A question I see frequently is how to deal with aggression in cats. People may see it in newly adopted kittens or cats. Others may see it as new behavior in a cat they have had for years, possibly after a change in environment or a life altering event.

There are 3 reasons for aggression that I can think of:

1. The cat doesn’t know that biting and scratching is not ok. A new cat or kitten has not been socialized enough and is not properly taught that biting and scratching is not acceptable in human society. Just as children are taught not to bite and kick in school, dogs are taught not to bark in the house, this is something we have to teach our cats.
   

   Kittens will play with each other and naturally learn how hard and how much is too much, older cats will put a stop to unacceptable levels of aggression - yet this level is for cats who have fur coats to protect them from bites and scratches. In addition to this, a human hand or toe is an excellent cat prey/toy. It moves and is very life like, it has a nice bounce to it when bitten, and it reacts just like prey when we bite! What better way for a cat to naturally exercise its hunting behavior.
   
   Unfortunately, When a cat bites or scratches us, we should probably immediately extinguish the behavior so the cats learn that this is not tolerated. If we let it slide once or twice it will only further confuse the cats as to what is allowed. It’s possible that those who have a good relationship can teach the cat that a gentle level of play and wrestling is tolerated, but that’s a little tricker. Further complicating things - when we push a cat away it’s possible that they may see this as an invitation to play more when we are trying to say stop.
   
   The best way to stop this behavior is to get up and leave or to push your cat away and ignore it completely once it bites or scratches. Ignore your cat for at least 30 mins so they learn that violence means no more fun. On the other hand, never let your cat play with your hands or feet, and teach it to get its aggression out on a scratching post or catnip/ silvervine kicker. An effective immediate remedy to stop biting is to blow directly into the cats mouth and face as it bites. It distracts and stuns them enough to stop the behavior. You may even want to close the cat in a room for a short period if it still wants to bite. If they bite, playtime is officially over. do not engage anymore. If your new cats still persist you can use a spray bottle full of water to quickly distract them. The goal is to extinguish this behavior altogether, in a quick and concise way.
   

2. If it is really serious there are also behavior correction sprays. I have a whole post on that product alone as it’s a topic of debate. Think of something as scary as a vacuum cleaner - loud noise, air blowing out, but all condensed in a canister and combined with a calming pheromone. In addition to extinguishing this aggressive behavior towards you, you also have to give the cats something else to direct the aggression towards. Cats naturally want to hunt and kill so we should give them something to hunt. Point number three covers this in terms of feline enrichment and items and activities we can play with our cats.
   

3. The second reason for unexpected aggression that may appear in a cat that never acted this way could be a physical/ medical cause. It could be that the cat is in pain and being picked up or touched at that point is causing pain. Dental issues are extremely common in cats and they can be in a constant level of pain, making them cranky and sensitive. There are also neurological concerns and stress/ anxiety related issues that could cause this aggression. Subtle changes such as a new scented cleaning product could be making them ill. A new cat or baby could be very stressful for an existing cat. To add to this, male cats, even ones who have been fixed may exhibit mounting behavior, especially during springtime. To rule physical concerns out you need to bring the cat to the vet, and thoroughly examine any changes that have been made.
   
   They have medications such as Valium or Prozac for cats to be prescribed should it be appropriate. There are also cat behaviorists that you can consult. A mounting cat is especially problematic for all involved. You can buy a Feliway pheromone plug ins to promote a sense of calm in your cats. The Feliway plug ins are good in general for anxious cats, especially a multi cat household where things can get tense.
   

4. The third reason I can think of for cat aggression is that your cat is bored and needs more playtime. Cats like to sleep 15 hours/day and up but they also want to wake up and kill something. Your cat is both a soft cuddler and a little killer who in the wild will hunt and play with its prey for fun. Different cats have different levels of energy based on breed, age, weight, and personality. To keep your cat occupied mentally you need to feed the panther side of it. Give them toys that focus on feline enrichment. Ideas include: Catnip/silvervine kickers so they can physically wrestle and bite and bunny kick. If they don’t react to catnip, they sell these kickers with silvervine and valerian as well. Puzzle feeders to make them mentally work for food. Life gets boring when your food is handed to you two or three times a day. Scratching posts and mats, tunnels and cat trees so they can jump and leap and use their claws to scratch and grab something. Toy mice to chase, and toys wants that simulate a flying bird.
   
   Finally give them new toys, or move the existing beds/ posts around. There is also a toy called Sheer Fun For Cats that is a sheet that you place on existing toys. It makes them seem new and novel again, an important factor in keeping your cats entertained.