Some cat owners experience
'mean' behavior in cats that can include biting, hissing or scratching
and wonder what could have gone wrong to make their cat act so.? There
are a couple of possible reasons.
Some cats may have been 'feral'
at some point in their lives before or during their time with you. Feral
is the term used to refer to cats who have reverted back to a wild state
(vs. a domesticated state). This feral state can result from being born
in the wild, having been lost in the wild or spending an extended amount
of time outdoors left to fend for himself, or by being abandoned in the
wild by previous owners. A truly feral cat is not sociable,
touchable or adoptable because it follows its natural, defensive and
wild instinct and can be a danger to humans.
Other cats have been
domesticated all their lives from the time they were born but turn
aggressive when a new animal, especially another cat comes into the
house. Cats are territorial and will not appreciate an upset to the
'territorial equilibrium'. Or your cat may smell another cat's or
animal's smell on your hand as you try to pet it - kitty doesn't like
this..the only scent he wants to smell is his own. To learn more on how
to introduce a new cat/animal to the household read
How to introduce a new cat into your household.
So how can you overcome this
'mean-ness'? With truly feral cats it will be very difficult to
domesticate their instinctive defensive reaction. But if you're cat
isn't truly feral you can first try to avoid making eye contact because
cats view staring as a prologue to imminent attack.
Put your cat inside a
caged/safe area and try some 'talking' sessions before even attempting
to touch/pet. This will acclimate kitty to your personality. Then, try
touching the coat with a light feather to build trust. If kitty doesn't
respond to this contact with hissing or other mean behavior its time to
take her out of the cage for the next step: Take your cat out of the
cage and put her on a table so she can observe the are without being
carried. This also builds trust. Finally, try to softly touch your cat's
coat.
