How to calm a cat that freaks out and bites

Avoid loud noises – TV and music should be kept at a moderate volume.

How to calm a cat

This article is co-authored by Brian Bourquin, DVM, our regular contributor. WikiHow's regular contributors work closely with our editors to ensure that the articles are as accurate and complete as possible.

Whether you are a cat lover or not, you are unlikely to want to deal with an angry and irritated animal. In addition, stress can cause behavioral problems in cats, such as refusing to use the litter box. Many things can throw a cat off balance: car rides, visits to the vet, the noise of a thunderstorm, strangers in the house or even unfamiliar cats in the street near the house, and so on. If your pet is so irritated that he growls, meows or runs around the house frantically for cover, he probably needs help getting back to a calm state. Start calming your pet by controlling his environment and giving him some privacy. If that doesn't help, you may need to consult your veterinarian about the use of medication to calm him down.

Handling an irritable or nervous cat

• Remember that approaching an irritable cat should be done with extreme caution.
• Approach the cat cautiously (preferably in long-sleeved clothing and pants).
• Keep a towel handy in case you need to catch the cat.

• Speak in a low, low tone of voice.
• Singing, like quiet talking, can also help your cat to calm down and relax. Playing anything from a cheerful song to a slow tune can help. Just don't sing loudly and harshly, and don't use rapidly changing tones.
• Play something quiet on the TV.

• Allow the cat to climb higher up to feel safe and get a chance to observe what is going on around him.
• If possible gently stroke the cat's face with your thumb from the bridge of his nose up to his forehead.

• To take the cat to a place where he can be alone, wrap him up tightly in a towel, leaving only his head exposed. Then take him to a quiet room (such as the bedroom), provide him with a litter box and wait for him to return to a calm state.

Add variety to your cat's daily routine

The busier your cat is during the day, the less likely he is to want to play after dark. Making sure your cat has plenty of useful activities is a great way to keep him active during daylight hours.

Consider adding things like cat trees, food puzzles, and interactive toys. If your cat is an indoor cat, but you have a backyard, you can even build an aviary for the cats so they can spend a lot of time observing the local wildlife.

Installing a bird feeding station near a window is also a way to give your cat something interesting to look at during the day.

Keep the cat out of the bedroom

We agree that it's nice to cuddle your cat on the bed, but if they keep waking you up, one of the best things you can do is close the bedroom door! That way, your cat won't be able to pounce on your feet in the middle of the night or meow in your face when they get hungry and want a snack.

Try to work with your cat's natural desire to play in the evenings by setting aside time to socialize with her before bedtime. The best way to tire the cat out so you can fall asleep late at night would be to use a wide variety of toys that encourage lots of movement.

Nocturnal Instinct.

Another reason why your cat freaks out could be that some cats have a nocturnal lifestyle and become more active at night. If a cat doesn't get enough exercise during the day, it can behave particularly crazily.

Many house cats spend their days alone indoors while their humans are at work. When the person comes home in the evening, the cat can be very active and wants to play. If she doesn't have an outlet for all that energy, the cat can act crazy. Kittens are especially energetic.

Old age

If you have an older cat, he may be acting crazy because of cognitive dysfunction or decrepitude. As the pet ages, its brain may begin to function differently and cause strange behavior for no apparent reason.

Sometimes the cat freaks out and looks like something bites it from time to time because of fleas. Particularly when meowing, your cat may be hypersensitive to flea bites or just scratching in an inaccessible place.

If you suspect your cat has fleas, treat all furry animals in the house with a prescription drug specifically for cats designed to kill and prevent fleas. You should also see your veterinarian to determine if there are any secondary skin infections caused by flea allergies that need to be treated. You will also need to vacuum the environment, do laundry, and use aerosol cans or flea bombs if recommended by your veterinarian. Once the fleas are gone, your cat should stop this behavior.

Combat Aggression

Aggression occurs not only as a reaction to fear, but also for other reasons. The methods of calming the cat depend on the source of its bitterness.

How to recognize aggression

Pallas' cats, savannahs, and Siamese cats are the most likely to show aggression. The following signs will help identify it:

If you notice that a cat is "agitated," don't try to pet it. This can lead to serious bites and deep scratches.

Methods to calm an angry cat

Act based on the specific situation. Every problem has its own solution:

1. Pain. A sudden attack by a friendly and affectionate pet is most often due to illness. If you haven't stepped on the cat's paw or tugged its tail, take it to the doctor.
2. Territorial instinct. Battles for territory occur when several sexually mature un-neutered cats are kept together. The most reliable solution is surgical, i.e. castration. Also separation of feeding places, the purchase of separate litter boxes and beds can help.
3. Reaction to petting. Too frequent or overly active petting quickly becomes boring and irritating. Respect the interests of your pet and do not pet against his will.
4. Fear. Give your pet a comfortable shelter and leave him alone.
5. Playing infrequently or cutting it off too abruptly. Bored with activity and unable to get his energy out, the cat begins to lunge at his feet and hands. The problem is solved by increasing the frequency and duration of joint games, as well as the purchase of interactive toys.
6. Baby-proofing. A newly born cat may attack even their beloved owners. She should be given time to get used to her new role. For 2-3 weeks after giving birth it is recommended not to disturb the pet over nothing and to limit its communication with other housemates.
7. Unsatisfied sex drive. Can occur in both cats and cats, but males show anger more often. An adult, not neutered cat may well attack anyone without warning under the influence of the sudden release of hormones. If you have children living in your house, get your cat neutered or spayed so you don't get into trouble.
8. Response. If a pet gets beaten, it may respond in the same way. The same response will be to bullying or rough play.

How to calm a crying pet

Bubbles from the eyes, accompanied by a pitiful meow, are often used to attract attention. Figuring out the cause of the worry and tears will help with the accompanying symptoms.

A small kitten.

A baby's squeak is usually associated with a move to a new family. At first he misses his mother a lot and is frightened by unfamiliar smells.

Start by taking the kitten in your arms, caressing it and talking to it. Try to play with it and see how it reacts. If the issue is a lack of attention, these actions may help.

It is also advisable to check the cleanliness of the litter box and the amount of food and water left in the bowls. The arrangement of the personal corner plays an important role. Try to make it as warm and cozy as possible by adding soft plaid and toys.

Teenage .

Excessive tearing in teenagers is caused by a temporary discrepancy in the width and length of the tear ducts. At this stage of growing up, the length slightly does not keep up with the width, dramatically increasing following the growing head. This is a moment you just need to wait it out.

If your teenager is really experiencing emotional distress, distract him with play. For growing kittens, this is the best way.

Adult pet.

A crying adult pet may be due to psychological discomfort, hunger, thirst or lack of attention. Try to minimize existing stress, refill bowls and increase the amount of play time together.

How to help if your whisker is in pain

A feeling of pain can easily be identified by a general malaise. A sick pet will hide, refuse to eat, have a fever or go to the wrong place. Depending on the diagnosis, the illness may be accompanied by vomiting, loose stools, bloating and other disturbing symptoms. A veterinarian should be consulted to determine the exact cause of the ailment.

In an emergency

Unfortunately, force majeure happens in life. A cat may be injured (fall from a height, a fight with another animal) and be in a state of shock. A complete stranger's cat may be aggressive toward a person, defending her kittens or her food. In such a situation, the main rule applies – do not make it worse!

Keep your distance

Stroking is acceptable only for your cat, but even in this case, petting may not calm down, but anger the animal. No matter how much the owner may want to support his pet, it is better to leave the cat alone in a confined space (a carrier, a box, a house).

Cats are solitary by nature, not pack animals. In times of great stress, they are guided by their instincts and not by their acquired affections.

Keeping Calm

Like other pets, cats show empathic abilities – they are good at sensing people's emotions.

If the owner is nervous or frightened (such as when facing surgery), the pet will become stressed for that reason alone. That is why sometimes it is better to entrust the pet to unfamiliar, but absolutely calm person for the time of procedures in the clinic.

Radiate calm

You can try to calm a cat by talking to it in a calm, quiet voice, as if lulling it to sleep. For aggressive individuals you should add more flattery to the monologue. A honeyed voice, enumerating the cat's virtues, can be quite a distraction for a time capricious young lady.

If it is uncomfortable or seems silly to talk to the cat aloud you can try to inspire her good intentions telepathically, focusing on the desire to help, and not to hurt.

Exercise caution.

An enraged cat can cause serious injury to a person despite its small size. Violent procedures should be kept to a minimum and if you can't avoid them you should try to restrain the cat beforehand (for example in a special bag) while it is quiet.

What not to do

It is a long-known truth: with cats physical punishment does more harm than good. And the only benefit is that the owner "blows off steam". Otherwise, if an aggressive cat is spanked or kicked, mental deviations are inevitable, and correcting the behavior later is much more difficult.

If the owner gives the cat a couple of tasty treats after it has rushed to its feet, the aggressive behavior will be reinforced by the food. The cat won't hesitate to use the new way of getting food, and the owners will get into a vicious circle. It's allowed to offer a treat only to a frightened cat, and not to an angry cat, but there is a high probability that the cat will ignore the treat.

How to teach a cat to scratch, bite and attack family members

If a cat shows signs of increased aggression, biting, scratching or attacking, the first thing to do is to take the cat to the veterinarian. This is necessary to rule out possible physical pain, disturbing parasites or nervous system disorders.

If none of the above is found, you need to think about how to wean the cat from biting and scratching with the help of pedagogy and basic animal training. Foreign owners of aggressive cats are greatly helped by veterinary protocols especially designed for this purpose.

The complex of measures to eliminate the aggression of the animal is developed individually for each case. Russians do not have an opportunity to use the support of specialists in this field. But it is possible to assess the situation yourself and find the best way to solve the problem from the proposed ones.

Tips from specialists

1. It is necessary to learn to recognize the attack of aggression in its initial stages. Careful observation of the animal and the study of its body language will help. Before the attack inevitably there are some changes: the hair on the scruff of the neck rises, the look changes, the back arches, etc.
2. At this point, by trial and error, it is necessary to choose the most effective method capable of stopping an attack. Physical action such as slaps on the nose or slaps on various parts of the body is unacceptable: this will cause even more anger. The animal will back off, but it will hold a grudge. The consequences can be unpredictable.
3. Proper behavior of the owner during the pet's aggression: do not make sudden movements, do not raise your voice, speak calmly and confidently, stare at the animal.
4. It is recommended to properly organize the living space for active cats: allow them to move not only horizontally, but also vertically. To this end, you can build a system of suspended ladders, and during aggression try to interest the animal in playful moments, to switch its attention. Being at a height can calm the pet down, since cats naturally associate this with a sense of security and privacy.
5. Good behavior should be encouraged with a treat. After showing aggression do not feed the animal for some time, and it will gradually realize that such behavior is fraught with starvation. But one should not allow food interruptions for more than a few hours (skipping one meal), because the cat will remember this may respond with even more aggression, to take revenge.
6. During inappropriate behavior, you can sprinkle water on the cat. In most cases, this stops the pet and helps it "come to its senses."

Medication support is provided with commercially available medications:

If this is not enough, the veterinarian will always be able to advise or prescribe more effective remedies.

How to trim claws in peace

There is the easiest way to calm a cat before clipping: A pair of clothespins (with weak compression force) should be fastened to the scruff.

This is where psychology comes into play, as a child the cat carries the kitten by holding this place with its teeth, when there is compression in the area of the scruff the animal instinctively calms down and relaxes.

How to calm the pet on the road

For a long train, car trip or flight, you need to prepare in advance. If the date of travel is known, it is worth to start taking sedatives of cumulative action, if the trip was not planned, you can give the furry pup a drug that has an immediate effect on the nervous system.

Read more ► Which litter pick is better for cats: straight or curved, how to use it, how much does it cost?

But the most important thing is to have a convenient carrying bag for your cat. You have to buy it beforehand, so that the cat will get used to the new things. You should not only let the cat explore the bag, but also sleep in it for a few days. Several diapers for the toilet, clean water, and dry food are items needed on a long trip.

Aggression after castration – when it is possible

A special place is occupied by a subspecies of painful aggression, namely the condition after castration. Neutering is not only a huge stress for the cat, but also a painful intervention in the body. Needless to say, the pet will be, to put it mildly, angry for the kind of execution his beloved owner underwent.

We will not dwell on the pros and cons of such a decision, and talk about the possible causes of aggression specifically after spaying:

1. Condition after anesthesia. Disorientation, vomiting, involuntary muscle spasms and general weakness – all this is not only unpleasant for the cat, but also terribly scary. The animal doesn't understand what's happening to him and, naturally, gets aggressive.
2. Pain. Strip surgery is not a scratch. The wound will hurt and bother the animal for a long time.
3. Post-operative period. For the next three months after spaying, there is a hormonal readjustment. During this period the cat can behave aggressively, and this is considered the norm.
4. There is another factor, the name of which is negligence of a doctor. This includes poorly performed surgery (including incomplete castration), and incorrectly calculated anesthesia, and poor dressing.

All of the above causes may be accompanied by aggression. And the stories that the cat is taking revenge for his organs are pure fiction. The animal can in no way guess what has been done to it on the operating table.

What to do when the cat is aggressive and how to wean it from biting and throwing itself on hands and feet

First, determine how aggressive the cat is. We should sound the alarm if there are such signs as:

It is important to understand that the cat is not out of the blue and is extremely determined. If the pet nervously flicks its tail from side to side, it is preparing for an attack. That means that in a moment its paws with naked claws and sharp teeth will come into play.

How to teach and calm a kitten when he freaks out

In most cases, correct suppression of the habit of biting and scratching in the kitten pays off. And at an advanced age the cat won't let itself rush to the owner's feet.

To calm an overexcited kitten and at the same time teach him manners, you need:

1. Use special toys in games. Kitten should remember that you can bite and scratch only certain things (toys), but not the hands and feet of the owner.
2. Get a scratching post. This solution allows not only to keep the furniture in good condition but is also an excellent anti-stress for cats.
3. Stop Playing. Under no circumstances should you continue to play with a biting kitten. This way you will give him a false idea of the boundaries of the permitted.

You can also use scarecrows. As soon as the baby starts to step over the line, you have to make him unpleasant: for example, throw a robe or make a frightening sound. The animal will remember that after certain actions of his will inevitably happen unpleasantness in the form of a thrown robe or a loud clap.

There are even less humane ways: silicone paw attachments and claw removal surgery. However, experts consider these methods to be extreme. First, it is a psychological trauma; second, it does not protect against teeth in any way.

When to go to the vet

Sometimes the owner is not able to determine the exact reason why the cat is behaving aggressively.

It's time to see the vet when a pet is acting strangely, constantly sitting in one place and pouncing when approached. Poor behavior may be a sign of serious illness.

Here is a chart of the major ailments in cats:

Aggressive cats also become aggressive during the period of sexual activity and increased thiamine content in the blood. In such a case, the veterinarian will advise medications and diet to eliminate the aggression of the pet.

Conclusion

Noticing aggressive behavior in a cat, you should carefully monitor its condition. Often young cats become aggressive due to hormonal surges.

To wean the pet from the habit of scratching and biting, a water bottle with a sprayer will help. If you find more serious problems, you should contact your veterinarian.

Why cats hiss: the main reasons, what to do, how to calm down when aggression on a certain person

Cat licks the hands and face of the person: 5 reasons, what to do, why the cat is constantly licking

Why does a cat bite and chew its tail hard, sometimes to the point of blood, is it worth worrying?

Why the cat rubs its muzzle against the legs: causes, to wean or encourage, what could be the consequences

Why cats fight: the reasons, what to do if a cat fights with a cat, how to behave the owner

The kitten meows: causes, how to soothe, what to do when the veterinary help is needed

Read more ► Why cats hiss: the main reasons, what to do, how to calm down when aggressive to a certain person

Veterinarian and expert of our site Don State Agrarian Institute, (graduate of DSKhI, 1978) at the moment it is already a university. Did not find the answer to your question? Feel free to ask on the topic of the article HERE in the comments I answer allYou can write your suggestions and wishes here: our authors, contacts