'He is relentless, stubborn, and too smart for his own good.': Cat owner’s struggle to control a feline’s destructive temper tantrums is compounded by the cat's unwavering will, forcing the owner to seek specialized advice to manage the outbursts

Author image for Laurent Shinar
Laurent Shinar • Writer and Editor
Oct 9, 2025 3:00 PM EDT

Indoor cat syndrome, while not an officially recognized condition, describes the phenomenon that happens when an indoor feline is so well taken care off and pampered that they begin to behave more like a spoiled toddler than the cat child they truly are. This can come about in a variety of ways from feeding them food that is simply too fancy for their everyday feeding, to allowing them to decide where they like to sit and claiming that spot as their sovereign territory, or even something as simple as allowing them to go outside to enjoy a little fresh air.

And when you take away any of these, or even try to curb expectations, you, much like the cat pawrent in this story, are in for a feline temper tantrum the likes you have never seen before. So hold on to your hats and make sure to start hiding the fancy food, unless you want this madness in your own home.
 

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  • 01
    So, my cat throws temper tantrums when he doesn't get what he wants. His wants can be boiled down to his three favourite things: bowls of water, springs, and going outside. Now, see
    via SpaceGlitchX
  • 02
    the thing is, he's an indoor cat that has gotten a taste of the outdoors after bolting out one day and longs to be out again. The problem is I live in the country basically; there are packs of coyotes everywhere,
    via SpaceGlitchX
  • 03
    owls that would probably swoop down and snatch him up. My cat however does not see those as a problem, as he seems to think he is an apex predator (he is not lol). So he gets
    via SpaceGlitchX
  • 04
    mad when he is told no going outside or when he sees that the dog gets to go outside and he doesn't, and starts either doing things that he knows he shouldn't (like scratching at things), or he makes his
    via SpaceGlitchX

  • Ok, we cannot deny that this post has made us laugh a little more than we would like to admit. This is classic spoiled indoor cat behavior, and adds a whole lot of credibility to the argument that cats are just like children. We just hope that this hooman has not had the bright idea of giving this cat child the fancy kind of cat food. Then his bank account will be done for as well.
     

  • 05
    frustration known by purposefully jumping off surfaces to make a big thud sound (kinda like how toddlers will stomp their feet), or when he's really mad he will straight up bite your ankles or arms (he will not
    via SpaceGlitchX
  • 06
    hurt your face though, so I get down and put my face in his face when he does that and he will back off). Other than getting in his face to stop his tantrum attacking, I don't
    via SpaceGlitchX
  • 07
    black and white cat hissing
    via KanyaphatStudio via Adobe Stock

    Disclaimer: This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 08
    know how to address his tantrums. I've tried searching on google about it but all I get is "your cat is acting out because he could be sick or feeling scared etc".
    via SpaceGlitchX
  • 09
    He is not sick, or scared, he is straight up throwing a temper tantrum. The only thing I could find that would be applicable is that bad behaviour should be ignored, which is understandable and
    via SpaceGlitchX
  • 10
    effective for most - cats that is. Unfortunately, my cat is not one to give up ohhhh nooooo sir. He is relentless, stubborn, and too smart for his own good. So I
    via SpaceGlitchX
  • 11
    guess does anyone have any similar experiences or advice?
    via SpaceGlitchX

  • Yeah, we can tell you who has a whole heck of a lot of experience in these matters. It is the parents of hooman children who have spoiled their kids beyond the point of no return. From here, as those parents will tell you, it is a long and tough uphill struggle to get back to some sort of balance.

  • 12
    We have a cat that will talk back and has to have the last "word" when we tell him no. lol.
    via SpaceGlitchX
  • 13
    Does opening the windows and letting him get fresh air help? Have you considered buying/buildin g an outdoor catio for him?
    via SpaceGlitchX
  • 14
    boog... Well, imagine you were trapped inside and weren't allowed to ever leave but you
    via SpaceGlitchX
  • 15
    saw someone else go outside all the time. It does suck. You could harness train your cat or maybe do a catio. But there
    via SpaceGlitchX
  • 16
    orange cat hissing looking left
    via Maryna Konoplytska via Adobe Stock

    Disclaimer: This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 17
    is no amount of "punishment" that's going to stop your cat from wanting to go outside
    via SpaceGlitchX
  • 18
    Icy-C... Omg lol, my cat would also throw temper tantrums when he could not go outside! Flip
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  • 19
    over his little ball toy thingy and dash around. Now that he's an apartment cat, he scratches the side of the mattress when
    via SpaceGlitchX
  • 20
    we're sleep and he wants us to get up to play. Someone needs to give us advice. How okd is your cat? Mines is like 2 yr& a half
    via SpaceGlitchX

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tantrum forced stubborn destructive struggle smart reddit story will control advice cat story cat owners feline good special
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