Displaced Feline Aggression

by Angel
(MA)

Hello,

I have an on going problem with my cat. She is about 5 years old. When I first got her she was very nice to me and the rest of the family. However, our dog kept eating her food and after a while she got angry and, at feeding time, would attack him viciously. We fed them in different rooms and later I moved out of the house with her. She was fine for the next two years and never aggressive with me or anyone else.

Then, I moved in with my grandmother. The cat had always been an indoor cat but I started letting her out. One day she attacked my grandmother and after that she kept being aggressive towards her. I brought her to the vet and they said there was nothing medically wrong with her and even gave me medication for her to calm her down. However, whenever she would hear other cats outside or come in from outside she would go crazy and growl at everyone and she even attacked my mom one day (who lived with her her whole life and never had a problem before) making her bleed.

I stopped letting her out after this started going one but since then whenever she is around other cats or even hears them outside she becomes crazy and will go after anyone who comes near her. After a day or two she usually calms down and then she is very nice. I can clip her nails, pick her up, anything and she is very gentle. I'm not sure what to do about this problem. I live in a small apartment so it is very difficult to keep her in a room by herself when she is acting aggressively and it can last for days at a time. I also can't stop her aggression by keeping her away from the trigger because she will become violent just by hearing other cats outside and there is nothing I can do to stop her hearing them. I was wondering if you could tell me anything I can do to calm her down or make her feel less nervous so she will not attack me or my family when she is afraid.


Dear Angel,

It definitely sounds as though you are dealing with displaced aggression from your cat. It seems that the issue began by letting her outdoors, and that the trigger is the other animals outdoors, especially other cats. If you haven’t had bloodwork done by the veterinarian, however, you should do so before assuming the issue is strictly behavioral. Bloodwork can reveal a number of underlying cat illnesses that may be causing or making these cat aggression episodes worse.

Unfortunately, since you can’t block out all possible triggering sounds for your kitty, the best thing for her would be to continue to treat her with medication to help ease her overall anxiety and stress. While the sounds may get your cat going, you haven’t mentioned whether there are doors or windows where she can see the other cats outside.

If there are doors or windows where your cat can see the other cats outside, restricting her access to these areas with blinds or curtains could help prevent more cat aggression episodes. And, in addition to medication, using a pheromone product, such as the diffusers made by Feliway, can help calm your kitty in times of such extreme stress and reduce her stress and anxiety overall.

When your cat is having an aggressive episode, there are important things for you to do, and not do. Do whatever possible to confine her, calmly, to a room with no windows or at least covered windows to the outside to limit her exposure to the trigger. After a “calming down” period of an hour or two, you can bring yummy food, treats, and water to your cat in the room, along with her favorite toys, and calmly leave the room if she still appears agitated.

You should not approach your cat, handle her, or even try to do either of these things, when she is having an aggressive episode. As hard as it may be, staying calm and avoiding yelling, screaming, or other excited behaviors is incredibly important when your cat is displacing aggression. Also, punishment, such as spraying your cat with water, will increase her anxiety and fear. This will most often make the situation worse, for you and for your cat.

Dealing with feline displaced aggression can be a struggle, but with time, practice, medication, and a variety of calming tools and products, you can learn to manage these behaviors. Just be sure to have all possible underlying medical causes ruled out with bloodwork, and work closely with your vet to determine the best regimen for helping your kitty with her stress and fear.

Best wishes,
Dr. Neely