How to Calm Down an Aggressive Cat

When your cat’s fur spikes up, ears go flat and claws come out, you know you’ve got an angry kitty on your hands. Whether your cat is chronically aggressive or just prone to the occasional anger fit, calming down an aggressive cat can seem like an impossible task. But there are ways to make you and your kitty more comfortable.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Designated “calm” area for your cat
• Feliway Comfort Zone spray or diffuser

1. Determine the cause of your cat’s aggression. Does your cat lash out at another pet in the household, or does the anger seem to be triggered by certain people or situations? Rescued cats in particular may exhibit strange behavior from conditioning that occurred before you adopted the cat. For example, a cat that was kicked by a previous owner may lash out at approaching feet. Or a cat that was neglected by a man may show mistrust toward unfamiliar men. You may not be able to figure out why your cat is being aggressive, but you can look for a pattern of behavior to determine cause.
2. Communicate with the people your cat comes into contact with. Let them know your cat is having aggression problems and that you are trying to keep the cat calm. Explain what you think the cat’s triggers may be and make a plan with roommates, family and close friends to keep the cat from becoming regularly agitated.
3. Remove the cat from the situation if your cat continues to exhibit aggression. Put the cat in a bedroom or bathroom for a few minutes and close the door. Sometimes a cat will get stuck in a snit without any obvious reason and a change of environment is enough to calm her down.
4. Try Feliway Comfort Zone to ease the cat’s aggression if the cat is lashing out at other pets. Feliway is a synthetic cat pheromone, meant to mimic the friendly facial pheromones cats produce in their facial glands. For whatever reason, it calms most unbalanced cats.
5. Remain calm yourself and reassure the cat that you are a safe and loving human. Don’t introduce any changes to the cat’s environment if you can avoid it. For example, if your cat is chronically aggressive, don’t bring home a new puppy or get a new roommate every three months.

Tips & Warnings

• If you are having trouble determining your cat’s cause for aggression, take your cat to the vet. Explain the problem in detail, and be sure to mention any changes in the cat’s normal routine. Your vet may be able to help you find the cause or determine if there is an underlying medical problem that isn’t manifesting itself in any other obvious symptoms.
• When you take your cat to the vet, be sure to alert her that your cat may bite. It won’t reflect poorly on you as an owner and your vet has experience taking precautions with animals that become aggressive when they are frightened or in pain.