to deal with this form of fear aggression is to place the cat in a small, dark room allowing him/her to calm down. The cat should be opened only once he/she appears to be calm again. Windows may need to be covered with dark curtains if the cat gets over stimulated by outdoor visions.

-Pain Induced Aggression

This type of aggression is based from pain of being hurt. It is commonly seen in vet offices as described previously This form of aggression is hard to treat as well, because it is reinforced each time the handler retreats. For instance, a veterinary technician may be attempting to place a catheter in a cat's vein but the cat may suddenly growl and attempt to bite. The veterinary technician will therefore, let go of the cat which will escape and hide in a corner. Because, the technician let go immediately when the cat attacked, the cat will have learned that this is an effective method to keep people away therefore, he will likely use this method in the future if needed. In some cases, sadly, pain induced aggression is a response towards owners that have mistreated the cat by using physical punishment..

-Maternal Aggression

This is a natural tendency of an overprotective mother trying her best to protect her little from intruders. The fear here is that her little ones may be harmed or taken away. Sometimes even well behaved cats that have been sweet with their owners all their lives may turn into panthers once they have given birth.

The secret in this case, is to give mother cat some time to bond with the kittens, and then slowly but steadily allow her to realize that you are not a threat. You will gradually come closer and closer to the kittens and then with time, you will try to touch the kittens while giving some high value treats to the mother. Slowly, the mother will learn that you have no bad intentions and that actually every time you approach her and the kittens, good things happen (ie, tasty treats).

While cats appear to strike out pretty quickly, in reality there are usually many warning signs that suggest the cat is getting increasingly ready to attack. These signs that precede an attack are generally as follows:

-Flattened Ears

-Dilated Pupils

-Lashing Tail

-Spitting

-Hissing

-Growling

Should you cat get a hold of you, it is best to prevent further tissue damage by not pulling away. Rather, you should try to keep calm and wait until the cat will release its grip. This applies to both being bit or scratched.

Rabies

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