Something we need to understand about cats

Hi everyone.  Anonymous left this comment on my Cow-and-Bunny fight posting, and I thought it would be very useful to share it with everyone, especially those of us who deal with cats with presumably “cranky” temperaments. 


Here it is:


Yes, the cats get very panicky and aggressive due to the fear and they jump into attack and defence mode on reflex, even if YOU touch them unexpectedly from behind.


So when the other peaceful cat comes face to face with fearful aggressive cat, it will raise its defences which is interpreted by the fearful cat as a counter-attack.


If you see Cow(or any cat, for that matter) in confrontational mode, speak to it calmly and soothingly, telling it and reassuring it that everything is ok. Step in immediately and never allow it to escalate because it will get worse each time they meet.


NEVER scold or shout at it as it will increase the aggression which is fear induced.

Good luck.
 
Thanks, Anon, for shedding some light on the temperament of cats. 
 
All this while, Cow has always had an unpredictable temperament.  He can be very gentle at times, but can turn cranky without warning and would hiss, bite and scratch. 

All of us have been bitten by Cow before, but for me, I’ve noticed that he tends to bite only when there is fear in me.  If I touch him with even the slightest, tiniest fear in me that he may bite me, he will!  So, I’ve come to believe that Cow is an extremely sensitive cat.  He can sense our emotions very accurately.  Some animals are known to attack when they sense fear in us. 

Note how Anon explains this above: When we raise our defences, the cat interprets it as a counter-attack.  Hence, it attacks us. 
 
However, being “sensitive” has its plus points too.  For example, whenever I am upset, Cow would be the first one to sense this, and he will come to me, look at me with his empathetic eyes, mew a little, rub on my legs, and comfort me, in his own way.  He would let me stroke him and pat him, and then he will sit by me in the room, quietly, as though saying, “I’m here for you”.  I could be in the room and he could be somewhere else in the house, but he’ll always know when I’m upset.  

It’s quite amazing….we think we know about animals, yet there’s so much about them that we will never know entirely.  We can only try to understand them from our experience, and learn to live harmoniously, respecting each other as much as we can.