Why is my cat acting weird, avoiding me, and leaving home?

If Mici was a feral or stray cat prior to you taking her in, it may be that she is not comfortable in the home still. If the behavior change was more recent, illness and pain can sometimes cause strange behaviors to appear. If you haven't taken her to the vet recently, an exam is a good first step to make sure there is not an illness or other issue causing her problems. If she checks out healthy, then looking for causes of stress may help. New people, places, pets, etc can all cause stress and may cause your cat to change her behavior. Pheromone diffusers can help reduce stress, while making sure Mici has her own access to food, water, litter and places to hide/rest can also help. If the strange behavior continues even after trying this, then speaking with a veterinary behaviorist or trainer in your area may help.

It is not likely because of a female in heat. What you describe sounds more like he is running away from an itch or pain. Some cats act like that when they have fleas. If you are not doing flea prevention, it may be a good idea to do so. You may also want to check if there are any painful areas on his body (especially where he licks himself). Also check for flea poop (part the hair in the area near the base of the tail on his back and abdomen for little black specs). If you find little black specs of poop, flea prevention is in order. If you find an area that hurts him, you should take him to a veterinarian for an exam.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Kitty Mucher. If she spends time outdoors, then I worry that she sustained an injury. Cat bite wounds are common and could explain her abrupt change in behavior. If she is not acting normal by the time you return home today, then she will need to see her veterinarian. If she does have a wound (and they can be hard to find), she will require treatment. I hope this information helps!

As with any sudden behavioral change, an exam to rule out any health issues is always the best first option. If the weather is changing rapidly and you are seeing her seek out warmer spots such as blankets, by heater vents, etc that could also be related to the behavior. Adding a warm blanket out of the dryer to her bed, or providing a place for her to sleep near a heater may help. However, if you are concerned enough about the change, a vet exam for a bit of peace of mind is always good.

A sudden change in behavior from the normal can be a sign of illness in a cat. Given that Ava is acting very differently from the way she was before, I'd take her into a vet today for a health check. Best of luck.

It could be that your cat simply wants to be alone, or it could be a sign of pain or other medical issue. If this is out of character, consider taking him to his vet for an exam. Otherwise, give your cat some space and approach him at another time.

Poor girl! There could be something that has spooked her. Or she could be not feeling well. Or there could even be an internal conflict with another cat in the household. The first thing I would do is make sure she is healthy. I would see if your vet can look at her and make sure she isn’t painful, no infection, no fever, no urinary tract infection, etc. if she isn’t feeling well, this definitely can cause a change in behavior. If everything is normal then I would make sure she is getting along with everyone in the house. Make sure there are plenty of litter boxes as this is something they commonly will become territorial over. You can even put out some feliway diffusers which are pheromones they help calm down cats. Unfortunately these don’t work on everyone. You make also look into vetriscience composure treats as a natural calming supplement. I hope this helps!