Cat - Redirected (Frustration Motivated) Aggression

What is it?

Redirected or misdirected aggression is simply a term used to describe the situation where aggression of whatever motivation is directed towards a victim who is not the initial provoking stimulus.  It can also be referred to as frustration motivated aggression.  This can occur when the cat is unable to direct his aggression towards the provoking stimulus due to confinement, restraint or lack of opportunity in some other way.  For example, if your cat is sitting on a windowsill and sees another cat out in the garden he may become very agitated and begin to focus on the other cat and show aggressive body postures, hisses, or growls.  If a person or animal in the home were to walk into the room and approach the cat at that precise moment they may find themselves the recipient of an aggressive attack, even though they had done nothing to provoke it.  When this scenario involves another resident cat within the household who approaches and inadvertently disturbs such an aroused and agitated housemate there can be long lasting consequences with the two cats seeming unable to tolerate being together after the incident.  In extreme cases they may even go so far as to fight on sight.  The initial provoking stimulus that arouses the cat is often another cat, but it could be any sight, sound, or source of discomfort that leads to a heightened level of anxiety or arousal, for example, new people or pets in the household, loud or unusual noises and a variety of other new or novel stimuli that are sometimes difficult to identify.

What should I do if redirected aggression occurs?

Firstly, you should avoid an overly aroused cat until it calms down.  Look for behavioural signs that your cat is agitated such as dilated pupils, a rapidly swishing tail and the hair on your cat's back and tail being fluffed up.  While these signs are present do not interact with your cat but wait for them to disappear.

If the aggression is being redirected towards a second cat in the household, your two cats may have to be separated.  In some cats this separation may only need to be for half an hour, but it is not unusual for it to take several hours for the cats to be calm enough for a reintroduction to be attempted.  In rare cases it may take several days and it is even possible that reintroduction will never be successful.  Such failure to reintroduce is most likely if the redirected aggression was met with retaliation, punishment or some other form of fearful event (perhaps in an effort to separate your cat from the victim).  In addition if the attack leads to a change in relationship between your cat and the victim (for example fear motivated defensiveness on the part of the cat who was the victim of the redirected aggression) then the aggression may persist.

The best way to calm your agitated cat is to put him in another room and leave him there.  If locking up the aggressor in this way is dangerous, it may be necessary to use a large blanket and a thick pair of gloves to safely manoeuvre your cat into another room.  If the problem is recurrent, leaving a body harness with a long lead attached to your cat can be a safe way to control your cat from a distance without the need for direct contact (see separate handout on Introduction to a body harness).  If the aggression has been directed toward a second cat in the home it is very important to wait until your cats are calm before reintroducing them.  The biggest mistake that owners make in trying to resolve this problem is bringing the cats together too soon.

How should I get my cats back together again?

Reintroductions are best done slowly.  Food can be used to facilitate calm, non-anxious behaviour but your cats need to be far enough apart (10-20 feet) so that they are relaxed and will take food or a treat while in the presence of the other cat.  For safety and control it is often advisable that the cats have harnesses and leads on them.  If your cats will not eat then they are probably too anxious and probably too close together.  Try moving your cats further apart.  If your cats are comfortable in each others presence do not make any active attempts to reintroduce them. The aim is not to get your cats into physical contact with one another but to introduce them in the same air space in an atmosphere of relaxation.  This is a slow process and you cannot rush things.  Your cats should be separated except when they are either distracted, occupied, or engaged in an enjoyable act such as feeding.  Good things need to be associated with the presence of the other cat at a distance.  It may also be helpful to work toward mixing their scents both by rubbing your cats with towels and then switching the towels from one cat to the other, and by swapping litter trays between them.

If the aggression has not been severe it may be possible to get your cats re-acclimatised to one another while using play to induce positive emotion but the play should be low in arousal and your cats should be a significant distance away from each other.

If the aggression has been very severe it may be appropriate to reintroduce them using an indoor pen, but if one of these is to be used you should seek professional help.  The idea is to place one cat in the pen while the other cat is loose in the room and once again the aim is not to get your cats into proximity but simply to encourage relaxation in both cats while they share a space.  It may be appropriate to allow your cats to become comfortable with the presence of one another and then change the occupant of the indoor pen but every case is individual and professional help is advisable.

Can redirected aggression be directed towards people?

Yes.  When redirected aggression is directed toward people the problem has often arisen because the people interacted with the cat when he was very agitated therefore avoidance of the aggression-producing situation is necessary.  As mentioned previously, situations that may lead to redirected aggression may include the sight or sound of intruder cats in the garden, especially in the spring and autumn, new people or pets in the household, loud or unusual noises and a variety of other new or novel stimuli that are sometimes difficult to identify.  If the situation cannot be entirely avoided then the owner must learn to avoid the cat, or find a safe way to manoeuvre the cat into a quiet room until it calms down, as previously discussed.

How can redirected aggression towards people be treated?

In order to resolve the aggression the source of the agitation must be identified and avoided.  Since redirected aggression arises out of some other form of aggression that is then directed toward people, identifying and treating the primary source of aggression (e.g. fear) is required.  Avoiding exposure can be achieved by keeping your cat confined away from the doors and windows, where the stimulus might be seen, heard, or smelt.  This may only be necessary at times when the stimuli, such as other cats, are likely to be around.  If it is not practical to prevent exposing your cat to the stimulus, it might be possible to reduce the anxiety and arousal with a desensitisation and counter-conditioning programme.  You should discuss this with your veterinary surgeon.