Cat's weird behavior in new apartment

[Grace222]

We recently moved to a new apartment, and last night my cat suddenly turned into a puffy, arch-backed halloween cat as I walked toward him on my way to check on our kids, which is so unlike him. He can be skittish (hides but doesn't puff and hiss) to strangers but not toward me and my family. So, I stopped in my tracks and just stepped backwards, at which point he de-arched a bit but was still hugely alert. I stepped forwards another time, and puffiness and arching began again. It was so unreal. I moved to the left and right, and his gaze was locked on me, which unnerved me more. My cat is normally always lovey with me. Suddenly I was the focus of fear for him. I have to wonder if something "else" was present behind me or something. I woke my husband up to show him, and the cat seemed to snap out of it a bit and calm down. I hoped that my husband's presence changed the energy in the room. Today, so far nothing out of sorts. In fact, our cat just walked by and rubbed against me as I was typing. I guess I now feel a bit on alert myself now. I warned my skeptic husband I have some sage and was going to use it when he and the kids head out to the pool or something.

cats are very energy sensitive. he's obviously picking up on some negative energies there.

i was going to suggest smudging, which i see you're going to do. good.

[Tobi]

Grace, I'm not saying there definitely ARE no low-level spirits in your new apartment. But cats are extremely sensitive usually to a change of location. It really de-stabilises them. They are totally unlike dogs in this respect. They are very 'territory-based' and any change of location can badly upset them. And males are harder to re-locate than females.

It could be that after a week or so when he has acclimatised, he will calm down. He wonders where the heck am I?.....how do I make this new space mine? An 'entire' male would just solve the problem by spraying (much to everyone's disgust! lol) but a neutered male finds it harder. Maybe he just needs some time?

[Nameless]

I agree with Tobi. He just needs to settle in a bit more. Everything is new to him right now. When my daughter moved with her cat and we went to visit the next day, the cat had stayed under her bed the whole night and only came out to briefly say Hi before crawling under the bed again...

[Grace222]

Thank you all! I had already smudged, but yes, my Jazz is still learning his new digs. Hopefully, if anything, all bases are covered.

[Dragonfly1]

Neutered cats spray, both male and female do it......all my cats are neutered from tiny kittens, and they both ( both sexes) spray.......yukk!.....Usually when they go to a new house....they will go from room to room checking it out ...rubbing themselves on walls and doors etc to put their scent all over.....they will usually only spray when they are being territorial with other cats in the vicinity......to be honest.....I think you are right.....my cats sense spirit in our home.......one in particular will open mouth hiss and spit....at what seems like nothing......I find cats to be good protectors and good 'detectors' of anything other than the physical.....

[sea-dove]

Be aware that it can take up to 6 weeks for a cat to adjust to a new location.

oh poor you dragonfly, Ive never had a spraying issue with any of my neutered cats ever. Sounds aweful.

[Miss Hepburn]

If you hide little treats behind things, his little mind will eventually
say, "Ooo I like this new place, everywhere I look there is my favorite treat!!"


"Ok, now let's look behind there...!!"

[Fairfre]

Cats can sense negative entities although I'm not saying this has happened in this case with you though, Grace2222.
I have had spirit encounters in my home in the past. There have been scratching sounds in the walls, the growling of a large cat and knockings before the spirit would appear. Those episodes stopped and then started and stopped again.
In 2012, I was on my computer at night and the scratching noises started in the wall around my computer (it's in a corner)and the noises were right by my (R) ear. My cat was sitting on the desk watching me and we both looked at the wall. Suddenly something hit the wall hard several times ,so violently that the whole wall on that side of the house shook.I was stunned.
I turned and looked down the hall sensing something and my cat went ballistic ,she ran down the hall and attacked what on the surface looked like thin air. She is very protective.
This was the culmination of the ramping up of activity.
As a one of occurrence in your case I don't think you have too much to worry about.
It could be that you just startled your cat and being a new environment he was on edge and took him time to realize it was just you.

[Thunder Bow]

The cat was responding to your own tensions related to moving into a new place. As you relaxed, so did your cat.