Domestic cats are normally not aggressive with humans. They usually want a safe and quiet home where they can live in peace and security. Given a peaceful home with gentle humans, they will display affection and gentleness themselves.

However, there are times when a cat becomes aggressive, and this is upsetting and confusing to humans. Some human activity actually can cause it, so read these tips to ensure that your cat remains gentle and peaceful in your home.

Start Gentle - Stay Gentle

If you adopt a kitten from a shelter, you have the best chance of having a gentle and loving cat, as long as you do your part with kitty.

1. Respect the kitten. Give it room to explore and do not tease it. Some people think it is "fun" to roll kitty on her back and jab at her tummy in a "wrestling" match. This teaches the cat aggressive behavior from an early age. DO NOT DO THIS!

2. Don't force kitty to "like" being held. If you ick up kitty and she struggles or treis to get away, respect that and gently put her down, and don;t pick her up again! Not all cats like to be held. Some feel threatened and some are scared by this action. You cannot "force" a cat to like to be held, you will only generate aggression and make kitty feel unsafe.

3. Don't ever hit or chase your cat! Cat's stalk and prowl. If you play this "game" with kitty, you are teaching her that you are her prey. If your cat stalks you, turn immediately and say a loud, firm "NO!" and stand your ground. Kitty must learn that you are not food.

4. Watch your children and others in the house and make sure they follow these guidelines. YOU may be gentle with kitty, while your child may be aggressive with her, which is no help at all.

5. Do not EVER throw a cat on the bed or sofa to "watch her bounce". This is absurd behavior that I've seen some people do, thinking it is funny. It isn't funny and can harm the cat, as well as cause aggression.

6. DO NOT drag kitty by the arm out from under the bed, the sofa, the chair, etc. How would YOU like it if someone did that to you? If kitty is under some furniture and you need her to come out, coax her out with food, a toy, or catnip, and if she doesn't come out, then leave her alone. Forcing a cat to come out from under furniture deprives it of a sense of shelter that it may need.

Common snese should tell you how to behave around your cat. Treat her like a precious commodity (which she is) and with gentle strokes when she is in the mood. If she isn't in the mood, leave her alone. She is a snetient being and has moods and feeling sjust as we do.

Latent Aggression - Get Professional Help

Sometimes a normally gentle cat will develop aggressive behavior later on in life, a few months or years after joining your household. This is very confusing to humans and needs to be addressed by a professional - your Vet and others whom your Vet can recommend.

1. If the cat is normally gentle, but has developed aggression and you have not made significant changes (i.e. got a dog, another cat, moved to a new home, had a baby, etc.) you neded to have the cat checked by a qualified Vet for disease and neurological disorders. Peole can develop mental problems, so can cats. Diagnosis is required.

2. If the cat is a long haired cat, you must always keep or have the cat groomed, especially for "matts", "Matts" are twisted hair clumps that can be very painful to a cat (or a dog) and the cat may respond to the discomfort with aggression.

3. Watch the cat's diet. You should feed your cat quality cat food (not dog food) that meets her nutritional requirements. Don't feed her human food (especially spicy foods). Cats have a different digetive system than humans and process checmical intake differently. Their food is usually quite bland by human standards, and that's best for the cat. Of course, you should never give your cat alcohol or drugs of any kind unless prescribed by your Vet. Drugs include: Asprin, Ibuprohen and other human "over the counter" and precription medications. Some are poisionous to cats, and others can cause long- and short-term neurological damage.

4. Ask your local animal shelter for advice. Some have workshops, others know specialists who deal with aggression issues. In return for their assistance, you can make a contribution.

5. Keep peace among yourselves. This may sound foolish, but cats pick up on human behavior. If your family life is full of turmoil, your cat will learn from it. If members of your household hit each other, get into fights and screaming matches, your cat will pick up on it. To a cat, you are NOT human, you are just a big, funny looking cat. So what's good for you is good for her. She will learn from your behavior, and if that behavior towards others in the home is aggressive, she will learn the same behavior. If necessary, and your home is in constant turmoil, seek professional human counseling. This will help you AND your cat.

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About the Article Author:

Tim Thompson, author of this article, has been living with cats for many years. As a student of behavioral statistics, he has learned the importance of observation to understanding behaviors in humans and animals. He has served as a member of the Board of a local rescue shelter and worked with their foster care givers for 8 years. On the home front, he is the human companion of Gertrude and Eddie, two tiger tabbies who are constantly teaching Tim new things about living with cats.