If your cat is mad at you because you went on vacation

On the way home You. Can. Not. Wait. It was wonderful, the vacation, but now it also feels good to be home again, because your dear little creature is waiting for you there. And yes, you missed her. Or him. That works too. With great anticipation, you swing open the front door to be the first to find your fluffy friend to greet.

Then she sees you and walks… right past you. In fact: the whole creature doesn’t even give you a glance. Well damn. That stubborn little thing takes off at the first attempt at contact. Hmm. Could it be that your cat is really mad at you because you ‘abandoned’ her?

The answer is yes and no. No, a cat doesn’t really get ‘mad’ like we make a big sentimental deal out of it, but a cat can show different behavior and there’s an important reason for that: smell. Your little beast has a sublime sense of smell. In his or her territory, everything feels ‘safe’. Unknown smells are first thoroughly inspected and assessed: is this okay?

Imagine, you go on vacation for two weeks. In the meantime, your cat's rhythm changes

because the little creature was fed by the neighbors once or twice a day at different times than he was used to. And yes, that bowl was probably also cleaned a little less often. Then suddenly the door swings open and errrrbody’s home again! And you (and possibly your sweetheart, or maybe even a whole family) bring everything that your cat has to get used to again. Enter: a shitload of sounds and unfamiliar smells that you all picked up far outside the territory of cat love.

Your four-legged friend does see that it’s you, but that smell. Meine gute, she needs to get used to that. Is she mad? Nah. She just needs to reconcile in her head that you are her owner. Once the little creature is used to it and ready for contact, you are the first one she seeks out again. And that actually makes it all quite cute again.