Aggression in cats

If you have experienced a cat bit you will know how painful it is. Cats have 30 adult teeth that sit in a space in the jaw bone. Teeth are held in place by ligaments. Cat bites can contaminate the body – they can have staphylococcus bacteria. This could lead to blood infections or pneumonia. Older people can have very think skin and this can result in deeper wounds.

There can be different reasons for aggression , and pain or medical reasons should never be discounted. That is why it is key to work with a behaviourist who works on vet referral.

Pain could be related to:

·      Dental pain

·      Arthritis - you may notice your cat hesitates when jumping, or stops using the tray

·      Kidney disease - you may notice extra drinking

·      Hyperthyroidism - you may notice a dull coat, drinking more, being hungry but loosing weight

·      Sensory or hearing challenges

Having a good understanding of cat body language is key too..

Celia Haddon has good body language videos.

Lili Chin’s Kitty Language is a good book too.

Stress stacking can occur for a number of reasons such as social stress, such as a dog in the garden, other cats, or even a fox. If there is tension between cats in the home this can contribute to stress overload and lead a cat to react in a way that they would not do normally. Feline idiopathic cystitis can be very painful and lead a cat to reach.

Reference:

Bower, Caroline BVM&S MRCVS Dip CABC, ‘Feline Aggression’ in APBC 2nd Annual Feline Conference Proceedings p.5 -6