If there is a reaction of cats that makes an impression (worth the redundancy) to those who see it, it is undoubtedly the way in which show their discomfort or anger. Its fur stands on end, its back arches, its mouth opens wide showing its teeth, its claws stick out and all while it stares at that animal (or person) that is making it feel bad.
But if you want to know why do cats bristle We must go further. We not only have to look at his current behavior, but we also have to find out what has caused him to behave like this.
Understanding cats a little more
The cat is a peaceful animal. In fact, He will only be aggressive if he feels that his life is in danger, wants to mate or for food. In any of these three situations, even the most sociable and affectionate feline can become a true 'wild beast'. But, be careful, it is important that we know how to distinguish between the instinct of the felines, and the aggressiveness itself. Although it seems the same, the truth is that there is no animal that is aggressive by nature: there are more or less violent behaviors, but this does not make it a violent cat per se, since it is not always on alert, much less spends much of its time 'stalking'.
But when he is mistreated, or when a new cat or dog comes home, He will not hesitate to bristle his hair to appear bigger and intimidate, thus, his 'enemy'. When a human does not treat their animal properly, they can turn their cat into an aggressive animal, who will growl and snort at you in order to keep you away. It will be a feline that will live in fear. Actually, fear is usually always behind threatening behavior that these furry ones present, and also the insecurity.
What's more, if you live with a cat and take good care of it, surely only your hair stands on end in very specific situationsSuch as when, for example, there is a very loud noise and you wake up with a start, or when you hear the meow of another cat that is in the street. This is normal for a furry man, especially if he is happy. But if it is not, it will become antisocial, it will remain isolated from the family, and when there is someone who wants to pet it, it will simply not let itself: if he can, he will flee, but if not ... he will prepare to use his nails and teeth.
If you are a follower of the blog it is because you like these animals. You love them, and you are not going to hurt them, so it will interest you to know how to make your cat live happily and, incidentally, to ensure that he does not need to be aggressive at any time. So here are some tips:
Tips for the cat to be happy
You will hardly see a happy cat with bristling hair. The normal thing is that his look is tender, with eyes open or a little narrowed, mouth closed (he will only open it to yawn or meow), and his back will keep it more or less straight. The toenails will not be visible except when using the scratcher or playing with their toys.
This is very easy to do. Simply you have to take care of the cat, that is, to provide him with water and food, and to love him. In depending on what situations you have to be very patient, especially if it is a young animal that spends all day running from here to there exploring its territory (your house). If you pay attention to it, if you spend time with it and it is not ignored, tomorrow you will live with a sociable adult cat who will like to be with people. You won't have to bristle your hair because you won't feel unsafe or uncomfortable, unless you decide to increase the family of course 🙂; In this case, it is very important to socialize them little by little and gradually, so that in the end, at least, they end up accepting the presence of the other. How do you do this? A) Yes:
How to get my cat to get along with the new family member
Regardless of the breed it is and the legs it has, it is advisable not stop giving love to the cat that we already had, since it is very possible that otherwise you end up feeling isolated, so to attract attention you would begin to urinate out of the tray, lose your appetite and / or harass the new member. Cats are very territorial animals, and when someone new arrives, you need to relate to them little by little:
- The first days will be uncomfortable in the presence of the new, and most likely not even close.
- When you've gotten a little bit of confidence, then will approach him to smell it.
- As the days go by (depending on the cat, they can be from a few weeks to months) will spend more time with him.
- You will know they have become friends when you see them play, or grooming very close to each other.
To help you, what we can do is put the new animal inside a room, with a bed, food, water and a sandbox. After a couple of days, We will exchange the bed of 'new' for the one of the 'old' so that they get used to the body odor of what, if all goes well, will be their new friend.
When another seven days pass, the 'new' will most likely want to go out and the 'old' will want to meet him, so the 'new' will be put in a carrier and left in a room. If we see that the 'old' shows interest, that is, if we see him approach, smell it, or stick a leg between the holes in the door grill as if he wanted to touch it, we can let the 'new' out; otherwise it is best to try again the next day. Throughout this process, it will be the 'old' cat that tells us when it is ready to accept the new member of the family, as it is the one that arrived first.
Conclusion
Cats are generally peaceful. They can have aggressive behaviors, but only in very specific situations. If you see that your cat's hair stands on end, stay away from him and let him calm down; only then can it return to its natural state.
We hope this special helps you to know why cats bristle.
To take care of them 😉.