Is Your Cat Acting Weird? 5 Reasons Why
Even when you’ve lived with them for years, cat behavior can be weird, and sudden changes can be frustrating. It can seem like your misbehaving cat wants to ruin your life, but she might actually be telling you that something is wrong. Here are five things that might be happening with a cat acting weird.
1. Your cat is acting weird because he’s depressed
Is your cat acting weird? She might be sick. Photography © Tanchic | iStock / Getty Images Plus.
Remember how you felt the last time you got dumped? You stayed in bed all day, didn’t change your clothes, and ate only when your mom called and insisted that she was going to come over if you didn’t shove some food into your face right now.
A cat who has, for example, lost a beloved companion might behave similarly. He leaves his food untouched for days, ignoring even treats. He hides under the bed. He is indifferent about grooming, because “sigh” what’s the point? And he sleeps even more than his usual 18 hours per day.
How to help: What a depressed cat needs more than anything is patience and TLC. Coax him out of hiding with toys and treats while talking in soothing tones. Also try Tellington TTouch, or TTouch, which involves massaging him in circular motions, and give him a familiar blanket or article of clothing.
If all else fails, your vet can prescribe antidepressants.
2.Your cat is acting weird because she’s stressed
She hates change more than the most neurotic person you know, and since you moved, she’s been in full-blown fight-or-flight mode. Your new apartment is smaller, and all of your furniture is different. You also just started a full-time job, so she’s alone most of the day.
How to help: Disrupt your cat’s routine as little as possible by keeping her in a separate room with her toys, litter box, food and bed while you pack and move. Then keep her in a safe room at your new place while you unpack and rearrange. Being surrounded by familiar items and smells will help her feel more at home. Additionally, before starting a new job, ease your cat into the routine by leaving her alone for increasing intervals each day and showering her with treats and attention when you return.
3. Your cat is acting weird because she feels threatened
You just brought home a new cat, and your old cat wants her dead. They run shrieking across the room, a footrace that ends in a furious flurry of fur. You’re afraid to leave them alone together, and they pee everywhere except the litter box.
How to help: Take a page from My Cat from Hell television host Jackson Galaxy. He makes sure that each cat has a safe place to eat and use the litter box, and he creates escape routes with cat trees and shelves. This lets cats know their territory is not under siege. Playing with the cats simultaneously can also redirect the energy they normally use to beat the crap out of each other.
4. Your cat is acting weird because she might be sick
It’s merely an inconvenience when you step in a lukewarm pile of kitty kibble barf-mash at 6 a.m., but it can become worrisome if your cat’s vomiting happens daily. It doesn’t help that evolutionarily, a sick cat is a dead cat; therefore, cats are excellent at hiding signs of illness. If your cat isn’t eating, drinks excess water, seems lethargic, hides for more than a day, stops using the litter box or suddenly changes temperament, she might be telling you something is wrong. The protrusion of her “third eyelid” can also indicate illness.
How to help: Odds are it’s nothing major, but to be sure you’re not overlooking a potentially serious health problem, take your kitty to the vet.
5. Your cat is acting weird because maybe you’re not his favorite
Well, technically this might be your boyfriend’s cat, but the two of you just don’t jibe. You try to pet him and he hides under the coffee table. Then he emerges a few minutes later and lavishes your boyfriend with headbutts right in front of you.
How to help: Realize that some cats just won’t like you. Just like humans, cats have distinct personalities, so you’re not going to get along with all of them. They’re kind of like children: Even though we’re not supposed to have a favorite, we do.
Tell us: Is your cat acting weird? How did you deal with it? Let us know in the comments!
Thumbnail: Photography ©PeopleImages | DigitalVision / Getty.
Read more about your cat acting weird and strange cat behaviors on Catster.com:
15 comments on “Is Your Cat Acting Weird? 5 Reasons Why”
Hi my cat is 12 years this year. He has always been loving and quite attentive to the family members. I recently found out that dry food isn’t as good as wet food so we decided to try it. He ate it all but it didn’t sit well with him as he gagged a few times after but still ate it. We desired to stop giving it to him after he threw up. After about a week after the owing up he has been acting strangely. He is always sleeping on the floor which he hated before. He always wants attention which isn’t that different but when we go to give him affection he doesn’t want it. He is meowing all the time when he used to be quite a quiet cat. He doesn’t like going into my room which is also strange for him as he loves to be in my room.
The rest of my family think it was the food but he threw up after the 4th or 5th time trying it. He did enjoy his dry food alot but after trying wet food he is almost been thrown off balance. He doesn’t want to drink water or eat anymore.
I’m very worried about him and don’t know if he is just going through a little phase
Hi Fatema,
We suggest contacting your vet for the best advice. These articles might provide some insight, but please talk to a professional:
https://www.catster.com/cat-food/cat-food-wet-or-dry
https://www.catster.com/lifestyle/why-cats-vomit
https://www.catster.com/lifestyle/lets-talk-about-cat-vomit
https://www.catster.com/lifestyle/11-cat-health-emergencies-immediate-veterinary-attention-ask-a-vet
I have had my male cat since November last year. My boyfriend was with me when i adopted him. Boyfriend has been over many times and has cat sat for me a few times when I’ve been out of town. Within the last week my cat is suddenly scared of him and avoids him. What the Heck?
Hi there Abby,
Thanks for reaching out! These articles provide more information on what cat’s fear and how to help them:
https://www.catster.com/cat-behavior/what-are-cats-scared-of-top-things-cats-are-scared-of-and-how-to-help
https://www.catster.com/lifestyle/cat-behavior-training-introducing-new-cats-tips
https://www.catster.com/cat-training/cat-socialization
Okay so my boyfriend has this cat right . But he first lived next door and they never looked after him and this one night the cat came to sit by my boyfriend and just never left. We basically “adopted’ him and we fed him and gave him everything but lately , now that he is bigger. He keeps going back next door and he is very distant with us . He use to be loving and playful and now he just comes to eat and sleep but the rest of the time he is next door . And when we took him in he never wanted to be next door but now that he is big , he is always next door. What does that mean ? Should we give him back because he doesn’t even sleep anymore . He just eats by us now …
Hi there, thanks for reaching out!
You might relate to these article on cats leaving the home and hanging out in strange places:
https://www.catster.com/lifestyle/cat-behavior-cats-leave-home
https://www.catster.com/lifestyle/ask-a-behaviorist-why-cats-hang-out-in-weird-places
We suggest contacting a behaviorist to find out more and what your next steps should be.
I need help figuring out what’s going on with my cat, I’ve looked up everything she does and I can’t find a good answer for it.
My Cat is suddenly very afraid of my room.
This doesn’t make sense to me, because she’s constantly wanting in my room, she cries when she’s not in there, and she’s always been staying in my room with me since she was 8 weeks old.
Yesterday when I went to bed for the night, I let her sleep with me for once, she layed on my bed next to me, and didn’t bother me at all until 7 am this morning, so I could let her out to eat and stuff. Later on at 9 when I woke up, I let her back in my room like she wanted, she slept in there until I left at 2, so I let her out.
I came back home at 4, she didn’t want in my room at the time so I didnt bother her, but an hour after that, I see she’s nervous around my door suddenly, sniffing and creeping around, jumping at sudden sounds or movements, and I don’t understand what is going on, and I figured maybe it’s a spider? So I open the door look around the frame, and into the room around the door looking for it, there was nothing. So I walked into the room completely, leaving the door open for her, and she hesitantly walks in, jumping at everything, eyeing everything, and being especially cautious around the door. At this point, I’m guessing she might be seeing a spirit?
We (as in my family) have had several spirit-like experiences before, especially with “ghost cats”. We’ve felt a non -existent cat rubbing up on our legs, crawling on us while we sleep, and even some running/walking movements from a black cat shaped figure that disappears when we look at it. We are guessing it could be our deceased cat from our old house that died 8 years ago, we still have her ashes with us in the house, maybe she followed us?
I’m not really sure, but my cat got used to my room after a while, but still a little scared so I gave her a few pets and she fell asleep for 3 hours until I let her out. I’m not sure what’s wrong, she won’t come near my door again? COULD there be a spirit scaring her, or is it something else?
We also have 3 other cats in the house that haven’t been acting like this at all, it only the female that’s acting this way, she’s the only one that likes my room and me specifically, so could it be something I did with my room, or a smell I put in that unfamiliar? I’m just confused because earlier this morning she was fine with my room until I left!
Hey Syd —
Thanks for reaching out! While there’s no scientific evidence that spirit cats exist, these articles might provide some insight:
http://www.catster.com/lifestyle/cat-ghost-calico
http://www.catster.com/lifestyle/ghost-cat-maynard
http://www.catster.com/lifestyle/do-you-believe-cats-can-see-spirits
We also suggest trying to figure out if you’re doing something differently in and around your room that your cat might find odd! Best of luck.
My cat was cuddling with me on the sofa as usual. I moved my leg the slightest bit and he literally jumped three feet in the air, knocked over the chair and fell on his back. Now he is quite literally afraid of my legs. Not of me, just of my legs. What gives?
Hi there — Sorry to hear you’re experiencing this! This article might help add some insight: http://www.catster.com/cat-behavior/what-are-cats-scared-of-top-things-cats-are-scared-of-and-how-to-help
My male cat is about 2 years old and has always been very affectionate. Last week he was sat on the kitchen table and I was stood nearby. He suddenly looked past me and hissed and hissed for a while, then ran out. Since then he will only come home for food and if he sees me he runs away. Any ideas why? I haven’t changed hair or perfume or anything lately
my little black female cat has all of a sudden gone weird. licorice was born wild, underneath the deck of a house. she was advertised on NZ TRADE ME, the last of an unwanted litter and i went out and brought her back home. she’s about 3 1/2 4 years old now, she is spayed and microchipped. she has always been a bossy cat and she drives the staffy bull terrier dog mental. (dog lives next door to me) she teases this dog by putting her claws through underneath the fence and trying to attack the dog, the dog goes into a frenzy it just goes nuts, since i have had her she almost always stays around home. tonight is cold and raining. she ate her dinner and then went out and disappeared into the night. she no longer wants to be picked up and cuddled, now she’s grumpy and hisses, there’s been no change in environment and she is eating she just does not want to be my friend anymore. she doesn’t seem to want to sleep in her luxury warm cat bed anymore and has gone out in the cold i am very worried about her not wanting to be stroked or inside the warmth of my house on a cold rainy winters night, she’s no longer answering my desperate calls for her to come home last time i saw her was about 9:30pm its now nearly 2am in the morning and absolutely no sign of bossy miss licqorice if i find her does she need to visit my vets, she seems to be very bright, alert and active, her black coat is mirror glossy and her yellow-green eyes are clear and bright her gums are a healthy colour and her teeth and claws are clean
Replying to Erica:
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Since we moved, our cat has been acting weird. Not withdrawn, not standoffish or not his own lovable snugglebutt-self, just ill at ease, and skiddish. At first we thought it was the move, but after 5 years of that, and several clean bills of health, and no relief with feliway, I was at my wits end, and took our neighbor up on her offer to “cleanse the house”. I would have never believed it, but as soon as she left and he came back in the house, he was at ease, sleeps thru most of the night again, he’s “himself” again, and at 14 is taking up playing.
My cat was acting weird because she was addicted to dry cat food. Apparently it’s not good for cats. See on youtube canned cat food vs dry what the companies won’t tell you. Hint: the companies are evil. #dryfoodneveragainformycat