Why does my cat keep attacking my sister and how can I stop it?

I'm sorry to hear that you're having this problem! I would be interested to know more about exactly what the cats are doing that concerns you, as true "aggressive" behavior or serious fighting would be unusual to see in a kitten this age. Normal play between two cats (including wrestling and biting) is often mistaken for fighting by owners, so I'm wondering if your cat may actually be playing normally with the younger kitten. If this is an aggression problem, this is quite serious at such a young age and would best be handled by a veterinary behaviorist - he/she can evaluate your cat to help determine what is causing the aggressive behavior, and put together a detailed treatment plan to work on the problem. This would likely include some methods to redirect her to some other activity if you see warning signs of an attack such as stalking, growling, etc. as well as possibly medication of some kind to help treat her aggression. Your veterinarian should be able to refer you to a behavior specialist in your area, if you ask.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Lucy. Cat behavior is very complex and trying to figure this out might be impossible. For some reason, Lucy has taken it upon herself to stalk and lash out at your sister. Unfortunately, without spending a lot more time and detail the exact triggers and their relationship in general, it would be extremely difficult to answer this completely in this forum. It could be the way they interact with each other, how your sister behaves around her, how Lucy behaves around your sister, Lucy's predatory instincts, etc. I would advise discussing this with your local veterinarian who can gather a detailed history, explore the relationship between Lucy and your sister, and possibly do an examination to make sure Lucy is in good health and not acting out due to some medical problem that isn't apparent yet. Seems like this is strictly behavioral but medical problems can definitely cause abnormal behaviors towards people and other pets. Either way, behavioral or medical, your vet could then discuss moving forward. This could involve consulting with a cat behaviorist, trying behavior modification, trying some behavioral drugs, etc. Good luck with this confusing and complex problem. I hope your sister and Lucy can work this out.

It may be due to illness or injury. It can also be redirected (or displaced) aggression. This is when one cat is unable to directly respond to a perceived threat and "vents" on whoever is closest. This is usually an owner or another pet. Never handle or grab your cat if she is displaying aggressive tendencies. This can lead to a serious bite or scratch. Schedule an exam with your vet to rule out medical causes. If they are indoor cats, provide a ' cool down' period by separating them. Keep stray or strange cats away from windows or doors and out of your yard. Control what your cat sees by closing doors or drawing the blinds. Consider using pheromone products to decrease anxiety/stress level in the house. Search www.pet360.com for pheromone products.

Poor cats! It's possible there is stress being caused over dispute of territory, especially if you have quite a few cats in a small home or apartment. A good first step is making sure each cat has their own access to food, water, litter, and perches they can get away from each other so that the cats can establish their areas without having to compete for resources. A good second step is to add in a pheromone collar or diffuser, which can help reduce inter-cat aggression and make things less stressful. In some cases, a younger cat may bully an older cat if there is an underlying health problem going on. A vet visit to rule out any pain or illness that could be making Mr. Winkle the target of this attention may help reduce the problem as well. If the changes to the home don't help, speaking with a veterinary behaviorist in your area may also be a good option: https://www.dacvb.org/page/about

Sudden aggression and behavioral changes in cats can indicate pain or illness, so if you haven't already, a veterinary check up is best. If your cat checks out healthy, it may be there is a lot of stress causing your cat's behavioral issues. Making sure she has her own access to food, water, toys, treats, hiding spots etc from other pets or people is best. She is also still very young, and may just have a lot of energy/is still learning what appropriate behavior is. Ignoring bad behavior, increasing play and activity times, and rewarding calm, quiet behavior is best to teach her the right way to interact and to get out that excess energy. If the behavior continues even with this, speaking with a veterinary behaviorist is the best next step.

The first thing I would do for now is put Attila in a room by herself with a litter box, food and water bowls, comfortable resting places, etc. and leave her alone for the next few days apart from coming in briefly to refill her food and water and change her litter. When cats become upset and aggressive like this, for whatever reason, it can take up to a week for them to fully calm down and return to normal - until then, it's best to leave her completely alone and give her plenty of space. Some cats can have serious aggression issues that are triggered by a strange or scary noise, an unusual smell, or anything else that startles them. It's possible that Attila may have had a scary dream that frightened her, or she could be painful due to a pinched nerve, arthritis, or some other issue that may have been aggravated by petting. If she calms down over the next few days and things return to normal with no further problems, you may not need to do anything else. If she is still acting aggressive a week from now, or if this becomes a recurring problem for her in the future, I would strongly recommend making an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist - he/she can evaluate Attila in person and help you determine what may be triggering these episodes, and will also give you some specific suggestions for managing her when this happens. Prescription medication is helpful for some cats with aggression issues, so this is something that could be discussed also. You can search for a board-certified veterinary behaviorist in your area here: www.dacvb.org

Sometimes this behavior can be related to boredom, anxiety or a desire to play roughly. There are a few things you can do which may help. Try enriching her environment. Here is a great article about cat's instinctual needs: https://www.petcoach.co/article/why-every-cat-needs-a-place-to-climb/ Use a Feliway diffuser, set aside 30 minutes a day for vigorous play and/or switch the food to Royal Canin Calm. During the play time, if she seems like she wants to play rough, try to encourage her to wrestle with a stuffed animal. You may also try feeding her from a food puzzle and/or hiding food around the house for him to find. Most cats response best to combination therapy. The veterinarian can also prescribe medications which can help with behavior. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.