− | The cat’s primary defence strategy is to '''escape or avoid conflict'''. Cats do not possess a repertoire of appeasement behaviours to halt or modulate [[Feline Aggression Towards Cats|intra-specific aggression]] so physical confrontation may result in serious injury to both parties. If escape is impossible, then cats will frequently freeze and deliver a range of threatening behaviours, including postural and vocal signals, designed to repel or hold the threat at bay. Meanwhile, the cat is re-evaluating its opportunities for an escape. Attacks may be sudden and brief, and again aimed at repelling the threat so as to re-open an opportunity for escape. | + | The cat’s primary defence strategy is to '''escape or avoid conflict'''. Cats do not possess a repertoire of appeasement behaviours to halt or modulate [[Feline Aggression Towards Cats|intra-specific aggression]] so physical confrontation may result in serious injury to both parties. If escape is impossible, then cats will frequently freeze and deliver a range of threatening behaviours, including postural and vocal signals, designed to repel or hold the threat at bay. Meanwhile, the cat will re-evaluate its opportunities for escape. Attacks may be sudden and brief, and again aimed at repelling the threat so as to re-open an opportunity for escape. Cats will most often become aggressive when conflict is over a survival resource (including territory) or when escape from conflict is impossible; such as when the animal is debilitated or confined. However, if a cat has repeated experience of sustained threat or punishment when it attempts to escape, then it may learn to shift to an offensive pattern of aggression instead of escape. |