Feline Aggression Part 3: How to Resolve Aggression Towards Humans

by Amanda L. Maus DVM
Catalina Pet Hospital
Tucson, AZ

Obtaining a new cat with aggressive tendencies or having your established cat develop aggressive tendencies towards humans can be frustrating as well as a potential safety hazard.   People typically respond in one of two ways: yell at the cat or try to console the cat.  Do not attempt to soothe the cat with petting or touch!!  Your best course of action is to leave the cat alone for awhile.  During that time, figure out what triggers the aggression: certain noises, type of play, petting, restraint/handling, or redirected anger/frustration.  Also, consider how severe the aggression has become and when it started.

Things to think about:

• Does your cat become combative after hearing noises outside, such as a stray cat meowing?
• Does your cat resent being held?
• Does your cat seemingly become grumpy out of nowhere when petted?
• Does your cat stalk you from underneath furniture or around corners?
• Does your cat hide and hiss when approached?
• Does your cat swat at you or actually scratch the skin?
• Does your cat bite you and leave bleeding wounds?
• Has your cat been showing symptoms of arthritis, weight loss, trouble eating, or an infection?
• Does your cat have adequate escape routes around the house where the aggression occurs?

Some cats just prefer less affection than other cats.  Certain cats prefer to only be petted when they approach you, not the other way around.  Other cats do not like being picked up or held, whether that be correctly or incorrectly.  All cats prefer to have an available escape route or hiding place in case something scares them or they just want to be left alone.  Most cats have the desire and drive to have play time to release their predator instincts.  Certain medical diseases and conditions can cause a cat to become grumpy and act aggressively, especially if disturbed.

Regardless of the cause of your cat acting aggressively towards humans, you can apply some of the solutions selected in the aggression between cats blog from last week.  Make sure that there are enough safe zones for hiding and high up perches. Also, consider purchasing feline pheromone sprays or plug ins that can help calm cats. You can discuss with your veterinarian about purchasing prescription foods meant to calm stressed out cats. Make sure your cats are receiving adequate, vigorous play time (10 - 15 minutes) to provide a release for their prey drive instincts. You can have your cats play out their natural instincts before meal times.  The cat is thoroughly tired out by a serious play session with wand or fishing rod type toys with their preferred "prey" attached to the toy. After they have sufficiently "killed" the prey, they are rewarded with eating.  In addition, make sure your cat has quiet areas where they can rest, eat, drink, and use the litter box in peace. 

For the aggressive cat who tends to stalk or sneak up on the human, purchase a collar with a bell so that their presence is known before they appear.  That way, they can be distracted and taken out of the predator mindset before they attack.  Interruption can be done with a startling noise and then a toy can be thrown for the cat to chase in order to replace the aggressive behavior.

For other types of play aggression, never use your hands to wrestle with your cat.  Always use toys that create distance between your hands and the cat, such as: a fishing rod toy, laser pointer, balls or mice that can be thrown, treat dispenser toys, etc.

For the cat who attacks when petted, certain approaches can be implemented.  One is to only pet the cat around the chin and top of the head around the ears.  Some cats have no patience for petting along the length of their body.  Another approach is to not go to the cat and begin a petting session.  Instead, wait for the cat to come to you for attention first.  Use positive reinforcement with treats to reward the cat at short intervals while they are accepting the petting nicely.  If at any time the cat starts showing any sign of aggravation: tail swishing, ears back, etc, stop petting the cat immediately.  If the cat still continues aggressive behavior, stand up and walk away from the cat. 

Remember, your veterinarian is a valuable asset for diagnosing diseases that may cause aggression as well as for giving advice about treating behavioral cat aggression.

Feline Aggression Part 2: How to Resolve Aggression Between Cats

by Amanda L. Maus DVM
Catalina Pet Hospital
Tucson, AZ

Most cat owners with multiple cats expect some rough play between their cats - playing chase, wrestling, etc.  What can be frightening is when one cat is obviously the victim, who spends most of their time hiding or hissing and in severe cases, not eating or not using the litterbox.  Typically intercat aggression is either transferred/redirected aggression, play aggression, or territorial aggression. 

For mild or severe cases of aggression, evaluate your home to make sure that there are enough safe zones for hiding and high up perches.  Also, consider purchasing feline pheromone sprays or plugins that can help calm cats.  You can discuss with your veterinarian about purchasing prescription foods meant to calm stressed cats.  Make sure your cats are receiving adequate, vigorous play time to provide a release for their prey drive instincts.  One scenario is to have the cats play out their natural instincts before meal times. Both cats are thoroughly tired out by a vigorous play session with wand or fishing rod type toys with their preferred "prey" attached to the toy. After they have sufficiently "killed" the prey, they are rewarded with eating.

Mild aggression
Anytime you are worried that the victim cat may be harmed, you should separate the cats when you are not available to directly supervise their interactions.  When you are home, you can use favorite food rewards for the cats tolerating each other's presence.  The victim should be be calm enough to eat without hissing and the aggressor should eat without growling.  In day to day life, if there are early signs of aggression, usually calling the aggressive cat's name or shaking a treat bag is enough distraction to prevent the fight from starting. 

Severe aggression
In cases where you have already witnessed harm come to the victim or the victim spends most of their time hiding or not eating, you should definitely separate the cats when you are not around.  The victim cat should be free to move about the house and the aggressor is blocked off into a bedroom or other small room with their own food, water, and litterbox. 
In severe cases, it may takes months for full reintroduction to occur.  You can attempt reintroduction with the cats in separate carriers.  Starting with the carriers far apart, favorite food rewards are used to reinforce calmness.  Over time, the distance between carriers is reduced.  An alternative is to feed the cats on opposite sides of a solid door so they associate each other's smell with something positive.  A baby gate or screen door can be gradually introduced so that the cats see as well as smell each other while eating. 
After reintroduction, if signs of aggression recur, you can use the above tips for distraction or you may need to squirt the aggressive cat with water or use a loud sound, such as clapping hands or using a compressed air canister. In some cases, prescription medication is needed to help "keep the peace". 

Next week, we will look at resolving aggression towards humans.

Feline Aggression Part 1: Why is My Cat Aggressive?

by Amanda L. Maus DVM
Catalina Pet Hospital
Tucson, AZ

Feline aggression is an important cat topic since it can greatly affect relationships and cause tension in the household. 

Signs of aggression in order from mild to serious:

• Ears pointed back or flattened to head
• Tail tip twitching or whole tail swishing
• Hissing
• Growling or Yowling
• Swatting or charging
• Scratching or biting

In order to decide what type of aggression the cat has, there a few observations that need to be made. First, determine whether the cat is acting aggressive towards other pets or towards humans in the home.  Second, correlate what happens right before the aggression behaviors happen.  Third, observe and note which signs of aggression are displayed by the cat.

Types of aggression:

• Transferred/Redirected
• Petting
• Play
• Disease/Pain
• Fear/Stress
• Territorial
• Improper handling

Transferred or redirected aggression occurs when a cat is agitated by an object, animal, or human, that the cat can only see, hear, or smell but cannot directly access due to a door or some other barrier.  The cat then needs an outlet for the provocation and acts aggressive towards the nearest object, human, or animal.

Petting aggression can seem spontaneous and confusing to pet owners.  Often the cat initiated the attention and does enjoy the petting for awhile, until suddenly the cat starts scratching or biting instead of just leaving when they were done receiving attention.

Play aggression is most common in kittens but can extend into adulthood.  Bottle raised or single kittens are more likely to do this due to lack of feedback from their mother or littermates.  Normal kittens may act combative if they are not provided with enough dedicated playtime or appropriate toys.  Rough play involving hands can lead also to this behavior.

Certain diseases such as infections or those that affect the thyroid or brain may cause aggression. Any source of pain like an injury, arthritis, or dental disease can also lead to aggression.

Fear aggression happens in situations involving foreign or offensive noises, smells, environments, humans, or animals.  A cat's upbringing, history of previous trauma, and even genetics can contribute to the cat's reactions.

Although territorial aggression can be caused by not having a cat spayed or neutered, for most households, it happens when a new cat is introduced to a home where cats already exist.  For established cats, it can happen after one of the cats is gone from the home and comes back smelling like a veterinarian's office or groomer.

Improper handling can also cause aggression.  Cats do not respond well to rough handling or being disturbed where they are sleeping or resting.  When picking up a cat, improper technique that causes a cat to not feel supported is also not well tolerated.  Many cats do not allow petting of the stomach area or around the legs/feet.

Next week, we will discover how to address and treat different types of feline aggression.

Why is my old cat losing weight?

by Amanda L. Maus DVM
Catalina Pet Hospital
Tucson, AZ

A common observation made by pet parents about older cats is that they are losing weight or look skinny.  Unfortunately, some people may assume it is simply due to "old age".  Old age itself is not a disease.  Cats are more prone to certain diseases as they age, which can lead to weight loss.  Although for most cats, a one pound weight loss is not noticeable to the naked eye, 10% of your cat's weight has vanished!  As part of your cat's annual exam by your veterinarian, your cat will have its weight assessed.  As soon as you notice a decrease in your cat's weight, it is very important to seek veterinary care.  Here is a link to determining whether your cat is underweight.

Philip

Similar to younger cats, older cats can become thin due to causes such as stress, poor diet, internal or external parasites, food bowl competition, liver disease, and infections/fever.  Have you changed cat foods?  Has your cat's routine been disrupted by new human or pet household members?  Does your cat go outside?  Has your cat been hiding or sleeping more than usual?

 

Petra

There are other diseases that can cause weight loss due to a poor appetite.  A poor appetite (anorexia) can be due to simply not feeling well, nausea, difficulty eating, or trouble getting to the food dish.  These diseases can include heart or lung disease, inflammatory bowel disease, pancreatitis, kidney disease, constipation, dental or oral disease, cancer, or arthritis.  Has your cat been less active or having trouble breathing?  Has your cat been vomiting or having diarrhea?  Has your cat been drinking or urinating more than before?  Has your cat been defecating daily?  Has your cat been drooling or having a bad mouth odor?  Has your cat been jumping less, limping, or moving stiffly? 

Necco

There are also age related diseases that can cause weight loss despite an increased appetite (polyphagia).  These diseases include diabetes, hyperthyroidism, and pancreas enzyme insufficiency. 

Scheduling an appointment with your veterinarian for your older cat is a perfect time to discuss your cat's food intake, type of food fed, behavior or activity changes, litterbox usage, or other symptoms.  During your cat's physical exam, your veterinarian will evaluate your cat for signs of the above diseases and then recommend additional tests to confirm their diagnosis.  Afterwards they will discuss treatment recommendations that will assist your cat gain weight and increase their quality of life. 

Your donations to PAWSitively CATS help the shelter provide dental care and medications to our cats, such as Philip, Petra, and Necco, while waiting for their forever home!

Should I Be Concerned About My Cat's Diarrhea?

by Amanda L. Maus DVM
Catalina Pet Hospital

Tucson, AZ

When deciding whether to worry about your cat's diarrhea, there are several things to consider since diarrhea has many potential causes. Cat owners are often familiar with cats having diarrhea after a sudden food change or eating something they should not.  Some causes of diarrhea are contagious to other animals, as well as humans.  Causes can include:

• stress
• medication side effect
• virus, bacteria, fungus, or parasite infection
• food allergy/intolerance
• ingestion of toxins or plants
• inflammatory bowel disease
• disease of the kidneys, liver, or pancreas
• metabolic diseases like hyperthyroidism
• certain cancers

Specific patterns of vomiting, correlated with other symptoms, can help your veterinarian determine which diseases are more likely.  This includes: 

• How old is the cat?
• Does the cat go outside?
• How long has the diarrhea been going on?
• How often is the cat having diarrhea each day?
• What is the consistency of the diarrhea?
• What color is the diarrhea?
• Is there blood or mucus in the diarrhea?
• Is the cat straining to defecate?
• How is the cat's appetite?
• What kind of food does the cat eat?
• Is the cat lethargic or hiding?
• Is the cat also vomiting?
• Has the cat lost weight?
• Is the cat dehydrated?

Now, how do you decide whether you should go to your veterinarian? Any cat who is having frequent diarrhea for more than 2 days, has blood or worms in their diarrhea, has black tarry diarrhea, is lethargic or hiding, was witnessed eating something inappropriate, is also vomiting, or has stopped eating, should be seen right away by your veterinarian. Other causes for concern are if your cat has diarrhea once weekly or more frequently, has lost weight, has a decreased or increased appetite, or increased thirst or urination.  Additional worries include anal irritation or back end hygiene issues in older, long hair, or overweight cats.  Make sure to take a fresh sample of the diarrhea to your cat's appointment.   

Should I Be Concerned About My Cat's Vomiting?

by Amanda L. Maus DVM
Catalina Pet Hospital
Tucson, AZ

When deciding whether to worry about your cat's vomiting, there are quite a few things to consider. The first is to determine whether your cat is vomiting or regurgitating, which involves witnessing the act.  Vomiting, which is much more common, involves active retching or heaving before anything is expelled from the mouth.  With regurgitation, food or liquid is spewed from the mouth without any retching or heaving.  A cat who is regurgitating should be seen by their veterinarian as soon as possible, due to risk of aspiration pneumonia and esophagus damage.

Vomiting has many causes.  Cat owners are often familiar with their cats having hairballs or vomiting after eating too much food, too quickly.  Other causes can include:

• stress
• motion sickness from travel
• medication side effect
• virus, bacteria, fungus, or parasite infection
• food allergy/intolerance
• ingestion of toxins, plants, or indigestible objects
• obstruction of the intestine due to indigestible object or cancer
• inflammatory bowel disease
• disease of the kidneys, liver, or pancreas
• metabolic diseases like hyperthyroidism and diabetes
• certain cancers

Specific patterns of vomiting, correlated with other symptoms, can help your veterinarian determine which diseases are more likely.  This includes:

• How old is the cat?
• Does the cat go outside?
• How long has the vomiting been going on? 
• How often is the cat vomiting? What is vomited?
• How is the cat's appetite?
• What kind of food does the cat eat?
• Is the cat lethargic or hiding?
• Is there blood in the vomit?
• Is the cat having diarrhea?
• Has the cat lost weight?
• Is the cat dehydrated?

Now, how do you decide whether you should go to your veterinarian?  Any cat who is vomiting after every time they eat, has blood or worms in their vomit, is lethargic or hiding, was witnessed eating something inappropriate, or has stopped eating, should be seen right away by your veterinarian.  Other causes for concern are if your cat vomits weekly or more frequently, has lost weight, has a decreased or increased appetite, increased thirst or urination, or also has diarrhea.  Knowing the answers to the above questions will greatly assist your veterinarian in interpreting any bloodwork or xrays that may be needed to diagnose the cause of your cat's vomiting. 

What Should I Feed My Cat?

by Amanda L. Maus DVM
Catalina Pet Hospital
Tucson, AZ

A common question asked by cat parents is what food should they be feeding their cat.  There is no one brand or type that is perfect or the best for all cats.  Certain cats may have trouble with hairballs or have a sensitive stomach and therefore only do well on specific types of food.  Some cats may have medical conditions such as kidney disease or urinary tract diseases that require prescription foods be fed.  The aim of this blog is to help with making decisions on which food to buy for a normal, healthy adult cat, when confronted with all of the different types of available cat food at the pet store.

Mister

Cats are carnivores which means that they require high levels of protein in their diet, usually obtained through eating animal tissue or muscle.  Omnivores, such as humans and dogs, eat a mixture of animal and non-animal foods.  The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) recommends a minimum of 26% protein on a "dry matter" (DM) basis for adult cats, as opposed to only 18% for adult dogs.  What advantage do we gain in feeding high protein to our cat?  By feeding high protein, we are providing a proper carnivore diet. Most dry foods are high in carbohydrates which leads to weight gain and obesity. Obesity leads to higher risks of diabetes, hygiene and grooming problems, and joint disease.

Most pet foods only show the % protein in an "as fed" basis on the food label.  Usually this is okay if we are comparing dry foods to one another but it makes it difficult to compare a dry food to a type of canned food.  To show how to covert from "as fed" to "dry matter", let's say the dry food label says 10% moisture, which means there is 90% dry matter (100 minus 10).  If the label says there is 20% protein, we divide the 20 by 90 which equals 22% protein DM.  If the canned food label says 80% moisture, meaning 20% DM (100 minus 80), then 10% protein as fed equals 50% protein DM (10 divided by 20).  Although the dry food label said 20% protein and canned food listed 10% protein, there is actually 28% more protein in the canned food for this example.

Sebastian

Now that we know how to interpret pet food labels, let's look at the pros and cons of feeding dry food vs canned food.  There is a maximum amount of protein that can be found in dry food due to the difficulty of keeping it fresh and stable when stored at room temperature in a bag.  As seen in the example above, canned will typically contain much more protein than an equivalent dry food. There are only a few cat dry foods that contain high levels of protein such as those that are found in canned food. Canned food also has a high amount of moisture which helps ensure hydration and urinary tract health.  Although people worry about wet food leading to bad teeth, most dry foods do not significantly help prevent dental disease since the small kibble is minimally chewed when eaten. 

If you decide to change your cat's food, it is best to do so slowly.  One reason is to help prevent vomiting or diarrhea.  Another reason is that some cats do not accept change easily and may go on hunger strike which can lead to its own health problems such as fatty liver disease.  The switch from free feeding dry food to meal feeding canned food takes time since cats will object to not having food available at all times.  If you decide to help your overweight cat lose weight, remember that a cat should not lose more than 1 to 2% of its body weight per week.  Most cats need 150 - 200 calories per day.  Although typical cat foods do not list the calories (kcal) on the label, usually you can find this information on the internet.

Remember to drop off your food donations to the PAWSitively CATS shelter at 3432 E Fort Lowell in Tucson, Monday through Saturday from 10am-2pm.