Are Abyssinian cat aggressive?
“The wild appearance of an Abyssinian cat is very deceiving; the character of the cat is balanced and very docile. This is a very intelligent, affectionate, inquisitive and playful animal. Whatever you do, the Abyssinian cat will definitely be nearby. He/she is very attached to its’ master and hardly experiences loneliness.”
Unfortunately, sometimes (this happens very rarely) Abyssinian cats, like domestic cats of other breeds, can show aggression towards people. Zoo-psychologists note that the owners of Abyssinian cats sometimes turn to them with similar problems. The issue of aggression of Abyssinian cats has not been studied in detail anywhere in articles and research on this topic is very difficult to find on the Internet. Based on the extensive experience of zoo-psychologists, veterinarians-neurologists and cat owners, we can summarize the following about this problem:
1. Agression of Abyssinian cats begins at the age of about 4-5 years (there are cases that start at the age of a year and a half but no later than 5 years old.)
2. Castrates and non-castrates suffer in about the same way (I believe that late castration can provoke the onset of symptoms);
3. Often, a factor accompanying aggression is the loneliness of the cat, when the owners often go on business trips, on vacations, and the cat is left alone or with strangers;
4. A bright attack of aggression, usually, is provoked by something (the appearance of another cat, a sharp loud sound, stress from moving or long loneliness, illness and pain, etc.).
5. Then, if an urgent correction of behavior and a course of sedatives have not been started, then aggression begins to manifest itself on a regular basis, often it is already unmotivated (in any case, it is difficult to understand what is now the trigger);
6. In many cats, it is not possible to stop this aggression by 100%, and after a long remission, which can last up to a year, the attack is repeated for no apparent reason or triggered by minor stress;
7. In some cats (especially those who had an attack under the influence of hormonal levels 8. That is, before castration at puberty and immediately after castration), it is possible to bring the behavior into complete remission.
What if you are faces with the aggression of your Abyssinian cat?
Here is a short list of what you can do in an emergency:
1. Isolate the cat after the first attack in a separate room (with bowls, tray and toys) and let the cat calm down.
2. If the cat does not calm down during the day, add an affordable sedative to her food (stop stress, cat bayun, etc.). If this does not help, consult your veterinarian about stronger sedatives.
3. As soon as the cat has calmed down, take it to the veterinarian and take a urine test, a general blood test and biochemistry, if possible, do an ultrasound of the abdominal cavity. By the way, in the clinic, such aggressors often behave quite adequately.
4. If the cat is not neutered and health allows it to be neutered, then neuter it and after the operation keep it for another month in quarantine and on sedatives.
5. If after this, the aggression does not decrease, seek help from a cat behavior correction specialist. It is quite difficult to cope with this problem alone.
Under no circumstances should you punish the cat, do not yell at it, do not hit. This will only aggravate the situation. It is clear that when it is already hanging on your hand, gripping with all claws and teeth, it will be difficult for you to gently put it back on the floor, but if the situation is not urgent, then you need to try to control yourself.
Pay attention to the cat’s territory. Is she rich enough? Does a cat have places to rest taller than human growth, its own complexes, scratching posts, beds? What is the cat doing all day? Perhaps she is left to herself around the clock and languishes from doing nothing?
Insufficient enrichment of the territory and, as a consequence, the insecurity of the cat and the inability to spend physical energy, can provoke such aggression. Remember that Abyssinians need a lot of physical activity, for an adult cat it is at least an hour a day of active games.
Unfortunately, not all of these cats can be cured of aggression, not all go into final remission, many live on serious drugs all their lives, but if the animal cannot be cured, this does not mean that we cannot help it. Of course, in such cats the quality of life decreases, drinking pills all their lives is still a pleasure, but they can live quite fully and bring joy and love to their owners, if they are ready to closely monitor their condition throughout their lives.
How to avoid such problem?
To avoid such problems, kittens should be purchased from responsible breeders with extensive experience in the breed, who monitor not only the appearance of their animals but also their character. It is best to find information about the breeder and his animals in various social networks, where you can read the reviews and comments of various people about the cattery and his animals.
