If your cat has been being mad at you, this post will show you why that is likely to be the case and what you can do about the behavior.
So, why is my cat mad at me? Possible reasons why your cat is mad at you are that it is protecting food or possessions, fearful of something, injured, or intimidated by you.
There are a number of possible reasons why your cat might be mad at you and it could be due to a combination of reasons. Despite that, there are some things you can consider to help figure out the main reason and there are some things you can do about them.
Why is my cat mad at me?
Below are likely reasons why it has been being mad at you and what would make them more likely.
Protecting food or possessions
The cause could be that your cat is trying to protect something that it believes belongs to it. This would be more likely if your cat gets mad when you go near it when it is eating or when you try to sit in a spot that it likes. In this case, it could help to feed it in more more secluded area and to give it another spot to sit in.
Fear
The cause might be that something has been causing it to be fearful. This would be more likely if it changes its behavior at certain times such as when a certain person or animal is around or when there are loud noises outside.
Pain
Another possible cause is that it has an injury and the pain is causing it to be aggressive. This would be more likely if it has started behaving that way suddenly and if it has been showing other signs of having an injury such as moving in an unusual way. If it does seem like an injury could be the cause, the best option would be to take it to a vet.
Intimidation
The cause could also be that it feels intimidated because of the way you have been interacting with it. This would be more likely if it is aggressive when you approach it or interact with it in a certain way.
Things to consider
Below are some things to consider to help figure out the main reason why your cat has been doing it.
If your cat has always been mad at you
If your cat has not always been mad at you, it would help to consider what else happened when it first started doing it. If it started doing it suddenly, it could be due to things such as getting injured or because you hurt it accidentally.
What is different when your cat is not mad at you
If there is a certain time that your cat tends to do it, it would also help to consider what is different about the timing. For example, if it tends to do it when it is eating, it might be the case that it is trying to protect its food. Whereas, if it does it when you approach it, it would be more likely that it finds the way you are approaching it as being intimidating.
How to get my cat to stop being mad at me?
Below are some options you have when dealing with the behavior.
Be calm with it
As mentioned above, it might be the case that it has been doing it due to being intimidated. Instead, it would help to approach it slowly and to interact with it in a calm manner.
Get help
If your cat has started doing it suddenly and it has been showing signs of being injured, the best option would be to take it for a checkup. By doing so, you should be able to get expert advice tailored towards your particular cat and to deal with any potential injuries that it might have.
Avoid encouraging the behavior
It could be the case that you have been reinforcing the behavior by giving it things that it wants when it becomes mad. Instead, it would help to reward it when it is well behaved and to avoid rewarding it when it misbehaves.
Also, it might be tempting to punish it when it starts being mad at you but it would help to avoid doing so. If you punish it then it will likely cause feelings of resentment and it might not know why you are punishing it. Instead, it would help to reward it when it is not mad and to interact with it in a calm manner.
Why is my cat suddenly mad at me?
Your cat might be suddenly mad at you due to a change in the way you interact with it, injury or a sudden change in its environment.
Why is my cat mad at me when I pet it?
Your cat might get mad at you when you pet it because it does not like the way you pet it or because it gets intimidated by how you interact with it.
Why is my cat always mad at me?
Your cat might always be mad at you because it gets intimidated by the way you interact with it, a problem with its environment or injury.