I argue that there is no such thing as an unprovoked attack by a domestic cat. The problem is that we don’t see a reason. That does not mean there is no reason. A recent news story prompted me to write this. A man, Mr Baxter, is suing a woman, who could be his wife, we aren’t sure, for $100k because her cat “without provocation, viciously attacked, bit and clawed” Mr Baxter, while he was attempting to feed the cat.
The incident allegedly happened in 2011 and he sued in March 2013. Odd that. Perhaps he was waiting for the injuries to settle down as Mr Baxter’s claim for compensation says he continues to suffer from the attack. I guess he would say that.
The claim is implausible. It seems to be a attack by Mr Baxter on his wife (if she is his wife!) rather than an attack by a cat on him.
“Unprovoked” means without prompting or motivation. A domestic cat might aggressively attack another domestic animal in the household, out of the blue, for no apparent reason but it may well be the case that something happened between the two animals beforehand that the owner had not seen.
Incompatible Cats
There may well be a history of animosity between two domestic animals in a household that provokes one to attack the other. One cat might be dominant over the other and bully the submissive cat. Aggression and attacks under these circumstances are all predicable and motivated by good reason. Therefore they are not unprovoked. The real underlying problem is putting two cats or a cat and a dog together who don’t get along. That is the owner’s fault, as I see it.
Transferred Aggression
Another possible reason why a cat might demonstrate apparent unprovoked aggression is when aggression is transferred from one animal to another. A cat might have gone outside and had a standoff or a fight with another cat. He immediately comes in and is still aggressive and the aggression spills over towards the cat’s owner. Once again this is not “unprovoked”. The aggression has been provoked by a territorial dispute with another cat. It is up to people to recognise that and steer clear until he cools down.
Unsocialised Cats (and People!)
Some domestic cats might be inherently aggressive because they are unsocialised. They have not been raised properly by playing with other cats, dogs and people when young kittens. If this has happened in a domestic environment it is once again due to a failure by the cat’s owner. Or the cat might be a former feral cat. Although most feral cats can be socialised with patience. If a cat attacks because he is unsocialised he has a reason to attack – he has been trained to behave like a wild cat and is defensive. These attacks are not unprovoked. They are programmed, really.
Wild Cats
In terms of fundamental drives and emotions the domestic cat is very similar to the African/Asian wildcat ancestor. We don’t believe that wild cats make unprovoked attacks. There will always be an underlying reason if we can’t see it or understand it.
People
It is almost unimaginable that a domestic cat will attack a human in an unprovoked manner for the simple reason a human is too big. It is not good for survival for a domestic cat weighing 10 pounds to attack a man weighing 20 times that. It will always be something the person is doing, and/or has done for a while, possibly combined with a cat who has become very defensive for a variety of reasons.
Handling Cats
People can mishandle cats. They can make cats fearful or make them feel insecure and defensively aggressive. People who mishandle cats don’t realise what they are doing. Accordingly, they might think their cat has demonstrated unprovoked aggression or attacks. They would be wrong.
Play
Overzealous play by a person with their cat can lead to getting scratched or bitten. This is not an unprovoked attack! It is play. Someone could claim it was an act of aggression and they would be wrong.
Pain/Illness
A cat in pain, which may not be apparent to a person, may strike out if handled. An ill cat may also be depressed and irritable. These would be underlying reasons why a cat might demonstrate what looks like unprovoked aggression. Once again the aggression would have a reason.
Conclusion
Always look carefully for an underlying reason behind cat aggression and attacks. There will be a reason there somewhere and the reason can always be traced back to people.
Picture credits:
- Hand on left by Andrew Currie
- Open hand by greggoconnell
- Arm bottom right: unknown sorry. Please tell me who you are.
I didn’t read all of the responses but just want to add one for the heck of it 🙂 My calico, Punkin, attacks my husband quite often and the reason is she wants him to follow her and sit with her while she eats, she is a social eater, if my husband does not get up and follow her she lashes out at his ankles and yes, draws blood. Call unprovoked or provoked if you like, to me it’s that she’s a very demanding calico as most are and even though it hurts at first it’s no reason in my own opinion to consider her aggressive just very spoiled and demanding 🙂
Thanks for this Vickie. It looks like she is insisting on his attention. But would it be fair to say that she has tried other ways to get his attention without success and relies on the last resort of an attack on his ankles which she has got into the habit of doing because she sees that it works.
My two year old tuxedo cat attacked me this morning while I was sleeping…. SLEEPING, how is that not unprovoked? I’ve had him since he was 4 weeks old, he’s never been abused/mistreated or played with rough. He and I have always had a loving relationship, he cuddles me to sleep every night. Someone please tell me how I provoked him while I was sleeping? This was completely out of the blue and now I’m bleeding from my EYE!!! This cat has never attacked me before, not even once
Skyler, thanks for commenting. Are you sure that you were attacked? My distinct impression is that you were not attacked. Your cat wanted your attention. He poked and prodded you as you slept to try and animate you – to bring you to life from his standpoint. Cats are active at night and in the early hours (dawn) because that is when prey is available. He wanted you to be active with him. Feel blessed. This is not an attack. He has drawn blood because he is treating you as a cat and cats would not bleed under these conditions.
I HAVE LIVED WITH MY DAUGHTER LONG ENOUGH TO WATCH AS THIS CAT HAS ATTACKED HER – AND HER FRIENDS,,, IT REALLY DOESNT MATTER WHY THE CAT DOES IT, – IT DOES, SO IT NEEDS TO BE REMOVED SO AS TO NOT ATTACK OTHER INDIVIUDALS,, ALL SHE NEEDS IS FOR A CHILD TO BE ATTACKED AND THEN SHE COULD BE IN BIG TROUBLE,, THE CAT WOULD BE REMOVED FROM HER DWELLING BY THE AUTHORITIES,, ITS YOU THAT IS WRONG, AND ITS DANGEROUS THAT YOU SAY THIS CAT SHOULD NOT BE PUT DOWN,,,,
AND YES I DO KNOW THE CIRCUMSTANCES,, THIS CAT DOES NOT LIKE PEOPLE PERIOD……………. THERE ARE CATS THAT SHOULD NOT BE LIVING IN PEOPLES HOMES,, PEOPLE COME BEFORE AN IDIOT CAT –…..
Barbara Ross rant after rant against cats, you have a big problem thinking crazy people and morons stick up for them. You say ‘idiot cat’ without even trying to think what causes cats to attack, aggression breeds aggression, cats do NOT attack for no reason.
You must have wasted a lot of your time going through all these comments to rant on some, don’t you know this is a web site where people who love and understand cats come?
exactly was actually very disheartening reading all those comments which is why i didnt feel like commenting…I dont see how a cat could do that unless that cat was being hurt or feeling frightened in some way ive never seen a cat ever hurt a human in that way. That cat certainly doesnt deserve the bad attention it is getting i just hope that someone somewhere can rescue that animal and that maybe some awareness is available. very sad 🙁
Yes it’s very sad Kylee that some people are so inadequate they blame an innocent animal who has been abused, instead of finding out how to help him/her
yea thats how i feel. 🙁 I dont believe what she is saying about the cat. Obviously Something is seriously wrong!!!
Barbara, it does matter why the cat does it. Perhaps if the cat is moved to a different place with different people he/she will stop attacking people because the problem is the people. It is the people who should be removed not the cat.
Well said Michael, there are some people who should never be allowed within a mile of a cat!
Exactly michael its the humans who are supposed to be looking after the cat in my opinion and im sure others agree.
Barbara Ross…
Just in case you check in here, I can assure you that you are in the wrong place.
You need to google, “Cat Haters Anonymous” and you will get the support you are seeking there. The chairperson is, likely, someone named Woody.
To all of us, I agree that we don’t have a full picture from BR as to what is really going on.
But, I’ll bet that we would all say that there is an incredible amount of turmoil going on in that household. My guess would be that this poor cat is scared to death and takes refuge in that laundry room. Her intrusion scared him very badly.
SOMEBODY needs to be rehomed. I think it should be Barbara.
exactly!!!! good post Dee Its never the cats fault
Im sorry but this cat should be destroyed,, he has attacked his owner and several other people who have come to the door, this is not a PET — he could seriously injure a child, I don’t care why he did it, it was unprovoked, and terrifying,,, he should be put down PERIOD
Sorry Barbara, but you have no idea what happened in any detail. You don’t know whether the cat was provoked or not. You don’t know the environment under which the cat lived. Have you seen statements? Have you seen evidence? Do you know the full details? I suspect the answer to those questions is no. To say that a cat should be killed without knowing the facts is irresponsible in my opinion.
You may read some more about the story somewhere else but no doubt it was an online newspaper and you know very well that you can never trust an online newspaper to get the facts accurate and complete.
Hi, Barbara.
I’ve worked with cats for many years and I’m trying to figure this out.
Could you write some details?
I want to know:
What is the cat’s name?
Is he neutered?
Do you know the cat’s caretakers well and know what kind of care they are giving? Is he vaccinated? How often does he see a vet?
If the cat isn’t yours, why would he be in your laundry room?
If you are in the U.S., why is this cat with a bite history allowed to be free-roaming?
Is there documentation to support that this cat attacks unprovoked?
Thanks. This info would be helpful.
look dee — I live in my daughters home, I have my own apt,, but the laundry room and kitchen I have to share.. – i was in the laundry room putting laundry in the washer and i felt teeth and claws ripping the back part of my legs,, i was cornered in a small room,, he then attacked my front legs,, it was a terrifying thing,, this cat is like a feral cat , and my daughter has been clawed and bitten as well, as any stranger that has come in,, i do not want my grandchildren to be attacked,, so my son will not allow them in this house until it is gone,, anybody who feels that they might be on the cats side must be mental, like this other guy on here who did just that, the name of the cat makes no difference, and yes he sees the vet on a regular basis.. he has been like this for a long time, there is another cat that lives here that was brought in after him,, and she is a doll, its him, he is evil,, he looks evil,, and if he could kill people he would, he does not belong in a home.. I have lived here for 3 years now,, with a golden retriever – the first 1- 1/2 years i lived upstairs – he did nothing to me,, this is recent,, as he had his teeth cleaned,, and for some reason did not know who it was in the laundry room, and he attacked me from behind.. i was cornered with a cat out of control, and I was barefoot, or i would of kicked him to the ceiling that is for sure, he needs to be put down, he is not a pet,, he is the devil,, you would have to experience what i did in order to know that i am correct,,,,
he still lives in my daughters home because he is her pet, and nobody has reported it,, i almost did,, and should have,, she put her cat before her own mother, i had blood dripping from every part of my legs.. he is a menace, and should be put down,, with all the other wonderful cats out there, something like this a wild idiot of an animal that only stalks and attacks is not a pet, but my daughter refuses to take him in,, i would in a moment………
You are not telling me the whole story. I don’t know the entire circumstances surrounding the situation under which this cat bit you. Only once I know the exact circumstances in their entirety will I be able to then see the reason behind this so-called cat attack. But I will have to repeat until then that cat do not attack wantonly and without good reason a person. If a cat does not like people in general (which is extremely rare I would say) he or she will simply avoid people. If a cat is fearful of people (more likely) and is trapped and the only way to escape is to attack then that may be a reason. But once again there is a reason. Cats do not wantonly, without good cause, attack humans because it doesn’t make sense. It doesn’t make sense because it is likely to end up with the cat being hurt or killed and the cat knows that.
oh my God — get off of here you moron,,, what a stupid online blog area —
lol get off his OWN web site for CAT lovers?
Why are YOU here as you obviously hate cats and know NOTHING about them?
I got a good laugh out of it too, Ruth AKA.
Well, Barnara Ross.
Michael won’t be getting off of here because it is his site.
But, he can make your “moron” comments disappear.
“This cat is like a feral cat”…
Well, let me tell you…
I deal with ferals every day and have for most of my life, and have never been attacked.
Yes, I have bore some scratches and bites that were a result of my own foolish behavior.
There’s no doubt in my mind that, if I began spraying with a water bottle, that I would have an attack on my hands. I would have to be out of my mind to do that.
As everyone is telling you, no cat attackes without provocation.
I was attacked by a 6 year old red tabby cat from behind, he cornered me in a laundry room, and came from out of no where, he jumped as high as he could leaving scratch and bite marks on my butt, and then scratched all the way down my legs,, then when I tried to shut the door,he leaped up and began scratching and biting my front,,it was a very frightful experience,, and totally unprovoked, this same cat has bit others who have come in the house and also his owner…. I am the mother and did not press charges
I am sorry to hear about the attack, Barbara. The cat was almost certainly terrified for some reason, perhaps he was provoked beforehand or hiding from something, it could be anything but something in the human world terrified this cat and as a result he was in a defensive mode and so attacked the 1st person he saw. It may have been transferred aggression meaning he was aggressive towards something else and then you walked in. Whatever the reason it is not an unprovoked attack. There is always a good reason why a domestic cat will attack defensively, which is what this is. Thank you for sharing but please don’t misjudge the domestic cat. Please don’t judge the domestic cat as if it is some sort of wild cat attacking prey. It is never that in respect of our relationship with the domestic cat.
Thanks, very informative, I’ll let her know.
BTW – I did read about some of the people’s complaints over aggression here. One reason I am curious is that I feel like I really lucked out with my own cat. Sure, she’s had a number of illnesses and run up the vet bill quite a lot including during the very first year, and was skittish and fearful as a kitten, she’s not so far exhibited any behavior issues. I really think she is unusual: her fear response isn’t to attack but to cower and freeze, she freezes when picked up by strangers or at the vet, and as a kitten she’d run up to me with the intention to play-attack then freeze for a second about a foot away and run in the opposite direction. But she is 14 (at the end of this month I think) with multiple health issues, I realize that at some point in time – which I hope isn’t going to arrive for a while – I’ll lose her. As devastating as it’ll be I don’t think I’ll survive without a cat for long, and I guess an idea of having a cat that’ll bite scares me. So after hearing my cousin’s stories I googled a little and read some scary stories.
if you go to your nearest animal shelter and adopt a kitten and care for him or her properly,there won’t be any unprovoked cat attacks.