What To Do When A Cat Attacks Frequently?
In general, cats have a reputation for being quarrelsome and even aggressive. However, under the right conditions these felines can turn out to be sweet, playful and very loyal pets. For this reason, when a cat attacks it is important to ask what are the factors that stress him and lead him to develop this behavior, so that it can be corrected.
Reasons why a cat attacks
Generally, a cat, just like most animals, does not exhibit violent behavior unless it is necessary. For this reason and particularly in this case, when a cat attacks, it does so for certain reasons or situations. In the following lines we will see some of the most common.
Malaise
One of the main reasons a cat attacks is due to illness or illness. On numerous occasions, when the animal feels bad, it adopts a defensive attitude to avoid being touched and disturbed. In these cases, of course, it is recommended that you take him to the vet as soon as possible.
A cat often attacks because of stress
There are several situations that can cause stress to a cat: among many, a move, sudden changes in his daily routine, jealousy. As far as possible, it is recommended to avoid that the animal is subjected to these changes and, if they are inevitable, to make it gradually adapt to them.
Personality
Personality is also a determining factor. In this sense, there are many cats who simply don’t like physical contact. It usually happens when adopting adult cats who have had to endure a very hard life on the streets.
In these cases, the most important thing is to respect the limits of the animal. When he feels at ease and wants a caress, he will make it clear with different kinds of attitudes.
When a cat attacks playfully
It can also happen that during the game the cat unintentionally hurts its owners or other people. This kind of problem is more common in small cats, who are not yet able to measure their strength well.
The solution is to teach them that a person is not a prey, and in particular his hands are not. For this purpose, it is advisable to buy some toys and to always respect the personal space of the animal.
Set limits
When a cat proves aggressive, it is essential to determine the cause and, based on it, to take the necessary countermeasures. For example, in the event that he presents an inappropriate behavior during the game, it will be necessary to set him some limits: not to allow bites and scratches, in particular directed to the area of the face.
Educating this animal will not be easy, but with a little patience it will be possible to succeed. To do this, we can go to the vet and describe not only the cat’s behavior, but also its personality and what we believe is making it aggressive.
Other aspects that must be taken into consideration are the following: the age during which the aggressions began, in what situation they arise or increase, their intensity, the expression of the cat and the position of the ears at the time of the attack, the sounds made by the cat, etc.
How to help an aggressive cat?
To help the cat overcome these situations, it is possible to make small changes inside the house. Of course, in the event that the aggression is very intense and shows no signs of abating, it is important for the owner to seek help, as the situation could be dangerous for family members.
In the following lines, we will offer you some useful tips for dealing with these cases:
- When aggression occurs, overreact.
- Don’t punish the cat. Punishments in general, and corporal punishments in particular, do not have a good effect on felines. On the contrary, they increase their stress and make them even more aggressive.
- Avoid aggressive games.
- Respect the animal’s space at all times.
- Learn to read his body language and the sounds he makes, to avoid touching him when he shows he is uncomfortable.
- Adopt another cat, preferably of the same age. In this way, hunting games will unite them and the consequences of his instincts will not affect humans.
- When aggression occurs, take the animal to another room and leave it there for several minutes. Repeat this action every time an assault occurs.
Cats can be wonderful, loving, and enormously loyal pets. However, on some occasions they can attack and become aggressive.
What matters is to try to understand, determine what is the source of the stress and take the necessary measures, even if there is a need to seek professional help from outside. With a little love and patience it will be possible to observe changes in the feline’s behavior.
