When a person starts a kitten, he hopes that in the future he will find an intelligent, affectionate and gentle friend. What a disappointment there is when a wayward and aggressive creature, completely defy of education, grows out of a cute fluffy lump. When the owners try to pet or play with a pet, traces of cat “caresses” in the form of scratches and bites certainly appear on their limbs. Naturally, such “communication” does not bring any satisfaction and only gives rise to two quite logical questions: why does the cat bite, and what to do about it?
Feline instincts, character and habits
Kotov, like people, was awarded by nature with a wide range of emotions and feelings that they readily demonstrate to people. With careful attention to your pet, it’s easy for the owner to understand if the cat is angry or happy, trusts or is cautious, loves or hates. The animal conveys its feelings with the help of facial expressions, voices (purrs, meows quietly or loudly, growls, hisses) or actions. However, often in the behavior of furry friends there are also incomprehensible moments that cause bewilderment. For example, why does a cat bite and scratch when stroking it? After all, he purrs and rubs against his hands, and, therefore, he is pleased, but his claws and teeth, which have painfully sunk into the skin, indicate the opposite.
Some owners even move around the apartment cautiously, every moment waiting for the insidious attack of their home "tyrant". Again the question: why does the cat rush to its feet and bite? Is this his game or is he realizing his hunting instincts?
In fact, there are many situations when there is feline “domestic violence”, and in each case such behavior has its own reasons and explanations.
Aggression at the game
This form of feline aggression is commonly seen in young, extremely agile and playful cats. The reason for the attack may be the movement of the leg under the covers, a wave of the hand, or simply moving around the house in the immediate vicinity of the animal.
There may be several possible causal factors why the cat bites and throws:
- Hereditary predisposition. The genes of their parents can affect the level of activity of kittens, so they can be both hyperactive and calm due to their nature.
- Inappropriate content. Cats can demonstrate increased physical and game activity when they remain alone for a long time. By playing and attacking the owners, the animals make up for the lack of communication and emotions.
- Promotion of the hosts. Often, owners themselves provoke aggressive behavior of pets, teasing them, practicing rude games and subsequent physical punishment. With this manner of communication, you should not later wonder why the cat bites.
- Improper upbringing. Too loyal to cat pranks leads to the fact that aggression becomes a feature of his character, therefore, this problem must be fought from childhood.
Pet Re-Education Methods
It is possible to wean too temperamental a cat from aggressive behavior, but this must be done correctly and patiently. In this case, you can’t do without punishments, but in no case should they be cruel. In other words, it is absolutely forbidden to hurt an animal, because this measure will only embitter him and make him more aggressive. For educational purposes, you can spray the cat with water, scold it loudly or scare it with a loud sound, for example, a sharp clap of your hands, the sound of a whistle, a beep, a vacuum cleaner, etc.
Such events should be resorted to every time the cat begins to "flirt." Over time, a persistent reflex will form in the animal’s mind: I’ll hurt the owners - I will be punished.
Aggression as a tool for influencing hosts
If a pet has long since left adolescence and the games are no longer of particular interest to it, then the question again arises: in adulthood, why does a cat bite and scratch? The reasons may be that the animal has learned to use aggression as a kind of tool or behavioral strategy to achieve its goals. For example, a cat "terrorizes" the owner until he feeds or plays with him.
Such behavior, as a rule, is formed under the influence of two main factors:
- Firstly, the owner, trying to cool the cat’s aggressive playful fervor, distracts his attention with the help of a toy or treat. Over time, the animal begins to regard such methods in its own way: to get what you want, you must physically affect its owner. That is why the cat bites or puts its claws in motion.
- The second factor is a consequence of the first. When the owner ceases to yield to the aggressive demands of his pet, he begins to realize that his methods no longer work and the desired reward no longer shines on him. This causes an even more serious negative reaction. Thus, it becomes clear why the cat bites. What to do with this, consider below.
Measures to change the cat’s behavioral strategy
First of all, when the animal begins to show even the slightest signs of aggression, do not try to distract him with the help of goodies or his favorite toys. Do everything so that he loses interest in you. For example, go to another room and close the door.
If the cat has already managed to learn how to manipulate you, try re-educating it. It is not worth ignoring the animal’s attacks, as this can only provoke a new round of aggression. Punish your pet in one of the above ways, but do not immediately think to console and caress him, otherwise he will immediately repeat his attempts to achieve the desired.
Pathophysiological aggression
Another important reason why the cat bites is the presence of any disease. An unhealthy animal becomes irritable, and aggressive behavior is a defensive reaction. If a cat experiences pain, naturally, it does not bring him pleasure when he is stroked or picked up, so he defends himself by using his claws and teeth.
Some diseases result in neurological disorders that are subsequently very difficult or impossible to cure. Even if the animal has no visible signs of damage, but it shows aggression unusual for it, the owners should regard this as an SOS signal and immediately show their pet to a specialist. The sooner the disease is identified and appropriate measures are taken, the more likely it is that the cat’s health will be fully restored.
Idiopathic aggression
Unfortunately, there are cases when cats violently attack the owners for no apparent reason. If aggressive behavior does not fit into the above schemes of active aggression or a defensive reaction in case of pathophysiological disorders, this may be idiopathic aggression. It is quite difficult to establish exactly that the animal suffers from this particular pathology, since the explosive reaction can be caused by severe stress, fear, a change in the familiar environment, and many other reasons.
If the motivation for such behavior cannot be determined, then the animals have to be euthanized because such mental disorders cannot be corrected. However, this decision should be approached as carefully as possible. sudden and vicious attacks can still be provoked by something, and the owners simply could not understand the reasons for the unexpected aggression.