Aggressive Behaviour in Cats: 8 Types and Causes
Updated: 2 days ago
Feline aggression rarely starts with a physical altercation, but it can most certainly end in one if a cat is pushed to its limits. Spotting the signs early will help to determine how, why and where aggression is occurring; in other words, it's essential to find a trigger.
One of the most common issues parents face is fighting in multi-cat households, but aggression can also be limited to one particular kitty. It's not unheard of for cats to attack their human guardians either, which can happen suddenly and without obvious warning. Aggression can be categorised into several different types, which will further explain the cause and, most importantly, how to manage it.
Related post: 3 Reasons Why Your Bonded Cats Are Fighting
Head straight to the 8 types of feline aggression:
What Causes Aggressive Behaviour in Cats?
In the first instance, a vet visit is essential to rule out medical issues and seek treatment if necessary. If health is good then there's likely to be an external stressor. Cats are solitary predators by nature and don't typically form social groups, therefore competition for resources is part of their survival instinct.
Offering multiple food/water stations, beds and litter trays is something you should be doing regardless of whether aggression is present or not. The more we can limit stress, the less chance there is of behavioural problems developing. Just as with humans, stress is the body's response to anything that needs attention.
In cats, this could be triggered by factors such as illness, fear and changes to their environment. Aggression is often a physical manifestation of stress, so it may be worth investing in a behaviour specialist who can observe your cats and make an accurate diagnosis.
The purpose of this article is to understand the different types of aggression and their associated behaviours, some of which I’ve witnessed in my own cats and, hopefully, you can resonate with.
Related post: Signs of Stress in Cats, Causes and Treatment
Types of Feline Aggression
1. Territorial Aggression
We already know that cats are territorial creatures, both inside and outside of the home. Whether it’s spraying over the carpet or finding those pesky poos in your flower beds, our four-legged friends LOVE to mark their territory. A more convenient, less stinky way of doing this is by using the scent glands dotted around their bodies.
You’ve most certainly seen them claiming objects around the house by rubbing their cheeks on furniture, clothes, bedding, litter trays - even you! This scent contains pheromones and is a valuable communication tool used to identify one another; create familiarity and mark a space, person or thing as safe..
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Basically, cats love to own stuff! This a common cause for squabbling, no matter how big or small your household and whether you have two cats or twenty cats. They also have scent glands between the pads of their paws, so you’ll be thrilled to know that scratching serves more of a purpose than pulling up your carpets.
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As independent creatures, it’s often said that cats are merely tolerant of each other, but I don’t believe it’s as simple as that. I’ve parented enough cats to know that they’re capable of forming bonds while appearing indifferent to each other on the surface. We see it when one cat dies or is in some kind of distress, others will sense and react to it in subtle or obvious ways.
Whether it’s a bond of love or they’re simply used to having each other around, it would be ignorant to think that cats naturally prefer to live alone. They may be content in their own company, but they’ve evolved to accept companionship and are perfectly capable of forming attachments to both animals and humans.
Signs of territorial aggression may include:
Squabbling over or around important resources such as food, water, beds and litter trays.
Blocking entry/exit points like doorways and halls by sitting or sprawling themselves across the space.
Chasing other cats away from what they consider to be their areas.
Stalking and ambushing.
Spraying or fouling.
Note that the above behaviours can be displayed in any form of aggression, but there are some basic steps you can take to limit or prevent territorial behaviour.
Learn more about how to manage feline aggression at home.
2. Non-Recognition Aggression
This typically happens when cats from the same household are separated and reunited, such as one goes for a vet visit and the remaining cat becomes uncharacteristically aggressive or fearful. It all goes back to the importance of scent, as we see when cats greet each other with a good old butt sniff. A cat can look the same, sound the same, act the same as it always did; but if it smells alien then all hell breaks loose.
It may seem strange to us humans that cats can temporarily forget each other, but I've witnessed it happen by sight alone. My sister has a cat that wears a cone collar due to a condition that makes her scratch her face - I mean, literally claw her skin off - for which she's on lifelong medication. She's perfectly content to wear it, more so than not wearing it, so it's only removed to be washed or changed.
The other household cats are so used to seeing her with the collar on that as soon as it's taken off, you have a bunch of nervous, glaring cats that are too cautious to approach their sister. Whether they're spooked by the change of appearance or think it's an entirely different cat, who knows, but this is a great example of how easy it can be for non-recognition aggression to kick in.
Being away from home in a strange environment with unfamiliar sights, sounds and smells can cause a lot of stress, which other cats may pick up on and react accordingly. Especially if the returning kitty seems to be cowering, jumpy or skittish as they'll notice behavioural changes, too.
As with my sister's cat, it could be a case of removing the collar makes her anxious and tempted to start scratching. All of a sudden you have not one, but two or more anxious cats which can lead to the next type of aggression: redirected.
3. Redirected Aggression
As the most common type of inter-cat aggression, this deserves a post all of its own. Seeing a stray cat through a window; loud noises such as fireworks; moving house; new babies or any kind of stressful event whereby one or both cats take it out on each other - or even humans. This is especially something to watch out for if, like me, you have naturally skittish cats.
You can read My Story for a more detailed account of redirected aggression between sibling cats.
This type of aggression occurs when an overstimulated cat is unable to reach the source of the fright or whatever has triggered them. Naturally, they'll lash out at nearby animals or people - it's important to remember that this isn't a logical response, but survival instinct taking over.
It's happened to me a couple of times when either fireworks or an alarm has gone off, which leads Drax to growl at me and run away. If I was another cat then it's easy to see how quickly the situation might escalate.
Cats can be on alert for hours or even days after a triggering incident, and attempting to soothe them may lead to further attacks. Likewise, one wrong or sudden move from a fellow housemate can reactivate the problem all over again. Having experienced first-hand the devastating effects of redirected aggression, I've learned that prevention is better than intervention.
It can take a lot of time and effort to identify and eliminate a problem, but there are no guarantees that damage can be reversed. Unfortunately, many cases of redirected aggression lead to cats being rehomed - but I'm here to help you avoid that.
4. Play Aggression
Kittens or young cats not raised with littermates may be unsocialised, leading to inappropriate play such as biting or scratching. In short, they don’t know when enough is enough because they’ve never had another cat to tell them so, either by ending the play session or retaliating.
This can also apply to humans if, for example, a feral cat has never had human interaction - or parents have been teaching their cats bad habits. Using hands to play with kittens is a strict no-no.
Cats with too much energy may get a kick out of randomly pouncing on their housemates, which on first impression could look like an attack. Let me tell you that it can be rather thrilling for a cat to hide around a corner waiting for someone or something to walk past, as it utilises their natural hunting instincts. What one cat deems to be fun and exciting, the recipient may find annoying and take as a challenge or a threat.
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My own cats aren't particularly energetic, but quite often they can't resist the urge to swat each other on passing. This can be a completely harmless attempt to initiate play, so offer plenty of toys and enrichment such as scratch mats or posts, particularly in those ambush areas.
Learn how to spot the differences between fighting and play to better understand your cat's needs and requirements.
5. Hormonal Aggression
Cats reach maturity between 2-4 years of age and may develop territorial tendencies, particularly unneutered males and females in heat. Urine spraying can be predominant around this time, which can cause serious problems for homeowners and other cats alike.
Sexual hormones are a common culprit for territorial aggression, and probably the most easily solved. It’s important to neuter or spay all parties and, if necessary, begin the separation and reintroduction process.
6. Fear Aggression
Similar to redirected aggression, cats may attack due to new stimuli such as a person, animal, noise or trauma from past events. For example, your cat had an unpleasant vet visit or suffered abuse in its previous home and, as a result, has developed negative associations with certain places or people. Thus it becomes a case of desensitising, reprogramming and reassuring the cat with positive associations.
If your kitty isn’t fond of someone, a visitor or new partner for example, let that be the only person who feeds, treats, pets and plays with them while they’re in the household. Be encouraging rather than intrusive and before you know it, kitty will have a new best friend!
7. Petting Aggression
How many times have you been happily petting a cat when, suddenly, it swats or bites your hand? I’ve found myself in this situation more than once - more fool me for approaching cute kitties in the street. This is particularly dangerous where children are concerned, but I’m an adult with no excuses.
Reasons for this behaviour are largely unknown but can be linked to overstimulation or lack of socialisation. While your average cat would walk away once it’s had enough interaction, others just like to say: “F*** off!”
We also have to appreciate that cats may not like certain parts of their body being touched, in particular the back, rear and top of the head. This can be startling and you might be mistaken for a nasty predator. The stomach too is a vulnerable area, so belly rubs probably aren't the best idea.
For everyone’s safety, let the cat come to you and show you where it wants to be petted. Offer a hand (lower rather than higher to kitty) let it absorb your scent and, once comfortable, it might demand a cheek rub or ear scratch.
Stay away from the chin and mouth areas unless you trust the cat and stick to shorter durations of petting. Step back at the first sign of aggression and don’t resume: this lets kitty know that such behaviour is ignored and not rewarded.
8. Maternal Aggression
Queens that have recently given birth and are nursing their kittens, understandably, may not appreciate intrusions by other animals or people. This usually subsides as kittens get older but, in the meantime, offer a quiet environment and do not disturb - torture, I know!
Regardless of the cause or type of aggression, it’s important to remain calm and not get angry or frustrated at a cat that may be crying out for help.
Have you witnessed aggression in your own cats? Let us know if this article helped to understand why it might be happening.
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