Stinky is one of two cats at work (bookstore).  Stinky & harriet were
adopted together in February 1999.  Stinky was 3 months, Harriet 1 1.2
years.  Stinky was a typical kitten, loved to play and meet new people and
try new things.  When she was around a year old, she started getting scared
by any new thing/person.  She'd spend lots of time hiding and whenever we
hired new people it took her awhile to get used to them.  We sell textbooks,
which means the store gets very busy several times a year.  Stinky would
stay in hiding all day for the duration.

Over the years she would sometimes come out of her shell for awhile, and
then she'd go back to hiding and freaking out over every little thing.
Recently, she seemed to be terrified of me.  I was heartbroken.  I think she
was always afraid I'd want to trim her claws, something that taht has caused
her to go into extreme panic mode for the past couple of years.  Before, she
was fine with it.  I know that I have never hurt her while doing it and I
never trim too close.

So, all this year she'll come into my office, but hide under a computer cart
if I even look at her.  If I tried to pet her she looked terrified.
Sometimes she would come over and rub against my legs but bolt if I leaned
down to pet her.  I'd offer her treats and she'd hide under the computer
cart looking pathetic until I finally placed the treat on the floor by her
hiding spot.  Once in awhile she'd come in my office and stand up with her
front paws on my leg and meow at me, then run out of the office.  If I
ignored her, she'd come back in and do it again.  I finally figured out that
she wanted me to follow her to the back of the basement where her safe zone
is set up.  She'd go into her nook and basically just want me to stay there
and talk to her.  If I went back to my office, sometimes she'd come back in
and start the whole thing over again.

So this year, even though she's been hiding from me she was actually very
calm when classes started back in February, and the store was full of
students buying books and lots of temporary staff we had hired.  She was
actually letting the temps pet her, but she'd run from me.

Things continued like this up until last week, when she decided to become
normal again (for now).  She's been hanging out in my office on my desk,
demanding that I share my lunch with her, jumping in my lap, playing with
toys, and always asking for food.  I was glad she was back to her sane self,
but she went one step farther.  She's been going upstairs into the actual
store every day.  Normally, she spends all of her time in the basement when
the store is open.  The only customers that come down there are students
during textbook season, but most of the time it's just staff.  Last week I
had to run out to the drugstore across the street to get something, and it
was right around their dinnertime.  I guess Stinky was worried that I was
leaving without feeding her, and she followed me upstairs and waited there
until I got back.  Since last week every time I go upstairs, I call her and
she follows me up.  She even wanders all over the store and this week has
gone close to the door and looked at people passing by on the street.  She
does retreat to the back if anyone comes in.  Twice she has even gone
upstairs on her own.  We're all amazed.  Harriet hates this, as upstairs is
*her* domain.

I'm sure that this is all temporary, and she'll be back to being freaky
again.  My question is: Is is unusual for cats to go through behavior cycles
like this?  Scared of their own shadow one week, acting normal & friendly
with strangers the next?  She's even let some customers upstairs pet her,
which she had NEVER done in the past when we were able to coax her upstairs
(with the promise of treats, usually).  Her behavior this week is completely
opposite of how she was 2 weeks ago.

--
Liz