Risk analysis: prognostic factors and safety

Cats that are aggressive are at risk for rehoming or euthanasia. Misunderstandings about the cat’s intentions and severity of the injuries can degrade the human–animal bond. Overview of the presenting concerns, family members, lifestyle, risk for aggressive events, severity of injuries, and commitment to the cat will influence the decision to attempt to treat a cat which has been aggressive.

Agonistic behavior can range from a cat that hisses and hides to a cat that boldly seeks its victim and then attacks. Owners with aggressive cats are thus often in urgent need of advice on how to manage danger and correct aggression problems. Initially, they should be cautioned to avoid situations that are likely to trigger or exacerbate aggressive encounters until they receive appropriate counseling and fully understand the risks involved. Owners should be informed that keeping an aggressive pet in the home always includes some risk, although some cats pose a greater risk for injury than others. As with all types of feline aggression, safety, predictability of aggressive behavior, and severity of injuries must be considered. It should never be suggested that treatment will completely eliminate any chance of future injuries.

Personality in cats has been described in other chapters but should be considered when assessing prognosis for aggression since a cat that is friendly, social, and confident may have a better prognosis than a fearful, reclusive cat. Also, a cat’s inherent ability to cope with stress, novel situations, and desire to interact with people or animals may vary greatly and will influence the probability of a harmonious outcome. If a cat has never habituated to unfamiliar adults, it is unlikely that behavior modification will allow the cat to accept adults completely, much less a child that has caused a fearful or aggressive event. On the other hand, a cat that has successfully lived with many cats, people, and dogs may overcome a single, even severe, redirected aggressive episode. Cats that have previously been preferred associates and slept adjacent, nose-touched, and tail-wrapped,^4,5 may be more likely to recover from an aggressive event than cats which did not have a preferred associate relationship.

Cats lack formal hierarchies with limited ability to avoid aggression by displaying deference and poor reconciliation skills (postconflict resolution) so avoidance, spatial distribution, and tolerance are essential components of compatible group living following an aggressive insult.⁶ Similarly, a cat that is bold, vigilant, reactive, easily agitated, and unwilling to retreat may also have a poorer prognosis for harmonious recovery from an aggressive event. Therefore, the cat’s experiences and social adaptability prior to an aggressive event may allow the clinician to predict the likelihood of a positive outcome.

Generally, behavior problems are better resolved with early intervention. On the other hand, time does resolve some aggression or fear-based problems. Prompt separation, avoidance of stress, and allowing a recovery period may provide a simple and effortless resolution. Owners often try to repeat the situations which resulted in the aggressive event to ascertain the severity of the problem and are then surprised by the cat’s willingness to react with even more aggression. Inappropriate interventions will worsen the problem and the prognosis. The likelihood of a successful resolution is inversely proportional to the severity of the methods employed. Family members may have tried various punishments, including squirting with water, yelling, chasing, or swatting. They must be instructed that these methods are usually ineffective and counterproductive. Punishing an aggressive cat increases its arousal and anxiety and increases the risk of injury for family members.

Predictability and context of aggressive events determine how easily and safely the pet can be managed. Aggression that is highly predictable may be easier to prevent – if the cat attacks every time a person walks down the hallway, then strategies may be implemented to avoid attack. In contrast, if a cat attacks a person once every 20 times he is watching television it is very difficult to be prepared and avoid attack. Some cats become aroused and agitated when noises occur or telephones ring and these events may be very difficult to predict and prevent. Consideration of the predictability and context of the aggressive event is essential when advising owners to attempt treatment. Be certain to ask the clients if they are afraid of their cat, as this will influence their decision to keep the cat and to pursue behavior modification to alleviate aggression. Severity of injuries caused by the cat and explosive or impulsive nature of aggressive events are also factors which must be weighed when considering risk and potential for successful resolution. If a cat is dangerously aggressive only when unfamiliar people visit the home, then frequency and predictability of visitor arrival will dramatically affect the prognosis. Alternatively, a cat that is very solicitous and friendly to family members sometimes and aggressive at other times may be very challenging to manage safely unless there are predictable triggers and signals. Solutions for behavior problems must consider individual circumstances and accept that human error is inevitable. Whatever approach is chosen requires a committed and reliable owner and a program that can be easily implemented without force or fear.

Strategies for safe, practical management include room confinement, reward training, baby gates, crates, or harnesses. Sometimes the addition of an automatic door closer can reduce the risk for an escape, thus reducing the opportunity for an aggressive event. Sometimes a cat should be boarded rather than risk exposure at an event. Trainability is important. Ideally the cat could be trained to come on cue to a certain location and provided with a positive alternative behavior such as a food puzzle toy. The clinician must assess not only the vigilance and focus of the cat to determine if the cat could be redirected by reward training but also if the owner has the skills and patience necessary to properly reinforce feline compliance with a verbal cue.

Cats may react to visual stimulation, so limiting the opportunities to see the triggers may be useful. This may be accomplished by blocking access to the window, covering windows with window films or window coverings, or making the site less pleasant (e.g., with a strip of carpet runner nubs up, double-sided tape, or a motion-activated spray or alarm). Furniture and desired resting places may be rearranged to prevent a perch for vigilance and reactivity. The family may describe how much the cat “loves to look out windows,” but some cats are actually on guard and reactive rather than enjoying the view. Body postures and behavior must be assessed to ascertain the true motivation, and window access may need to be denied in order to reduce the cat’s state of arousal.

When formulating a treatment plan, consideration must be given to the type of aggression, the cat’s temperament, and the competence and commitment of individuals in its environment. The aggression release form (Appendix C, form C.12, client form #1, printable version available online) can be modified for cats. Desensitization and counterconditioning techniques are frequently used for treating aggression by using repeated, controlled below-threshold exposures to stimuli that trigger the behavior while pairing positive associations with food, treats, or toys with each exposure. There is inherent risk during these exposures and the owner must provide complete management of the cat so that it cannot escape or cause injury. The situation may worsen if the cat learns that growling, scratching, and biting are effective ways to avoid an unwanted stimulus or situation. While principles of behavior modification are described in Chapter 7, the art of introducing stimulus below the threshold for reactivity is essential when the undesired consequence is an aggressive response. Cats learn from each exposure. Behavior modification attempts that end with the cat in an aroused and agitated state are not productive (and not desensitizing), and are likely to be counterproductive. Failed attempts to perform desensitization exercises for an aggressive cat actually become multiple, unpleasant exposures which further condition the aggression. Behavior modification is an art which must be adjusted to the individual cat based on the cat’s perception of the outcomes, not the clinician’s or the owner’s.

The decision to keep a cat that is aggressive is a personal one. Many factors affect risk and prognosis, as well as the family’s willingness to proceed and accept risks. Family members may feel guilt and remorse for their cat’s behavior and their inability to “fix” the problem. Clients may need assurance that it is acceptable to decline to treat an aggressive cat. The clinician must evaluate risk by assessing the cat, the environment, the problem and the family members to determine if safety can be insured and long-term expectations are acceptable (Box 21.1).

Learning and aggression

There is generally a learned component in cases of aggression. Learned behaviors may arise out of a single aversive event or multiple exposures to mildly threatening stimuli. Behavior can intensify from repeated provocation. Pets that are threatened or punished for aggressive displays can learn to associate pain or fear with certain stimuli and become even more aggressive each time the situations recur. Owners that are anxious or threatening in the cat’s presence will further aggravate the cat’s aggression. When an aggressive display successfully removes the source of fear, pain, or territorial intrusion, the cat learns to use the display in any future fearful or threatening encounters. The response of a victim can also influence the aggressor. Cats that display fear or retreat might actually encourage the aggressor to continue attacks. While bold and confident responses might cause the aggressor to back down, if the victim displays defensive aggression, this could instead lead to fights of increasing intensity.

Play aggression

Play aggression is a common behavior in kittens and young cats with a natural strong predatory drive. It is the most common type of aggressive behavior that cats exhibit toward their owners. In fact, play-related aggression is often reported as one of the most common reasons for owner-related aggression at behavior practices.^2,7 Predation is a highly motivated, instinctive behavior for cats. The initial movements of this behavioral sequence are characterized by silent stalking. The body is held close to the ground during the approach and the attack is patterned to achieve a quick kill of the prey. Predation is not preceded by vocal or postural threats because it represents a normal instinct to hunt and kill that would not include warnings. Kittens learning how to perfect their hunting skills may practice their predatory skills on any available target. Although the name implies a rather benign behavior, play attacks can be quite intense and may result in serious injury if biting and clawing are done without inhibition. The behavior can be quite alarming and frightening for family members who may think they have a “mean” pet in the home. Injuries to family members may occur by attempting to handle, restrain, or punish the aroused kitten.

Kitten play usually involves various elements of intraspecies social and predatory behavior. Play behaviors include: exploration and investigation; stalking, chasing, attacking, pouncing, and leaping sideways; fighting; wrestling; swatting and biting. Kittens typically “play hard” with each other but quickly learn when they are actually causing pain. Since the bitten kitten will either stop playing or react with defensive responses, hard bites tend to become inhibited. Swatting is usually done with claws retracted. When a kitten grows up without appropriate social interaction that discourages hard biting, such as a kitten that has been hand-reared with no contact with other cats, it may bite without inhibition into adulthood and be quite dangerous.^8,9 Vocalizations are rare during this type of aggressive attack, which can help differentiate it from other types of aggression (e.g., fear-related, territorial, redirected, pain-induced). Owners often contribute to the problem by playing with kittens in a way that encourages attacks toward hands and feet, such as allowing kittens to bite hard at a gloved hand. This behavior generally begins when the pet is a kitten, peaks around 9–12 months, and then wanes as the cat grows into adulthood.

Some degree of play aggression is normal, but situations warranting special consideration include:

Fear-related aggression

Fear-related aggression results when a cat is exposed to someone or something it perceives as being a threat, and becomes aggressive, especially if there is no opportunity to escape. Aggression may also arise if the cat is frightened by inanimate stimuli such as sounds, in which case the aggression may be redirected to a nearby person or animal (see redirected aggression, below). The more threatening the stimulus is to the cat, the more heightened the fear response. The behavior may be displayed when a cat is approached, touched, looked at, or stared at (Figure 21.1). Fear-related aggression is sometimes referred to as defensive aggression.

Figure 21.1 This cat displays fear and defensive aggression in response to a dog.

(Courtesy of Dr. Sophia Yin.)

Kittens lacking early socialization are more likely to be fearful of people and thus defensively aggressive when approached or handled. Factors contributing to the development of fear-related aggression include genetics, environmental experience, and learning. Cats that have aversive experiences associated with humans (such as punishment) or other cats may become frightened of them or similar individuals. Some cats require a very strong stimulus to elicit fear, while others become extremely anxious in response to mild stimuli, such as small movements, a noxious odor, or a novel noise. Aggressive behavior can also be self-reinforcing when growling, threatening, or biting drives away the stimulus that caused the fear reaction.

Management and treatment

Behavior modification for fear-related aggression involves exposure techniques (Table 21.2), including habituation, desensitization, and counterconditioning. Habituation may occur when the fear is mild and the cat is able to adjust at its own pace. Early recognition and intervention lead to the most effective cures. Full exposure to threatening stimuli that elicit a strong fear response should be avoided. Formulating a treatment plan involves identifying fear-eliciting stimuli, identifying the threshold for arousal, and using controlled exposure sessions to reduce the pet’s fear. Desensitization involves repeatedly exposing the cat to modified or muted stimuli that are below the threshold that evoke a fear response until the cat is comfortable. Many cats may be successfully treated with exposure techniques involving food rewards or favored play toys to encourage appropriate responses and associations with the stimulus (counterconditioning). Some cats may appear more aloof, distant, and uninterested during a successful desensitization experience and clients must appreciate this absence of fear as a sign of improvement.

Table 21.2 Managing feline fear-related aggression

Steps

Comments

Identify stimuli

• Identify all fear-eliciting stimuli and the thresholds (intensity or distance) at which that fear is manifested. During treatment, it is important that the cat be insulated from anything that would cause anxiety or fear < div class='tao-gold-member'> Only gold members can continue reading. Log In or Register to continue Share this: Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Related Related posts: Pet selection and the genetics of behavior Complementary and alternative therapy for behavior problems Pharmacologic intervention in behavioral therapy Terminology, behavioral pathology, and the Pageat (French) approach to canine behavior disorders Stay updated, free articles. Join our Telegram channel Join Tags: Behavior Problems of the Dog and Cat Jul 24, 2016 | Posted by admin in SMALL ANIMAL | Comments Off on Feline aggression Full access? Get Clinical Tree Get Clinical Tree app for offline access Get Clinical Tree app for offline access