Dogs Aren’t The Only Aggressive Animal
Brian O Sutter
Personal Injury
Dogs are one of the most popular pets in the world, and in Southwest Florida, that’s certainly also the case. Many homes have dogs that are taken for walks, played with in parks, and frequently interact with friends, family and strangers. However, dogs are still animals, and animals can sometimes behave unpredictably, or interpret human actions as threats, to which they respond with violence. That’s one of the reasons why we have personal injury attorneys that specialize in dog bites, but dogs aren’t the only animal that can sometimes do real harm. America’s other perennial favorite, the cat, is also a viable—though far less common—cause of animal attacks.A Careful Predator
The cat is quickly growing as a popular pet choice for Americans because it is “low maintenance” in the sense that cats don’t need to be taken for walks, or even let out of a house to deal with their waste. They can also be kept in smaller spaces like apartments, due to not requiring a lot of exercise, space, or making much noise. However, like dogs, cats are predators, and their entire evolutionary chain has been directed at making them efficient killers with both their teeth and their claws. A cat that decides to hurt something is capable of inflicting a surprising amount of damage.
However, the big difference that separates the predatory nature of dogs from that of cats is that dogs are social animals and hunt together in packs. Cats, on the other hand, are solitary, and because cats know they can rely on no one but themselves while hunting, they take fewer risks and tend to assess a situation much more carefully before deciding to commit to a fight.
This means that, combined with the big difference in size between cats and humans, cats tend to be far less aggressive when it comes to picking a fight with a person. Even though in many instances cats are often just as territorial than dogs, when confronted with a human invading their space, they would rather retreat than fight.
There Are Exceptions
Of course, cats are still individuals, and while most will avoid a fight with a larger animal, there are occasions when this isn’t the case. Some cats, for example, having had bad experiences with children may be particularly aggressive towards little ones as a form of pre-emptive self defense. Other cats may have psychological or even hormonal disorders that create extreme aggression.
This means that on rare occasions a cat may be very hostile and take on any perceived threat, even a human. With its agility, claws and bite, a cat can inflict significant amounts of damage on a human. Also, like dogs, cats may transmit infections through their scratches and bites.
As with dogs, owners of cats have certain responsibilities. This is especially true if the cat is known to be unusually aggressive or hostile. While in most cases a random, unexpected attack from a cat isn’t grounds for an animal attack case, if, as with dogs, an owner is aware of a cat’s aggression, but does nothing about this, then a resulting attack can be pursued in court as an animal attack due to negligence.