Aggressive Cat Behavior Between Cats – What Causes It?
There are two primary kinds of aggressive cat behavior – aggression towards other cats and aggression towards people. Let’s take a look at aggression towards other cats, primarily within a family grouping. If you have more than one cat in your family, you are probably familiar with aggressive cat behavior. Each type of aggressive cat behavior, including biting and scratching, can be easier handled when you know what is causing it. There are several causes of aggressive behavior between cats.
Territorial Aggression – No Tresspassing!
Territorial Aggression is very common among cats, because cats are very territorial (even more than dogs, surprisingly) and don’t like intruders into places they feel is theirs. This is very common in a household where an older cat is expected to welcome the intrusion of a new cat or kitten. It also happens outside, when a neighbor cat dares to trespass into your cat’s yard. This aggressive cat behavior will be noticed by chasing and ambushing the other cat, and a lot of hissing and swatting if there is contact between the two.
Inter-male Aggression – Who’s “Top Dog”?
Inter-male Aggression happens because of the hierarchy that is natural among animals. It can be part of a sexual challenge for a female or to raise one’s status in the cat hierarchy. While neutered males are less apt to fight this way, they, too, can have inter-male aggression, particularly if neutered later in life. The behavior seen with this type of aggressive cat behavior is body posturing, staring, howling, yowling, and stalking each other. They two can fight, trying to bite each other’s neck or scratch their underbelly. It can all of a sudden stop – the two will separate and move away a bit – and then happen again right away – or they will just walk away.
Defensive Aggression – Don’t Hurt Me (Or Even Look Like You Will) Or I’ll Hurt You
Defensive Aggression is typical of a situation where the cat is trying to protect itself. For example, if you’ve ever tried to catch a feral cat, once it feels trapped it will attack in self-defense. The behavior seen with defensive aggressive cat behavior prior to an attack has the cat crouching with the legs under the body, tail tucked in, and ears pulled back. If the threat does not go away, the cat will usually attack with nails and teeth.
Redirected Aggression – I’m Mad At Him, So I’ll Hit You
Redirected Aggression is aggressive cat behavior that is directed to an animal different than the one that provoked it. A typical type would be a cat who sees another cat out the front window. It can’t get out there and protect its turf, though it wants to, so instead it attacks the other family cat sitting next to it – who hasn’t done anything to warrant the attack.
