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Feline Aggression Associated with Human Interaction (view source)
Revision as of 12:03, 8 September 2014
, 12:03, 8 September 2014→Prognosis
==Prognosis==
==Prognosis==
The prognosis for these cats is usually good as long as owners do not allow themselves to relapse into inappropriate behaviour as the cat becomes more affiliative. Owners must regard the changes in their own behaviour towards the cat as permanent and not merely a temporary means of winning over or convincing the cat. The prognosis is guarded to poor if the cat’s attacks have been serious and unanticipated, such as when a person is attacked whilst walking past the cat without any intention to touch it.
The prognosis for these cats is usually good as long as owners do not allow themselves to relapse into inappropriate behaviour as the cat becomes more affiliative. Owners must regard the changes in their own behaviour towards the cat as permanent and not merely a temporary means of winning over or convincing the cat. The prognosis is guarded to poor if the cat’s attacks have been serious and unanticipated, such as when a person is attacked whilst walking past the cat without any intention to touch it.
==Prevention==
Owners need to understand how to interpret basic [[Feline Communication Behaviour|feline modes of communication]]:
*Normal greeting behaviour between cats
*The lack of importance of physical contact during greetings
*Facial and body postures that indicate the cat’s mood and intention
This knowledge should be applied so that greetings between owners and their cats are sensitive to normal feline ethology and expectations. They also need to understand the effect of certain kinds of handling:
*Fear or alarm caused when a cat is picked up and thereby loses its ability to engage an escape response
*Holding and preventing the cat from getting away from contact is frustrating and alarming to it
==References==
==References==