As the old saying goes, dogs are man’s best friend, but what about man’s other more estranged companion, the cat. While there are many cat lovers out there, distrust and indifference towards cats is all too common. Many comment on their independent nature, or lack of loyalty in cats that is common with dogs. The list of horror stories continues to grow of owners being attacked by their cats, seemingly unprovoked. Sometimes, these attacks become so severe that owners are temporarily driven from their house. Unlike dogs, the relationship between a cat and their owner is a delicate one built up over time. If you do have an overly aggressive cat, there may be two simple options to alleviate the problem. The solutions however are not a cure all. If the following has no effect on your cat or your cat’s aggression is extreme, consult a veterinarian.
You Are What You Eat
Considering the Cause of a cat’s aggression can be very difficult. There may be many triggers, however there is one common problem among many domestic cats that can cause aggression: food. For many years, Veterinarians recommended dry food as the best option for your cat. Recent research suggests that dry food is actually harming your cat. Cats are indigenous to a desert climate, and their digestive systems have developed in response to that. Cats desperately need the proper moisture that wet food provides in order to ensure proper digestive function. Moreover, cats are strictly carnivores, meaning they can only eat meat. Dry food (and some wet food) contains grains and vegetables as well as meat. Cats do not have the proper enzymes to digest vegetables or grain. Consuming dry food can lead to kidney pain, pancreas pain, muscle atrophy, vomiting, and a sickly coat. Overtime, dry food can even increase a cat’s chance of kidney or pancreatic cancer. These symptoms will constantly aggravate the cat, priming him or her for aggression behavior. Always use wet food that does not contain any grain. After a few weeks, you may notice a happy spring in your cat’s step.
Stand Your Ground
Although small and cute when sleeping, an angry aggressive cat can be extremely frightening. It is important to respond appropriately to this intimidation or you main encourage this kind of behavior in your pet. So, you are walking down the hallway one day carrying a heavy box. Your cat looks at you curiously at the other end of the hall, until you suddenly drop the box. The loud noise has charged the cat into attack mode. Tail is down, ear are back, and the dreadful hissing begins. What can you do? Do not run, by running you are telling the animal that he or she is in charge and must be aggressive towards you. Also, do not try to punish or be violent towards the cat that also encourages aggressive behavior in the future. Instead, hold your ground. Find some kind of barrier, like a chair or towel, to put between you and the cat. If you do need to approach the cat, grabbing him or her by the back of the neck is effective. This releases chemicals in the cat’s brain that calms it down. By holding your ground, you let that cat know that he is not in control and doesn’t have to be.
Although there are dozens more techniques than what is covered in this article, these two tips are a great start to having a well behaved cat. Remember to always be aware of its body language, cat will usually give some kind of warning before they attack even if you have not noticed it before. If your cat does not respond to conventional training, there are also prescription medications available for behavioral problems; they are very similar to anti-depressants used in humans. Behavioral medication for cats is highly debated, but may be the best option for abused cat with unusually high aggression. With a little work and care, one day cats will stand proudly beside dogs as man’s other best friend.
My friend, who is in school to learn how to be a fashion designer, has to deal with an agressive cat, but the cat is not as bads since we used the tips. Hopefully it can help you too!
If you are thinking of buying a new animal, one of the most important decisions that you will face is deciding what to name it. You may think that the animal and its care are the most important things right now, but don’t be fooled! Do you really want to be walking your dog every day, cursing the stars because of your choice of the name Archibald? I thought not. As the owner of infamous YouTube dog Fenton discovered, your pet’s name has the potential to become more famous than your own. So then, here are a few ideas of the places that you can turn to in order to find clever pet names. They range from the mundane to the