FELINE SOCIAL BEHAVIOR AND AGGRESSIVE PROBLEMS BETWEEN FAMILY CATS

Feline Social Organization

Domestic cats tend to be solitary. They do not usually form large groups with complex social structures as do dogs. Cats are also very territorial by nature, some more so than others. However because their social organizations is somewhat flexible, some cats are relatively tolerant of sharing their house and territory with multiple cats. It is not uncommon for a cat to tolerate certain other family cats, but not get along with others in the house. In general though, the more cats you have, the more likely it is that some of your cats 'vi II begin fighting with each other. This may be more likely to happen if you have many cats in a relatively small living space.

The factors that determine how well cats will get along together are not fully understood. Cats who are well socialized, meaning they had many pleasant experiences with other cats during kittenhood, will likely be more sociable than cats who have not been around many other cats. On the other hand, "street cats' who are in the habit of fighting with other cats in order to defend their territory and food resources, may not do well in a multi-cat household. Genetic factors also influence a cat's temperament, so friendly parents are probably more likely to produce friendly offspring. Owners can help prevent fighting problems from developing by properly introducing a new cat to the household.

Common Types of Aggressive Behaviors Between Cats

The most common types of aggressive behavior that occur between family cats are territorial, intermale, defensive, and redirected. Each of these is explained below.

Territorial Aggression

As mentioned previously, cats are very territorial; much more so than dogs. Territorial aggression occurs when a cat's territory is invaded by an intruder. Depending on where your cat spends his time, he may view the whole block as his territory. Female cats can be just as territorial as males. The behavior patterns in this type of aggression include chasing and ambushing the intruder, as well as hissing and swatting when contact occurs. Territorial problems often occur when a new cat is brought into a household, when a young kitten reaches maturity, or when a cat encounters neighborhood cats if allowed outside. It is not uncommon for a cat to be territorially aggressive towards one cat in a family and friendly and tolerant to another.

Intermale Aggression

Adult male cats normally tend to threaten and sometimes fight with other males. These behaviors can occur as sexual challenges over a female, or to achieve a relatively high position in the cats' loosely organized social dominance hierarchy. This type of aggression involves much ritualized body posturing, stalking and staring, and yowling and howling. Attacks can usually be avoided if one cat "backs down", and walks away. If an attack occurs, the attacker will usually jump forward, directing a bite to the nape of the neck, while the opponent falls to the ground on his back and attempts to bite and scratch the attacker's belly with his hind lets. The cats can roll around biting and screaming, suddenly stop, resume posturing at each other, fight again, or walk away. The cats usually are not severely injured, but puncture wounds can occur which are prone to infection. Intact males are much more likely to fight in this way than are neutered males.

Defensive Aggression

Defensive aggression occurs when a cat is attempting to protect herself from an attack she believes she cannot escape. This can occur in response to punishment or the threat of punishment from the owner, an attack or attempted attack from another cat, or any time the cat feels threatened or afraid. Defensive postures include crouching with the legs pulled in under the body, laying the ears back, tucking the tail, and possibly rolling slightly to the side. This is not the same as the submissive postures dogs show in that it will not "turn off" an attack from another cat. Continuing to approach a cat who is int his posture will likely precipitate an attack.

Redirected Aggression

This type of aggression is directed toward another animal (cat or otherwise) who did not initially provoke the behavior. For example, a household cat sitting in the window may see an outdoor cat walk across the front yard. Because she cannot attack the outdoor cat, she may instead turn and attack the other family cat who is sitting next to her in the window. Redirected aggression can be either offensive or defensive in nature.

What NOT To Do

First, if cats in the same family are fighting, do not allow the fights to continue. Because cats are so territorial, and because they do not establish firm dominance hierarchies, they will not be able to "work things out" as dogs can sometimes do. The more often cats fight, the worse the problem is likely to become. To stop a fight in progress, make a loud noise such as blowing a whistle, squirting the cats with water, or throwing something soft, such as a pillow, at them. Do not try to pull them apart. Next, do not allow fights to occur in the future, This may mean keeping the cats totally separate while you are working on the problem, or at least preventing contact between the cats in situations you know a fight is likely to occur.

Second, do not try to punish any of the cats involved. Punishment is likely to elicit further aggressive and fearful responses which will make the problem between the cats worse. Owners who attempt punishment can become targets for redirected and defensive aggression.

What To Do

The appropriate behavior modification techniques for working with these types of aggression problems are termed counter conditioning and desensitization. This means that the cat is conditioned (taught) to respond in non-aggressive (and/or non-fearful) ways in the presence of the other cat. This means finding ways to expose the cats to each other in a gradual fashion such that neither becomes afraid or aggressive. The presence of the other cat is always paired with something pleasant for both cats, such as a mouth-watering tidbit of food. Through this process, the cats come to associate "good things" with each other's presence. In this way the motivation for the aggressive behavior is decreased.

If these techniques are implemented incorrectly, it is actually possible to reward and reinforce the aggression rather than minimize it. The most common mistake that is made is to try and re-introduce the cats too quickly, without enough gradual steps in the process.

Chances for Success

It is impossible to estimate for any pair or group of cats how well they will ultimately tolerate each other. Some cats are very territorial, may never adjust to sharing their house, and may do best in a one cat family. However, many aggressive problems between cats can be successfully resolved, but owners may need help from both their veterinarians and from animal behavior specialists knowledgeable in cat behavior.

Medications may be available from veterinarians, which can be used in conjunction with a behavior modification program to make the cats easier to work with. Medication by itself is not a permanent solution to these problems. Your veterinarian is the only person who is licensed and qualified to prescribe any medication for your pet. Do not attempt to give your dog or cat any over the counter or prescription medication without consulting your veterinarian. Animals do not respond to drugs the same way people do, and a medication that may be safe for humans may be fatal to animals.

Often, cats with these types of problems will never be best friends, but can learn to mutually tolerate each other with a minimum of conflict. Working with aggression problems between family cats will take time and commitment from you. Don't give up on the problem without consulting the appropriate experts.

Written by Suzanne Hetts, Ph.D., Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist

The shy and fearful cat

Cats are shy by nature. If your rambunctious, extroverted kitten has grown into a shy adult cat, it may be a normal personality development for her.

Cats are like people. They are all different. Like people, it is difficult to tell how they will turn out as adults. There are, however, some important factors influencing whether or not a cat will extend that basic shyness into fear.

Cats are creatures of comfort and of the status quo. They do not respond well to changes in their environment. Their usual reaction to an unwelcome change will be to distance themselves. They may retreat to a hiding place or, if pushed, they may react aggressively. For a cat, hiding is a normal response to a new or frightening situation.

What can be done about a cat that responds that way? It is best to let her come out in her own good time. If a cat is forced to be social, she may become aggressive and start biting and scratching.

Some cats are shy and fearful because of an illness. If this is new behavior, have her checked by a veterinarian.

There are cats that respond to a new person in the household, be it an adult or baby, by running and hiding. Introducing a new dog or new cat to your household might elicit the some response. If yours is an outside cat she may have been startled by a stranger or an animal, or she may have lost a good fight. These experiences may result in a fearfulness that will convert her to a shy-acting inside cat. A sudden loud noise like thunder, a firecracker, or an engine backfire might send your cat under the bed for months.

A phobic shyness indicates that proper socialization did not take place when your cat was an unweaned kitten. Proper socialization occurs when a very young kitten is handled and cuddled by all kinds of people, sniffed and touched by dogs and cats, and exposed to all kinds of noise out there in the world. Things are not as frightening if they have been experienced in the comfort and security of one who loves you. Perhaps this did not happen for your cat, and now she is shy and fearful. What can be done about this?

Do not force your adult cat or kitten to come out and greet strangers. Give her time. When she does come out, give her a delicious food treat. Coax her out of hiding by leaving a trail of food to her bowl. Move the bowl a little farther out each day. Talk in soothing, cooing tones to her. Once she does come out, let her greet strangers on her own terms. Praise your shy and fearful cat for every inch of progress. Reinforce the praise with a great food treat. In time, she will accept you. She may always run and hide when others are around. That is this cat’s personality, and she will be happy in her own way. The challenge is for you to complete your commitment of love and care for her.

Aggressive Acting Kitten

I use the term "aggressive acting" because the roughhousing engaged in by a kitten is all purely offensive. Although the kitten will get carried away using her teeth and claws, she is basically acting out a predatory play behavior. She is practicing her stalk, attack, and killing maneuvers on you! A kitten acts this way because she has boundless energy. Of course, in between these energy bursts, there are those angelic catnaps. Consider adopting two kittens. They would release their energy on each other and not on you.

If you have wisely selected your new kitten, you have chosen one that was properly socialized. Proper socialization means that when your kitten was still nursing, the owner took her out of the litter to be held and handled by all sorts of people—big and small, male and female. The kitten learns early on that people are gentle, fun to touch, and occasionally have great food treats.

It your kitten is sleepy or wants to cuddle in your lap, you have an excellent opportunity to teach her that touching in certain sensitive places is not to be feared. Softly rub her toes, lift her lips and touch her teeth, fold back her ears, and run her tail through your closed hand. In other works, alleviate her fear of being touched by people. Your veterinarian will love you!

Teach your kitten to go into a carrier by placing food tidbits inside and letting her go in and out freely. Give her praise for doing this by saying, "Good Kitty!" This will make it easier for you and less traumatic for her when you do have to take her to the veterinarian or go on a trip. With your kitty in the carrier, take short trips at first—from one room to another, then to the car and back, and then a drive around the block. Eventually, your kitten will get accustomed to traveling in her carrier.

Before weaning, a kitten who plays too roughly with her mother will be warned immediately by a growl. Similarly, if your kitten plays too roughly with you, scream loudly, "OUCH!" until she stops, then praise her for ceasing her rough play. It is important always to follow a reprimand, "Ouch" or "No" with "Good Kitty" when the behavior stops. Never punish your kitten by hitting, chasing, or throwing something at her. For a cat, these acts constitute abuse, and surely this form of punishment causes a cat to become aggressive. If your kitten is getting too rough in a play session, after saying "Ouch" or "No Biting" or whatever verbal signal you want to use, discontinue the play. A kitten wants to play so badly that after the play is ended a few times because of rough play, she will soon learn to play your way. Keep lots of toys available for energy releasers and use a string or a squeak toy to divert the biting, scratching kitten’s attention.

The Aging Cat

A cat can live for twenty years or more but the average is probably closer to fifteen years. Signs of advancing years are decreased activity, gray hair, hearing loss, decaying teeth, lethargic movements, clouded eyes, bad breath, a craving for warmth, inactivity, and a demand for more attention.

There are some things you can do to make these advancing years more comfortable for your cat. It is especially important not to disrupt your cat’s daily routine, for she clings to the security of her routine. If you must leave for a day or two, it is best not to board her. Ask someone to come into your house and take care of her. Provide a warm, snugly place for her to spend time.

An aging cat is very intolerant with an unclean litterbox. Clean it daily for a happy cat. It is important to be patient and not scold your aging cat for occasionally having an accident. Defecation outside the litterbox can be due to arthritis. Urination outside can be caused by a number of diseases. Incontinence can be taken care of with a pet diaper.

It is best to cut back on your aging cat’s caloric intake. A diet with less fat will also help. There are maintenance diets for older cats available in several commercial brands. Watch for weight changes. An overweight cat is a sure candidate for an earlier than normal death. An underweight cat needs to be taken to the veterinarian for a check-up. The medical signs to look for in an unhealthy aging cat are: fatigue and weight loss, hyperactivity and weight loss, lameness or listlessness, coughing or heavy breathing, and excessive drinking and frequent urination. It is advisable to take your cat for regular check-ups when she approaches old-age.

Try to get your cat to move around each day. It will stimulate circulation, keep the joints flexible, perk up the appetite and digestion, and help make her alert and aware of her surrounding.

If your cat is in constant pain, is undergoing difficult and stressful medical treatments, is unresponsive to your affection, or is seemingly unaware of her surrounding, it might be time to do the loving thing and end her suffering. There are veterinarians who will come to your home, spend some time counseling you in an effort to ease your concern with the procedure and will even let you hold your friend until the end.

No matter what anyone tells you, intense grief over the loss of a pet is normal and natural. The loss of unconditional and non-judgmental love given to you by your beloved friend and companion can leave you devastated. To help you through this period of grief, your veterinarian or a pet loss counselor might be helpful. I would highly recommend a book entitled Coping With Sorrow in the Loss of Your Pet by Moira Anderson.

Introducing a cat or kitten to another cat

Caring for two cats is just as easy as caring for one. They will entertain and exercise each other, and, most importantly, provide company for each other.

If you are already the guardian of a cat and want to adopt another, it is best to adopt one that is younger, smaller, and the opposite sex of the one you now have. Your older, larger cat will be more accepting of a younger, smaller cat. To avoid inter/male, inter/female rivalry, it is best to adopt the opposite sex.

To minimize the possibility of territorial spraying, all cats in the household should be neutered.

Before bringing your new cat or kitten home, take her to a veterinarian to get her wormed and vaccinated. Be sure to get her tested for feline leukemia. After the visit to the veterinarian, take her to a friend’s house and give her a bath using an approved cat shampoo. Bathing not only removes fleas but also neutralizes all the other cat’s odors which, when detected by your existing cat, will cause her to go crazy. Now your new cat or kitten is ready to go home.

There are two other ways of masking the odor of this new beast who is threatening the security of your existing cat’s territory. You can either spray an inexpensive diluted perfume on both cats before the introduction so that they will smell alike, or you can rub a clean, damp towel on your existing cat. Then, using that towel, rub her odor on the new cat, and reverse the procedure with the new cat. They will be more accepting of each other if they smell the same or like themselves!

Next, confine the new kitty, for one day, to one room with her food, water, and litterbox. A litterbox is necessary because this new kitty should not go outside for at least three weeks, even if she is going to be an occasional outside cat. She needs a chance to become accustomed to her new home. If she is to be an indoor cat, then it is best to provide one litterbox per cat, anyway. During this one day confinement, the existing kitty will have a chance to smell and hear the new kitty. The following day, confine the existing kitty in the same room, and let the new kitty roam the house. The third day, let the two cats come together.

There will be some chasing, perhaps some hissing, and maybe even some minor fighting. Don’t worry. Let them work it out! This behavior may last for three weeks or more. There may also be some spraying by the existing cat. Don’t scold her. Just accept this adjustment period. Most cats learn to live together. It is very rare that two cats will not eventually get along. Once the cats have had a chance to get acquainted with each other, you can move their feeding stations closer together, but keep the litterboxes separated in an out-of-the-way quiet place. From this point on, enjoy their antics and their companionship!

Introducing a new baby to a cat

Your cat may feel quite upset at the arrival of a new baby. It is important to follow certain steps to reduce this stress and, it you do, baby and kitty will be friends and companions for a long time.

Make sure your cat is healthy and has been de-wormed. Before bringing baby home, let your cat explore the room where the baby will sleep. Put out some diapers, baby blankets and powder for your cat to smell. Let your cat jump into and out of the crib. If there are rattles or mobiles for her to get used to, let her touch and hear the sounds these make. Tape record a baby crying and play it on low volume, gradually increasing the volume each day over a period of a few weeks, so your cat can get used to this "noise." Give your cat lots of love and treats during these sound conditioning sessions. If possible, bring a friend’s baby into your house each day. This will give your cat a chance to smell and hear a real baby.

After bringing the baby home, try not to alter your cat’s routine. Cats are creatures of comfort, security, and the status quo. If you change your cat’s routine she may associate this with the arrival of the baby and you may have problems.

Talk to your cat while handling the baby. Give her lots of attention and even a nice food treat at the same time you are giving attention to the baby. Tell your cat that this is her new baby, too. Let your cat smell and touch the baby. There are fewer germs in a cat’s mouth than in a human’s! Let your cat kiss the baby if she wants. The story about a cat sucking the breath out of a baby while it is sleeping is a myth. It is okay for your cat to get into the crib with the baby, under your supervision, but not a good idea to let her sleep with the baby. Be sure you are relaxed and act happy when the kitty is near the baby. If you act anxious or fearful, your cat will assume the task of protecting you against this critter that is causing you this concern. It is extremely rare for a well-loved pet cat to suddenly strike out at a baby. She may stand and stare at the baby for a long time because she is curious and interested in this new creature, but most cats soon become bored and walk away.

If your cat is not too well adjusted in the first place, or under stress because of some medical problem, or is getting physically punished because of some behavior problem, and as a result, becoming slightly aggressive, then you may want to consult your veterinarian to consider the possibility of giving her a tranquilizer as a temporary solution for a shout period of adjustment. If you are cool, calm, and collected about this new intruder breaking into your routine, your cat will be, too. Best wishes to the new family!