How to Handle a Cat That Suddenly Attacks You
Act calmly., Press towards the cat., Do not use physical punishment., Make a sharp or unexpected noise., Restrain the cat., Remove yourself from the situation., Allow the cat to leave the area., Isolate the cat., Have your cat's health assessed...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Act calmly.
Reacting strongly can increase the cat's stress and interest in attacking you.
It may even make the cat's prey instinct kick in more, spurring it on to bite down harder.Instead, stop moving and reacting to the cat.
This will take away all the fun the cat gets from the attack.
If you don't "play" with the cat any further, it will likely lose interest and release its claws or teeth. -
Step 2: Press towards the cat.
If the cat has its claws or teeth in you, then you need to work on getting the cat to remove them.
Instead of pulling away, try push toward the cat further.
This will hopefully confuse the cat, prompting it to let go.Pressing towards the cat will get the cat to release because prey don't usually move toward the cat after an attack. , Hitting or smacking the cat will only increase the stress and aggression it is feeling.
While physical resistance may be your first response when being attacked, resist that urge.You can, however, use a strong and stern voice to admonish the attacking cat.
This will show the cat your displeasure while not increasing its attacking instinct. , Making a loud noise can shock the cat into releasing its grip if it is unwilling to give up on its attack.
Try making a loud noise or throw something across your room that will make a loud noise when it hits the floor.You can try to shock the cat by simply clapping very loudly. , If all else fails, you may need to restrain the cat.
This can usually be done most easily during an attack by scruffing the cat.
Holding the cat by the scruff will disable the cat and allow you to get control of it.
Scruffing a cat needs to be done with caution.
Holding the cat by the loose skin at the back of the neck in the right way is not painful, but doing it wrong can injure the cat.Ask your veterinarian how to scruff a cat and try it on a cat that is docile.
This will assure that you know how to do it before you have to do it to a cat that is out of control. , Once you have gotten the attacking cat off of you, walk away from it.
Do not interact with the cat at all and just move away from it.
This will help to diffuse the situation.
An aggressive cat is likely to continue its behavior if it gets a reaction or interaction due to the attack.
This is especially helpful in dealing with a kitten that is playing too aggressively.
Withdrawing your attention if the cat plays too roughly will show it that the fun stops when they play too hard., Do not keep an aggressive cat in a room if it doesn't want to stay.
Allow it to leave if it wants to so that it can go off on its own and cool down.
For example, cats may act aggressively if they are scared, so letting it flee instead of keeping it in a fearful situation will reduce its stress and allow it to stop being aggressive.Sometimes a cat will attack because it did not want to be interacted with.
If this is the case for you, then you should allow it to get the alone time that it wanted. , If the cat is wild and you are fearful that it will continue to attack you, or injure itself, you may need to isolate it.
This can be done most effectively and humanely by locking it in a room by itself until it has completely calmed down.
There are other options as well, however, such as getting it into a cat carrier.
Getting a cat into a cat carrier can be done most easily with the help of another person.
If you place an aggressive cat in a room by itself for longer than an hour or so, you should supply a litter box, food, and water for it. , Aggression in cats can sometimes be caused by medical problems.
If your cat is feeling unwell or suffering, it could make the animal angry or unpleasant.
To make sure that a health problem is not the cause of your cat's aggression, you should have it looked at by a veterinarian.Some medical problems that can cause aggression in cats include dental disease, arthritis, and hyperthyroidism. , If your cat's health is fine, then its aggression has another cause.
You should assess its living conditions to try and figure out what it causing its anger.
The aggression may be caused by factors such as dirty litter, territory disputes with other cats, or previous trauma.
If you think your cat is unhappy about one of these things, change it.It is best to figure out the source of your cat's aggression as soon as possible once aggression starts.
This will help you to stop the cat's aggression from becoming habit. , Once you have eliminated any health or situational problems that are causing your cat to attack, you should work on training it not to attack any more.
This training should include interrupting aggressive behavior before it escalates.
For instance, startling a cat before it attacks can sidetrack the cat from attacking.You should not use physical punishment or physical contact when training your cat not to attack.
This will likely cause the cat to become more fearful and unsettled, thus increasing the likelihood of an attack.
If your cat is food focused, then treats can be used to reward non-aggressive behavior.
For example, if your cat is aggressive toward strangers, you can give visitors treats they can give to the cat if it is calm with them. , If you have figured out what triggers your cat's aggression, then you should try to keep it out of those situations.
For example, if your cat is triggered by strangers in your home, then you should keep it sequestered away when strangers come to your home., If you have tried to ease your cat's aggression and have not had any success, then it's time to call in a professional.
Contact your veterinarian and see what they can do about your cat's aggression.
You can also contact a professional pet trainer or therapist to help your cat overcome its aggression.Your veterinarian may suggest giving your cat medication in combination with behavioral training.
This can ease your cat's stress and minimize aggressive outbursts. -
Step 3: Do not use physical punishment.
-
Step 4: Make a sharp or unexpected noise.
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Step 5: Restrain the cat.
-
Step 6: Remove yourself from the situation.
-
Step 7: Allow the cat to leave the area.
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Step 8: Isolate the cat.
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Step 9: Have your cat's health assessed.
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Step 10: Change factors than may be causing aggression.
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Step 11: Train your cat not to attack.
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Step 12: Keep your cat out of aggression-inducing situations.
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Step 13: Get your cat professional help.
Detailed Guide
Reacting strongly can increase the cat's stress and interest in attacking you.
It may even make the cat's prey instinct kick in more, spurring it on to bite down harder.Instead, stop moving and reacting to the cat.
This will take away all the fun the cat gets from the attack.
If you don't "play" with the cat any further, it will likely lose interest and release its claws or teeth.
If the cat has its claws or teeth in you, then you need to work on getting the cat to remove them.
Instead of pulling away, try push toward the cat further.
This will hopefully confuse the cat, prompting it to let go.Pressing towards the cat will get the cat to release because prey don't usually move toward the cat after an attack. , Hitting or smacking the cat will only increase the stress and aggression it is feeling.
While physical resistance may be your first response when being attacked, resist that urge.You can, however, use a strong and stern voice to admonish the attacking cat.
This will show the cat your displeasure while not increasing its attacking instinct. , Making a loud noise can shock the cat into releasing its grip if it is unwilling to give up on its attack.
Try making a loud noise or throw something across your room that will make a loud noise when it hits the floor.You can try to shock the cat by simply clapping very loudly. , If all else fails, you may need to restrain the cat.
This can usually be done most easily during an attack by scruffing the cat.
Holding the cat by the scruff will disable the cat and allow you to get control of it.
Scruffing a cat needs to be done with caution.
Holding the cat by the loose skin at the back of the neck in the right way is not painful, but doing it wrong can injure the cat.Ask your veterinarian how to scruff a cat and try it on a cat that is docile.
This will assure that you know how to do it before you have to do it to a cat that is out of control. , Once you have gotten the attacking cat off of you, walk away from it.
Do not interact with the cat at all and just move away from it.
This will help to diffuse the situation.
An aggressive cat is likely to continue its behavior if it gets a reaction or interaction due to the attack.
This is especially helpful in dealing with a kitten that is playing too aggressively.
Withdrawing your attention if the cat plays too roughly will show it that the fun stops when they play too hard., Do not keep an aggressive cat in a room if it doesn't want to stay.
Allow it to leave if it wants to so that it can go off on its own and cool down.
For example, cats may act aggressively if they are scared, so letting it flee instead of keeping it in a fearful situation will reduce its stress and allow it to stop being aggressive.Sometimes a cat will attack because it did not want to be interacted with.
If this is the case for you, then you should allow it to get the alone time that it wanted. , If the cat is wild and you are fearful that it will continue to attack you, or injure itself, you may need to isolate it.
This can be done most effectively and humanely by locking it in a room by itself until it has completely calmed down.
There are other options as well, however, such as getting it into a cat carrier.
Getting a cat into a cat carrier can be done most easily with the help of another person.
If you place an aggressive cat in a room by itself for longer than an hour or so, you should supply a litter box, food, and water for it. , Aggression in cats can sometimes be caused by medical problems.
If your cat is feeling unwell or suffering, it could make the animal angry or unpleasant.
To make sure that a health problem is not the cause of your cat's aggression, you should have it looked at by a veterinarian.Some medical problems that can cause aggression in cats include dental disease, arthritis, and hyperthyroidism. , If your cat's health is fine, then its aggression has another cause.
You should assess its living conditions to try and figure out what it causing its anger.
The aggression may be caused by factors such as dirty litter, territory disputes with other cats, or previous trauma.
If you think your cat is unhappy about one of these things, change it.It is best to figure out the source of your cat's aggression as soon as possible once aggression starts.
This will help you to stop the cat's aggression from becoming habit. , Once you have eliminated any health or situational problems that are causing your cat to attack, you should work on training it not to attack any more.
This training should include interrupting aggressive behavior before it escalates.
For instance, startling a cat before it attacks can sidetrack the cat from attacking.You should not use physical punishment or physical contact when training your cat not to attack.
This will likely cause the cat to become more fearful and unsettled, thus increasing the likelihood of an attack.
If your cat is food focused, then treats can be used to reward non-aggressive behavior.
For example, if your cat is aggressive toward strangers, you can give visitors treats they can give to the cat if it is calm with them. , If you have figured out what triggers your cat's aggression, then you should try to keep it out of those situations.
For example, if your cat is triggered by strangers in your home, then you should keep it sequestered away when strangers come to your home., If you have tried to ease your cat's aggression and have not had any success, then it's time to call in a professional.
Contact your veterinarian and see what they can do about your cat's aggression.
You can also contact a professional pet trainer or therapist to help your cat overcome its aggression.Your veterinarian may suggest giving your cat medication in combination with behavioral training.
This can ease your cat's stress and minimize aggressive outbursts.
About the Author
Lori Chavez
Brings years of experience writing about lifestyle and related subjects.
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