If your cat darts under the bed anytime you come near, you'll know that feeling: is it something you did? Why do cats get mad? And more importantly, it there anything you can do to stop your feline friend being mad at you?

At the best of times, cats are baffling creatures. It's almost impossible to tell what they're thinking at any given moment, so no wonder even experienced owners are often left scratching their heads.

All you can do is guess at the meaning behind some of their behavior, basically by process of elimination.

So what makes a cat grumpy and how do you tell if a cat ist angry?

Some pretty unmistakable signs are refusing to feed or groom, suddenly scratching the furniture, or the kitty equivalent of the silent treatment: acting like you don't exist.

In these cases, try changing the food, giving your cat the space and right environment to sleep in peace, and making sure the litter box is suitable and clean.

If the entire home has become one big litter box for your pet, something is definitely bothering it.

That something can be a medical issue, which is why it's important to pay a visit to the veterinarian, who can rule out any serious causes.

Once illness is off the table, stress or simply the wrong litter box are the most likely culprits.

Attention and consistency are just as big a part of a happy cat's life as they are a human's.

It shouldn't be forgotten that each cat has a unique personality.

A kitten's imprinting will take up the first seven weeks of its life, during which it learns how to be social with people, as well as other animals.

As researchers at Oregon State University showed in a 2019 study, cats get attached to humans in much the same way as dogs.

This may come as a surprise to owners who still let out a disappointed sigh every time they call out their feline's name, only to get a blank stare in return at best.

But just because our relationships to cats and dogs share some similarities, doesn't mean they're identical. Your kitty's ancestors weren't really ever domesticated and evolution just hasn't equipped them with that instinct to come running at the sound of our voices.

So don't stress, when it comes to cats, it's very much a case of don't call us, we'll call you.

It may be clichéd, but felines really are neurotic little things. There's a whole host of seemingly harmless things that frazzle them, some of which are not necessarily anything you did.

What matters is truly getting to know your pet, its likes and dislikes, needs and wants.

If you notice a sudden change in personality or behavior, that's when you'll know that your cat is mad at you.