We’ve all been there. Totally embarrassed by something our pet did. You decided to be adventurous and take your pup to a friend’s house, and… yep, he just peed on their couch. It’s the human-parent equivalent of your kid asking someone if they’re pregnant (spoiler, they’re not).

While we can’t always control what our pets do, it doesn’t hurt to ask for help with some of the more serious grievances.

Of all the cardinal sins for pet owners, nothing is worse than seeing your own dog or cat hurt someone. Often, it isn’t their fault. The person reached into their food bowl or touched an unknown injury. While these moments are few and far between, it doesn’t make them any less bearable when it does happen.

Today, let’s talk about cats in particular.

Despite the commonly held notion that cats aren’t interested or occupied with human affairs, there is the occasional feline that doesn’t abide by this rule. Inside of that select group is an even smaller group that actively is aggressive or dangerous to humans.

An aggressive cat is a scary thing, indeed.

It’s painful to the heart to watch Mr. Fluffles, a normally kind and snuggle boi, decide to flip his lid and attack your friend who came over for wine night Wednesday (hallelujah). Before you know it, wine night is canceled, and you have a reputation as a bad cat mom. What can you do to fix this?

Thankfully, lots of smart people have thought about this and have ways to help.

A cat that has a particularly aggressive behavior towards humans is called “human-directed aggression.” This behavior is incredibly serious and often involves self-protection on the side of the cat. It can also be emotionally hurtful for the human involved!

The first thing to do is to seek professional help.

While the internet is awesome, it sadly allows us to self-diagnose WAY too often. If your cat is really behaving in this way, a veterinarian is the best person to call. They have a wider understanding of what could be causing the problem with your cat.

To create a safe environment at home, here are a few tips.

Even if your cat is acting mean or aggressive, do your best not to respond in kind. It will only worsen the situation and cause a fear-based reaction to hurt the relationship in the future. Dr. Kathryn Primm, a vet, says this:

If a cat is growling at you and may have already bitten you, try to avoid anything that will precipitate an attack. Be sure never to punish a cat physically, because this will either teach him to fear you or escalate a confrontation. Get medical help for the cat quickly because if there is a medical issue or something causing him pain, he may associate you with the pain always.

Here is another tip for distracting an aggressive cat.

Distraction is a handy tool for moments like this. If you or your friends feel threatened, try and toss a toy or object across the room to draw your cat’s attention. If that STILL isn’t working, grab a pillow, and create a gentle barrier between you and the cat while you make your call.

The root cause isn’t always behavioral.

Animals can’t talk to us like other humans. They communicate with us in their own way. We simply have no idea what the root cause of the issue may be. Sometimes it is behavioral, and others it’s simply an underlying condition. Dr. Primm says this:

You must eliminate possible underlying diseases before immediately assuming that your cat is “just mean” or doesn’t like someone. After medical causes are addressed, if the problem persists, there are behavior modification protocols and medications that can maintain safety and restore harmony to everyone’s life.

Hopefully, this helped you reclaim your sanity and the good heart of your cat!

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Source: I Heart Cats, Dr. Primm