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Fear-Related Feline Aggression Towards People (view source)
Revision as of 10:24, 8 September 2014
, 10:24, 8 September 2014→Introduction
It is important to question the owner about any previous traumatic experience involving people, the use of inappropriate punishment for behaviour in the past or the presence of inappropriate and unintentional reward of the present behaviour.
It is important to question the owner about any previous traumatic experience involving people, the use of inappropriate punishment for behaviour in the past or the presence of inappropriate and unintentional reward of the present behaviour.
Cats that are exhibiting fear-related aggression toward people will often adopt characteristic postures and use defensive vocalisation prior to a defensive paw swipe, which is intended to drive the threat to a greater distance. The response of the person may be significant in the progression of the problem behaviour and it should be remembered that the owner’s attempts at reassurance often reinforce fear and aggression by increasing social pressure on the cat and thereby increasing the perception of threat. In situations where owners try to deal with the aggressive behaviour by punishing the cat, an anticipation of the owner’s apparent ‘aggression’ may increase the cat's fear further and lead to an escalation of the problem.
Cats that are exhibiting fear-related aggression toward people will often adopt characteristic postures and use defensive vocalisation prior to a defensive paw swipe, which is intended to drive the threat to a greater distance. The response of the person may be significant in the progression of the problem behaviour and it should be remembered that the owner’s attempts at reassurance often reinforce fear and aggression by increasing social pressure on the cat and thereby increasing the perception of threat. In situations where owners try to deal with the aggressive behaviour by punishing the cat, an anticipation of the owner’s apparent ‘aggression’ may increase the cat's fear further and lead to an escalation of the problem.
==Risk factors==
==Prevention of Fear-Related Aggression Towards People==
==Prevention of Fear-Related Aggression Towards People==