My cat is aggressive with me: What to do?
The cat, although having retained its wild instinct is a gentle domestic animal, tender and affectionate towards its master, without being as docile as a dog. However, it can happen that overnight, your cat will start scratching or biting you outside of the game, or that he licks you and then bites you suddenly, in short, that he becomes aggressive with you.
This aggressiveness generally has many causes. In any case, don't worry, by following a few simple rules, the situation can be brought under control and everything will be back to normal.
In the following, this article will introduce you to all the reasons that can make your adorable little furball attack you, as well as some useful tips to prevent it from happening again.
Why is my cat aggressive towards me?
Although the cat is an independent animal and one which keeps a very savage deep within it, it never attacks its owner for ever, unless there is a deeper problem.
So, if your cat becomes aggressive towards you and becomes generous with claws and fangs, know that there are 3 possible reasons:
- He may have health problems
- He may have adopted this bad habit over time
- He is bored, stressed or frustrated.
He Has Health Problems
Sickness and pain usually affect cats' behavior and make them more aggressive. If ever overnight kitty starts to be violent and hostile towards you, for example when you touch him, it is possible that he is sick and that he is in pain.
So do not hesitate to have him consult a veterinarian to confirm or deny this suspicion.
He was weaned too early and adopted bad habits
It is also possible that your cat acquired this bad habit over time, growing up, especially if he was separated too early from his mother (less than 8 weeks old). ), who did not have time to teach him the good behavior of a domestic cat.
However, it is also possible that a normally weaned cat will have a habit of seeing your hands and feet as real prey. This happens when you play with your cat from an early age using your hands and feet.
He is stressed, frustrated or so bored.
The fact of being locked up alone in the apartment all day long is a really frustrating and stressful situation for some felines. In addition, as soon as you arrive in the evening, it is possible that your cat lacking physical exercise will be overexcited and pour out his excess energy and his accumulated frustrations on you.
By attacking you, it is also sometimes possible that your cat sends you a final message saying that he would like to be quiet. This often happens when you disturb him. This is what often happens when lying on your knees, you pet your cat insistently. Not supporting it anymore, it will send you many signals like a growl, folded ears,… If you ignore these signals, it will end up scratching or biting you, so that you understand the message…
I'm afraid of my cat! The advice of a veterinarian
What can be done so that the cat is no longer aggressive?
As we have seen, the cat can have a heavy paw and scratch you for very specific reasons. It is therefore important that you become aware of the behavioral clues that your cat gives you and thus adapt your behavior towards him or correct certain character traits.
Be observant and more attentive to your cat
To avoid finding yourself harassing your cat on purpose (or unintentionally), pay close attention to the various signals it sends you. It will for example be a question of paying attention to his grunts, his posture, his gaze. This will allow you to know when not to disturb him and therefore to avoid possible aggression.
Give her toys and an environment that promotes her development
First of all, from an early age, never play with your kitten using your hands or feet, these parts of your body should not be associated with the play.
Instead, use conventional toys to allow him to let off steam. You will find a multitude of cat toys on the market, with characteristics and functions as diverse as they are varied.
Basically, think about providing a pleasant environment for your cat that allows him to stimulate his curiosity and his hunting instinct. For this, you just need to provide the kitty with accessories, games and distractions that will push him to let off steam and flourish, if only for 5 minutes a day. In addition to the toys, it will be a question of installing a cat tree with scratching post, a cat flap to offer him more freedom and autonomy, and many others.
If your cat attacks you
If ever despite all these precautions taken, it happens a day when your cat attacks you, do not punish. An aggressive and violent reaction to your cat who has just scratched or bit you will only make matters worse: he will become even more violent, seeing you as a threat.
For an aggressive cat you might also have the idea of cutting its claws, hoping to see it stopped but it is a solution that does not solve anything at best does not slightly reduce the cut of the claw, nothing more.
In the event of an aggressive gesture towards you during the game, you can for example leave the room to let the overexcited cat calm down or simply show him that you are ignoring him.
