A cat that suddenly hisses, scratches, bites or lashes out can at best be difficult to deal with, and at worst, quite frightening.
Most of us might also naturally think that an aggressive cat is simply angry, badly behaved or doesn't like us – but in reality, cat aggression is more complicated than that.
Fear, pain and frustration are all common causes, while under-stimulated cats may redirect their natural predatory behaviour towards people's hands, feet and ankles. Rather than jumping to punish aggression in your cat, think of this behaviour as a sign that something needs to be investigated, and it’s your job as the parent or guardian to get to the bottom of the issue.
What's in this guide
Why is my cat aggressive?
The circumstances surrounding an aggressive episode can provide important clues about what's causing it.
Aggression during touching or handling
Does your cat bite when she is stroked, picked up, groomed or touched in a particular area? Aggression that’s linked to handling may be down to fear, pain or misunderstandings in communication. Some cats don’t enjoy much physical contact, and for others, their tolerance can change depending on where and how they are touched, and who by.
Look for subtle signs that your cat has had enough, such as tail swishing, ears turning backwards, increased tension or repeatedly looking towards your hand. If you can learn to respect these early signals that something’s not right, things are unlikely to escalate.
However, aggression related to touch or handling should always be assessed by a vet, particularly if it's new or has worsened over time. Cats can be very good at masking their discomfort, and pain or another medical problem may be contributing to the behaviour.
Attacking people as she walks through the home
If your cat hides, stalks and then pounces on people's feet or ankles as they pass, this may be because cats are natural predators. They have a powerful instinct to stalk, chase, pounce and catch – and an under-stimulated (or, in contrast, a particularly young or excitable) cat may direct these behaviours towards moving hands and feet if they have no other means of expressing them. If you learn to accept these early signs and remove your hands, things are unlikely to escalate.
Interactive play as well as climbing, scratching and exploring the environment are important parts of natural cat behaviour. But your cat needs to learn that human hands and legs are not for play. Offer many safe alternatives: toys in different size and structure, that can be moving within a safe distance to your hand, for example connected to a long line or fishing-rod-style toys.
Fear and frustration
A scared cat may hide or retreat initially, but if she believes she can't escape, aggression can be a way of creating distance from whatever is worrying her.
Frustration can also contribute to aggressive cat behaviour. A cat might, for example, become highly aroused by something she can't access or control – and her natural instinct is to redirect that response towards anybody that’s nearby, even if it’s her best friend.
In the moment
In this situation, don't try to pick up or restrain the cat. Give her space and allow her to regulate her arousal levels.
How to stop cat aggression
There's no single technique for how to stop cat aggression, because an effective approach will be led by what’s driving the aggression in the first place. This is why you need to analyse each episode and join the dots.
Pay attention to what happens immediately before your cat becomes aggressive.
- Was she being stroked or handled?
- Were you walking past?
- Had she seen another animal?
- Was she playing?
- Was she struggling to access something she wanted?
It can be helpful to keep a simple record of incidents that outlines where they happened, who was there, and what happened leading up to the aggressive behaviour; this can help you spot patterns that point to the root cause of the problem. Aggression during handling typically warrants investigation for pain, fear and communication issues, while ambushing moving feet may point towards predatory or play behaviour.
Give your cat choice and space
Cats generally cope better when they have control over where they are and what they can interact with.
Provide enough hiding places and elevated resting areas, and make sure your cat has the option to move away from people, children or other pets. If she hasn’t got an exit route, she is likely to feel trapped.
In multi-cat households, make sure your pet can reach everything they need for their comfort, including food, water, litter trays, sleeping areas, scratching surfaces and hiding places. Even cats that appear to “get along” can still have moments of tension or competition, so it’s essential to make sure their environment isn’t adding fuel to the fire!
Never punish an aggressive cat
What not to do
As much as you may want to stop the behaviour in the moment, shouting, spraying your cat with water, hitting her or using other forms of punishment can make cat aggression worse.
This is because punishing your pet doesn’t explain what you’d like them to do instead, or address the reason she is behaving aggressively. It can increase fear and anxiety, and it’s likely to damage their relationship with you.
Growling, hissing and swiping all signal that a cat is uncomfortable. If you punish those warnings without resolving the underlying emotion, you risk suppressing the cat’s desire to communicate with you.
Take every cat bite seriously
Cats have narrow, sharp teeth that can introduce bacteria deep beneath the skin, and even the smallest of bites could become infected. If your cat bites you, clean the wound promptly and seek medical attention, especially if they have punctured the skin.
From a behavioural perspective, it's also sensible to get professional help after the first serious bite rather than waiting for aggression to become a pattern.
When should you seek professional help?
If the aggression occurs when your cat is being handled, it appears suddenly, or it’s accompanied by other changes in your cat's behaviour, speaking to your vet should be your first port of call. Ruling out pain and medical problems should come before treating the problem as purely behavioural.
Following a veterinary assessment, a suitably qualified veterinary behaviourist can investigate more complex cases.
Expert support is definitely needed if attacks are intense or unpredictable, bites are occurring, aggression is becoming more frequent, other animals are at risk, or you just don't feel like you can manage the situation safely.
Don't just stop your cat’s aggression – find out what's causing it!
Remember that a hiss, scratch or bite is the action, and what’s happening underneath is often where we need to start.
The sooner you understand what your cat is trying to say to you – particularly after a bite or sudden behavioural change – the sooner you can address the cause and reduce the risk of it happening again. Contact The Behaviour Vet if you would like more information on handling cat aggression or think you would benefit from a one-to-one consultation.