Is your cat an aggressive or angry cat? Keeping an angry cat in your home takes all of the fun out of cat ownership. Luckily, there are steps that you can take to help change your angry cat’s behavior and make her a welcome member of the family.
When people complain about their cats it usually comes down to a one or two problems: aggression and failure to use the litter box. These are the two most common problems cited when owners are forced to give their cats to shelters. After dealing with the problem for a long time it just becomes too much for them and their family.
You can find a way to deal with your aggressive or angry cat. There are many levels of aggressive cat, ranging from kitty who nips at your toes when you don’t expect it, to very frightening physical attacks.
It isn’t uncommon to hear that someone is quietly petting their cat and suddenly the cat bites and runs away. Usually there is more shock than injury, and if you start watching your cat a little more closely, you should be able to pick up the signs that kitty is in an aggressive mood.
Aggressive or Angry Cats Warning Signs
My daughter’s cat would only bite our legs and toes when we were sitting on the sofa. After a while my daughter saw that when kitty was approaching with her head and her tail low, she was in a biting mood. If her head and tail were held high she wanted to be petted.
By recognizing the warning signs we knew what her cat was up to, and saw what she was communicating to us. Cat body language can teach us a lot so I urge you to read that article.
How to Distract Aggressive or Angry Cats
Sometimes a hand clap or other noise will be enough to distract aggressive or angry cats from attacking. Giving your cat a toy to play with is another method of distracting it. In extreme cases, you might need to keep a spray bottle of water handy and give a soft squirt at the cat’s backside. Never squirt water at a cat’s face.
Retraining Angry Cats
It is possible to retrain your cat so it doesn’t attack you. It will require time and patience on your part but it is worth it. My kitten Asha would dig her claws into my legs under the desk if she felt she wasn’t getting enough attention or she wanted something. She would come in behind me so the first I knew that she was angry about something was the claws in my thighs. It took practice for me to not yell at the sudden attack but I refused to pay attention to her until she just put paws, minus claws, on my legs. When that happened she got my immediate attention and was praised. I would then go see if she wanted a cuddle, a game or to tell me her biscuit bowl was empty.
Angry cats can make our life difficult and it is up to us to work out why they are angry. Liz Barton has a section in her book Cat Secrets Revealed on what to look for in *aggressive or angry cats and other methods of dealing with it. I refer to it often and love it.
They say the only certainties in life are taxes and death, perhaps we should add in cat problems as well. This problems don’t have to be major, but if you own a cat, the problems will find you.
Problems With Grooming
It is best to have your cat accustomed to being groomed from when it is a kitten. This is especially important if you have a long hair cat. While cats groom themselves many times a day, is important that they allow you, it to brush them to remove dead skin and fur. The grooming process also gives you a wonderful opportunity to examine your cats body for any unusual lumps that might need further investigation.
Aggression Towards People
Most cats are instinctively friendly towards people, although this will vary between different breeds. However, this does depend on what experiences they had while they were young. If they were born in a home with young children they might have been subjected to some rough play. Like all of this, cats can become aggressive when they are in pain. Please, make sure your cat has not been injured in any way and never smack a cat that is showing aggression. This is a bit like expecting young children when they are angry, you are only teaching them to be afraid. Remember, cats will lash out if they are frightened or cornered.
Aggression Towards Other Cats
Fights between cats is usually either territorial or over mates. These can usually be settled before there is any serious fighting. However, if neither cat backs down, be prepared for a fight. Luckily these fights while violent and frightening, I used to be short lived.
Be prepared for some problems with your cat at some stage. An e-book I have found invaluable is Liz Barton’s Cat Secrets Revealed. At times I swear she is writing about one of my cats. Remember, nothing is ever plain sailing in this life and owning a cat is no different. By having a strong bond with your cat and keeping an eye on what is happening with it, you should be able to get on top of any problems quickly.
