Aggressive Cat Behavior: How To Stop Your Cat From Attacking Other Animals

Your cat can show several different forms of aggressive behavior. Although these behaviors may be alright and even useful in the wild, in a housecat these behaviors are disfunctional. Animal behaviorists classify different kinds of aggressive cat behavior differently. When your cat attacks a bird or mouse in the garden, or even your son's pet hamster in its cage, this is called predatory aggression. Kitty is playing great white hunter, following its instinct to hunt for prey. Unfortunately, you cannot just shut down this instinct, so other measures need to be taken. The simplest one it to put a collar with a bell on your cat to keep it from sneaking up on its prey.
Kitty can also behave aggressively when it is afraid. At first, this seems like a paradox. But you may better understand this behavior if you recall the human fight-or-flight instinct. When your cat is afraid of some other animal, like your pet dog, but cannot run away, it may go nuts and attack the source of its fear in a berserk fury of claws, fang and fur. So, what to do? The natural reaction of most cat lovers is to try to pet and console kitty. Unfortunately, in the long run, you are conditioning your cat to behave this way. You are reinforcing the idea that it is okay to behave aggressively whenever it is afraid. Generally, the best way to handle fear aggression is to remove the source of the fear, then ignore kitty. Yes, pay no more attention to your cat until it calms down on its own.
The third form of aggressive cat behavior has to do with territory. This is especially common in unneutered tomcats. In this case, kitty will attack your new cat because it feels that the newcomer is invading its territory. This is yet another natural behavior which can give you a big headache. If this happens, you need to introduce the two cats to each other slowly. Mealtime is usually an important part of this process. In simplistic terms, both cats only see each other when it is time to eat. Otherwise, they are kept apart, out of sight of each other. This lets them associate the other cat with the pleasure of eating.
Another form of aggressive cat behavior is called maternal aggression or protective aggression. This is just a fancy name for when mama cat attacks anyone who approaches her new kittens. Unfortunately, there is not much you can do here. Just be patient, and eventually mama cat may let you play with her kittens.
Generally speaking, aggressive cat behavior is driven by a cat's natural instinct for food, territory, fear or protectiveness. The first step of treatment is to identify the trigger for this aggression. After that the specific approach varies. Regardless, love and patience is a must.
By: Katherin Towers
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It is possible to keep bad cat behavior under control. If you want to learn more about how to train your cat and stop its bad behavior in 13 days, click here: cat training.

Cat Training: How To Prevent Messes

A cat is a cute furry animal that does not usually need to be given a bath like we give dogs. This is because cats are able to clean up themselves very well. But there is more to just giving them food or brushing their fur and there are certain things the owner must foresee.Cats, like dogs that have not been trained how to behave indoors, can create a lot of problems for the owner. Cat training is not very difficult. The claws of a cat can scratch and ruin the furniture. Kitten training normally involves teaching it not to scratch furniture, which can be remedied with the help of a scratching post. If the cat has not been toilet trained, then the house will smell badly.Clawing is a problem in many kittens, and has several solutions. Some people feel that declawing is a viable solution. Many people feel that declawing is cruel, and prevents the cat from climbing or protecting itself from other animals. Teaching a kitten when it is young to use a scratching post is a much kinder solution to the problemBecause the kitten is not aware of the use of a scratching post, it is best to coach it by taking hold of its paws and repeating the motion. The cat may take some time to get trained. If this cat training is given regularly, then the cat will learn how to use a scratching post.The litter box is yet another important part of cat training. It is the means by which you teach a cat what to do when it has to go so that you can eventually collect and discard the animal's waste products. You can buy one at any neighborhood pet shop. Your choice, of course, must be dependent upon how big your particular feline companion is.It will take a while before the cat gets used to the litter box, so you should keep an eye on your pet. If it looks like the cat is about to go to the bathroom, pick it up and transport it to the litter box. Another thing to pay attention to is exercise, since cats need to keep physically fit. To distract the cat from playing with your trinkets and furniture, buy it a squeaky toy or ball.There are many varieties of cat training products available in the market which can be found in the local pet store or online. The person has to identify what is needed in order to make the pet good for the indoors. Many owners do not know how to clean cat urine. Cat urine smell is very difficult to remove even after cleaning the spot with a good cat urine cleaner.
By: Kathrynn Kelley
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There is more to cat ownership than feeding them and brushing them. There are also things an owner must be able to foresee. Cat training products are available on the market and come in different varieties and can be found at your local pet store or online. The person must identify what is needed to make the indoors pet friendly.

Maine Coon Cats

Submitted by Robin
Whatever pet you choose, keep in mind the impact a pet has on every member of your family. If you are planning to add a cat to your family, you should consider a Maine Coon Cat (often incorrectly spelt Mancoon cat). They are one of the oldest breeds of cats in the United States and make a great addition to any family.
We love our pets don’t we? Choosing the right family pet is a serious project. The pet you choose will be part of the family for years to come and will likely always be remembered. For children, a pet is an important part of their life. They learn a lot from pet ownership, including responsibility, caring for others, relationship skills, and more.
Whatever pet you choose, keep in mind the impact a pet has on every member of your family. If you are planning to add a cat to your family, you should consider a Maine Coon Cat (often incorrectly spelt Mancoon cat). They are one of the oldest breeds of cats in the United States and make a great addition to any family.
Next to the Siamese cat, the Maine Coon Cat is the most popular breed of cat there is. These cats were the only cat breed native to the United States, but now there are Maine Coon Cat in every corner of the world. Harsh winters in the Northeastern part of the US caused this cat to evolve as a breed that can withstand the cold.
There is a myth about the origins of the Maine Coon Cat. It’s bushy tail has led people to believe that it was originally the result of a cat mated with a raccoon. The Maine Coon Cat’s coloring also adds to the myth. That’s how it got the name Maine Coon first, then Maine Coon Cat afterwards.
Amateur historians have their own myth about the Maine Coon Cat. They say the cat originated from pets that Marie Antoinette sent to the US. That story says a Captain Clough rescued her long-haired cats and was preparing to rescue her from the guillotine as well, but was only able to save the cats.
Real historians have their own theory. They say Maine Coon Cats are likely a cross breed between short-haired cats here and long-haired cats from overseas that were brought here by the Vikings or New England seamen.
Whatever the origin of the Maine Coon Cat, it is one of the most loved breeds in the US and beyond. Why else would there be so many legends behind this breed? People love their Maine Coon Cats and help add to their mystique through speculating on their origins.
The breed almost disappeared in the early 1900’s after being very popular in the 1800’s. In the first part of the 20th century Persian, Angora, and Siamese Cats, along with other exotic imported cats became all the rage and the Maine Coon Cat was only popular among a few breeders.
You will recognize a Maine Coon Cat when you see one, but especially if you get the chance to pet one. Their coat of hair is water-resistant and thick and has a feel like no other cat’s coat. The Maine Coon Cat is built for survival in harsh climates. It’s hair is longer on the undersides while shorter on the top of the neck and back to keep them from getting tangled in bushes.
Maine Coon Cats tend to be long, broad and muscular with larger bones than other cats. Their large round paws enable them to walk on snow similar to a human with snowshoes. The Maine Coon Cat’s tail is as long as his or her body and bushy. To keep warm they wrap their tail completely around themselves like a fur coat.
These huge cats are very loyal to the family that adopts them and they have a personality that belies their great size. They are good-natured and fun-loving pets that are good around children. The voice of the Maine Coon Cat is something you will have to get used to. It’s a high-pitched squeak that doesn’t seem to fit such a large cat.
I hope this article has helped you to learn more about Maine Coon Cats and that it will encourage you to adopt one as part of your family.
Article Source: http://www.article-outlet.com/About the Author Robin Darch, of PRT Specialised Services Limited has a website, My Pet Cat to help you find all the information you need about pet cats,grooming and training.