aggression

Have you ever been close to a truly frightened cat? You might picture a cat peeking out from under furniture in fear of being groped by a toddler. Veterinarians of course routinely cope with cats plastered to the sides of their carriers, hanging on with all their strength. Some of us have also witnessed a cat as he suddenly puffed up, ears flattened against his head, eyes black and vocalizing in a spine tingling manner.

"Helping Owners Handle Aggressive Cats" is animal-behavior consultant Wayne Hunthausens advice for veterinarians who counsel concerned cat people who, like us, never knew there were so many reasons for cats to attack. He lists 11 possible types of feline aggression: "Fear-induced, play, redirected, petting-induced, territorial, inter-male, maternal, pain-induced, learned, pathophysiological and idiopathic."

Your cat uses her entire body to communicate messages to us and other animals.

Is there ever an appropriate reason to deprive your cat of its sharp nails? Experts weigh in.

You can suffer serious medical consequences, but the wound may also attract the attention of local health authorities. Heres why.

I recently received a letter from a concerned cat owner. Her dilemma is a common one: Her beloved eight-year-old cat bites her. This particular cat was adopted at three months of age from a lovely family and has known only gentle handling. The bites are hard - sometimes requiring medical attention - so the situation is very serious. And the owner is distraught, trying to determine where she could have gone wrong. …

Are my cats playing or are they fighting? Are there ways that I can tell? Simple enough, right? In fact, not really; these are...

Learn to recognize this behavior and nip it in the bud. Heres why.

Veterinary behaviorists can spend hours watching their subjects. What are the animals doing all this time? Mostly, they are engaging in normal, species-typical behaviors. In fact, it can be quite difficult to identify and manage problem behaviors without understanding which behaviors are truly normal. A question commonly posed to veterinarians and behaviorists is: Doc, is my cat normal? …

This feline outcast in a multi-cat home needs your help in improving her quality of life. Heres how.

At least once each month, I am called to evaluate a cat that bites the hand that feeds him. Sometimes, even after a bite, people decide to excuse the behavior. Perhaps the cat was stepped on or startled. Maybe the kids tried to dress him up. Id have bitten too! some people may claim. …

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