Why Does My Cat Get Grumpy At Night

[mommytobuck]

At 4 am.. my cat is in heaven. He jumps up on my bed and kisses me and paces back and forth. I can touch him anyplace. Pick him up... it isn't just the food. He gets breakfast and is still my BFF.. until about 12 PM.. he is less happy after 12 PM... but sill ok. But around 4 PM... starting with the grumpy pants.. and by 8 PM I pretty much can't touch him at all. Sure, he goes to bed at this time but still.. he sleeps mostly all day. Any thoughts?

 

[catlover73]

What time does he eat after breakfast? I am wondering if he is grumpy because he is hungry. Do you play with him at all during the day? I am asking this because I am trying to figure out if he is bored. Is there anything going on outside that could be scaring him at night? I am asking this in case his being grumpy is re-directed aggression. Also some cats just do not like to be woken up when they go to bed at night. Apollo sleeps next to my hubby on our bed. If he gets woken up he gets annoyed and runs away. Sometimes he complains as he is running away. He usually runs downstairs to go back to sleep. Hubby has tried going down stairs to bring him back to bed and he runs away and hides in the basement. He does not like his bedtime routine to be disturbed.

 

[1 bruce 1]

Define "grumpy".
Grumbling when you pick him up or flat out hissing/swatting/biting?
Some illnesses rear their ugly heads during the daytime hours but kind of calm down in the evening/early morning (ever had the flu or a terrible cold/bronchitis and felt "better" in the evening or morning, and felt like death during the day? Yeah, I have too.)
If this is new, I'd say a vet visit is in order...if it's not new, don't write off a vet visit completely in case something is going on that needs addressed!

 

[mommytobuck]

It is a spectrum of anger as we go further into the day all the way up to hissing or swatting. It is not new behavior. He has always been like this. I would say as he got older his grumpy side was more grumpy but not sure why he is so deliriously happy in the morning.

ETA he definitely seems to have a routine. Like at 8 PM if I don't go to bed, he does. He sleeps in a guest room like a human being. He doesn't like me interfering with him once he retires.

 

[1 bruce 1]

It is a spectrum of anger as we go further into the day all the way up to hissing or swatting. It is not new behavior. He has always been like this. I would say as he got older his grumpy side was more grumpy but not sure why he is so deliriously happy in the morning.

ETA he definitely seems to have a routine. Like at 8 PM if I don't go to bed, he does. He sleeps in a guest room like a human being. He doesn't like me interfering with him once he retires.

Despite this being "normal" I would make a log of what he does, what his happy to anger daily schedule is (time wise) and take it to a vet and ask for (demand) a good work up because this does not sound normal to me...
JMO.
Cats are independent but this gradual progression of happy to anger throughout the day, every day, screams to me something is not right. It might be easily treated! We don't know.
If possible, find a vet that specializes in cats as they can sometimes catch "weird" cat problems that dogs (or farm animals) do not have and will be able to recommend a good course of treatment.
Most cats can get pissy for no reason we can see but IME they come out of it and are pleasant again once they calm down.
Wishing the best for your kitty