Maine Coons more likely to exhibit redirected aggression?

I have just written a short article about domestic cat redirected aggression which Dr Fogle also calls 'pain-induced' aggression. I hadn't connected the two before but there is a connection. It is also called 'transferred aggression'.

Cat redirected aggression or pain-induced aggression

Pain-induced aggression in cats will typically be seen if a cat suffers from chronic pain to varying extents because of an underlying illness. When this cat is picked up for instance it may trigger a burst of pain. The owner puts their cat down as the cat cries out.

Maine Coons more likely to exhibit redirected aggression? Image: MikeB

The cat does not attack their owner perhaps because they feel unable to. They attack another cat in the home instead, shortly afterwards, to release their instinctive desire to strike back at the animal that caused the pain.

We know with regret that the Maine Coon cat suffers from a range of inherited diseases which can cause discomfort to hard pain. The latter would be caused by hip dysplasia which is a loose hip joint. It can lead to bone-on-bone contact as the cartilage of the joint is destroyed by this condition.

Bone on bone leads to arthritis which is mightily painful. It will be controlled to some extent by analgesics.

I have said it before; this is likely to make the cat irritable at best. It may change their inherently calm and stable character and make the cat more aggressive on the occasions when he/she would not normally be aggressive. This, in turn, may lead to pain-induced aggression.

For example, what if a Maine Coon cat caregiver inadvertently strikes their cat's left or right hip? Or they try and pick up their cat who has advanced hip dysplasia. 

The low-level pain experienced by this cat suddenly surges. The cat meows in discomfort. They might hiss at their owner. They may then redirect their aggression at another Maine Coon in the family.

This is a fictional scenario and the behaviour is suggested and not factual but the suggested behaviour is reasonable bearing in mind that the two elements for this behavior are in place: pain in the eyes of the cat that was caused by their owner and a cat's instincts to strike out because the brain chemicals demand it.

There is another point here; we won't hear about this potential problem which will interfere with the cat-to-owner relationship. They won't discuss it. In general, when it comes to discussing Maine Coons, the general topic is how amazing they are. And they are amazing companion animals.

You don't want to spoil that with some harsh reality about the failure of breeders to do the right thing and prioritise health before appearance because what they are doing is arguably cruel. I have argued that point in another article. Although people are reluctant it seems to me to face up to it. Humankind likes to hide from harsh realities. It is more comfortable like that.