When we picture a cat with its ears slotted back, hair standing at attention, and swatting its paws at anything that comes near to it (including other cats), we often consider this to be aggressive behavior. However, the key to understanding what causes cats to become suddenly “aggressive” is to realize that this behavior is almost always not aggression but rather defensive tactics.
Most cats begin to quarrel with other cats (or humans) when they feel stressed, threatened, or in pain. Unfortunately, this happens often in veterinary clinics, boarding facilities, and other places where cats need to leave the comfort and safety of their homes and are placed into a new, stressful environment with other cats. Even if the second cat in the enclosure had done nothing to provoke its new roommate, the elevated levels of stress induced by entering a new place or small space can be enough for a sensitive feline to register anything moving as a threat. Because of this, cats may become aggressive toward others in an attempt to prevent future attacks.
One of the best ways to eliminate this aggression (or defensive behavior) is to work on developing processes and training to make your practice more cat-friendly and to provide a cat condo or luxury cat run that helps cats to feel more safe, secure, and calm during their stay.
At Direct Animal, all of our cat enclosures, including our luxury adoption cat condo modular unit, come equipped with the pass-thru portals and perching places so that cats can move, hide, and separate themselves as needed. These cages help to lower stress levels and make it more manageable to house several cats together in one cage.
If you and your staff are working toward becoming a cat-friendly practice and would like to provide better quality care to your feline patients, contact our team today. We can help you find a cat condo solution that meets the needs and budget of your practice while also meeting the unique needs and wants of your feline patients and their owners.
