Cats are complex and intelligent creatures, capable of many more depths than most of us realize. This higher level of cognitive processing provides felines with a wide spectrum of sensitivity and emotion. Unfortunately, not all these emotions are positive ones, leaving our feline friends subject to many familiar feelings like stress, fear and anger. If you’re experiencing emotional difficulties with your cat, a great place to start figuring out your cat’s behavior is with the H.I.S.S. test. It stands for health, instinct, stress and symptoms, signs and solutions, and can help you to make a grumpy cat happy again.
H is for Health
Cats are tough critters and are masters of hiding pain and discomfort. While they may not exhibit signs of feeling ill like humans or even dogs do, they may alter some of their behaviors. If your cat has recently started acting more withdrawn than usual or isn’t acting like her usual self, it might be a good idea to schedule an appointment with her vet. If your cat is acting grumpy because she’s sick, the key to make a grumpy cat happy is to make her well again.
I is for Instinct
Cats are very instinctual creatures that often act out of habits they developed at a very young age. New experiences like new guests in the house or a new house entirely are enough to upset their daily balance. Cats often perceive anything new or different as frightening, and their uneasiness causes them to act grumpy or just different from how they normally act.
S for Stress
Whether it’s related to their instincts or not, cats tend to get stressed out, especially when it comes to lifestyle changes. Like humans, cats behave differently when they’re stressed than they normally do. Cats also feed off of our feelings and emotions. So if you have a close bond with your feline companion and you’ve been stressed lately, this could be having an effect on your kitty as well.
S for Symptoms, Signs and Solutions
Now that we’ve established a few reasons that may explain your cat’s apparent grumpiness, let’s take a look at what we can do to remedy it and make a grumpy cat happy. Evaluate your cat’s specific behaviors to see whether they correlate with a specific prior event or particular circumstance. It’s possible you may even be misinterpreting their behavior entirely.
For example, humans and cats show our love in very different ways. Humans are generally much more expressive and physically affectionate when it comes to showing love. Cats, on the other hand, are often more subtle in their expressions and can be much less physically affectionate. If your cat gets grumpy when you try to pick her up or give her a hug, it’s likely that she’s feeling overwhelmed and smothered by all the intrusive contact. Instead, try just letting her sniff you, and rub her ears, chin and base of the tail to show her you care. Show her that you love her in ways that she’ll understand, rather than putting her in a situation where she feels out of control or stressed.
Make a Grumpy Cat Happy While They Travel
Moving and traveling are notoriously negative activities for cats. They’re being taken to a new, unfamiliar place, and they have no clue why. Our expert cat movers at Pet Van Lines understand your cat’s sensitive side and know how to try to appeal to them to make their moving experience as positive and stress-free as possible. Contact us today if a move is coming up for you and your feline companions.