Aggression can mean a lot of things when it comes to pets and animals.  In the end, a pet’s aggressive behavior is a show of force that may lead to an ultimate attack and bite. The resulting injuries can be minor, significant, or even fatal depending on the pet and how extensive the attack may be.  There is also the risk the animal transmits a bacterial or viral infection because of a bite or scratch. Addressing a pet’s aggression is necessary if an ultimate attack and bite are to be prevented.

Aggressive behavior comes in many forms and can be displayed by animals, including household cats, in a variety of way.  The following is a list of some, but not all, the types of aggressive behavior in cats:[i]

Threats and Fights Between Cats

This type of aggression is seen widely among unneutered male, Tom, cats who are staking out territory.  This form of aggression, however, is also present in household cats too.

Fearful or Defensive Aggression

When a cat believes there is an unescapable threat, it can and usually will attack.  Actual attacks involve biting and scratching among others displays of aggression, until the threat is gone or the cat escapes.

Territorial Aggression

When it comes to marking out and claiming territories, cats are no different than other animals.  A cat, once it has established or claimed an area, may protect its area from perceived intruders.  A cat may protect its territory from other cats, animals, and humans.  Some cats may aggressively guard and protect its territory by attacking intruders.  Attacks can include chasing, swatting, scratching, growling, hissing, and biting.

Redirected Aggression

A cat may attack, scratch, and bite as a result of re-directed aggression.  This occurs when a cat finds itself aggravated or agitated by something which it cannot get to.  The aggression and frustration is then re-directed almost as a reflex to something nearby, a person or another household pet.  These attacks are not uncommon, but are unpredictable, and may result in injuries to the unsuspecting victim.

Similarly, a cat may attack, scratch, and bite, often very violently, for no known or identifiable reason.  This is classified as “idiopathic aggression,” and must be closely monitored and evaluated for overall safety concerns.

Petting Induced Aggression

While most cats, but not all, like being petted, too much may cause aggressive behavior.  While the causes are vague, it seems that at some point the petting and stroking becomes irritating to the point that an aggressive act occurs to get the petting to stop.  Knowing your cat’s limits on petting and stopping when it appears the cat is irritated will help prevent this type if aggressive behavior and resulting injuries.

Pain Response and Irritableness Aggression

A cat may be come aggressive in response to a painful condition, especially when touched, picked up, or moved.  The same is true if the cat has become irritable as result of not feeling well, being frustrated, or needing food, shelter, or other care.

Some Common Signs of Aggressiveness in Cats

Some warning signs that an aggressive cat may show before attacking and biting include, but are not limited to, the following:[ii]

• Stiff or straight legged stance
• Stiff and lowered tail
• Staring at facing the perceived threat
• Hackles raised
• Head Tucked in
• Growling, howling, or yowling
• Advancing towards the perceived threat
• Swatting
• Biting
• Scratching
• Hissing or spitting
• Ears flatten back

Other Bad or Destructive Behavior from Cats

In addition to aggressiveness that can lead to attacking, scratching, and biting, cats also exhibit other bad or destructive behaviors.  These can include the following:[iii]

Destructive Scratching

Cats like to and need to scratch.  Scratching promotes healthy claws.  Scratching, however, causes damage to the items regularly scratched.   The damage could be extensive and expensive to repair or replace the object damaged.  Providing proper scratching posts and items, with incentives to use them, will help direct your cat away from objects that it should not scratch.  Regularly clipping your cat’s claws will help reduce the need to excessive scratching.  Surgical options to stop a cat from scratching can be both painful and debilitating to the cat, and expensive to have done.  Ensuring sufficient and interesting scratching alternatives will help reduce costly damage to and destruction of household furniture and items.

Litter Box Issues

A cat may choose not use a litter box for many reasons:  There may be a medical condition, there could conflict between multiple cats, your cat may dislike the type or size of the box or litter used, your cat may not like the box’s location, or the box may need more frequent cleaning.  Your cat may be experiencing some form of stress.  There are many reasons why the cat is not using a litter box, and it is a messy problem to say the least.  After ensuring there is not underlying medical issue, closely monitoring your cat’s use will help identify the issues surrounding the cat’s non-use of a litter box.  Changing the box’s location or size, adding more boxes, cleaning the boxes more often, and/or changing the type of litter used may help solve litter box use problems.

Urine Marking

Urine marking is not the same thing as having a litter box problem.  The cat is spraying urine outside the litter box for a specific purpose.  Urine marking is a form of cat communication.  Spraying urine, and other scents mixed in, is a cat’s form of staking out territory or ownership of an area.  It lets other cats know the territorial boundaries claimed.

Unneutered males frequently urine mark, but females can do so too.  Households with multiple cats will see at least one, if not several cats, urine mark.  Conflict among household cats, stresses brought on by household changes, or seeing other cats living or wondering outside can also lead to urine marking.

Neutering and spaying cats will help with urine marking.  Eliminating new stressors, reducing in home competition for food and water, reducing the cat’s views to triggers such as outside wondering cats, providing ample litter boxes, offering several food and water bowls, and promptly cleaning areas with good pet deodorizing cleaners (not ammonia based cleaners) can help reduce or eliminate urine marking.

Aggressive, destructive, and bad behaviors come in many forms.  If your cat exhibits such unacceptable behaviors, first consult with your veterinarian to determine whether there are any medical issues, physical concerns, or other limitations your cat might be experiencing that causes or contributes to any bad behavior.  The veterinarian can also direct you to the best type of trainer for your pet’s specific behavior issue.  Properly handling and training your cat to reduce or eliminate aggressive and other destructive or bad behaviors can lead to a happy and healthy relationship with your pet.

Other Animals and Exotic Pets

Just like dogs and cats, other animals, large and small, can exhibit bad behaviors.  The less traditional, and perhaps exotic pets, range from ferrets, birds, snakes, rodents, and reptiles to chickens, horses and other farm type animals

Any animal kept as a pet needs proper training, veterinary care, and attention.  All animals can develop bad habits.  All animals can become aggressive for similar reasons as ordinary dogs and cats.  Aggressiveness in any animal can lead to significant bite related injuries.  Larger animals can also inflict serious, traumatic, even fatal, injuries from kicking and trampling.  These less common, exotic, or farm type animals can also spread diseases, including rabies.  Bites, scratches, and other wounds inflicted can also become infected.

Whether you have a dog, a cat, or other less traditional or exotic pet, they all need proper training, care, and attention in order to prevent them from developing bad habits and causing serious injuries.

[i] http//www.aspca.org; https://www.avma.org; www.webmd.com
[ii] http//www.aspca.org/pet-care/cat-care/common-cat-behavior-issues; https://www.avma.org
[iii] http//www.aspca.org/pet-care/cat-care/common-cat-behavior-issues; https://www.avma.org