Cat Psychology: What to Do If Your Cat is Angry at You

I have had several cats, and from what I have observed throughout the years of living with them, if my cat is angry with me, there is always a reason. And the reason is usually me. I do something that displeases or annoys the cat. It can be petting it when the cat wants to be left alone. It can be leaving for too long and causing the cat a stress by my absense. One thing I know for sure: cats will not be angry just because they are moody and / or want to cause you trouble. There is always a reason.

Therefore, if I am to give advice on how to deal with your cat when it is angry at you, I would say find the reason and see what you can do about it. Sometimes it's easy: your kitty is annoyed by your constant hugging (I'm guilty of that!), so just leave it alone for a while and reduce hugging sessions. Other times, the situation might be more difficult to correct. For example, I know of a person who had brought home a new cat, and the cat they already had didn't take it well. He was extremely angry at the owner for bringing in the intruder. In a case like this, one needs to be very patient. It might take a long time to reconcile the old cat to the new addition to the family. You might have to do little extras to convince the cat that you still love them and they are not being replaced by the new pet. It takes patience and love, lots of it.

One thing I would not advise is trying to punish the cat, using force and trying to show them who's the boss in the house. "He hissed at me so I slapped him, that will teach him a lesson." Nope, that's not the way to go. Aggression brings more aggression, plus fear and broken trust. It is not a power or strength contest. It is about loving your pet and respecting its needs. Cat owners who understand this usually do not have that many problems with their cat's anger.