Taking revenge? Offended? Why cat "behaves badly" and marks your bed (video)

Sometimes, in general, an obedient and well-mannered cat can present a “surprise” to the owner: shit on the bed or in another inappropriate place. Some believe that the pet is offended by something and thus takes revenge on the owner.

An animal psychologist explains that everything is not so simple, tells BB.LV. Many owners can talk about how their pet “takes revenge” on them for an alleged insult. They are sure that the animal can even go to the toilet directly in the owner’s bed if it is left alone for a long time or the cat takes revenge and behaves badly due to other faults of the owner.

Cat emotions

Rita Reimers, an animal psychologist who corrects the behavior of cats, assures that we should not attribute human emotions to animals. In reality, cats are motivated by something else to behave inappropriately. They do not take revenge, says the specialist:

“Everything a cat does is based not on emotions, but on the instincts of survival and self-defense. They are born with them. This is a constant motivation in the life of every cat. And although these animals have good memories, they don’t actually hold grudges like humans do. Cats may avoid certain people, places, situations or things that they have had bad experiences with.”

But the instinctive motivation to act one way or another is not at all the same thing as revenge, the expert clarifies:

“Your cat does not retaliate for what makes her unhappy. She doesn’t even know what resentment is. She’s just trying to protect her resources and actually feels afraid.”

Cats are in the middle of the food chain: they are both predators and prey. That’s why they are much more vigilant about their safety than, for example, dogs, explain cat behavior experts Rita Reimers and Linda Hall.

How to understand “vindictive behavior”

When it seems to you that the cat is taking revenge on you, try to put yourself in its place. What is she trying to say with this behavior? The expert advises:

“Assess the situation and try to understand who or what is causing your cat to misbehave. And then find ways to ease the animal’s fear and anxiety. They are the ones behind his behavior. You can change something in the situation or calm the cat down to relieve stress and redirect its actions.”

Why is she acting this way? Experts gave examples of what bad cat behavior indicates. By the way, sometimes the reasons for “vindictiveness” can be related to the health of the animal – you must definitely show it to the veterinarian. What does the pet’s non-standard behavior indicate? Rita Reimers says.

The cat shits in the bed

This is the most common behavior of a supposedly vindictive cat. Many are sure that the animal does this because it does not like its owners or what they do. But this is neither one nor the other. Simply mixing scents—yours and yours—calms your cat when she’s feeling anxious or stressed. The expert explains:

“If a cat goes to the toilet in your bed, she feels that her resources are threatened, they are depleted. So she puts up a sign: “I live here, but you don’t!” Serious changes in the home may prompt her to behave this way—the appearance of new pets, for example.”

Aggression

If a cat scratches and behaves aggressively, this does not mean that the aggression is directed against you:

“This is not revenge at all – this behavior is in the cat’s DNA. This is a natural and necessary part of your cat’s physical needs. A cat that is afraid for its life or its well-being behaves aggressively. This instinct is triggered when the cat feels threatened, and it does what it thinks is necessary to survive.”

Moving, new people or pets, any major changes can cause aggressive behavior in your cat: “But again, this is in no way hatred or resentment that the cat allegedly harbors against you and shows with such behavior,” sums up Rita Reimers .

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