last drop of blood. As soon as one of the pets obeys, peace and grace sets in in the cat kingdom.
What not to do when cats are fighting
When you're trying to help your cats get along, it's important to pay attention to whether they're playing or actually fighting. If the fight is real, you want to stop it and then react accordingly.
Don't let them fight!
If there is a real, bloody fight, try to separate the cats, but not with your hands, otherwise you may get seriously hurt. Try to distract them with a loud noise or sudden movement to break their concentration on the fight.
Don't punish your cat
Never punish your cat for acting aggressively towards another cat. Punishment can make fearful or aggressive behavior worse.
Why did my cat attack his companion when he saw a stranger outside the window?
Cats that are under stress and are suddenly threatened may redirect their aggression towards a nearby cat. Animals have a survival instinct that triggers the attack/flight mechanism. It involves the release of adrenaline and filling the muscles with blood; thus the body prepares to face danger. This cat reaction can be caused by a sudden sound, movement or appearance of a cat outside the window. At this moment, the pet may accidentally attack an innocent relative who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. The consequence of the mistake is a damaged relationship between the furry inhabitants of the same house.
To restore calm to a cat’s life, immediately after the attack, place the cats in different rooms for 1-2 days. If the aggressive reaction recurs, longer isolation will be required.
If your cats keep fighting
If your cat's aggression is severe or becomes uncontrollable, seek the advice of a certified animal behaviorist or board-certified veterinary behaviorist.
These professionals can provide more detailed information and recommendations for behavior modification for your cats.
Unfortunately, some cats simply cannot live peacefully together. If you've exhausted your resources, time and energy in hopes of dealing with aggression or fighting between cats, it may be time to consider finding a new home for one of them or keeping them separated forever.
Friendship
The most favorable development of the situation, except in the case where animals grow up together from a very young age, is the immediate sympathy that arises between them. This happens when a kitten appears in a house with an adult cat. And then the owners do not have to think about how to make friends between a cat and a kitten, since thanks to maternal instinct, a cat is extremely rarely aggressive towards the baby. On the contrary, she, as a rule, takes him under her wing. But if a kitten is purchased for a home with an adult cat, then there is a chance that at first the old-timer will ignore the newcomer. But later, a warm and strong friendship can also begin between them.
Recommendations from netizens on how to stop a cat from biting
I have an adult cat and a one-year-old cat, both spayed. The cat used to bite in his youth, but now the cat can grab onto your hands just like that! They see it as a game - look at little kittens, they are always fighting/biting. Take it as a sign of health, not apathy, when an animal is sick and lies motionless... It will pass with age. My cat is already 13 years old, she has stopped biting and now purrs very often :):)
Weasel
https://www.woman.ru/home/animal/thread/4336271/
It goes away with age. Plus castration helps. Author, you are letting an uncastrated cat go for a walk, which will soon become sexually mature and capable of fertilizing stray cats. It is impossible to predict exactly when this moment will occur. All animals mature differently. I kindly ask you not to let him go outside until you castrate him. Not only is this an infection, a danger to his life, but there is also a risk that he will give kittens to stray cats. Plus, he’s not instilled in you. This is deadly, don’t play roulette with his life, worm him, vaccinate him, neuter him at 7 months.
Cat breeder
https://www.woman.ru/home/animal/thread/4336271/
Direct his energy into a peaceful direction: a laser pointer, an automatic laser toy froliCat bolt, food foil balls, mice from a pet store (and cheaper is an old children's sock, stuffed and tied, no worse than a mouse). Shoot back with a spray gun
