Cat Moody Behavior- Thoughts?

[Oford21]

Hello!

I wanted to get some of your thoughts on my cat Penelope’s behavior. Some background info about her- she just turned 1 yrs old in July and I got her at 6 weeks (I know that is SUPER early- but the lady wanted the litter gone and wouldn’t hold them any longer) overall she is my biggest lover, but she is also my most moody. The vet and I noticed some early symptoms of some anxiety and after giving it some time, I now give her zylkene (1 capsule per day) although I’m not noticing a huge difference in her behaviors regarding the anxiety I see with her reactions to certain noises etc. She is fine with people and rubs all over them when anyone comes in- but when they start petting her after a couple seconds she almost gives them a “meow” warning to stop which I find so odd since she was the one to initiate wanting attention. She will even do an annoyed growl with me if I pick her up and hold her when she’s not in the mood but NEVER gets aggressive with me. Penelope doesnt ever get aggressive towards anyone she just can come off moody.

I also have another cat named Ivy. Ivy also just turned 1 years old in October! I made sure I introduced them properly (keeping them separate, scent swapping, letting them play through doors) until Penelope one day started grooming ivy and accepted her into the household! Ivy is the most precious- she has never hissed, bit, growled and she just lets Penelope run the house- she is a very relaxed and passive cat. Ivy’s just happy to be here and loves treats and is overly obsessed with her mom (aka me lol).

I am noticing that Penelope gets very moody in the mornings and evenings. She will randomly hiss/growl or swat at ivy but ONLY in the morning or evening (this doesn’t happen EVERY day, but randomly). It doesn’t last long before they’re off playing with each other. Right now we have passed her moody time and they are both playing with each-other doing the Indy 500 as we speak through the living room. They do love each other and Penelope has NEVER harmed or hurt Ivy- but I am really trying to understand her behavior towards Ivy during these certain times of day. Ivy will just let Penelope swat at her and then Ivy will just walk away as if she understands Penelope is not in the mood.

i am very familiar with signs of when a cat needs medical attention and Penelope does not have a single thing wrong with her. Uses the litter box, eats, plays, and is overall very happy majority of the time! They are both fixed as well. I’m just trying to understand if she is just a moody cat? Or if there is something else that causes her to express these different types of behaviors? If her anxiety plays a role? Redirected aggression? They both are really sweet girls- I just want to ensure I’m doing what I can to make sure they’re happy!

Any feedback is extremely appreciated!!

Penelope is the white/cream cat and Ivy is the grey cat

 

[susanm9006]

Honestly, she sounds like a pretty normal cat to me. They have varying personalities just like people. Some are extroverts, some are introverts, some aren’t rattled by anything and others run and hide when there are loud noises or strangers in the house.

Despite the hiss or swat, the two cats get along and are friends so I wouldnt be concerned. It’s not about stress, dominance or anxiety, it’s just sort of who she is and how she communicates with her cat housemate. If she gets easily irritated or over stimulated by visitors though, I would out her in a different room until they leave or watch her body language carefully.

 

[Furballsmom]

I agree with susanm9006

 

[Oford21]

Honestly, she sounds like a pretty normal cat to me. They have varying personalities just like people. Some are extroverts, some are introverts, some aren’t rattled by anything and others run and hide when there are loud noises or strangers in the house.

Despite the hiss or swat, the two cats get along and are friends so I wouldnt be concerned. It’s not about stress, dominance or anxiety, it’s just sort of who she is and how she communicates with her cat housemate. If she gets easily irritated or over stimulated by visitors though, I would out her in a different room until they leave or watch her body language carefully.

Thank you all so much- I appreciate your thoughts and feedback!

 

[Furballsmom]

Let us know how things progress

 

[Astragal14]

She is fine with people and rubs all over them when anyone comes in- but when they start petting her after a couple seconds she almost gives them a “meow” warning to stop which I find so odd since she was the one to initiate wanting attention. She will even do an annoyed growl with me if I pick her up and hold her when she’s not in the mood but NEVER gets aggressive with me. Penelope doesnt ever get aggressive towards anyone she just can come off moody.

This sounds like Penelope has certain requirements, or boundaries, related to affection that aren't being fully communicated. It's like if she could talk, she'd say, "I'm going give you lots of rubs for several seconds. Then you can pet me but I only like it for a few seconds. I'll meow when it's been too long." So it doesn't matter if she initiates it, she's annoyed that the interaction isn't following the path she wants it to take.

How to Pet a Cat
Five Steps to keep your Cat from biting when Petting

If you’re dealing with your own cat, learn her limits so you can end well before the first sign appears. Don’t even let it get to the point where she must give you a warning sign. Stop way before she begins to get tired of it or gets too stimulated and this way you train the cat to enjoy future sessions of being petted.

If you’re petting an unfamiliar cat, keep in mind that you don’t know her tolerance level so stop while it’s still an enjoyable experience.

Has your vet discussed any ways to create a more relaxing environment, rather than relying on zylkene? This could include things like Feliway diffusers, calming music, playtime to reduce stress or placement of cat furniture, among many other options. We use Feliway in our home and also play David Teie's Music for Cats when needed (luckily not often, but it really helps). As for a specific furniture example, one of my cats used a certain scratcher only in the morning (wouldn't even glance at it the rest of the day). It was made of woven paper and getting messy and we have many other scratchers, so I didn't think it would be a big deal if I tossed it out. Well I was wrong! He started to become a little destructive in the mornings where the scratcher used to be. I finally got another scratcher (a sisal one) and things are back to normal. For whatever reason, that's the specific area where he likes to stretch a lot in the mornings.

I am noticing that Penelope gets very moody in the mornings and evenings...

i am very familiar with signs of when a cat needs medical attention and Penelope does not have a single thing wrong with her. Uses the litter box, eats, plays, and is overall very happy majority of the time!

It's great that you've had Penelope medically evaluated and that there isn't anything wrong. I recommend consulting an animal behaviorist at this point, rather than just using zylkene every day. We've used zylkene with our cats on occasion, and we're very lucky to have a veterinarian that has worked with us on behavioral and environmental aspects so that we don't have to rely on medication (that's where the Feliway and other tactics were introduced).

Your mention of mornings and evenings made me think it could be something like what we deal with in our home - we live in a high rise building in an urban area. Things really quieted down during the pandemic and our cats had trouble adjusting when things opened up again. Road noise and noise in our building really increased around 7-8 am and 5-6 pm as people commuted to and from work. Unfortunately that's also during their mealtimes, so we made sure to distract from the exterior noise by using our tv and turning up the fan on our air purifier.

Those are the types of things an animal behaviorist can help you figure out. There are several different types of behaviorists and this article can help you determine which one is right for you.

Behavioral Help for Your Pet