Aggressive or Angry Cats Are No Fun

Is your cat an angry cat? Keeping an angry cat in your home takes all of the fun out of cat ownership. Luckily, there are steps that you can take to help change your angry cat's behavior and make her a welcome member of the family.
 

When people complain about their cats it usually comes down to a one or two problems: aggression and failure to use the litter box. These are the two most common problems cited when owners are forced to give their cats to shelters. After dealing with the problem for a long time it just becomes too much for them and their family.

You can find a way to deal with your aggressive or angry cat. There are many levels of aggressive cat, ranging from kitty who nips at your toes when you don't expect it, to very frightening physical attacks.

It isn't uncommon to hear that someone is quietly petting their cat and suddenly the cat bites and runs away. Usually there is more shock than injury, and if you start watching your cat a little more closely, you should be able to pick up the signs that kitty is in an aggressive mood.

Angry Cat Warning Signs

My daughter's cat would only bite our legs and toes when we were sitting on the sofa. After a while my daughter saw that when kitty was approaching with her head and her tail low, she was in a biting mood. If her head and tail were held high she wanted to be petted.

By recognizing the warning signs we knew what her cat was up to, and saw what she was communicating to us.

How to Distract an Aggressive or Angry Cat

Sometimes a hand clap or other noise will be enough to distract an angry cat from attacking. Giving your cat a toy to play with is another method of distracting it. In extreme cases, you might need to keep a spray bottle of water handy and give a soft squirt at the cat's backside. Never squirt water at a cat's face.

Retraining an Angry Cat

It is possible to retrain your cat so it doesn't attack you. It will require time and patience on your part but it is worth it. My kitten Asha would dig her claws into my legs under the desk if she felt angry that she wasn't getting enough attention or she wanted something. She would come in behind me so the first I knew that she was angry about something was the claws in my thighs. It took practice for me to not yell at the sudden attack but I refused to pay attention to her until she just put paws, minus claws, on my legs. When that happened she got my immediate attention and was praised. I would then go see if she wanted a cuddle, a game or to tell me her biscuit bowl was empty.

Kathy Robinson has been writing articles on cat problems and the care of cats on her website http://www.CatProblemsResolved.com for a number of years. Why not download your free copy of The Joy of Owning and Caring for a Cat when you sign up for her free Cat Care Newsletter at http://www.catproblemsresolved.com/660
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