Malaise, stress and personality are some of the reasons why a cat attacks. To avoid aggression, it is necessary to set limits and educate the animal.
In general, cats have the reputation of being quarrelsome and even aggressive. However, under the right conditions these felines can 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 it and lead it 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, if it is not necessary. For this reason and in particular 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 why a cat attacks is sickness or illness. On numerous occasions, when the animal feels ill it adopts a defensive attitude to avoid being touched and disturbed. In these cases, of course, it is advisable to take it to the vet as soon as possible.
Often a cat attacks due to stress
There are several situations that can cause stress to a cat: among others, a move, sudden changes in his daily routine, jealousy. As far as possible, it is recommended that the animal is not subjected to these changes and, if they are unavoidable, make sure that it adapts to it little by little.
Personality
Even the personality is a determining factor. In this sense, there are many cats that simply do not like physical contact. Usually it happens when you adopt adult cats that have had to endure a very hard life on the streets.
Giving your cat a companion can be a measure to channel his aggression elsewhere
In these cases, the most important thing is to respect the animal's limits. When he feels comfortable and wants a caress, he will understand it with different attitudes.
When a cat attacks for fun
It may also happen that during the game the cat hurts without wanting it to its owners or to other people. This kind of problem is more common in small cats, who do not yet know how to measure their strength well.
The solution is to teach them that a person is not a prey, and in particular his or her hands are not. For this purpose, it is advisable to buy some toys and 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, take the necessary countermeasures. For example, in the event of inadequate behavior during the game, it will be necessary to set limits to it: do not allow bites and scratches, especially direct to the face area.
Educating this animal will not be easy, but with a little patience it will be possible to succeed. To do this, we can turn to the vet and describe to him not only the behavior of the cat, but also his personality and what we believe is making him aggressive.
When a cat attacks frequently, it is important to set limits and educate it
Other aspects that must be taken into consideration are the following: the age during which the aggressions began, in which situation their intensity, the expression of the cat and the position of the ears at the time of the aggression are born or increased, the sounds emitted by the cat, etc.
How to help an aggressive cat?
To help the cat overcome these situations, small changes can be made in the home. Of course, if the aggression is very intense and shows no sign of abating, it is important that the owner seeks help, because the situation could be dangerous for family members.
In the following lines, we will offer you some useful tips to deal with these cases:
- When aggression occurs, react exaggeratedly.
- Don't punish the cat. Punishments in general, and particularly corporal ones, 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 not comfortable.
- 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 human beings.
- When an assault occurs, take the animal to another room and leave it for several minutes. Repeat this action every time an assault occurs.
Cats can be wonderful, affectionate and enormously loyal pets. However, on some occasions they can attack and become aggressive.
What matters is to try to understand, determine what the source of stress is and take the necessary measures, even if there is a need to request external professional help. With a little affection and patience it will be possible to observe changes in the feline's behavior.