Mary Allen
Your cat’s body language will make it very clear when it’s tired of being cuddled or when it doesn’t want to be petted in the first place. However, that doesn’t necessarily make her moody. People don’t always understand the reasons for these apparent mood swings, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t reasons.
Are Cats Really Moody?
When people are moody, capricious, or “bitchy,” their mood can suddenly change from one second to the next. For no apparent reason, they feel attacked and react aggressively to defend themselves against the perceived attack. A cat can also appear moody in this sense. But the supposed mood swings in the fur noses usually have different reasons than in humans.
In the case of capricious people, it is usually due to a lack of self-esteem and inner resentment if they take harmless remarks or gestures as an insult and react angrily. A cat, on the other hand, doesn’t worry as much about its worth or about perceived injustices that lie in the past. The cuddly tigers either feel comfortable and safe or something is disturbing their rest. What seems to you like mood swings is a reaction to such a disorder.
Misunderstandings Between Humans & Cats
If people interpret their cat from a human point of view, misunderstandings arise. The fur nose is then seen as moody, although that is actually not true. For example, if your cat shows off its tummy, you’re bound to be tempted to scratch it there. However, this is exactly what many kitties perceive as a disturbance, so that they scratch, bite and show aggression.
On the one hand, when cats lie on their backs, they feel relaxed, on the other hand, this is an optimal fighting position. Velvet paws are particularly sensitive on the stomach; if you touch her there without warning, the kitty may startle and strike. With their fine hearing and sensitive sense of smell, cats also perceive stimuli that remain hidden from humans. By hissing or scratching, it then makes it clear that it didn’t like something.
Warning Signs of Mood Swings
Sometimes your cat suddenly grabs your arm while stroking it and bites it? This can happen if you haven’t paid attention to her body language. For example, you may not have noticed that your kitty has twitched the tip of its tail and slowly laid back its ears – surefire signs that the kitty is upset. Or you may have missed the dilated pupils that are a sign of anxiety.
Caution is also required if your furry nose fluffs up or, on the contrary, becomes very small. She then feels threatened and is ready to defend herself. It is best to always approach your cat calmly and not rush it. Make it feel like she can come to you anytime it wants, but it can walk away anytime it wants to be left alone.