Everyone has bad days, and when you are having a bad day, you vent out anger on people around you. Your feline friend behaves in a much similar manner when it is not in a great mood. When your cat is not in a bad mood or if it’s angry with you for some reason, it will get aggressive and will start scratching you.
Your cat can do whatever it wants to vent out its anger. If your cat is growling, hissing, or has just got into a fight with a cat, it means that your cat is angry and it is not a great idea to mess with it at this moment. There are many reasons why cats get angry. If you have an angry young cat at your house and if you want to curb its anger and aggression, this post is for you.
In this post, we will be discussing all of these reasons in a detailed manner to help you deal with your angry young cat.
Keep your approach slow, simple and small
There is one thing that you need to do when your pet is angry, you have to be calm and you should approach your cat carefully. There are many reasons why your cat might be getting aggressive and angry. Its angry behavior can also be a defensive behavior as your cat might be fearing something.
When a cat is staring at you and showing that it’s angry, keep your steps slow and soft. You should never make a cat feel that it is cornered, because if it will only make it more aggressive than it already is. Also, you should never stare back at your cat, as they take it as a sign of aggression.
If your cat is angry, sit away from it. This will make your cat believe that you are not a threat. Also, avoid looking at your cat continuously. At this moment, you have to leave your cat alone. Once you sense that your cat is not angry or aggressive anymore, you should slowly approach your cat. Having a treat or a toy with you can help you in this situation. Once your cat accepts your reward, slowly pat or caress it to make your cat feel safe.
Identify the reason behind your cat’s anger
We all get angry for a certain reason. Cats get angry and aggressive for certain reasons as well. There are several reasons why your cat might be behaving aggressively in front of you, including:
- Fearfulness
- Fights with other cats
- Redirected aggression
- Predatory aggression
- Territorial aggression
- Maternal instincts
- A tendency toward rough play
- Pain
- Irritation
- Thyroid problems
Before you try anything else on your own, it is better to take your cat to a vet once it has calmed down. Your cat’s aggression can be due to both medical and behavioral reasons. If your cat’s aggressiveness is not related to a medical condition, then you should consult an animal behaviorist.
Interrupt their angry behavior
If you don’t want your furry buddy to stay mad at you all day long, you have to interrupt its aggression. Once your cat starts to get aggressive, it can take quite some time to calm down and relax. If you don’t want your cat to get angry and aggressive in the first place, try interrupting it when you sense that it is getting angry. You can through a soft toy at your cat, whistle it, offer some treats, shake a jar full of coins or do anything to divert its attention. Never touch or pick your cat up if it is starting to get aggressive, as your cat will start scratching you or might even bite you.
Use calming sprays
If you own a cat, you need to have some accessories and you have to keep them handy when your cat is starting to get angry and aggressive. There are multiple products available in the market that are specifically designed to calm down your angry young feline buddy. Some diffusers and sprays mimic feline pheromones, and once cats recognize these pheromones, they get a reassuring feeling, which calms them down and removes aggression from their system. These pheromones also make your cat feel less anxious and safe. You can spray it on your cat if you sense aggressiveness in your cat’s behavior.
Provide your cat with an alternative way to vent out its energy
Sometimes, cats get aggressive without any reason. The reason behind this is that they have no alternative way to spend their energy. For cats, aggression is a way to release their excess energy.
Many individuals reported that their cats have become more aggressive during lockdowns, as they could not take their cats out for a walk or a hunt in the park. If you want your cat to feel less aggressive, keep it engaged in different productive activities. You can play with your cat, let it climb all over your house, and you can organize many other activities for your cat so that it uses its energy productively, instead of being angry and frustrated all the time.
Take your cat to an animal behaviorist
If it’s your first time owning a cat, and if your cat is having a very hostile and aggressive behavior towards you, it is better to take your cat to an animal behaviorist instead of taking matters into your own hands and getting scratched. Animal behaviorists know who your cat is behaving like that. Not only they can modify your cat’s behavior, but they will also guide you on how you should treat your furry buddy so that you can build a friendly bond with it.
Your cat can get angry due to various reasons. Therefore, try finding out the reason, act accordingly, and stay away from your cat when it is angry so that it doesn’t scratch the skin out of your arms.
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