Aggressive Fighting
Sometimes the call to arms can't be denied. Most outright fights occur when the defensive animal is cornered and unable to flee or fails to communicate through body language that it is backing down. The aggressive cat expects the defensive cat to hiss, spit or snarl. And when the fearful cat lies down and turns onto its back, it is taking up the typical defensive posture. With outstretched paws and claws bared, the fearful cat is in the best position to defend itself and inflict the most damage on its opponent. Circling menacingly, the aggressor will angle its body so that it appears to be larger, all the while searching for an opening to lunge at its prone opponent.
This odd crablike sideways dance may continue for quite some time. Depending on the defender's ability to maintain its guarded position, the aggressor might actually tire of waiting and give up. If not, the fight is likely to be brief but furious, marked by piercing cries, scratching and biting. The aggressor will attempt to grasp its opponent by the head and bite its neck. Frantically pedaling all four legs, the defender will try to toss the attacker aside. At the first break, the defensive cat usually bolts, with its proverbial tail between its legs.
Equally aggressive felines, whether wild or domestic, wage war in a straightforward, more violent fashion. After a face-to-face confrontational show of strength, one cat attacks the other. An intense, ferocious battle ensues, remarkable for the loud shrieks, the vicious bites and raking of back claws, and the short period of time between bouts. Cats can be thrown surprisingly long distances during these titanic struggles. The fur literally flies. Some felines stubbornly persist in warring with each other several times over an extended period until one of them either leaves the territory or learns its lesson and avoids the other.
