Aggressive Behavior toward People
Cats do not show aggression to people just for the sake of it. There is always an underlying reason or cause for the behavior. If you can get to the route cause and deal with it, your cat will become the content, relaxed and non-aggressive creature it wants to be.
Aggression can be caused by illness or pain that the cat is suffering from such as arthritis or even dental pain. If it seems that overnight your cat has turned aggressive, this is a likely cause. Take your cat to visit the vet to find out more.
If your cat likes to “hunt” you – stalking, ambushing and pouncing on you, then this could be a sign that they were taken from their mother too early and not given enough time to learn how to moderate aggression when playing. Talk to your vet about what actions can be taken to prevent this.
When they hiss, bare their teeth, crouch down low, put their ears back and their hair stands out then this is aggression caused by fear. Their instinct is to protect themselves, but sometimes cats take their aggression out on humans when it is something else entirely that is provoking them.
They also don’t like to be over petted and roughhoused. Be aware of this, particularly ensuring that the children in the house understand this. That could explain a sudden bite or scratch.
Cats also show aggression when they want to dominate and show you who’s boss. They are most likely to do this when another cat or animal is brought into the home. This can be prevented sometimes in male cats by having them neutered.
One final reason why a cat may show aggression to people is because they have just given birth and don’t want anyone near their kittens.
Some of these scenarios of aggression are totally natural and there is nothing that can or needs to be done (for example the maternal aggression of a mother and her kittens.) Other aggression caused by something such as pain will disappear once the underlying illness has been treated.
