Expert: Ali - 3/14/2009

Question
Hello. I have a 1 year old female calico. when she was a kitten she was very sweet and loved to be held . as she has gotten older she has become very aggressive. If left alone she is fine. If anyone tries to pet her she will bite or scratch them. However there are a few exceptions in her aggressive behavior my oldest son can pick her up pet her at will and he can even call her and she will come to him. She follows him and also sleeps in his room. She will sit on other family members laps but if you try to touch her she will lash out. Sometimes she will chase my childrens friends and try to attack them. Puddin is her name. She has never been abused. The whole family loves her and tries to be her friend to no avail. What can I do to make her docile.

Answer
Tony,

Sometimes calicos and tortoiseshells have the reputation of being one human girls. If your calico isn't spayed I'd highly recommend having her surgery done as soon as possible, the aggression could potentially be a territorial issue, if this is the problem the cat should settle in the weeks following her surgery. The reason it can take weeks for a cat to settle when they're spayed or neutered is because it takes time for the blood levels of sex hormones to drop. Spaying your cat will also prevent unwanted pregnancies, behavioral issues serious enough to result in owner requested euthanasia and health concerns that could cost this kitty her life due to serious incurable disease processes.

My youngest resident cat is a tortie (similar to a calico with less of a splotchy appearance and no white spots) and she will actually warn me off with carefully laid claws or gentle nips, she's decided she belongs to my partner and that's all there is to the story so my attentions are seen as an intrusion to their special relationship. I think that with patience she can be taught to tolerate other family members, but for the moment I'd recommend just allowing her to continue her special relationship with your son and put her in your son's room when there are guests over to prevent any dangerous or undesirable behavior. Obviously since this kitty has developed a habit of using aggression to make her point she may have to be helped out with a trained behaviorist specializing in cat behavior. Your vet can make that referral and work with the behaviorist to get this kitty back on track.

Your vet could possibly provide you with medication to calm this kitty, however I generally recommend that as a last resort because the medications typically used are powerful psychotropic drugs that alter brain chemistry. If you truly want this kitty to settle down some and be more comfortable with new experiences and people you may want to consider a more natural approach and enlist the help of a holistic veterinarian, this is simply a vet trained in conventional medicine as well as one or more alternative therapies such as homeopathy, acupuncture or massage to name a few.