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Why Does My Cat Give Me Dirty Looks? (Is It Angry?)

If you feel that your cat is giving you dirty looks for no reason you may be wondering why this is happening and if you should be concerned…

Why does my cat give me dirty looks?

Cats are perceived to give dirty looks because they look serious. But, the majority of the time they are looking and blinking slightly to communicate that they love and trust you. In some rare situations, you may do something to them, and will glare at you.

So, now you know. But, could a cat attack you following this? What if they give your dirty looks after using the litter box? Do they do this to other cats? Keep reading for these answers, and much more…

Why do cats stare?

Cats often stare because they are keen to see what is going on. In particular, what you are doing. It appears to be staring because their face can’t project other emotions, such as happiness and smiling as ours do.

So, if you see your cat looking at you in this way do not take it personally or feel that your cat is being rude or ungrateful.

Could a cat attack after giving you dirty looks?

A cat could attack after giving you a dirty look. But, this is more likely as a result of something happening to upset them. For example, you accidentally stepped on its paw or closed its paw in the door. The important thing is not to stare back at it.

My experience with this…

I remember when I was young, at a guess about 10 years old, I had a cat called Ajax. This cat was cool and I loved it. However, one day I was carrying some food from the kitchen and was not looking where I was going. I ended up stepping on my cat by accident.

Personally, I was devastated. But, also scared my cat instantly hissed at me and started giving me dirty looks that I never saw before. I was worried I had lost the trust literally overnight with my cat.

In time my cat forgave me. But, it just reminded me of times when you may see your cat giving you dirty looks and could consider attacking you out of defense.

Should you prevent your cat from giving you dirty looks?

You should not instantly assume you need to find a way to stop your cat from giving you dirty looks. Why? Because it could actually mean love in your cat’s mind. And, if this is the case, preventing it is the last thing you should do.

Instead, look away to avoid conflict and see how your cat responds. If it approaches you for cuddles or a stroke then you know you misread the signals. Most of the time this will be the case. You just need to monitor its body language.

Is your cat slow-blinking or giving you dirty looks?

You could assume your cat is giving you dirty looks but in reality, it could be slow-blinking. These slow-blinks can be hard to see at a glance and are a completely different emotion.

Slow-blinking from your cat is a sign of love and trust. And, if you see this you should feel grateful about it. The reality is cats use their eyes to project many signals. And, it can be confusing for us humans to always decode this.

If your cat doesn’t blink is this a negative dirty look?

If your cat doesn’t blink while it stares at you there is a chance it is glaring at you. If it is glaring in this way it could be a challenge to your dominance. Depending on your cat’s personality this can happen.

However, it is not a good idea to stare back and try and compete. Cats take this staring as a hostile signal and may feel defensive which could lead to a negative response.

Cats still have defensive instincts from their wild ancestors and if a rival stared at them in this manner it was usually a precursor to an attack or declaration of conflict. So, it’s important to avoid this.

Why does my cat give me a dirty look every time he uses the litter box?

If your cat is giving you dirty looks each time it uses the litter box this could be either concentrating or be in some form of pain. For example, it could be straining to poo or it could have a blockage causing it pain or distress which may give it this facial expression.

If you suspect that your cat is in any pain it’s worth getting it checked out because it is unlikely to fix itself. There are some cases where the cat may just not like the mess in the litter box.

If there is an issue with the mess in the litter box this is an easy fix, just keep it clean and consider getting more boxes. If you find it hard to keep on top of the litter box cleaning you may need to consider getting a self-cleaning litter box (Click here to see the reviews, on Amazon #Ad).

Could a cat give you a dirty look for disciplining it?

Cats may well give you a dirty look for disciplining or stopping them from doing something. For example, if your cat likes playing with a ball and you remove it, it could respond with a true dirty look.

If this is the case don’t worry, your cat is likely to get over it after a short while. And, long term you need to keep control and show the cat who is the boss.

In general, disciplining your cat is a controversial area. Most cat owners suggest that no negative discipline should be given to your cat. This is because cats often get confused and lose trust in their owners. This may be because they struggle to link the punishment to their bad behavior.

Do cats give other cats dirty looks?

Cats do give other cats dirty looks. This is often to show the other cat who is the boss. Basically, proving dominance. You may see two cats just staring at each other. And, if one refuses to back-down it usually results in a catfight (click here if your cat pees as well).

Dominance for cats is an important part o their social hierarchy and the reason why you may hear catfights late at night outside your home. These are local cats trying to show the neighborhood cat they are the boss.

These fights outside are some of the reasons why some cat owners are hesitant to let their indoor cat outside. Basically, in fear of these conflicts.

How can you prevent your cat from giving another cat dirty looks?

If you have two cats outside it’s bordering impossible to stop them from giving each other dirty looks. But, if they are your cats some things can be done. Here are some tips for these cats:

• Keep an eye on them: All initial contact should be watched over by you. Don’t leave them alone until they prove they get along.
• Separate their feeding bowls: Dominant cats are known to steal the other cat’s food or cause conflict at feeding time. Therefore, avoid this by separating their bowls. This can change over time. But, initially, they need to be separated.
• Segregation: Your new cat should have its own room initially. Meaning, a dedicated room for it to get used to the environment and give your resident cat a chance to adjust to your new cat.
• Patience: This process may take time so you need to be patient. Some cats bond instantly, other times they give each other dirty looks for weeks before bonding.