May 30, 2024, 11:08 am | Read time: 7 minutes
The new baby has arrived, and suddenly the cat has changed? It growls, hisses and even lashes out at the baby? Most cats don’t do this out of malice. PETBOOK editor and cat behavior expert Saskia Schneider explains the reasons behind this behavior.
When a cat attacks a baby, most people are justifiably shocked. This should be a happy time for the child and its parents. But sometimes not all family members are delighted with the new addition. Cats, in particular, often struggle with change. Most of them are rather curious when the little human arrives home and may even show care for it. Unfortunately, however, there are cases in which the pet reacts less than friendly.
This often results in the cat being given up for adoption, which, while unfortunate, is understandable. It is quite frightening for parents when their beloved pet suddenly reacts so aggressively. This is often due to a misunderstanding or ignorance on the part of the cat owner.
Cat playfully attacks the baby
There are many posts on the Internet in forums saying “Help, my cat is attacking my baby”. There are also many videos on social networks showing this behavior. However, if you look at these clips, it turns out in most cases to be just playful behavior.
Cats jump on babies or small children in an act of play that appears like an attack. They may also lie and wait for the baby. Young cats, in particular, like to “attack” these small children as they crawl helplessly across the floor.
Even if the cat does not do this with the intention of hurting the baby, the behavior should be taken seriously and stopped. This is because there is a high risk of the children falling or receiving a swipe from a claw. In the worst-case scenario, the offspring will not only have a scratch, but also a lifelong fear of cats – something nobody wants.
The cat feels insecure
Cats have many enemies in the wild. When encountering something unexpected, cats may respond by batting at it with their paws to determine if it poses a threat. In the wild, this response can save these little hunters’ lives in the case of doubt. At home, we find this behavior amusing. For example, when the cat hits the hairbrush that’s lying on the floor.
It can be similar when a cat sees a baby for the first time in its life. You should therefore keep a close eye on this initial interaction and promptly remove the baby from the danger zone if necessary. Cats don’t usually strike immediately, but sniff first before carefully raising their paw to initiate the “danger check”.
The cat is stressed
Babies cry and make all kinds of noises that cats find scary. Anyone who has ever heard two outdoor cats fighting knows that their cries sound like the crying or whining of toddlers. For this reason, the sound of a baby crying can sound very threatening to cats.
This can frighten the cat so much that it attacks. Sometimes this can end up being directed at the “thing” making the scary noises. In these cases, it is important to look very closely at the body language of your pet. In general, the cat does not attack out of nowhere but shows clear signs. Those could be the fur standing up on tail and back, large pupils or loud growling.
If this happens, you should increase the distance between the cat and the child if possible, especially when they are babies and cannot remove themselves from the situation.
Hissing, on the other hand, is not an acute alarm signal. The cat simply wants to increase the distance between itself and what is frightening it. Therefore, you should not scold them, but accept this and ensure that the cat always has enough opportunities to retreat.
The cat is in pain
Cats experiencing pain may react more quickly with aggressive behavior. They are often unable to identify the cause of their pain. For example, many cats avoid the toilet when it hurts to urinate because they have bladder stones.
If a cat is in constant pain due to chronic gum inflammation or osteoarthritis, this makes them thin-skinned and easily irritable. As a result, they may quickly react defensively and strike out if the baby gets too close.
The cat feels threatened
One of the most common reasons for a cat to attack a baby is that it feels threatened. Babies, and especially toddlers, have a disturbing effect on cats due to their uncontrolled movements. It can happen that the pet strikes as soon as the child gets too close. In some cases, the cat can also launch a direct attack – but this tends to rarely happen.
What does happen frequently, however, is that cats scratch or bite babies because they have been hurt by them. It can easily happen that the child pulls the cat’s tail or nips its fur. They don’t mean this in a bad way, they simply can’t control their motor skills properly yet. This makes it all the more important to never leave cats and babies unattended. Otherwise, misunderstandings and accidents can easily occur.
Even if the child only crawls, some cats can feel threatened by this. These simple movements can have a disturbing effect on most cats. Some cats may then shoot out from hiding and attack out of nowhere – at least that’s how it may appear. This is because the cat may have been crouching under the sofa, using its body language to signal to the child not to come any closer. Of course, the child doesn’t understand this. Here too, it is important to keep an eye on the cat and child at all times and to stop the baby if they approach the cat too quickly.
The cat is ill
In rare cases, the behavior can also have neurological causes. There are some diseases, such as metabolic disorders or epilepsy, that lead to a change in behavior or aggressive behavior in cats.
The attacks are often not only directed at the child, but may also be directed at other people living in the household. So if you have the feeling that your cat is frequently attacking people or that its mood changes quickly, you should have this checked out by a vet and, if in doubt, seek professional help.
The cat attacks the baby – what you should do
If the cat attacks your baby, the first thing to do is to remove the child from the situation! These attacks often happen when both cat and baby are on the same level – i.e., on the floor – and the cat has nowhere to retreat to or cannot get out of the way.
This can be prevented by allowing the cat to observe the “scary creature” from a safe position. If the cat always has the opportunity to flee from the child to a raised level or to retreat to a “baby-free” room, this will defuse the situation immensely.
It’s important not to scold your cat under any circumstances. This will only lead to even more insecurity and mistrust. In addition, you should always rule out health reasons before working on the pets’ behavior.
As a general rule, never leave a cat and child unsupervised – even if they (seem to) get along well together. You can read more tips on living together with a cat and child in this PETBOOK article: Tips and rules for cats and children living together.
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Make a conscious effort to spend time with your cat
When a baby comes into the house, many things change – including the cat’s everyday life. Important rituals are lost, and there is less time for play and cuddles. This can be extremely unsettling for your pet. You should therefore consciously make time for your cat to strengthen your relationship with them.
Playing and cuddling together also boosts the cat’s self-confidence and reduces stress. Over time, they can learn to cope better with the new addition to the family. You shouldn’t expect them to become best friends right away. The most important thing is that no one gets hurt, and the cat does not lose its home and family because of a lack of understanding on the humans part.