Aggression In Cats

Usually of a mild and gentle disposition, our feline buddies are known for their expressive and friendly nature, and are immensely loving and affectionate towards their favourite humans. 

However, being of introverted nature, cats also feel immensely comforted in their private space after a day of socialisation, enjoying their me-time. Intruding in their personal space can cause loving, purring kitties into angry cats and feel stressed and anxious. It can even take a violent turn if they are not let alone. 

This article is a quick guide to feline aggression and how to calm a cat down that is angry or how to deal with an angry cat before the situation escalates.

✔ Understanding the Type of Aggression

Cats are expressive and intelligent, and the reason behind their aggression can often stem out of complex situations. Learning how to calm a cat down that is angry can help you significantly.

In addition to knowing how to calm a mad cat, being able to read their body language can allow you to be aware of sudden mood or cat behaviour change. 

Aggression in angry cats can be of the following types:

1. Territorial aggression

   Given how cats value their personal space, feeling territorial is a common reason for cats getting violent or aggressive.

2. Play aggression

   Although while playing sudden aggression in cats is rare in older cats, it can be observed in cats under 2 years of age, and might involve stalking, attacking, chasing, and biting, and is common among cats suffering from single kitten syndrome.

3. Anxiety, stress or fear-induced aggression

   Any sudden change in their immediate environment can turn kitties into angry cats, sending them into survival mode where they are prone to attack anything that can be perceived as a potential threat.

4. Rough petting

   While cats enjoy being showered with affection, they generally have a defined threshold or tolerance for being pet. Rough petting or petting them longer than their tolerance can cause sudden aggression in cats.

5. Pain and irritation

   Continued physical pain and discomfort can cause stress in cats, altering their cat behaviour. Pain and irritation can cause cats to lower their tolerance, setting them off for sudden aggression in cats.

✔ Signs of Aggression in Cats

So, how to calm a mad cat? As a cat parent, being able to read the signs of aggression in cats is the first step to helping them.

The prominent signs of aggression in cats include:

• Angry cats are likely to issue a vocal warning, such as low growls or hisses accompanied by spitting. 
• Cats feeling aggressive often take a defensive posture with their back arched and head tucked in. The fur on the cat's body can also stand out, and is an instinctive reaction to a perceived threat. 
• Cats that are about to attack can have their pupils fully dilated, whiskers retracted, and ears pulled back. 
• Although cats generally have their claws sheathed within their paw pads, an aggressive cat can have them drawn out for swatting at the threat or grabbing hold of it, such as in situations like cat attacking other cats.

✔ How to Calm Your Aggressive Cat?

Cat parents often wonder, how to calm a mad cat? Aggression in cats in situations like cat attacking other cat can be a response to an environmental stimulus. So, how to deal with an angry cat? Instead of being reproachful to your feline, follow these easy tips on how to calm a cat down that is angry or how to calm a mad cat:

• Try to remove the angry cat from the environment that is causing them stress. When it comes to how to handle an angry cat, temporarily move them to an empty spot where they can have some personal time to calm their nerves. 
• Using cat pheromones, silver vine or catnip is an excellent way of getting cats to calm down and alleviate their stress. 
• A calm response instead of yelling or punishing them physically can help cats calm down more effectively in situations that leave you to wonder how to handle an angry cat?

✔ What Not to Do With Aggressive Cats?

While watching a cat get aggressive suddenly, leading to cat behaviour problems, is indeed frightening, it is also important to find out what triggers the aggressive reaction in your cat as it can help you to evaluate and handle the situation better. And while you are still learning the ropes to understanding the reason behind aggression in cats, here are some of the things when it comes to how to calm a cat down that is angry, that you must never do with aggressive cats:

• Avoid yelling at them or hitting them. Physical punishment and yelling can cause the sudden aggression in cats situation to escalate.
• Do not try to pet or pick the aggressive kitten up while they are displaying aggressive cat behaviour. 
• Avoid petting them when they are eating or pooping, since cats feel vulnerable during such times and may resort to violence.

✔ Conclusion

While aggression in cats is a negative cat behaviour that is far from being desirable, it is still a natural response. So, it is important to keep in mind that your adorable furball is not trying to be intentionally harmful to you. However, as long as your cat can be trained to tell the behaviour that is expected of them, negative behaviour, such as aggression in cats can be put to check. Additionally, getting your kitty spayed or neutered at an early age can also help in calming them down and avoid aggressive cat behaviour.

As long as you can ensure your kitty has its own personal space where it feels safe and comforted, their aggressive cat behaviour problems can be easily avoided. If nothing else works, you can try out the delicious cat treats from Temptations™ and see how your kitty love calms down in a jiffy!

✔ FAQs