Mary Allen
Scolding or punishing an aggressive cat is neither effective nor beneficial: this usually enrages the four-legged friends even more, so that it can become uncomfortable for humans or a fellow animal. How best to respond depends on the situation.
A cat that is normally affectionate but becomes aggressive in a certain situation will usually calm down quickly if you approach it gently and patiently. In the case of permanent problems, treatment with homeopathic remedies, Bach flowers, or calming medication may help – ask your veterinarian for detailed advice. For example, the following situations can cause a velvet paw to be temporarily aggressive. Read below how you react.
Aggressiveness Towards People
Talking to you affectionately is the best way to calm down an aggressive cat that you accidentally hurt or startled. You will quickly see that the aggressiveness disappears with the fright. You may also have touched her somewhere she doesn’t like or did something else that made her afraid – then it’s best to avoid that trigger in the future.
Quarrels With Peers
When arguing with peers, it is not usually advisable to intervene unless one of the animals is clearly in distress, for example being cornered or being severely outgunned. Then startle the animals, for example with a broom, and separate them from each other for a moment so that tempers calm down again. Play is often a good strategy to distract a cat and calm it down.
Aggressive Behavior Out of Fear
If a cat is scared because it has just moved in with you or something has happened, be sure to give it the space to retreat and give it the rest it needs for a while. In between, you can try to lure her out with kind words or a few snacks, but you shouldn’t force her into anything.