Changes

Tolerance of human contact is learned as a '''result of early experience''' during the [[Feline Socialisation|sensitive period]]. For example, without appropriate handling between two and seven weeks of age a cat may grow up to be wary of people and to have a predisposition towards defensively aggressive behaviour, especially if it is placed in a situation where it feels threatened. Early traumatic experience has been found to be associated with increased aggress in cats<ref name="Ramos"/>.  

Tolerance of human contact is learned as a '''result of early experience''' during the [[Feline Socialisation|sensitive period]]. For example, without appropriate handling between two and seven weeks of age a cat may grow up to be wary of people and to have a predisposition towards defensively aggressive behaviour, especially if it is placed in a situation where it feels threatened. Early traumatic experience has been found to be associated with increased aggress in cats<ref name="Ramos"/>.  

The majority of aggression toward people relates to inappropriate contact with people, often occurring during petting, handling an delay<ref name="Ramos"/><ref name="Amat"/>, and there is evidence that a significant proportion of cats become stressed by human contact even thought hey appear to tolerate it<ref>Ramos, D., Reche-Junior, A., Fragosos, P.L., Palme, R., Yanasse, N.K., Gouvea, V.R., Beck, A., Mills, D.S. (2013) Are cats (Felis catus) from multi-cat households more stressed? Evidence from assessment of fecal glucocorticoid metabolite analysis. Physiology and Behavior. 122, 72-75.</ref>..

The majority of aggression toward people relates to inappropriate human-initiated interaction, often occurring during petting, handling an delay<ref name="Ramos"/><ref name="Amat"/>, and there is evidence that a significant proportion of cats become stressed by human contact even though they appear to tolerate it<ref>Ramos, D., Reche-Junior, A., Fragosos, P.L., Palme, R., Yanasse, N.K., Gouvea, V.R., Beck, A., Mills, D.S. (2013) Are cats (Felis catus) from multi-cat households more stressed? Evidence from assessment of fecal glucocorticoid metabolite analysis. Physiology and Behavior. 122, 72-75.</ref>..

In the absence of positive experience with people, cats will avoid contact with them. However, if this is not possible and the cat is forced to remain in contact with people that it is afraid of, [[Feline Aggression - Overview|aggressive behaviour]] can become an effective strategy for maintaining distance from them. With repeated negative experience in which escape and avoidance are impossible, cats may shift from an avoidant strategy to offensive aggression. By the time some of these cases are brought to the attention of the veterinary practice or referred for specific professional advice the initial fearful motivation for the behaviour may be obscured by the cat’s overt hostility and offensive behaviour.  

In the absence of positive experience with people, cats will avoid contact with them. However, if this is not possible and the cat is forced to remain in contact with people that it is afraid of, [[Feline Aggression - Overview|defensive aggressive behaviour]] can become an effective strategy for maintaining distance from them. With repeated negative experience in which escape and avoidance are impossible, cats may shift from an avoidant strategy to offensive aggression. By the time some of these cases are brought to the attention of the veterinary practice or referred for specific professional advice the initial fearful motivation for the behaviour may be obscured by the cat’s overt hostility and offensive behaviour. Aggression toward unfamiliar people is comparatively uncommon in cats, with the majority being defensive in nature<ref name="Fatjo"/>.

Cats that are exhibiting fear-related aggression toward people will often adopt characteristic postures and use threatening vocalisation prior to a defensive 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 intensify fear and aggression by increasing pressure on the cat removing its ability to carry out an avoidance behaviour (for example, picking the cat up to comfort it). 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.

==Prevalence and Risk Factors==

==Prevalence and Risk Factors==