Have you noticed a sudden change in behavior in your cat, either towards you or others? This can potentially be a warning sign for a more serious medical issue and should not be brushed off as being moody. Sometimes a physical injury or condition can cause the sudden mood swing. Here are some common causes and what you should do if your cat is suddenly showing signs of cat aggression.
Acting Quick When Your Cat Becomes Aggressive
A cat can become aggressive due to territorial and mating instincts, but if your cat is spayed or neutered and has a very consistent behavior, it may be worth having it looked at by a professional. If it has been awhile since your cat’s last checkup, it would be worth having a full workup of all its vitals to see if there is any physical pain or illness that is making them act up. It is also not uncommon for a veterinarian to come to the conclusion that your cat may need medication to treat mental illnesses that we humans also experience.
Common Conditions Related to a Cat Aggression
Since hyper-aggressive behavior can be caused by physical pain, the severity can range from a mild bruise to arthritis that hasn’t presented itself until you or someone else has inadvertently triggered the painful lashing out by the cat. Of course, as cats get older, they can also get dementia as we do and start behaving like a totally different pet. This would be easier to spot as your cat starts becoming easily “spooked” or randomly attack you from a distance, rather than being overly defensive.
Much more serious illness can also affect the brain, like neurological diseases and blood-borne illnesses, such as a bacterial, viral, or parasitic infection. Rabies is the most common culprit, of course, and also the most dangerous, as it can be transmitted to humans. Rabies often becomes noticeable when a cat’s health deteriorates significantly and usually before the aggression stage.
Getting the Good News About Your Cat’s Health
If the vet says your cat is perfectly healthy, then you will need to start figuring out just what is making your kitty ticked. Could it be that your cat is reacting to other stimuli nearby or on you that could be mistaken as an attack towards you? Is your cat attack other pets? Those are typically what most cat owners will experience. The only way to get your cat to play nice with others is to gradually de-escalate their level of excitement by slowly moving them closer to the other pet each time they meet. This means using a leash like a pet dog and applying the Dog Whisper’s teachings towards calm and assertive pet ownership.
Final Thoughts
Never show signs of frustration when dealing with bad cat aggression. Negative feedback reinforces bad behavior. You must be proactive and correct bad behavior as soon as you see it or your cat will not learn to respect you and you’ll just end up as another one of those cat owners who write off cats as untrainable. Remember, there’s nothing wrong with hiring a cat specialist if you’ve tried all that you can possibly think of in your home.
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