Aggression in cats - how to help an aggressive cat

Is your cat being aggressive? Are you left wondering, why is my cat being aggressive all of a sudden? There are a range of different reasons why your feline friend may be acting out. These can include fear-related aggression, pain-related aggression, redirected aggression, cuddle or pet-related aggression or maternal aggression.

Here, our cat behaviourist Anna Jönsson Bergstedt walks us through the different aggressive behaviours, what they mean, what they look like, and how we can help our cats to feel calm and secure.

Fear-related aggression in cats

What looks like aggression from your cat might actually be fear. And they could just be acting defensively to protect themselves.

What can cause a fear-aggressive cat?

It really depends on the cat. If your cat lashes out at people, it’s usually because they see something we do as a threat. You might not mean to scare your cat, but you could accidentally surprise them or do something they don’t like without realising it.

Fear-aggression is common in cats that haven’t been properly socialised or had bad experiences in the past. It could also happen if your cat’s been through trauma, isn’t used to people, or gets startled by sudden movements.

How does a cat react if they have fear-related aggression?

• Most take refuge
• They can curl up and become immobile
• They can attack whoever or whatever threatens them

Fear-related aggression does not mean that the cat is angry, it’s just a natural reaction to a perceived threat.

Pain-related aggression in cats

Cats in pain may show aggression or react proactively when they expect something to hurt. 

What can cause pain-related aggression?

Many older cats often have chronic joint pain and stiffness, which makes them less tolerant of handling. Grooming can also be painful and unpleasant, especially if your cat has matted fur. Cats can then bite, scratch and fight back because it hurts.

Your cat may also have injured itself without you noticing and therefore does not want to be touched.

How can you help a cat in pain?

When a cat behaves differently, it is important to find the cause as soon as possible and try to help the cat. If the cat suffers from temporary pain caused by, for example, a tangle, we can help it by removing the tangle and preventing new tangles from forming.

If we find a wound, the cat may need to go to the vet for specialist care.

Should the cat suffer from chronic pain, it needs to be examined by a veterinarian to get help with the underlying problem and possible treatment.

Don't forget, cats are experts at hiding pain

Cats are very good at hiding pain, so it is not always obvious that this is the reason for the cat's behaviour. If your cat is behaving differently or strangely, it is always good to have it examined by a veterinarian to rule out pain and/or illness.

Signs of pain in cats

Cats will often mask pain, so it's a good idea to keep an eye out for certain behaviours or changes in your cat’s demeanour. Some warning signs that your cat is hurting can include:

• Decreased mobility - For example, reluctance to jump, difficulty climbing stairs, stiffness and difficulty walking on the litter box
• Reduced activity - For example, sleeping more, hunting and playing less, sleeping in more accessible places and interacting less with people and other animals.
• Changed care of fur and claws - For example, washing less, having matted and tufted fur or overgrown claws and the cat over-washing painful areas.
• Temperament changes - For example, grumpier when handled and cuddled, grumpier towards other animals, isolating themselves and interacting less with others.

Redirected aggression in cats

When your usually sweet, shy cat suddenly claws and bites you, it’s natural to feel upset, scared, or confused. What went wrong with your furry friend?

The good news is it doesn’t mean your cat is aggressive or wants to hurt you. Most of the time, it’s not even something you did—they’re just reacting to whatever upset them, and you were the unlucky one nearby. But why does this happen?

Is my cat being aggressive towards me on purpose?

Your cat isn’t blaming you for a trip to the vet. It’s not about revenge either. Instead, the cat redirects its fear, stress, or pain towards you because it can’t attack what caused those feelings. This reaction is common and is called redirected aggression.

Negative feelings can stick with your cat for a while after a stressful event such as this. That’s why, when they’re back home, it’s best to let them leave their carrier on their own and take time to calm down.

Redirected aggression can also happen if your cat feels unable to defend itself. In these cases, they might lash out at the nearest thing—often you or another pet. If those feelings of stress or threat build up, the attack can be even more intense.

It might feel unprovoked and confusing, but your cat doesn’t mean to hurt you. Still, repeated aggression can strain your bond. It’s important to figure out what’s causing it, so it doesn’t keep happening.

How can I help my cat with redirected aggression?

Cuddle-related aggression in cats

How much cuddling a cat wants and tolerates is very individual and it is important that we respect the cat's wishes. 

Why does my cat bite me when we cuddle?

A cat can sometimes unexpectedly attack and bite its owner when the owner is merely petting their cat. This unprovoked reaction is what we call 'cuddle-related aggression'.

Most often a cat reacts this way when it does not want to be disturbed or petted. It could be that the owner simply hasn't picked up on these signals, and therefore the cat is giving them a good telling off.

Another explanation for a cat biting could be that it did not have enough human contact during the cat's most important socialisation period. The reason may therefore lie in the cat's past and its early experiences with people.

The socialisation period for a cat

The socialisation period for a cat falls between the second and eighth week of its life. During this period, if the cat has had little or no contact with humans, including being cuddled and handled, the cat may react negatively to intense owner contact later in life.

The influences of previous experiences

Cats that have been handled in a good way and had close contact with humans during their socialisation period often have a higher level of tolerance to people touching them. On the other hand, cats that have had less human contact may react more aggressively, even after relatively short petting sessions.

In sudden attacks like this, the cat may have a direct association with a previous unpleasant experience, is not used to the current level of cuddling, or has simply had enough.

Petting hand - pleasurable and menacing at the same time

A petting hand can be experienced by a cat as both pleasurable and threatening at the same time. If you, as a cat owner, pet your cat a little tiredly while you are perhaps watching TV or reading a book, it is easy to miss the cat's subtle signals that it has had enough.

Cats may be comfortable with being petted on some parts of the body but not others and may react negatively to this. Most cats like to be petted on the cheeks and around the head, but there are very few who instinctively like to be petted on the stomach, for example.

Try to be calm

A cat that reacts to cuddling usually grabs the arm and may kick, bite and scratch. In response to this, it is not unusual for the owner to shout and withdraw his hand. This can trigger the cat's hunting instinct and cause the cat to attack again. The best thing you can do in this situation is to stay calm and be still, even if it is difficult.

When the cat stops, you can calmly remove your hand. It is not uncommon for the cat to continue to feel frustrated and, for example, engage in rash actions such as suddenly starting to wash themselves.

Get to know your cat's tolerance level

Different cats have different tolerance levels for handling or petting. It is therefore very important to learn what exactly your cat likes and how long it wants to be petted so you know when it’s time to stop. This tolerance level can be gradually stretched and increased by listening to the cat and showing it understanding and respecting what it wants.

Most often, this leads to the cat eventually wanting to cuddle more because the cat associates this with something positive. It is also possible to teach your cat to associate cuddling with reward by, for example, rewarding it with food or a treat while you pet them.