Author: Dr. Nicholas Dodman

DR. NICHOLAS DODMAN: A LIFE AND DEATH MATTER

As Chief Scientific Officer for the Center for Canine Behavior Studies along with Dr. James Serpell PhD of the University of Pennsylvania, we propose an Animal Ownership Interaction Study designed to determine the precise impact dog owners have on their pets’ behavior. The Halo Pet Foundation has generously helped fund this vital study, which is
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DR. NICHOLAS DODMAN: SEXUAL AGGRESSION IN CATS

Contributor: Ms. Margot Raicek (a DVM/MPH Candidate 2016) Background and Description Feline aggression is a significant problem reported to behaviorists, second only to inappropriate elimination in its frequency. A wide variety of motivators for feline aggression exist and distinguishing between them is critical to resolution of the problem. One particular subset of feline aggression is
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DR. NICHOLAS DODMAN: SEIZURE-BASED AGGRESSION IN CATS

Rarely, a cat will develop a focal seizure in a part of its brain that oversees the function of aggression. The clinical picture is that of a cat which, for no apparent reason, suddenly starts to launch savage attacks toward its owner(s). Following an attack, cats remain in a heightened state of agitation for quite
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DR. NICHOLAS DODMAN: FELINE NON-RECOGNITION AGGRESSION

I have already addressed inter-cat territorial aggression and feline redirected aggression in earlier blogs. Another type of aggression that cats can express is referred to as non-recognition aggression. What happens in non-recognition aggression (so-called) is that a cat returning from a veterinarian’s office is attacked by another resident cat with whom it was formerly friendly.
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DR. NICHOLAS DODMAN: FELINE REDIRECTED AGGRESSION

Sometimes cats who have cohabited peacefully for years – perhaps ones cats who were formerly mutually bonded – suddenly break into fights, with chasing, biting, fur flying and horrendous blood-curdling yowls and screaming. Sudden onset aggression of this type is almost always a result of redirected aggression. The scenario usually goes as follows: The two
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