Posts Tagged ‘defence’

One of the behaviours most associated with cats is that of arching their back and hissing. Although this looks very aggressive, it’s actually more of a defensive stance than an aggressive one; although the cat may be willing to fight, there are very obvious differences between an offensive stance and a defensive one. When your cat is arching his back in defence, you’ll also notice he will face his opponent side-on if possible, with his mouth open, tail held either low or over his back and his ears flattened against his head. If it comes to a fight, your cat will likely roll onto his back to defend himself – these are behaviours associated with defense.

By contract, if you cat is feeling aggressive towards you or any other animal or person, his body will tense-up, with his hindquarters lowered and ready to pounce. His tail will be down and he will likely stare straight at his opponent you, snarling with his whiskeys facing forward and the hair on his shoulders and tail standing straight up.

Although both behaviours are aggressive, it is wise to be familiar with the differences between offensive and defensive behaviours.