why is my cat behaving so weirdly?

by Hema
(USA)

She is frightened by thunderstorms. Yesterday we had one. She has also been through a lot of changes recently: we moved, I changed her litter type twice, etc. But she has never been mean to me. But today she bit me and raised her paw to strike me when I tried to pet her. What must I do to help her?

Reply
Hi
Cats react to fear with aggression. Don't take it personally she is simply reacting in the only way she knows how to protect herself.

When cats go through various changes in routine and environment it is natural for them to need a period of adjustment. For some cats this will be days for others it could be weeks. It is our job to give them this time and allow them to find their confidence again without too much stress.

Basically your cat needs space and to be left alone to calm down. So it is best not to try and actively touch her or to pick her up. Speak to her softly and take a passive stance i.e get down on the floor with her but allow her to decide whether or not she wants to come over or not. She will learn that she can relax around you.

There are also some cat calming sprays and herbal remedies which some people find help their cat through particularly difficult times. You can find more information about these here on my page about scared cats

https://www.our-happy-cat.com/scared-cat.html

Don't worry she will be ok again soon, she jst needs a little time and tlc.

best wishes kate

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