Agressive cat

Your cat sometimes displays aggressive behaviour that you would like to understand. There are different forms of aggression in cats that do not correspond to predefined diseases: they are only symptoms that are often the result of several different problems.



The main causes of aggressiveness are the degree of emotionality, the presence of phobias, the predatory nature and the degree of socialization of the animal to different species and humans.

First of all, it should be known that the cat is a territorial animal, predatory and has no social behavior or hierarchy like the dog. As is often said, he is independent. There may be some exceptions: orphaned or weaned cats or cats raised by dogs or humans.

Territorial aggressiveness

It is often an aggression of cat cats or towards dogs and other animals, but sometimes also towards humans. This type of aggression occurs outside the hot periods for unsterilized animals: females generally hunt males, especially when they have their young, but accept them in hot periods. Males wander in search of females and defend their territory outside these challenging periods. When the cat is sterilized, these behaviors vary slightly and are more complex.

Cats can tolerate their friends, chase away enemies, share the territory according to restricted schedules (sharing space-time in apartments). The cat's character is then essential, i.e. its degree of socialization: some will flee, others will observe a moment, then flee or threaten or even attack. Socialization, whether towards humans or cats, dogs is a characteristic that is acquired at an early age. It is sometimes difficult, especially in cats, to remedy a lack of socialization, this requires patience and specific treatment.

Aggression by predation

Cats sometimes have attacks of "aggressiveness", as if their hunting instincts were resurfacing and you were their prey. They usually attack the calves in this case. This situation underscores the fact that your partner needs to play and is being cared for. In this case, spend more time playing it, especially if it doesn't do it on its own. There are some very entertaining cat toys that he can take care of himself while you are away.

These crises are sometimes linked to a problem in the distribution or access to food, for example if the cat is hungry or competing with other animals.

Another factor is the amount of protein provided by the diet: cats are strict carnivores and their diet must contain at least 25% protein. At least half of these proteins must be of animal origin, which is not necessarily the case for all products on the market. They must also be digestible, and therefore of good quality. For all these reasons, a poor quality diet can lead to a protein deficiency that is responsible for this behaviour. Some have also suggested (although unlikely, it is not impossible) a tryptophan deficiency. It is an amino acid that is a precursor of serotonin, which is in a way the "soothing" molecule of the brain. Cases of aggressiveness have also been reported in cats under hypo-protein diet, which were resolved with normal feeding.

It would therefore be interesting to give your cat a good quality diet, with "premium" kibbles from the major brands, as you will find in our shop.

It is often necessary to divide the meal into several fractions and distribute them in different places, as if to make them into various prey! There are also hollow balls or hollow rollers with holes, in which you put the kibbles, so the cat must play with them to get his food, this is the principle of the Pipolino. Flat cats can also be provided with a scratching post and catnip to relieve their tension and restore conditions as close as possible to wild life.

We also advise you to deworm your cat regularly (at least every six months, every 3 months if he has access to the outdoors or lives with other animals or with children), as digestive worms interfere with digestion and can cause deficiencies. Ask your veterinarian for advice on the most suitable product. For more information, consult our sheet  vets in cats.

Self-defense

The cat then defends itself against an aggression, usually physical: pain, coercion (cats often do not like to be held against their will). Some cats are aggressive from the start and others do not attack anyone.