Why is my cat suddenly jumpy, swatting, and startled when petted?

Any abrupt change in behavior or attitude should be investigated by your vet. Cats are notoriously good at hiding symptoms of illness so this could be an early warning. Your vet will perform an exam, possibly do some labwork, based on the findings of the exam.

Looking for a pattern such as a noise that startles him, certain time of day it happens, or if you were doing an activity with him prior may help you figure out the cause behind his behavior. It is possible that he may have had a strange dream, or something is waking him quickly and startling him. Sudden behavioral changes can also indicate issues such as pain or underlying illness, so if the behavior continues or the cause isn't found, scheduling a vet checkup to look for any health issues is a good idea.

I think you are right to think that something must have spooked her near that door. Or, something is still spooking her. One simple way you can attempt to find the problem is by getting on the cat's level and looking at the area that she seems skittish of. This means you'll have to get on the ground and spend some time looking around. Look for something new in the area, or anything that may be scary to a cat as you look outdoors. It's not always obvious...even a simple move to furniture may be spooky. I hope that helps.

It sounds like something is making J-Cat nervous. I think I’m understanding that she has housemates but typically she gets along with them. It could be something outside that she heard or something she saw inside that is making her anxious. Even though she doesn’t seem obviously painful if this behavior continues I’d recommend seeing your veterinarian to rule out pain as a cause.

He s so happy that he is petted and loved on that he gets very excited and the biting and swatting is a sign of Uebersprung, ie it is the only way he knows to get rid of the overstimulation. The way to reduce that is to pet him to the point where you notice that he gets excited, ie a tiny flick of the tail, for example, and then stop and give him a chance to come down again. It can take a long time to get him to the point where he will not do the biting or swatting at all, however it does work. I had a tom like that who would even bite my head at night, because he was sooo happy lying next to me, purring for hours. It took about a year before he could be petted and held for a long time before biting. He will need to be adopted out to a home with very experienced cat owners who do not mistake this as viciousness. It basically takes observation skills and the ability to stop petting him in time.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It could be due to the stress related to that event you describe. Cats can sometimes be very sensitive to things that scare them. If this is the case, things should improve shortly. If no improvement is noted in the next few weeks or your kitty develops symptoms like inappetence or lethargy have your veterinarian take a look. Good luck!

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!