Home / Cats / Cat's psychology Unfortunate on a leash " I have the three-years old sterilised cat, absolutely deaf. Before I take her (it), she (it) has changed several owners, was hardly sick by ear mite and fell down from a balcony of the third floor. In spite of the fact that she (it) was never loved too much, she (it) was friendly to the adult people usually. I hold her at a courtyard of a house on a long leash, so as she (it) has not escaped. She (it) does not let in another's cats and small dogs on her (it) territory. However, recently, she (it) starts to treat the people more and more in a hostile way. She (it) hisses and snorts on my daughter and her family, when they visit me, rushes on postman, boy bringing newspaper, neighbour's children and our veterinary. As she (it) obeys only me, I don't know, what I should do, if it is necessary to keep her (it) on another's charge for some days. How can I return her friendly attitude to the people again?" - Keeping on lash in a courtyard your cat, without attentive supervision you involuntarily brought up her (it) feeling of aggression to strange people and animals. The cat on lash feels itself helpless potential object for an attack and, in time, becomes nervous and hostile, as she (it) cannot use the main instinct - to escape in case of danger. The deaf cat especially feels herself unprotected, not hearing an approximation of danger behind. Such cat, if she (it) is kept outside of houses, has not another choice how to become an aggressor, pursuing, biting and scratching everyone, who come up for the limits of her (its) range. An extremely degree of aggressiveness, you speak about, may be, however, also symptom of pain. It is difficult to define, as it is unknown, if the deafness of your cat is innate, caused by disease ear mite or falling from a balcony. She (it) could receive other damages, and I persistently recommend you to address to the veterinary with the request about complete inspection of the cat. You can also discuss problems of her (it) behaviour. You should not punish or train her (it), if she (it) behaves aggressively under influence of pain or alarm. If to consider your case as an only behavioural problem it should be decided so: make life of your cat quiet, save her (it) from stresses. Keep her (it) in a house, where she (it) feels herself (itself) safety. Ask your visitors to avoid contacts with her (it), if she (it) does not want it. She (it) ought to know that the place, she (it) lives in, is forbidden for strangers. If you want to change your cat's behaviour, you should change her (it) environment. As a matter of fact, you had made of her (it) feline variant of a watchdog, considering, that she (it) is able to protect herself and at the same time, depriving her (it) of possibility to run away and disregarding her (it) deafness. Translated by Tatiana Karpova (Moscow) (MSU, Biology faculture, Dep. zoology and ecology).