Mean Cat

by Malia
(Auburn, WA)

I have a 17 pound, 3 year old indoor domestic cat. Ever since he was a kitten he's been aggressive. He's declawed and fixed. He can be very affectionate, when HE wants to be. If we try to remove him from a room he hisses and bites. We have a baby on the way and are worried that he might be a problem. We love him and don't want to get rid of him. Is it possible to train him or modify his behavior? Are there any resources (books) that can help me with this?

Answer by Kate
Aggression in cats can be caused by many things, from frustration, pain, learned behavior etc.
I am sorry to hear that he is declawed, this may be a factor in his aggression ie through frustration and even possible discomfort. However his aggression may be a learned behavior ie he has become used to being aggressive. As for training him to be different this can be a slow process but with perseverance may be able to be curbed. Have you read the page here about cat aggression http://www.our-happy-cat.com/aggressive-cat-behavior.html it gives some ideas about the different sorts of aggression and how you can help your cat get over this reaction.
Remember your cat is not being naughty they are just reacting.