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My Cat Looks Like He Got Bit by Another Animal

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We recently covered petting aggression and play aggression in cats. Today, I'd like to address one other class of feline aggression, and it's one that tin can be very frightening, likewise equally damaging, for cat guardians. This form of aggression is called redirected assailment, and it happens when a cat is agitated by an animal, issue, or person it can't go at. Unable to lash out at the perceived threat, the true cat turns to the nearest victim. This may be another true cat or pet in the household, or it may exist the cat's humans. These attacks happen seemingly out of the blue, and they can be fairly damaging to the victim.

Redirected aggression is non unique to cats. The homo equivalent is the man who gets so angry he wants to punch someone, and ends up punching a wall instead.

What causes redirected aggression?

Most commonly, redirected aggression is triggered when indoor cats come across a strange cat outside the window. Since they consider their home their territory, the outside cat is perceived as an intruder. Other triggers can include smelling a foreign cat on the guardian'due south hands or clothing, being frightened by something or someone, coming back within later on accidentally getting exterior if the cat is normally an indoor cat, or fifty-fifty watching birds and squirrels outside.

This kind of assail is oft described past cat guardians as coming "out of nowhere." All the same, from the true cat's perspective, there is always a trigger. It is important to understand that these attacks are not malicious, or even intentional on the cat'southward part. The cat but reacts to a perceived threat.

I've just experienced this once with one of my cats, and thankfully, it was an isolated incident. Feebee and I were standing by my sliding drinking glass door looking out into the backyard. I even remember talking to him. Of a sudden, I felt his jaws clench around my calf. I screamed – non because it was all that painful at that moment, just because I was so startled. A 2d agone he was sitting next to me, peacefully looking out the window. At present I saw a puffed upwardly, hissing little grey monster side by side to me. I slowly walked away, and inside almost thirty seconds, he calmed downwards and acted normal again. He had left two deep puncture wounds in my calf. I don't remember seeing annihilation we hadn't seen before, but clearly, he had. And I now know how lucky I was that he recovered so speedily. For some cats, it can take days, weeks or even months to return to normal.

Of all the types of feline aggression, this is the most difficult form to deal with, because it may not always be possible to identify the trigger, and because, unlike with petting or play aggression, at that place's commonly no warning from the cat in terms of body language because these attacks happen and then fast. It becomes especially difficult when the set on is directed at some other cat in the household, considering in most cases, the triggered cat will continue to be ambitious toward the victim.

What to practise when you lot experience redirected aggression

The starting time order of business is to temporarily separate the cats. Ideally, put the aggressor cat into a darkened room with very few stimuli, and let the cat to calm downwardly. Never effort to split two fighting cats with your bare hands, and don't yell at the cats to break up a fight – they are already in a heightened state, and volition nearly likely react by attacking you. Use a thick towel, or a broom, to get between the cats.

Utilise the cats' natural pheromones to remind them that they "know" each other. You tin do this past rubbing a sock or washcloth against the side of one cat's face, then leave the sock or material with the other cat, and vice versa. Use Jackson Galaxy Solutions Bully Remedy for the assaulter, and Peacemaker and Stress Stopper for both cats. All 3 are available from Amazon. Pheromone plugins or sprays like Feliway may also help.

Slowly kickoff reintroducing the two cats to each other. Follow the same steps you would follow with two cats that have never met. Depending on your cats, and how severely triggered the assailant was, this can take weeks and sometimes months.

If you know what triggered the ambitious episode, remove the trigger. For example, if an outside cat continues to come near your windows and upsets your cats, close the blinds, or make your yard unattractive to other cats. Ultrasonic deterrent devices like the CatStop, or move activated sprinklers like the ScareCrow keep other cats out of the k without harming them. (The links in this paragraph are chapter links*)

If you don't know the trigger, and the episodes happen once more, you've got your work cut out for you. Remain vigilant when you are at home, and in fourth dimension, you may be able to identify the cause of redirected aggression.

The virtually unusual case I've seen was a client who lived in a small-scale apartment with three cats who got along wonderfully, until a new mattress was delivered. One of the cats became very scared during the delivery and installation, and for reasons known only to the other two cats, they turned on the scared cat. It took a few weeks of separating the cats, along with the use of Feliway and flower essences, to return harmony to the household.

Feline aggression is a serious problem. If simple beliefs modification doesn't piece of work, consult with a veterinarian to rule out medical or neurological issues, and/or consult with a feline behaviorist.

Photo: istockphoto

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