My cat seems to have moods swings?

Question

We have had our cat 'jake' for about 4 years now we got him from an animal shelter refuge place as he was unwanted. Sometimes he;s really friendly and sits on your knee etc other times he just goes off into the spare room and sits on his own in the evening. He sometimes is friendly in the morning when he wants feeding and other times he sniffs he bowl and wanders off and doesn't give a hoot about you. We are loving to him and feed him well want to give him attention but he sometimes does not want to bother with us. Please advise..

Answer 1

I wouldn't worry either, it's new and exciting for you to have a cat but really, that's just how cats are. Some cats are more friendly than others and your cat might just like he's alone time. Let him be and wander to get used to it. I'd always offer attention but don't push it. He might still be adjusting. You don't know where he's come from and what living situation he's had. He might adjust and learn to be more affectionate but he might not. But that doesn't sound too bad. My cat if I don't give her ENOUGH attention she'll poop in the carpet and attack me and bite wires. So be thankful you don't have THOSE kinds of mood swings!

Answer 2

Your cat might be going through some kind of stress or even seperation anxiety, maybe he had a special friend back at the shelter or he's just going through the trauma of what happened to him before he was placed in the shelter. It will get better as time goes by and you all start spending more time with him, give him alot of toys to play with or something too do.

Here is some more information for you......GOOD LUCK!!!



You might be surprised at how anxious cats can be about any changes in their environment. They are, more than any other pet, creatures of habit for the most part and can be resentful of any change in their routine.
Stresses in a cat's life can come from the environment around her, her physical body, or be caused by feline emotions such as fear.

Environmental Stress

Stressors in a cat's environment would include:

Moving into a new house or apartment

Too many animals in the household

Undue confinement

Lack of fresh air and/or sunshine, especially if the cat was used to going outside

Change in daily routine

Physical Stress

Stressors that may directly affect a cat's physical health include:

Obesity
Illness
Physical trauma
Surgical procedures
Fleas, worms, or other parasites
Emotional Stress

Cats may experience emotional stressors such as:

Boredom and loneliness
Death of human or animal family member
Fear
Rivalry/jealousy
Other changes in the number of human or animal family members
Common indications of stress

Cats will show their anxiety in a number of different ways. These can include grooming themselves excessively or not grooming at all, refusing to eat, aggression, chewing inedible objects like cloth, and not using the litter box.

The solution you choose depends a lot on the cause of the anxiety.

First, try to determine the cause of the anxiety and if possible, eliminate it. Of course some stresses will 'go away' on their own as the cat gets used to them - for instance, there is not much you can do about a new family member or a separation.

Have your cat examined by your veterinarian to look for any signs of illness. Discuss treatment of stressors such as obesity and parasites.

If your cat is experiencing rivalry or jealously toward another pet, separate the pets temporarily, feeding and paying attention to them at different times. Introductions should be gradual, and may take several weeks to months.

If inappropriate elimination is one of the ways your cat shows tension, add another litter box to the house, and experiment with different types of litter. And remember that one more litter box than the number of cats in the household is the general rule.

If you have an 'only cat' and are not in a position (or do not have the desire) for another one, make sure your kitty has plenty of toys to keep her entertained. Also, be sure to pay enough attention and play with her. You might also want to keep a radio or TV on when you are away.

No matter how many cats you have, if they are inside, be sure to have places where they can see what is going on outside or even sleep in a sunbeam. A window perch near or attached to a windowsill is a perfect choice.

Answer 3

A lot of 'Jake's' behaviour is normal for a cat, but, If you're really worried about your cat's moods.. perhaps you could try a natural remedy to keep him happy.

Most chemists sell Bach's Rescue Remedy that helps with a lot of emotional and behavioural problems. You may find that he will be a much friendlier cat. It's been proven that it's perfectly safe for the animal, even if mistakenly overdosed.

Hope this helps.

Answer 4

Just except it as typical cat behaviour - I have 2 cats - a siamese and a Siamese/Burmese cross. they are treated exactly the same, but the one is a honey and the other grumpy (mostly!) I have found that cat personalities vary as much as that of humans - some of us are pleasant and others less. Also remember that cats are almost without exception unique and sometimes very selfish individuals - there is a lot of truth in the saying that we don't have cats - cats have us! They do their own thing and is not as dependent on our attention as dogs.

Answer 5

Good question.

This worked for me, so maybe you will have the same luck.

Sit the cat down and make sure the TV is off.
Get the cat to lie back and relax.
Begin to play word association games with the cat, and ask questions about the size of it's mother's breasts.
Get the cat to open up and discuss it's inner feelings.

Any mental problems in cats can be cured by good patient couselling and doses of Ritalin....

Good Luck !!!

Answer 6

Try ignoring him. Basically, in the feline world the ones who make a fuss and basically try and act friendly are lower ranking cats of the group. The hardy higher ranking ones are the ones that just ignore. As a result, you are making a fuss of your cat and he see's you as a 'lower'.

Its like if you notice cats ALWAYS go to the person who doesnt like cats or who is scared of them. Thats because they naturally make less eye contact with the cat and ignore it, in turn the cat will go over to the scared on non cat lover for a fuss because he sees the person who is ignoring him as a higher ranking cat! The cat will try and win therm round by giving affection to the human

Give it a try, for about a week ignore you cat and only reward with your affections when he comes to you and you be the one to end the affection. That way your in control and your stamping your domincance.

This should work for you.

Good Luck

Answer 7

That's just the way cats are. I've had mine since he was 6 weeks old, and he's exatly the same. I'd just let him get on with it when he goes off on is own. Cats love their alone time. Nothing to worry about though, he sounds perfectly normal.

Answer 8

Sounds like your normal 'take it or leave it' cat attitude.
This is one of the big differences between cats and dogs. Dogs give a load of 'unconditional love' and can be a bit in your face, cats are more their own creatures and come to you when they want.
I always put it down to their natures, dogs are social types and cats more often solitary. Also cats are less forgiving.

Answer 9

HELLO???? It's a cat, a cat is an animal.... it is not going to recline in the armchair light a cigar pour a sherry and discuss the days events with you. It has prob gone to the next room to lick it's a rse or something. Just feed it, let it in when it rains and occasionly share vocal vibrations with it and you'll be doing alright....honestly.

Answer 10

That's your typical kittycat. Every kittycat has his/her own personality. Cats are very independent creatures. Some like to be cuddled and loved all of the time, other times they want to be left a lone. I have two kitties. One follows me around everywhere and cries for attention and the other doesn't give a hoot, when she feels like it she will jump on my lap and let me love and pet her.