What causes sudden anger in your cat?
What's the story
Your cat deserves only the best.
And although, you might be putting in your best efforts - giving it tasty and healthy meals, landing it kisses, and playing with it whenever you get time, your cat might at times slip into a bad mood without any apparent reason.
Here are common causes of sudden aggression in cats, and what you can do about it.
Causes (1)
Causes: Fear aggression and Territorial aggression
Fear aggression: This might happen when your cat perceives a threat that it cannot escape. This could probably be a learned behavior based on a past experience.
Territorial aggression: It could happen when your cat feels the presence of an intruder in its territory. Common triggers include introducing a new pet, bringing guests at home, or new cats coming in the neighborhood.
Causes (2)
Causes: Medical problem and Status aggression
Medical problem: An underlying medical issue may also cause unwarranted anger in your cat. Triggers include health problems like arthritis, dental disease, trauma, and infections, among others.
Status: Cats cannot let go of attention. So if you shift your focus to a new pet or some chores, it might lead to something known as status aggression in your kitty.
Causes (3)
Causes: Petting-induced aggression and Redirected aggression
Petting-induced aggression: Well, heartbreaking as it may sound, but your cat might just get tired and irritated of being a pet, which may lead to unexpected anger.
Redirected aggression: In this case, your pet might be in a hyper-aroused state because of some external stimulus, such as an animal outside or an undesirable noise or smell, and this anger may eventually redirect towards you.
Do you know?
Here's what you can do
If you witness these aggressive signs in your cat without any obvious provocation, you should pay a visit to your vet to rule out chances of a medical issue. If your feline is physically fit, go and see a behaviorist.