Why a calm cat can become an aggressive animal

I am the owner of two cats. One of them is eight years old, he cuddles and eats, but otherwise he sleeps most of the day. The other one is younger, quite active, requires attention. But it has never happened that one of them attacked me, suddenly bit me or attacked me in some way. My friend, on the other hand, has a very cuddly cat who can change his mood from a purring ball to a murderous monster in a second. Attacks from him are unexpected. And as quickly as they come, his attack moods usually disappear.

Some cats are naturally more aggressive. They are aloof with strangers and will attack if they are afraid, or simply attack because their instincts tell them to. However, if you have a cat that is calm and cuddly and their attack moods come out of the blue, this may come as a surprise to you. However, vets observe this behaviour quite commonly and explain that it has several causes.

Too much cuddling

Sometimes a cat wants to cuddle, but unfortunately neither you nor the animal itself can tell when the physical contact is too much. If a cat is already uncomfortable with cuddling, it will rarely simply get up and leave. Instead, in many cases it will simply attack. “A friendly cat will usually seek out human attention, only to then punish the owner severely once the affection seems to have gone on too long,” explains veterinarian Patty Khuly.

Before an attack, the cat will usually give warning signals. They are folded ears, closed eyes, tail chopping. But many people ignore these signs. Then they’re not surprised when the animal bites their hand bloody. Cats often want to decide for themselves when human proximity is still okay. And if you ignore the signs that they no longer like the favor, they’ll let you know.

Game or offense?

Young cats often bite or attack each other. But they usually do it in a way that doesn’t hurt. So they feel they can do the same to humans. Their natural instinct sometimes tells them it’s a game. But their attacks may hurt humans more than the animal intended. If you then start to defend yourself or even punish the cat, it will become all the more aggressive.

“Cats learn appropriate play behavior by interacting with littermates. This includes learning to suppress biting. If this doesn’t happen, they may then play too roughly with humans,” the experts explain. One should keep in mind that playing with a cat with bare hands may not end well. If you provide it with toys, such as various decoys, the animal will attack them and you will be fine.

What to do with an aggressive cat?

A friend of mine has a cat that is capable of running up out of nowhere, biting her leg, and then going back to sleep as if nothing had happened. According to vets, some animals can react to stress, boredom, or lack of attention by acting this way. How to deal with an aggressive cat in such a case?

It is generally important for owners to observe and respect their cat’s body language. You can already tell from this that something is wrong with the animal. Try to give your cats plenty of attention, give them access to water and pellets throughout the day, create a place for them to hide if they are stressed and clean their litter box regularly. If you give them all this, the animals should have no reason for sudden and unjustified aggression. If problems recur anyway, it is advisable to seek veterinary advice for the specific animal.