Cat Behavior Problems Taming The Beast

The phenomena of cat aggression can be very frightening. Suddenly, your lovable companion has changed into a biting, hissing demon on wheels. For this article, we will tackle the issue of feline aggression, focusing specifically on identifying the five most common causes. We'll also look at several simple ways that you can deal with and minimize cat behavior problems, such as aggression, to nip them in the bud.

Play aggression is the most common type of cat aggression. Play aggression occurs when your playful kitty plays so roughly by using his or her teeth or claws to play. Play aggression may be mistaken for aggression toward you. Always use a toy to play with your cat instead of your hand or other parts of your body to deal with this type of aggression.

A related problem is over-stimulation, in which your cat lashes out at you because she has had a bit too much excitement. To deal with over-stimulation, simply withdraw from playtime and leave the room. You might also need to isolate kitty in a room of her own if she is severely aggressive. Once she calms down, her cat behavior problems should cease and she will return to normal.

Most cats exhibit at least some territorial aggression. Any new person or animal entering a cat's home for the first time is likely to be subjected to it. Your cat believes that your house and all of its contents in fact belong to him. The way to avoid problems with territorial aggression is to slowly introduce the cat to your house's other people and animals, while providing it with treats while it gets to know them.

Redirected aggression in a cat happens when a cat feels aggression toward another animal but turns his anger on you instead. This is an unusual cat behavior problem, but can happen when, for example, your cat feels threatened by another cat outside a window but cannot reach them. A good way to handle this problem would be to place shades on your windows. Then your cat will not be able to see the outdoors cats.

Lastly, some cats become more aggressive due to health problems. Several conditions that cause pain to cats, such as abscesses, bladder infections, and stomach difficulties, make cats irritable. Since your cat cannot tell you what is wrong with him, he becomes more aggressive. Dealing with aggressive cats should therefore involve visiting a veterinarian before doing anything else to try to achieve cat control.

Sometimes your cat might turn his frustrated anger towards you even though you aren't really the target of his anger. This is a case of redirected aggression, and is just another one of the strange cat behavior problems owners encounter. Any condition that causes pain, such as a bladder infection, abscess, or stomach problem, can lead to aggression because kitty cannot tell you what is wrong.