(california) Landlord Is Being Intentionally Hostile

I live in a detached in-law unit in the backyard of a house. When I first toured the property, the landlord mentioned the rent was $1100 per month, with a month-to-month agreement. I pointed out that the Craigslist ad listed the rent as $1000, and she claimed it was a typo. However, she agreed to honor the $1000 price, and we modified the lease accordingly.

When I first moved in, things were cordial. If my landlord asked me to do or not do something, even if it wasn’t in my lease, I complied out of courtesy. For example, she complained that the garbage cans were filling up too quickly, so I started throwing some of my trash in public dumpsters.

I have one cat, which is explicitly allowed in my lease. My cat likes sitting in the window and looking out at the backyard, something she’s done without issue for months. But recently, my landlord’s three Pomeranians discovered my cat’s presence. One of the dogs started sniffing and scratching at my door.

My landlord confronted me about it, asking what was going on, as though I’m responsible for her dogs’ behavior. She implied that the dog was doing that because I wasn’t keeping my unit clean, which would violate my lease. I told her that my unit is clean and her dog was simply intrigued by my cat. She said ok.

But now things are escalating. All three dogs are scratching at my walls and door and barking. I am 100% certain that my landlord is going to start blaming me for “antagonizing her dogs” and demand that I stop letting my cat sit at the window. I closed the windows while writing this post, but I don’t want to live in the dark all day. I need sunlight and fresh air.

I think she’s trying to make me uncomfortable so I’ll move out and she can rent the unit to someone else for $1100. There are other conflicts which I haven’t mentioned just so that I don’t have to write more.

I want to record our calls to protect myself, but since California is a two-party consent state, I’d have to tell her I’m recording, which would likely antagonize her further.

Another issue is how I pay rent. I’m required to pay in cash, which hasn’t been a problem so far. However, I want to start requesting written confirmation that I’ve paid, such as a text receipt. I’m almost certain this will upset her, and she’ll say something like, “What, you don’t trust me?”

My Questions:

1. Can I ignore rules she makes up that aren’t explicitly outlined in the lease? Under what conditions can she evict me?

2. How should I handle upcoming conflicts, like requesting confirmation for rent payments or any unreasonable demands she makes? I can’t secretly record her, right?

3. How can I prove that she's intentionally creating a hostile environment? Is there anything else I should be doing / be aware of?

Copy of lease: https://imgur.com/a/rMrrLto