Cats are known for erratic behavior and many people are put off by their changing moods. Most cat owners know that cats don’t suddenly change their behavior without warning, but those new to felines might be caught off guard when their cat seems to have a random change of mind. If you’ve ever wondered why cats are so moody, find some comfort knowing that they aren’t just being cantankerous.
Changes to Routine
Cats are sensitive to their environments and their schedules. They are very routine animals and changes to these routines can cause a lot of undue stress to your feline. What might seem simple for you, such as moving a litter box to another room, could really disrupt your cat’s emotions. Bigger changes such as new roommates, moving to a new house, or a new pet is likely to cause at least some stress in your cat’s life, therefore affecting their personality.
Medical Ailments
Just like humans, cats that are feeling ill or in pain are likely to be a lot more moody than a healthy animal. If your cat’s temperament suddenly changes more often than usual, you might want to consider a trip to the veterinarian. Random mood swings in cats are often caused by even mild illness, and it’s best to make sure our cats are not both physical and mentally distraught in any way.
Overstimulation
Most of us have wondered why our cats were enjoying their morning massage so deeply and all of a sudden turn around hissing, spitting and running away. Just like people, cats have varying levels of sensitivity all over their bodies. While they might like vigorous scratching behind their ears, they might also want only very soft pets on their bellies. Every cat is different, and if your cat seems to suddenly have a change of mind during cuddle time you likely just rubbed them the wrong way in a literal sense.
Conclusion
Cats are very sensitive creatures and we need to give them a little more credit for trying to live in our world. They are often confusing and moody, but if we look closely we might find that we’re doing something to cause their distress. Since they don’t speak our language, we have to learn what cats are trying to tell us with their bodies. If we listen closely, we’ll find that our cats really aren’t being moody at all, they’re just trying to tell us how they feel.