So often it seems people (including myself) tend to think of cat aggression as "just happening". Well, nothing really caused it, it's just what cats due. That's what we like to say. And while it is fun to joke about the unique behavior and mystery of cats, it is equally important to realize that understanding them greatly aids in our care of our feline companions, helping them to be comfortable, stress-free, and live long, happy lives.
So what causes aggression? It isn't just a cat deciding to lash out for no reason, and it isn't just caused by anger. Aggression is actually a reaction more than a behavior, caused by something that provoked the cat. It may be stress, fear, pain, or competition, but just like in dogs, there are a variety of kinds of Aggression, each one a response to a different circumstance. Hope this helps. : )
Defensive Aggression: caused by fear or pain, this aggression is a way that a cat keeps it's self safe. It is attempting to get away from a cause of stress by reacting aggressively towards it
Dominance Aggression: a cat may not be a pack animal, but like dogs, cats do find it necessary to keep their territory, mates, and food-rights safe, and so will display a kind of dominance aggression in order to keep their rights secure.
Impulse Control Aggression: this is a type of aggression found in dogs and possibly in cats. It seems to be found in dogs not properly socialized or with issues of doggie OCD and stress. A dog with Impulse Aggression will attempt to control things or go after them despite not having a seemingly good reason other than obsessive frustration. A cat that is hand-raised may show issues with excessive aggression due to issues with impulse control.
Fear Aggression: a type of Defensive Aggression, Fear Aggression is caused by the stress of being injured, chased, bullied, starved, or any other number of things and causes a cat to lash out in order to keep it's self safe. Fear aggression is actually a pretty common cause of aggression in feral cats or cats surrendered to shelters. Cats in new environments may act grumpy because they feel defenseless and uncertain.
Food-related aggression: A cat that growls or swats at another cat or a person that gets near food is protecting a resource. This is a completely natural behavior that is learned when kittens argue over food in order to get the best pickings. Some cats display it, other's don't. A kitten that went hungry often when young is more likely to show this behavior.
Idiopathic Aggression: again, a type of aggression seen in dogs, this is an unexplained, sudden aggression that seems to be a disorder in dogs and has not yet been explained. It may be due to improper chemicals in the brain or something else, but there is rarely a cure for this kind of aggression.
Inter-cat aggression: when two cats argue with one another for whatever reason, this is inter-cat aggression. It may be over food, territory or breeding-rights.
Intra-sexual Aggression: when cats of the same gender argue. This means two males who fight over the right to have a territory or two females who fight over the right to have a den-sight. In my experience, males only really fight when unneutered, but females love to argue about things even when spayed.
Maternal Aggression: mainly seen in mother cats, any cat that feels a parental urge to protect a kitten can display this behavior. They will aggressively protect their kittens from anything they believe to be a threat. This is a STRONG instinct.
Play aggression: when a cat or kitten plays too rough, mainly due to lack of proper training and/or socialization when young. A cat that gets too rough while playing may scratch, bite, or lunge often, but generally does not truly mean any harm. They just didn't learn bite inhibition when young from siblings, their mother or a an owner willing to teach them. Some cats, even with training, are more prone to this.
Pain aggression: like fear aggression, a cat in pain is more prone to stress, anxiety, and the fear of being vulnerable. They may hide often, bite if touched, growl when approached, swat at you if handled or lifted. This is either due to you touching whatever is causing them pain or their fear that you will increase their pain or put them in a situation where they are vulnerable and the injury makes them less able to defend themselves.
Possessive/Protective Aggression: also known as Resource Guarding, a cat that has something of value such as a favorite bed, toy, or food dish may protect it in order to keep the right to use it. This is a natural behavior that may be stronger in some cats more than others. A cat that is bullied may be more likely to feel the need to protect it's space, or a cat that is taken from a place it enjoys may try to prevent this from happening again.
Predatory Aggression: this is the most natural aggression of all, and is barely an aggression as much as just the natural response to movement or sounds. Squeaking mice, running squirrels, small birds, they elicit predatory aggression in a cat. This aggression can rarely, if ever, be trained from a cat, though a kitten can be socialized towards animals so as not to view them as prey.
Redirected Aggression: this is seen in dogs, and may be seen in cats but probably to a lesser extent. A cat that is angry with something such as a person or another cat may attack someone who is not doing anything wrong simply because they cannot get to the object of their aggression. This may be seen if you try to split up two arguing cats.
Territorial Aggression: somewhat different from Possessive Aggression, a territory is a much larger space and will be marked with spraying, rubbing, and other signs. A cat that is guarding a territory is more likely to attack another cat then any other animal or a person. A cat may view it's territory as one room, or even a certain area in a room, the whole house, or the house and yard and the neighbor's yard too.
So these are the types of aggression. Sorry if the post was long, but I certainly hope it helps people better understand why a cat may react "unexpectedly" and to better deal with situations where a cat may show aggression towards a person, cat or other pet.
So what causes aggression? It isn't just a cat deciding to lash out for no reason, and it isn't just caused by anger. Aggression is actually a reaction more than a behavior, caused by something that provoked the cat. It may be stress, fear, pain, or competition, but just like in dogs, there are a variety of kinds of Aggression, each one a response to a different circumstance. Hope this helps. : )
Defensive Aggression: caused by fear or pain, this aggression is a way that a cat keeps it's self safe. It is attempting to get away from a cause of stress by reacting aggressively towards it
Dominance Aggression: a cat may not be a pack animal, but like dogs, cats do find it necessary to keep their territory, mates, and food-rights safe, and so will display a kind of dominance aggression in order to keep their rights secure.
Impulse Control Aggression: this is a type of aggression found in dogs and possibly in cats. It seems to be found in dogs not properly socialized or with issues of doggie OCD and stress. A dog with Impulse Aggression will attempt to control things or go after them despite not having a seemingly good reason other than obsessive frustration. A cat that is hand-raised may show issues with excessive aggression due to issues with impulse control.
Fear Aggression: a type of Defensive Aggression, Fear Aggression is caused by the stress of being injured, chased, bullied, starved, or any other number of things and causes a cat to lash out in order to keep it's self safe. Fear aggression is actually a pretty common cause of aggression in feral cats or cats surrendered to shelters. Cats in new environments may act grumpy because they feel defenseless and uncertain.
Food-related aggression: A cat that growls or swats at another cat or a person that gets near food is protecting a resource. This is a completely natural behavior that is learned when kittens argue over food in order to get the best pickings. Some cats display it, other's don't. A kitten that went hungry often when young is more likely to show this behavior.
Idiopathic Aggression: again, a type of aggression seen in dogs, this is an unexplained, sudden aggression that seems to be a disorder in dogs and has not yet been explained. It may be due to improper chemicals in the brain or something else, but there is rarely a cure for this kind of aggression.
Inter-cat aggression: when two cats argue with one another for whatever reason, this is inter-cat aggression. It may be over food, territory or breeding-rights.
Intra-sexual Aggression: when cats of the same gender argue. This means two males who fight over the right to have a territory or two females who fight over the right to have a den-sight. In my experience, males only really fight when unneutered, but females love to argue about things even when spayed.
Maternal Aggression: mainly seen in mother cats, any cat that feels a parental urge to protect a kitten can display this behavior. They will aggressively protect their kittens from anything they believe to be a threat. This is a STRONG instinct.
Play aggression: when a cat or kitten plays too rough, mainly due to lack of proper training and/or socialization when young. A cat that gets too rough while playing may scratch, bite, or lunge often, but generally does not truly mean any harm. They just didn't learn bite inhibition when young from siblings, their mother or a an owner willing to teach them. Some cats, even with training, are more prone to this.
Pain aggression: like fear aggression, a cat in pain is more prone to stress, anxiety, and the fear of being vulnerable. They may hide often, bite if touched, growl when approached, swat at you if handled or lifted. This is either due to you touching whatever is causing them pain or their fear that you will increase their pain or put them in a situation where they are vulnerable and the injury makes them less able to defend themselves.
Possessive/Protective Aggression: also known as Resource Guarding, a cat that has something of value such as a favorite bed, toy, or food dish may protect it in order to keep the right to use it. This is a natural behavior that may be stronger in some cats more than others. A cat that is bullied may be more likely to feel the need to protect it's space, or a cat that is taken from a place it enjoys may try to prevent this from happening again.
Predatory Aggression: this is the most natural aggression of all, and is barely an aggression as much as just the natural response to movement or sounds. Squeaking mice, running squirrels, small birds, they elicit predatory aggression in a cat. This aggression can rarely, if ever, be trained from a cat, though a kitten can be socialized towards animals so as not to view them as prey.
Redirected Aggression: this is seen in dogs, and may be seen in cats but probably to a lesser extent. A cat that is angry with something such as a person or another cat may attack someone who is not doing anything wrong simply because they cannot get to the object of their aggression. This may be seen if you try to split up two arguing cats.
Territorial Aggression: somewhat different from Possessive Aggression, a territory is a much larger space and will be marked with spraying, rubbing, and other signs. A cat that is guarding a territory is more likely to attack another cat then any other animal or a person. A cat may view it's territory as one room, or even a certain area in a room, the whole house, or the house and yard and the neighbor's yard too.
So these are the types of aggression. Sorry if the post was long, but I certainly hope it helps people better understand why a cat may react "unexpectedly" and to better deal with situations where a cat may show aggression towards a person, cat or other pet.
