Angry Cats
Photos of angry cats seem to be the rage these days on the Internet. Some cats just look angry and really aren't. Some people are that way for that matter. An angry looking kitten is still as cute as ever. Still, pound for pound, a truly upset cat can be something to be reckoned with.
The great majority of household cats are not angry cats. Most of them seldom become angry, and those having a good home can go through life not really becoming angry at all. Cats are very sensitive creatures. As a rule they don't like change. They like an environment where everything is, from their point of view, in its place, and all is well with the world. Change anything, and they are apt to become stressed, upset, or angry.
Cats can be angry because they have been abused or mistreated at some point. If, when you get a new kitten, you treat it well and with kindness, you're unlikely to have to put up with an angry cat in the future. If you bring home a new cat or kitten, and your home is a noisy or cramped place where the cat has a problem in finding its own "space", it is very apt to turn into an animal that shuns human contact, and reacts violently if someone attempts to pick it up or pet it. Even if your home is not that way, sudden changes can have the same effect. The introduction of a dog, another cat, even a house guest, can intrude on your cat's space and its feeling of well being.
Very often when our loving pet turns angry, perhaps even tries to scratch or bite, there is a medical problem to deal with. Cats don't turn mean on a whim. A cat, more than almost any other animal, does not do things without reason. If it bites, it could very well be that picking it up has caused it pain. From the cat's perspective, you have caused the pain, and it's letting you know it wants you to stop. Older cats, being more subject to disease, may become angry cats because of the pain and discomfort they have to deal with. We had a cat suffering from kidney failure who, while she never turned into a biter, would complain loudly near the end when picked up, and became less and less interested in human contact. Kidney failure is not uncommon among older cats. Malfunction of a cat's thyroid gland (hypothyroidism) is also somewhat common among adult cats, and the condition can turn a lovable house pet into a distinctly less lovable one. Fortunately such a condition is normally treatable, and once treated, the cat will return to being its old self again.
When you experience aggressive behavior from your cat, the best thing to do can be to just walk away. The situation may well be temporary. Your cat may not be sick but just not feeling well, or simply not want to be disturbed. Walking away is also a form of discipline. If the cat is just being difficult, it will not like being ignored either. Another approach is to put the cat in a small room by itself for a time. This, like walking away is telling the cat that aggressive or unfriendly behavior is unacceptable. Of course, if you have any reason to suspect that something is definitely wrong with your cat, that is a different matter entirely. Your cat may not think too highly of being placed in a carrier and driven to the vet but that might be the best thing for it.