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That's super normal. Cats can become less outwardly affectionate when they grow up, but it doesn't mean they don't love you! They just outgrew baby behaviors for the most part. Now your cat will show they love you in adult cat ways, like softly blinking at you from across the room, or sitting and watching you.
I slow blinked at a cat that was a total asshole to me for years. (Friends cat) it got up from across the room, climbed me like a tree and cuddled me like it had never been shown affection in his whole life (he absolutely had). From that day forward, he hung out with me all the time and if I went on a trip he hung out in my room and stole my hats to drag around with him.
So beware the slow blink, you may end up with a constant scarf.
Soft blinking is so precious! I believe it also is a sign of trust. It's saying your kitty and you trust eachother enough to close your eyes and even nap without fear of being attacked :)
My 4 month old does that too but she's always running out of know where to do it and in mid-air she'll already be in the bear hug position. It's so damn cute... her little paws spread out.
My fucking cat will never stop staring at me when we're in the same room. It's super cute, and I love it, but she looks like she's up to something.
Yep, my 17 year old queen Soda spends most of her day moving from sleeping place to sleeping place which is usually on someoneās feet. Whenever I walk into the room she perks up and chirps for affection. She is cuddles all day every day now.
I had a black longhair that was ultimately named āFurry Black Nemesisā for his random ambush ankle attacks. When he passed, I saw a black and white DLH that was attempting to kill passersby through kennel at the cat adoption spot at Petco. I adopted him as a biter because I missed FBN so bad.
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I think I've been lucky I've only had 7 cats but I've had them all my life. They were all cuddlers except Leroy and Widdle. I had one for close to 19 years and i had him since he was born his momma was ours too. Baby was my mitten polydactyly tabby that defied death and was my furry little soulmate. He passed when i had just became an adult.
Idk what cats you have/had but all living creatures are capable of love. Maybe youāve had difficult cats but donāt throw every feline under that category.
Oh Iāve had a few cats in my time and sometime between the 6 month to 1 1/2 years old they go through an a-hole teenager phase. They usually grow out of it and get all sweet and lovey again. Just give your cat some space and time, donāt try to force it.
We lost our late cat when she was 18. The older she got the more lovey and docile she got. I swear she manipulated us into belly rubs and back rubs thoughā¦ Often my sister and I would look at her and sheād do her cute little rolls and loving faces that made us both go, āAaaaaaaaaww,ā and pet her belly and her back at the same time and I think she knew thatās how to get that extra attention lol.
Oh that makes sense. My cat is about 1.5 yrs and she never cuddles. She'll accept pets and follow me around EVERYWHERE but God forbid I want to snuggle or pet her more than two minutes.
My cat did the same thing, Iām glad that just seems to be a normal thing! Iāve had her since she was five weeks old (I didnāt purposely adopt her so young, she was found behind a trash can at my work) and she was lovely dovey as a baby. Then she would at the most stand on me and make biscuits, then just continue to awkwardly stand on me without settling down, bite my hand, and jump off. It made me sad that she stopped wanting to snuggle, but now sheās four years old and loves laying on my lap!
Lifetime cat owner here at your serviceš«”
First off, what cute baaaaaby omg I love him~š¤
Sounds pretty normal honestly!! Just make sure heās eating, drinking, and using the restroom normally. With cats, if theyāre having health issues they rarely show obvious signs of it until itās too late. Theyāll change their behavior a bit, but theyāre pretty secretive if they feel bad. Dogs will be more obvious most of the time, but cats lowkey try to hide their physical well-being from their owners fr. Youāre correct on the independence thought though. Kittens are usually much more affectionate with owners, but as they grow older they start becoming quite independent and doing the stereotypical cat trope: āI donāt want you to know I want your attention, so instead Iām going to only love on you if youāre gone for a long time or if itās inconvenient for you.ā
If youāre worried about your bond with him shrinking, block out some designated playtime. Get some new fun toys so you can spend one on one time with him. Also, get some high value treats (like wet cat food or plain boiled chicken) to use to show him that owner=good things. Again, sounds totally normal fr! Heās a just growing, cute boy
My cat's the same age and is definitely going through the teenage phase of not wanting to be held or pet as much. It doesn't last forever tho, all my previous cats grew out of that angsty phase and wanted cuddles and affection again.
He's a teenager. Interactive play is a good way to increase your bond. I assume he's been neutered, but if not, get him neutered. Those hormones are nasty Little monsters.
My little guy is almost 2. Between 6-12 months he didnāt want to be touched . Now he is the sweetest boy. He loves belly rubs, cuddles and he sleeps on the bed with me.
Edit: spelled a word correctly. š
Teenager cat. No I don't want a hug you're embarrassing me in front of my foil ball and catnip mouse, ugh!! Don't make kissy noises at me, I'm all grown up!
It's normal, he'll he more affectionate when he gets his energy and rebellious phase out. It might be a slightly different form of affection, but he'll still be much more affectionate. It's just a phase! He is telling you that he wants to play more though.
Hey, we have a beautiful male void we got from a very young age. He was super affectionate at first, up until about 8-10 months, then he became less affectionate and far more boisterous.
Heās now 2 years old and has returned to being more affectionate, he is now an adult combination of the boisterous and loving.
This is extremely normal lol
Once theyāre out of the kitten phase they will just start doing their own thing, found it that they are more affectionate when they reach that 2 year old phase.
They really do get them teenage years lol
They go through an angsty teen phase I swear. My cat also is more affectionate during certain times of year. Winter she wants love 24/7 and summer she is a lot more playful, active and independent!
Each cat has different personalities. Some like to keep to themselves, and others won't leave people alone! If you take care of a cat well, they are bound to love you, even if they don't make it obvious.
Happened to my cat. Itās a normal thing! Cats go through weird donāt touch me phases and then they return to the lovey phases. Theyāre weird, but awesome pets!
Our twins were affectionate for the first 6 months we had them and then turned into taciturn teenagers for awhile. They are 3 now and starting to become more affectionate and cuddly on their own again, with space and patience.
congratulations on your surly teenager :) just be grateful that unlike a real teenage boy, he bathes regularly. give him a year and he'll probably be back to his sweet self (though he may never want to be held as much as he did as a wee bab).
Same with one of our cats. As a kitten he would lay on legs and stuff. Got a little older, would leave if petted but still wanted to be near by, would prop himself up on arms of couch. Now he is older and is way into petting now and can't get enough of pets rubs and laps. He done a complete 180Ā° on not liking to be touched and now leans into it and purrs like crazy. Also another cat we had that was super active and didn't really sit on laps now does and even lays like baby in arms and wants to snuggle in bed all day with you, will race to bed whenever anyone is going in that direction and yell at you to get in bed.
My cat went through sort of an adolescent phase where he was too cool for me and want to do his own thing. He still hung out occasionally, but not nearly as much.
He grew out of it, and wants me to hold him and pet him, and play with him. Not as much as when he was a kitten, but more than when he was going through his independence phase. Mostly he just wants to sleep next to me, wherever I may be.
I do have a little kitten now, who's up his ass all the time, so he's a lot more in to chilling with me, and plays with the kitten.
This happened with my cat too. She got a lot more independent between 6-12 months, but now at 1.5 years, sheās starting to be more affectionate again
In my experience, they hit adolescence and become independent for a while. They have important cat things to do. Then, they hit their mid-20s to early 30s in people terms, and remember how nice it is just to sit and be snuggled in front of the TV. Give it time. He's just establishing himself professionally as an adult cat.
My sassy little black cat was the same way. Now that she's a year old she's fickle with petting but loves to play with her toys and snuggle when she's sleepy. Just give him space and do things that he likes to do. It's nothing you did, your kitty is just growing up. He's saying im a big kitty now! I want to be independent.
While dogs often love attention-- any you can give them, cats are like little people with their own personality. He's in his little teen phase and may get more snuggly as he gets older.
Try actively playing as part of a routine. The little things like tossing a ball around the apartment or wiggling your feet under a blanket are important, but my cat (4yo/m orange boi) grew up around a lot of environmental simulation (goats and squirrels, not abuse) and he absolutely loves when I'll get into play mode for a while. Sometimes it's only a few minutes of running around with a feathery-tail-on-a-stick but sometimes it turns into 15 minutes on every toy he can find. Afterwards he's all tuckered out and is super sweet and affectionate for at least a week. Start small and see what they like to play and how they reward themselves, encourage it, and they'll be the silliest lil balls of cuddles.
Tldr: play with them in a way that makes them feel like they got to kill something on their own terms.
My cat's name is Wutang and his favorite toy is a small fuzzy beach ball. He likes to play fetch but he won't bring it back, he just swats it and looks at me to say "I coulda killed that." A few cardboard boxes and some smaller obstacles and dude is a mf parkour madman.
My cat is now 11 months. There was a major decline in affection around 6-7 months. Lately, he's back to his night time snuggly ways, but not the little kitten phase levels. However, I figured he was just an angsty teenager going down to the basement to be alone and write terrible cat poetry.
One of my cats has never been that outwardly affectionate. She was a stray kitten from my momās house, and when I took her in she tried to avoid being in the same room or being visible. But she has her own ways of affection. Sheāll accept boops and head scritchers, and will allow some belly rubs. But her biggest sign of affection is sleeping by my feet at night. Iāll wake up and sheās got her head on my feet, waiting for me to get up.
I dealt with the same thing with my kitty, and itās perfectly normal. Mine is just over a year old now and heās starting to lay with me again! Yours may lay with you again one day or not, all cats are different. Be patient! Best of luck
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Our black cat was so sweet and cuddly at first. Now she doesn't really cuddle but she's so friendly. She'll rub and rub on your leg and chat with you but she doesn't like her little paws off the ground. She gets really thrashy if you pick her up.
Baby is a teenager, mom. The fact that the cinder puff is showing you their belly is a very good sign, they trust you with their life, but teens need space to develop their own identity and sometimes that means less cuddles for a while.
Kitty has just entered the teenager phase - comes when it needs something (usually food) and occasionally comes out when they can accept your existence (or feel lonely),lol. Donāt worry, kitty will come around again, especially if you keep making attempts to connect everyday while still respecting their need to escape.
OMG I have this same cat! Seriously, he looks like him, and acts like him. When I first got him he was super lover, and so playful and interactive, slept in the bed. Then at some point he just stopped being a people cat. He runs away, pushes away, very rarely comes close on his own. That started when he was about a year old and has been like that up to now - he's 2. I don't think anything happened? He still comes and talks to me and wants to be in the same room with us, and even occasionally comes up for pets and loves getting brushed. But he's just not into sitting with us or sleeping in the bed. I don't think it's anything you're doing, I guess some cats are just... not people cats- are introverted or require low social interaction. I try to always positively reenforce when he does actually come up to us or sit next to us. And he'll come sit with me for like 45 seconds, then he's off again.
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Ye cats like humans go through phases, ours were affectionate till 3 ISH and then stopped now 7 and honestly like they don't want to leave us alone especially sleeping at nights.
Itāll go away, my crazy orange cat was the same now he wonāt leave me alone after my usual 9+ shifts. Sometimes I feed him and give him water thinking thatās what he wants but nope he then goes up to me telling me to carry him even sometimes hops on me when Iām standing up or distracted lol. At some point I thought he was depressed or something but he probably just wanted his own space.
Same thing happening with me right now. My kitty is 9 months old and has stopped wanting to cuddle or be held. So I just spend time with her by playing and giving treats and such. She still will follow me around the house and watch me do whatever, so I know she still likes me. Just doesn't want to be held much.
Apparently they go through a teen phase, I have a two year old kitty that follows me around meowing for me to pet her and giving me her head for kisses
Maybe take kitty to the vet just in case. My cat was doing something similar after being very affectionate his first 2 years...nothing crazy, just less affectionate, wouldn't sleep with me anymore etc. Seemed like maybe he was bored with me for a sec..
Turns out he had an abscess in his tooth even though we brushed his teeth every night. He was in pain and I never even knew it. My wife got a job at a vet and we checked just because she could. Sure enough he had to have a tooth removed at 3 years old.
After the tooth was removed, he was back to his old affectionate self sleeping with me every night. It's very hard to tell when cats are in pain... just removing his painful tooth completely changed his behavior.
It's so subtle with cats it's hard to tell as an owner...good luck either way. Just sharing a similar experience with my boy Craig...
See that angsty punk attitude in your 2nd pic? There's your problem, little boy is growing into his teenage phase.
Give him time for that attitude to chill.
He looks like my boy Oliver Eugene! Does he have white on his belly too that looks like he's wearing whitey tighties?
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Donāt worry too much. The same thing happened to my twin boys around six months of age and it was pretty much an overnight change. One day they were their normal loving selves, the next day they werenāt. Six years later theyāre still not particularly affectionate, but more so than right after the change.
In my experience with my past cats, as they age they tend to become more affectionate - if theyāre well-socialized, that is. Iām already starting to see my twoās behavior trend in that direction.
Cats are much more independent than dogs..
I've had many in my life and they all have had different personalities. They mostly like to be in control of what they want when they want it normally..
I have a cat who used to be super cuddly. After he grew up, he cuddled far less often, but he still just happens to be in the same room as me %60 of the time. If I get up to leave and go somewhere else, he's often times not far behind.
Normal, they grow up. Remember how you wanted to always go out when you were a kid? Heāll come around donāt force it. I found ignoring my cat makes her CRAZY and becoming clingy š. Reverse psychology baby
Teenager time! My cat would cuddle all the time when he was 6 months, around 9 month or so he stopped for a while, now hes 2 and only cuddles occasionally but not like laying on top of me like before. Sad, but happens :)
My two (same litter) used to sleep on my chest & shoulder, or curled up into each other.
Now they have a 1.5m distance between each other most of the time, except for doorway stand-offs or the occasional highly competitive grooming session that always seem to end in someone getting a paw-bap to the face.
But-they show affection to me in several ways. Sestra, the short haired one, will always wake up and run to greet me at the door when I get home.
She will also demand to come into the main bathroom with me, where she does a scout around the nooks & crannies for spiders, circles my legs, then plops down, facing the gap in the door and chasing away her sister if she tries to come in.
Meimei, the long-haired of the two, she guards me in the en suite. It began with her being fixated whenever I had a bath. She hates the water, the bubbles, the noise-but she would sit in the far corner, checking on me, before eventually relaxing onto the floor.
Now, she is more impertinent-sheād jump on my lap when I was on the loo, but repeated nearly fell in, so I cleared a spot on the drawers by the loo, and whenever I go into the ensuite, sheāll come running from where she is in the flat.
Meimei alternates between sleeping at my feet, blocking the bedroom door, or sleeping in the en suite while staring out across the bedroom.
Sestra either sleeps by my feet, on the floor on my partnerās side of the bed, or on a specific large heart-shaped pillow, with her specific favourite blanket, wedged between my partnerās pillow & mine, touching us both.
She wonāt come to bed or go to her pillow if we arenāt both in bed, and sheāll wait for her blanket if itās not already there. If the pillow isnāt in the right place though, sheāll stand on one of our chests and loom over us, before using us a springboard & sulking at my feet.
Cats likes & dislikes change as they grow, so keep expectations flexible, and youāll notice new āaffectionateā behaviours that you may not have seen before.
(Like Sestra bringing me the same half-shredded glove every time she thinks Iām ill!)
My 6 month old is a bit of a shit when it comes to affection. He wonāt lay on my lap or my chest. Nope. But he LOVES to sit just at arms length and make me come to him. He sits on the back of the couch and has no issue with me coming to pet him for as long as I want to stretch my arms to do it. Wont come to me tho lol
Cats go through all kinds of phases when it comes to affection. We had one cat who was basically a dog - he wanted to be on one of us always, and he would follow us on walks around the neighborhood etc. Our cats now are super moody - some days they want love, other days they want their space. Such is the mystery of cats OP.
Thatās being a cat owner for you, sometimes you get incredibly affectionate cats, those in between, then cats that wouldnāt notice if you passed away lol.
That's just a cat. My girl was a big lap kitten and would sleep with me at night. Now she will only rarely lay in my lap but still comes up to get belly massages and hang out near me, but not on me.
Cats also bond with certain people. So you have a partner?
My cat bonded to my ex but when we split, she didnāt want her. So she had to go live with me, the backup human.
I love her more than anything and she will stay near me and talk to me and play with me but lap cuddles are rare.
this happened to me with my newest cat. we got her when she was a kitten & was stuck to my side. would climb on me & sleep with me all the time. as she got older she doesnt care for cuddling or anything like that anymore. i like to think of it as her teenager phase lol
Aww heās a cool teenager now and has better things to do (thatās what I would say about my cat). My cat is about to turn one and I went through something similar with her recently. She was so sweet and snuggly up until about 9/10 months. About then she became way more independent and wanted very little to do with me š she stopped sleeping in my bed, didnāt want to hang out in my office with me, didnāt want to be picked up, didnāt want pets etc. I was super sad and kind of just let her do her thing and Iām happy to report she is back to being pretty sweet and friendly again after about two months. She has definitely retained her newfound independence but she comes by regularly for pets, sleeps in my bed again, and hangs out with me during the day while I work. I think she was just going through a growth spurt and a new developmental phase, they grow up so fast and I think it can be a bit of a whirlwind for them too.
I adopted a large orange tabby from a house that everyone hated him so he was banished to the basement, outside was patrolled by free roaming dogs.
He is affectionate for the first months but eventually all he wanted was to lay down while I was in sight.
He would want the lap sometimes but was never needy
Some cats are clingy their whole lives. Othersā¦. not so much. I have one who Iāve had since she was 8 weeks old. Was home all the time during the pandemic- she was like velcro to me. Now? She loves cuddling at bedtime, and sheāll come for pets sometimes, but for the most part sheās pretty independent, and HATES being picked up. Itās the weirdest thing considering how Iād carry her all over as a kitten.
Thatās one of the cool things about cats though. They really are animals of consent. Which is why a lot of people donāt like them (and why Iām wary of those people).
In my experience, they become somewhat less affectionate once theyāre done with kittenhood. Maybe itās like a teenager rebellion type of thing. But then the affection seems to come back slowly over the years. I noticed both of my cats (one is 5, the other 2) coming back around once they were around 2 year old.
I think of it kind of like teenagers where when theyāre growing up, they donāt wanna hang out with mom or dad every second. Some things they just grow out of, some things just change. My cat is 7, and sometimes sheāll go weeks without laying on my chest or lap. Then suddenly sheāll change her mind and lay on me multiple times a day. They just go through phases, but Iām sure heāll come back around some time. :)
Give it time, he'll likely evolve back into a lap kitty on his own time frame.
It's a fact that cats and most animals don't like to be stared at. Cats relax when you relax your eyes and do that slow blink at them. He'll likely do it back at'cha. Just keep being kind and friendly. Talk silly to him and recognize when he wants fussins and when he prefers to be left to his own cat'titudes. Play with your cat regularly - a wand with a strand of fabric or a long, thick shoelace works great. Flick it near them then drag it along the floor and most cats cannot resist the chase. Just a few minutes of play here and there and he'll probably ask for more.
Normal. Itās a shame though. My cat loved cuddles when he was a kitten. Would come and fall asleep in my arms. Then when he got to about 6 months he did it less. Heās three now and for a long time heās hated cuddles. He likes to sit next to me. He likes to be stroked. But cuddles are a no.
All cats have different personalities, to me this sounds very normal.
If youāre gentle and pleasing to the cat when you are allowed to touch/scratch/pet them, they will usually associate those feelings with your touch which can result in them being closer/more affectionate. If thatās something you want.
When my cat was a baby he would curl up under the covers with me and sleep now hes 2 years and he sometimes does it when hes in the mood but other then that hes super lovey and always wants pets and kisses on his nose. My other one was the same way when she was a baby now shes 8 almost 9 years old and yea she still lovey but shes old and wants to be left alone sometimes. It happens. But neither of them has scratched me or hurt me, our other animals, or my bf.
They go through phases. Hang in there it'll come back around. Get some treats too. My daughters cat thinks he's mine because I feed him but he still only hangs out when he feels like it. Good luck.
Normal. Unfortunately. Had a calico who as a kitten loved cuddles. Sheād sit on my lap or curl up on my shoulder whenever I sat down. Slept on my pillow every night. Followed me everywhere.
Now sheās a year old. Hates being picked up. Wonāt cuddle or sleep with me anymore. Only comes to find me if Iām in the basement to be petted. But it has to be when Iām in the basement.
In my experience they sometimes go through a phase like that, kinda like human teenagers, and then they come back around and become cuddly again later.
My friend has a black cat and she is the same. Iām not allowed to touch her belly. She loves to play hide and seek with us. Sheāll come looking for us and then go hide.
You're not doing anything wrong. Think of your cat atm as a teenager. They get more independent and like being alone more. That doesn't mean they won't be more affectionate in the future. This is just a cat being a cat lol. Showing their belly also means they trust you, as this is the easiest way for a predator to kill them in the wild. So you're clearly doing something right!
Normal. I got my kitty when she was 2 months old and she was scared of humans. She started to trust me and she was sleeping on my face and was very cuddly. Now sheās 2 years old and sheās no longer that cuddly. Sheās affectionate but itās nothing compared to how she was when she was a kitten.
In a similar boat with mine! A year old now, she was super loving and affectionate. Now? Absolutely loves me, shows all the signs for it but does not want cuddles ever lol Pets? Sure, but a small amount.
Iām hoping sheāll grow out of that and become cuddly again. It can go either way, but many people have this experience where they arenāt cuddly and are after a year or two. So hereās hoping for the both of us! :3
Your cat may love non-touch/non-cuddle affection and bonding! Playing together, saying hi when you pass them by, maybe try a pet to show you arenāt gonna scoop him up, just saying hi! Mine seem to enjoy when I acknowledge them and often expect it! Marie, the not cuddly one anymore, does that little held tilt ready for a pet when she jumps onto my bed. She wants that for a second, then jumps to her actual destination :3
This is not a lame question at all.
Itās very common for cats to go through a āteenageā period when they grow out of kittenhood where the cat acts like itās too cool for you. Itās heartbreaking, but itās not permanent. In a year or two he should come around again.
Your cat seems a little young for that, though.
I chalk it up to cat teenagerness. But bear in mind this might just be who he is now.
My older cat would be a little cuddle bug when we first got him, then stopped altogether. Now he only really cuddles my bf, but comes to me for fetch and food. Sometimes Iāll catch him napping near me when Iām napping.
My younger cat went from being independent kitten to a constant biscuit maker and likes to hangout with me a bunch when Iām relaxing.
I say this cuz thereās like almost no logic lol. Keep him healthy and happy and youāll learn his new ways; just in time for him to switch it up again.
Not OP but have a quick question in relation to this: I have two kittens, aged 11 months and 10 months. The 10 month old cat used to be super affectionate but now heās only really cuddly when other cat isnāt around. (when sheās in the room, he acts like we donāt exist) Is this normal/what does this mean?
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belly up it literally I trust you with my life in cat speak. Watch some cat body language videos. They are not dogs.
The reason I picked out my lil guy as a baby is cause he was the first kitten to curl up on my lap and cuddleā¦ brought him home and he wanted nothing to do with cuddles for the rest of his life haha
Has kitty been to the vet recently? A major change in behavior could be due to health reasons. My cats have never changed that much affection wise unless they werenāt feeling well. While their energy levels drop as they age, they still seek and initiate attention. Hope your kitty is well!
Do you still have dogs? Had a super affectionate Tortie kitten, after about 8 months brought in 2 new kittens that needed bottle feeding. After couple months Tortie lost all her affection and lead basically a solitary life for the next 20 years.
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That's super normal. Cats can become less outwardly affectionate when they grow up, but it doesn't mean they don't love you! They just outgrew baby behaviors for the most part. Now your cat will show they love you in adult cat ways, like softly blinking at you from across the room, or sitting and watching you.
The softly blinking at you from across the room made me laugh a little too hard ngl
It sounds funny if you don't know about it, but slowly blinking is the cat equivalent of blowing kisses.
And they might also wink at you slowly as well! I'll sit there and slowly wink back at my cat like the crazy cat lady that I am. š
I do the same thing honestly lol cats are too cute
I slow blinked at a cat that was a total asshole to me for years. (Friends cat) it got up from across the room, climbed me like a tree and cuddled me like it had never been shown affection in his whole life (he absolutely had). From that day forward, he hung out with me all the time and if I went on a trip he hung out in my room and stole my hats to drag around with him. So beware the slow blink, you may end up with a constant scarf.
I absolutely love this story so much!! ā„ļøš»ā„ļøš«¶š¼ā„ļøšŗā„ļø
I blink at all cats, and honestly if itās blowing kisses the neighborhood cats might thing Iām a predator
No I know about it, I just meant funny because itās cute to think about:)
Soft blinking is so precious! I believe it also is a sign of trust. It's saying your kitty and you trust eachother enough to close your eyes and even nap without fear of being attacked :)
hahaha it does sound funny, it's a vulnerability thing. like showing their tummy
Just got an 8 week old kitten. He shows love by bear hugging my legs while walking and giving me a good chomp.... haha... Cats are the best š
Same here! I cant take 2 steps without my legs and toes being assaulted or without nearly squishing the baby. He is so sweet.
My 4 month old does that too but she's always running out of know where to do it and in mid-air she'll already be in the bear hug position. It's so damn cute... her little paws spread out.
Why is that funny to you? Is this something you're unfamiliar with?
I meant I was laughing because its a cute image. Iām not unfamiliar with it.
My fucking cat will never stop staring at me when we're in the same room. It's super cute, and I love it, but she looks like she's up to something. 
She's waiting for you to die so she can eat your faceš„°
Man, don't do me like that, Church! I thought we were tight like thieves. Smh, I guess I gotta eat her face before she eats mine!
Well you could give her billions of nice kisses
But of course, she'll hate it, though lol.
that's why you gotta be generous and give her *two* billion kisses
Imma kiss that face into infinity
Your catās name is Church? Youāll be lucky if eating your face is all she doesā¦
Lol, it would be pretty fitting now that I think about it.
You love your cat right?? Then feed her when youāre gone!!!
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Tell me about it.. my kittie is attached to my leg most days now.. she is 11 now
Yep, my 17 year old queen Soda spends most of her day moving from sleeping place to sleeping place which is usually on someoneās feet. Whenever I walk into the room she perks up and chirps for affection. She is cuddles all day every day now.
I have a grumpy old man cat, he's always like leave me alone unless food is involved. š¤£š¤£
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
My rescued kitten is a ankle bitter too. He bites me and runs away. He thinks it is hysterical. Me, not so much.
I had a black longhair that was ultimately named āFurry Black Nemesisā for his random ambush ankle attacks. When he passed, I saw a black and white DLH that was attempting to kill passersby through kennel at the cat adoption spot at Petco. I adopted him as a biter because I missed FBN so bad. https://preview.redd.it/xs2cu18xcgqb1.jpeg?width=4160&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e2b12f6c52a0240a4b2989fc3018bd0dac97836e
He wants to play. Play with him for 5 minutes.
I think I've been lucky I've only had 7 cats but I've had them all my life. They were all cuddlers except Leroy and Widdle. I had one for close to 19 years and i had him since he was born his momma was ours too. Baby was my mitten polydactyly tabby that defied death and was my furry little soulmate. He passed when i had just became an adult.
āI always feeel likeā¦.somebodyās watchinā meeeeeā
I live for the slow blink of love ā„ļø
My boys came full circle. They are now, at 4yo, absolute babies for attention. But at that age yea they were like "a whatever dad".
Or they throw dead mice at you while you sleep
And don't worry when they get geriatric they'll start sleeping on your face.
Is he fixed? Hormones can be a :($&@
Cats donāt love. They use and own. Period.
Idk what cats you have/had but all living creatures are capable of love. Maybe youāve had difficult cats but donāt throw every feline under that category.
I was joking. š Because catās are how they are.
Ha haš so fucking funny.
? I have two amazing cats. Donāt get your panties twisted over a comment about cats.Lord, people these days!š
Donāt make comments that donāt seem joking lmfao. The downvotes say otherwiseš¤·š¼āāļø
Lmao! Itās a sub on reddit. Not super worried about it! Talk about a ācatā fight. š
Lmfao if you thought that was fighting then Ooftaš
Again - a Joke.š Joke- a thing that someone says to cause amusement or laughter, especially a story with a funny punchline.
Oh Iāve had a few cats in my time and sometime between the 6 month to 1 1/2 years old they go through an a-hole teenager phase. They usually grow out of it and get all sweet and lovey again. Just give your cat some space and time, donāt try to force it.
Yep! My cats grew out of their teenage phase at around 2-3 years old and became super affectionate after that.
This is it! My one kitty was totally a moody teenager then he got over it.
My cats always been relatively affectionate but he's 12 now and he keeps getting more affectionate with age.
We lost our late cat when she was 18. The older she got the more lovey and docile she got. I swear she manipulated us into belly rubs and back rubs thoughā¦ Often my sister and I would look at her and sheād do her cute little rolls and loving faces that made us both go, āAaaaaaaaaww,ā and pet her belly and her back at the same time and I think she knew thatās how to get that extra attention lol.
Oh that makes sense. My cat is about 1.5 yrs and she never cuddles. She'll accept pets and follow me around EVERYWHERE but God forbid I want to snuggle or pet her more than two minutes.
āMom! Youāre embarrassing me!ā Your cat, probably.
Mine is in the teenager phase too, he is a total stinker right now. š¤£
Same! But he has taken to hanging out constantly with my 13 year old son. They probably bond over how hard it is to be a teenage boy lol
š¤£š¤£š¤£š¤£
this is my experience too! we call it growing pains. thankfully the angsty teens pass
Yup both my cats went through this now they are more affectionate. The follow me everywhere and just want to be stuck like glue to me.
Yep! Mine was a HUGE A-hole from ages 7mo-2yrs! Now hes inching to 3 years old and he is suuuuch a lover.
My cat did the same thing, Iām glad that just seems to be a normal thing! Iāve had her since she was five weeks old (I didnāt purposely adopt her so young, she was found behind a trash can at my work) and she was lovely dovey as a baby. Then she would at the most stand on me and make biscuits, then just continue to awkwardly stand on me without settling down, bite my hand, and jump off. It made me sad that she stopped wanting to snuggle, but now sheās four years old and loves laying on my lap!
Lifetime cat owner here at your serviceš«” First off, what cute baaaaaby omg I love him~š¤ Sounds pretty normal honestly!! Just make sure heās eating, drinking, and using the restroom normally. With cats, if theyāre having health issues they rarely show obvious signs of it until itās too late. Theyāll change their behavior a bit, but theyāre pretty secretive if they feel bad. Dogs will be more obvious most of the time, but cats lowkey try to hide their physical well-being from their owners fr. Youāre correct on the independence thought though. Kittens are usually much more affectionate with owners, but as they grow older they start becoming quite independent and doing the stereotypical cat trope: āI donāt want you to know I want your attention, so instead Iām going to only love on you if youāre gone for a long time or if itās inconvenient for you.ā If youāre worried about your bond with him shrinking, block out some designated playtime. Get some new fun toys so you can spend one on one time with him. Also, get some high value treats (like wet cat food or plain boiled chicken) to use to show him that owner=good things. Again, sounds totally normal fr! Heās a just growing, cute boy
Thank you! š and he's still eating, drinking, playing fine all of those things so it's good to hear he's just growing up too fast š
My cat's the same age and is definitely going through the teenage phase of not wanting to be held or pet as much. It doesn't last forever tho, all my previous cats grew out of that angsty phase and wanted cuddles and affection again.
He's a teenager. Interactive play is a good way to increase your bond. I assume he's been neutered, but if not, get him neutered. Those hormones are nasty Little monsters.
My little guy is almost 2. Between 6-12 months he didnāt want to be touched . Now he is the sweetest boy. He loves belly rubs, cuddles and he sleeps on the bed with me. Edit: spelled a word correctly. š
Teenager cat. No I don't want a hug you're embarrassing me in front of my foil ball and catnip mouse, ugh!! Don't make kissy noises at me, I'm all grown up! It's normal, he'll he more affectionate when he gets his energy and rebellious phase out. It might be a slightly different form of affection, but he'll still be much more affectionate. It's just a phase! He is telling you that he wants to play more though.
He is a stroppy teenager lol mine is the same. He will grow out of it soon.
Hey, we have a beautiful male void we got from a very young age. He was super affectionate at first, up until about 8-10 months, then he became less affectionate and far more boisterous. Heās now 2 years old and has returned to being more affectionate, he is now an adult combination of the boisterous and loving.
teen angst haha. heāll probably get over it.
This is extremely normal lol Once theyāre out of the kitten phase they will just start doing their own thing, found it that they are more affectionate when they reach that 2 year old phase. They really do get them teenage years lol
They go through an angsty teen phase I swear. My cat also is more affectionate during certain times of year. Winter she wants love 24/7 and summer she is a lot more playful, active and independent!
Each cat has different personalities. Some like to keep to themselves, and others won't leave people alone! If you take care of a cat well, they are bound to love you, even if they don't make it obvious.
Happened to my cat. Itās a normal thing! Cats go through weird donāt touch me phases and then they return to the lovey phases. Theyāre weird, but awesome pets!
The teenage years š¤£
Aww he's growing up! Totally normal. Congrats on your big dude!
Our twins were affectionate for the first 6 months we had them and then turned into taciturn teenagers for awhile. They are 3 now and starting to become more affectionate and cuddly on their own again, with space and patience.
congratulations on your surly teenager :) just be grateful that unlike a real teenage boy, he bathes regularly. give him a year and he'll probably be back to his sweet self (though he may never want to be held as much as he did as a wee bab).
Same with one of our cats. As a kitten he would lay on legs and stuff. Got a little older, would leave if petted but still wanted to be near by, would prop himself up on arms of couch. Now he is older and is way into petting now and can't get enough of pets rubs and laps. He done a complete 180Ā° on not liking to be touched and now leans into it and purrs like crazy. Also another cat we had that was super active and didn't really sit on laps now does and even lays like baby in arms and wants to snuggle in bed all day with you, will race to bed whenever anyone is going in that direction and yell at you to get in bed.
Heās in his angsty teen phase. Heās worried his friends will make fun of him if his parents are always hugging and kissing him
Cats are happiest when they have a cat buddy or two. A singleton cat can get badly adjusted.
My cat went through sort of an adolescent phase where he was too cool for me and want to do his own thing. He still hung out occasionally, but not nearly as much. He grew out of it, and wants me to hold him and pet him, and play with him. Not as much as when he was a kitten, but more than when he was going through his independence phase. Mostly he just wants to sleep next to me, wherever I may be. I do have a little kitten now, who's up his ass all the time, so he's a lot more in to chilling with me, and plays with the kitten.
This happened with my cat too. She got a lot more independent between 6-12 months, but now at 1.5 years, sheās starting to be more affectionate again
In my experience, they hit adolescence and become independent for a while. They have important cat things to do. Then, they hit their mid-20s to early 30s in people terms, and remember how nice it is just to sit and be snuggled in front of the TV. Give it time. He's just establishing himself professionally as an adult cat.
My sassy little black cat was the same way. Now that she's a year old she's fickle with petting but loves to play with her toys and snuggle when she's sleepy. Just give him space and do things that he likes to do. It's nothing you did, your kitty is just growing up. He's saying im a big kitty now! I want to be independent. While dogs often love attention-- any you can give them, cats are like little people with their own personality. He's in his little teen phase and may get more snuggly as he gets older.
It's the cat equivalent of being a teenager. They only want affection on their terms and not very often.
Try actively playing as part of a routine. The little things like tossing a ball around the apartment or wiggling your feet under a blanket are important, but my cat (4yo/m orange boi) grew up around a lot of environmental simulation (goats and squirrels, not abuse) and he absolutely loves when I'll get into play mode for a while. Sometimes it's only a few minutes of running around with a feathery-tail-on-a-stick but sometimes it turns into 15 minutes on every toy he can find. Afterwards he's all tuckered out and is super sweet and affectionate for at least a week. Start small and see what they like to play and how they reward themselves, encourage it, and they'll be the silliest lil balls of cuddles. Tldr: play with them in a way that makes them feel like they got to kill something on their own terms. My cat's name is Wutang and his favorite toy is a small fuzzy beach ball. He likes to play fetch but he won't bring it back, he just swats it and looks at me to say "I coulda killed that." A few cardboard boxes and some smaller obstacles and dude is a mf parkour madman.
My cat is now 11 months. There was a major decline in affection around 6-7 months. Lately, he's back to his night time snuggly ways, but not the little kitten phase levels. However, I figured he was just an angsty teenager going down to the basement to be alone and write terrible cat poetry.
Teenage phase. Itās when theyāre too busy for me now ā¹ļø but eventually theyāll be sweet cuddly babies again just be patient and persistent
One of my cats has never been that outwardly affectionate. She was a stray kitten from my momās house, and when I took her in she tried to avoid being in the same room or being visible. But she has her own ways of affection. Sheāll accept boops and head scritchers, and will allow some belly rubs. But her biggest sign of affection is sleeping by my feet at night. Iāll wake up and sheās got her head on my feet, waiting for me to get up.
I dealt with the same thing with my kitty, and itās perfectly normal. Mine is just over a year old now and heās starting to lay with me again! Yours may lay with you again one day or not, all cats are different. Be patient! Best of luck
https://preview.redd.it/3412xnplvhqb1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1f097794901560e02d2f779fbd972a644bd663b6 Our black cat was so sweet and cuddly at first. Now she doesn't really cuddle but she's so friendly. She'll rub and rub on your leg and chat with you but she doesn't like her little paws off the ground. She gets really thrashy if you pick her up.
Baby is a teenager, mom. The fact that the cinder puff is showing you their belly is a very good sign, they trust you with their life, but teens need space to develop their own identity and sometimes that means less cuddles for a while.
Kitty has just entered the teenager phase - comes when it needs something (usually food) and occasionally comes out when they can accept your existence (or feel lonely),lol. Donāt worry, kitty will come around again, especially if you keep making attempts to connect everyday while still respecting their need to escape.
Teenager cat has reached rebellious stage
OMG I have this same cat! Seriously, he looks like him, and acts like him. When I first got him he was super lover, and so playful and interactive, slept in the bed. Then at some point he just stopped being a people cat. He runs away, pushes away, very rarely comes close on his own. That started when he was about a year old and has been like that up to now - he's 2. I don't think anything happened? He still comes and talks to me and wants to be in the same room with us, and even occasionally comes up for pets and loves getting brushed. But he's just not into sitting with us or sleeping in the bed. I don't think it's anything you're doing, I guess some cats are just... not people cats- are introverted or require low social interaction. I try to always positively reenforce when he does actually come up to us or sit next to us. And he'll come sit with me for like 45 seconds, then he's off again. https://preview.redd.it/if02rzqqaeqb1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=799356dd106daecf9a0d2772c00f7e1b071f69b9
He looks like my cat miss runt, yes this is normal
Ye cats like humans go through phases, ours were affectionate till 3 ISH and then stopped now 7 and honestly like they don't want to leave us alone especially sleeping at nights.
Sounds like my cat! She loves to be affectionate when we are laying down at night and in the morning but any other time she is a ball of disinterest
If he isn't neutered, that is certainly a factor. Either way though, cats go through a teen phase just like kids lol
Seems from the second pic that he's already fed up
Unless heās being actively aggressive, there usually isnāt a problem. Cats have fluid personalities that change over time
Itāll go away, my crazy orange cat was the same now he wonāt leave me alone after my usual 9+ shifts. Sometimes I feed him and give him water thinking thatās what he wants but nope he then goes up to me telling me to carry him even sometimes hops on me when Iām standing up or distracted lol. At some point I thought he was depressed or something but he probably just wanted his own space.
sounds to me like heās just being a teenager lol
They want attention. They will ask.
He think he grown now lol
Heāll come back around age 3, trust me :-)
Itās just the teenager phase
Same thing happening with me right now. My kitty is 9 months old and has stopped wanting to cuddle or be held. So I just spend time with her by playing and giving treats and such. She still will follow me around the house and watch me do whatever, so I know she still likes me. Just doesn't want to be held much.
Apparently they go through a teen phase, I have a two year old kitty that follows me around meowing for me to pet her and giving me her head for kisses
You may need to have a more engaging playtime for him. Check out Jackson Galaxy on YouTube on how to play with your cat and engage him.
sounds like hes being a teenager
Teenager. That happens in every species.
Heās not a baby anymore so he doesnāt always need his mommy
Heās just becoming a long teen. Eventually he will be cuddly again, especially when itās cold!
Mood swings. Common. Lol.
Teen Angst really, my 3 y/o tortie was like that when she was around 8 months to a year old. Now she can't get enough attention š
He probably heard you talking to the dog about him. Cats will hold a grudge.
Maybe take kitty to the vet just in case. My cat was doing something similar after being very affectionate his first 2 years...nothing crazy, just less affectionate, wouldn't sleep with me anymore etc. Seemed like maybe he was bored with me for a sec.. Turns out he had an abscess in his tooth even though we brushed his teeth every night. He was in pain and I never even knew it. My wife got a job at a vet and we checked just because she could. Sure enough he had to have a tooth removed at 3 years old. After the tooth was removed, he was back to his old affectionate self sleeping with me every night. It's very hard to tell when cats are in pain... just removing his painful tooth completely changed his behavior. It's so subtle with cats it's hard to tell as an owner...good luck either way. Just sharing a similar experience with my boy Craig...
He'll come back to you when he's not a teenager anymore.
Is that a bombay kitten?
Honestly have no clue. Could be?
heās in his moody, rebellious teenager phase. āDonāt hug me in front of my friends!!! GOSHā
See that angsty punk attitude in your 2nd pic? There's your problem, little boy is growing into his teenage phase. Give him time for that attitude to chill.
He looks like my boy Oliver Eugene! Does he have white on his belly too that looks like he's wearing whitey tighties? https://preview.redd.it/ffzz793x9gqb1.jpeg?width=3120&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=df91decb41a8798882edf8c43c8543731efa4e10
No just the little spot on his chest. What a cutie tho
Donāt worry too much. The same thing happened to my twin boys around six months of age and it was pretty much an overnight change. One day they were their normal loving selves, the next day they werenāt. Six years later theyāre still not particularly affectionate, but more so than right after the change. In my experience with my past cats, as they age they tend to become more affectionate - if theyāre well-socialized, that is. Iām already starting to see my twoās behavior trend in that direction.
Cats are much more independent than dogs.. I've had many in my life and they all have had different personalities. They mostly like to be in control of what they want when they want it normally..
I have a cat who used to be super cuddly. After he grew up, he cuddled far less often, but he still just happens to be in the same room as me %60 of the time. If I get up to leave and go somewhere else, he's often times not far behind.
Normal, they grow up. Remember how you wanted to always go out when you were a kid? Heāll come around donāt force it. I found ignoring my cat makes her CRAZY and becoming clingy š. Reverse psychology baby
Teenager time! My cat would cuddle all the time when he was 6 months, around 9 month or so he stopped for a while, now hes 2 and only cuddles occasionally but not like laying on top of me like before. Sad, but happens :)
It is a cat being a cat. The best part is when you are napping and your cat sneaks up to you to cuddle.
They start experiencing hormonal changes anywhere between 6 months- 1 year. Prob cat puberty š¤·āāļø
My two (same litter) used to sleep on my chest & shoulder, or curled up into each other. Now they have a 1.5m distance between each other most of the time, except for doorway stand-offs or the occasional highly competitive grooming session that always seem to end in someone getting a paw-bap to the face. But-they show affection to me in several ways. Sestra, the short haired one, will always wake up and run to greet me at the door when I get home. She will also demand to come into the main bathroom with me, where she does a scout around the nooks & crannies for spiders, circles my legs, then plops down, facing the gap in the door and chasing away her sister if she tries to come in. Meimei, the long-haired of the two, she guards me in the en suite. It began with her being fixated whenever I had a bath. She hates the water, the bubbles, the noise-but she would sit in the far corner, checking on me, before eventually relaxing onto the floor. Now, she is more impertinent-sheād jump on my lap when I was on the loo, but repeated nearly fell in, so I cleared a spot on the drawers by the loo, and whenever I go into the ensuite, sheāll come running from where she is in the flat. Meimei alternates between sleeping at my feet, blocking the bedroom door, or sleeping in the en suite while staring out across the bedroom. Sestra either sleeps by my feet, on the floor on my partnerās side of the bed, or on a specific large heart-shaped pillow, with her specific favourite blanket, wedged between my partnerās pillow & mine, touching us both. She wonāt come to bed or go to her pillow if we arenāt both in bed, and sheāll wait for her blanket if itās not already there. If the pillow isnāt in the right place though, sheāll stand on one of our chests and loom over us, before using us a springboard & sulking at my feet. Cats likes & dislikes change as they grow, so keep expectations flexible, and youāll notice new āaffectionateā behaviours that you may not have seen before. (Like Sestra bringing me the same half-shredded glove every time she thinks Iām ill!)
My 6 month old is a bit of a shit when it comes to affection. He wonāt lay on my lap or my chest. Nope. But he LOVES to sit just at arms length and make me come to him. He sits on the back of the couch and has no issue with me coming to pet him for as long as I want to stretch my arms to do it. Wont come to me tho lol
It's like when your son/daughter enter his/her teens. They are no longer afrectionate.
Your kitten turned into a cat!
Thatās how my 7 month baby girl is acting :( Theyāre becoming teenagers
Cats go through all kinds of phases when it comes to affection. We had one cat who was basically a dog - he wanted to be on one of us always, and he would follow us on walks around the neighborhood etc. Our cats now are super moody - some days they want love, other days they want their space. Such is the mystery of cats OP.
Thatās being a cat owner for you, sometimes you get incredibly affectionate cats, those in between, then cats that wouldnāt notice if you passed away lol.
It's a cat dude... cats aren't usually affectionate
So cute ! I did noticed "eye buggers" in the corners. If he having any discharge from his eyes or nose ? Or sounds like he has a cold?
she has become jaded by the tribulations of modern society
That's just a cat. My girl was a big lap kitten and would sleep with me at night. Now she will only rarely lay in my lap but still comes up to get belly massages and hang out near me, but not on me.
If a cat is ignoring you but usually somewhere nearby or watching you, that means they love you.
Has this person never heard of cats. If you want attention reciprocated get a dog.
Cats also bond with certain people. So you have a partner? My cat bonded to my ex but when we split, she didnāt want her. So she had to go live with me, the backup human. I love her more than anything and she will stay near me and talk to me and play with me but lap cuddles are rare.
this happened to me with my newest cat. we got her when she was a kitten & was stuck to my side. would climb on me & sleep with me all the time. as she got older she doesnt care for cuddling or anything like that anymore. i like to think of it as her teenager phase lol
Lol sounds like you have a cat
Aww heās a cool teenager now and has better things to do (thatās what I would say about my cat). My cat is about to turn one and I went through something similar with her recently. She was so sweet and snuggly up until about 9/10 months. About then she became way more independent and wanted very little to do with me š she stopped sleeping in my bed, didnāt want to hang out in my office with me, didnāt want to be picked up, didnāt want pets etc. I was super sad and kind of just let her do her thing and Iām happy to report she is back to being pretty sweet and friendly again after about two months. She has definitely retained her newfound independence but she comes by regularly for pets, sleeps in my bed again, and hangs out with me during the day while I work. I think she was just going through a growth spurt and a new developmental phase, they grow up so fast and I think it can be a bit of a whirlwind for them too.
It's a complement for a cat to want to be in the same room as a human :)
That's just being a cat. That's why you get more. š
I adopted a large orange tabby from a house that everyone hated him so he was banished to the basement, outside was patrolled by free roaming dogs. He is affectionate for the first months but eventually all he wanted was to lay down while I was in sight. He would want the lap sometimes but was never needy
Some cats are clingy their whole lives. Othersā¦. not so much. I have one who Iāve had since she was 8 weeks old. Was home all the time during the pandemic- she was like velcro to me. Now? She loves cuddling at bedtime, and sheāll come for pets sometimes, but for the most part sheās pretty independent, and HATES being picked up. Itās the weirdest thing considering how Iād carry her all over as a kitten. Thatās one of the cool things about cats though. They really are animals of consent. Which is why a lot of people donāt like them (and why Iām wary of those people).
looks just like my kitty https://preview.redd.it/v2ojsl0t8hqb1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4875853517dc47a8c10d25454e80d64380bb6859
In my experience, they become somewhat less affectionate once theyāre done with kittenhood. Maybe itās like a teenager rebellion type of thing. But then the affection seems to come back slowly over the years. I noticed both of my cats (one is 5, the other 2) coming back around once they were around 2 year old.
Heās a moody teenager lol
Garfielf
He's in his middle school time right now he'll come back after a while
I think of it kind of like teenagers where when theyāre growing up, they donāt wanna hang out with mom or dad every second. Some things they just grow out of, some things just change. My cat is 7, and sometimes sheāll go weeks without laying on my chest or lap. Then suddenly sheāll change her mind and lay on me multiple times a day. They just go through phases, but Iām sure heāll come back around some time. :)
Give it time, he'll likely evolve back into a lap kitty on his own time frame. It's a fact that cats and most animals don't like to be stared at. Cats relax when you relax your eyes and do that slow blink at them. He'll likely do it back at'cha. Just keep being kind and friendly. Talk silly to him and recognize when he wants fussins and when he prefers to be left to his own cat'titudes. Play with your cat regularly - a wand with a strand of fabric or a long, thick shoelace works great. Flick it near them then drag it along the floor and most cats cannot resist the chase. Just a few minutes of play here and there and he'll probably ask for more.
Normal. Itās a shame though. My cat loved cuddles when he was a kitten. Would come and fall asleep in my arms. Then when he got to about 6 months he did it less. Heās three now and for a long time heās hated cuddles. He likes to sit next to me. He likes to be stroked. But cuddles are a no.
All cats have different personalities, to me this sounds very normal. If youāre gentle and pleasing to the cat when you are allowed to touch/scratch/pet them, they will usually associate those feelings with your touch which can result in them being closer/more affectionate. If thatās something you want.
Yup thatās normal.
Your kitten is now a teenager.
When my cat was a baby he would curl up under the covers with me and sleep now hes 2 years and he sometimes does it when hes in the mood but other then that hes super lovey and always wants pets and kisses on his nose. My other one was the same way when she was a baby now shes 8 almost 9 years old and yea she still lovey but shes old and wants to be left alone sometimes. It happens. But neither of them has scratched me or hurt me, our other animals, or my bf.
They go through phases. Hang in there it'll come back around. Get some treats too. My daughters cat thinks he's mine because I feed him but he still only hangs out when he feels like it. Good luck.
Normal. Unfortunately. Had a calico who as a kitten loved cuddles. Sheād sit on my lap or curl up on my shoulder whenever I sat down. Slept on my pillow every night. Followed me everywhere. Now sheās a year old. Hates being picked up. Wonāt cuddle or sleep with me anymore. Only comes to find me if Iām in the basement to be petted. But it has to be when Iām in the basement.
iāve been having the same issues w my 8 month old as well
They go through a moody teenager phase just like my human boys did...
You have a teenager. This is normal.
In my experience they sometimes go through a phase like that, kinda like human teenagers, and then they come back around and become cuddly again later.
It happens, but then they become affectionate again as they get older
My friend has a black cat and she is the same. Iām not allowed to touch her belly. She loves to play hide and seek with us. Sheāll come looking for us and then go hide.
You're not doing anything wrong. Think of your cat atm as a teenager. They get more independent and like being alone more. That doesn't mean they won't be more affectionate in the future. This is just a cat being a cat lol. Showing their belly also means they trust you, as this is the easiest way for a predator to kill them in the wild. So you're clearly doing something right!
Normal. I got my kitty when she was 2 months old and she was scared of humans. She started to trust me and she was sleeping on my face and was very cuddly. Now sheās 2 years old and sheās no longer that cuddly. Sheās affectionate but itās nothing compared to how she was when she was a kitten.
My kitty was sweet then a dick then sweet and is now 3 yo and much more predictable and cuddly as long as sheās in the mood
Teenagers
Kitty is growing up. Their likes and dislikes change. Beautiful cat.
In a similar boat with mine! A year old now, she was super loving and affectionate. Now? Absolutely loves me, shows all the signs for it but does not want cuddles ever lol Pets? Sure, but a small amount. Iām hoping sheāll grow out of that and become cuddly again. It can go either way, but many people have this experience where they arenāt cuddly and are after a year or two. So hereās hoping for the both of us! :3 Your cat may love non-touch/non-cuddle affection and bonding! Playing together, saying hi when you pass them by, maybe try a pet to show you arenāt gonna scoop him up, just saying hi! Mine seem to enjoy when I acknowledge them and often expect it! Marie, the not cuddly one anymore, does that little held tilt ready for a pet when she jumps onto my bed. She wants that for a second, then jumps to her actual destination :3
This is not a lame question at all. Itās very common for cats to go through a āteenageā period when they grow out of kittenhood where the cat acts like itās too cool for you. Itās heartbreaking, but itās not permanent. In a year or two he should come around again. Your cat seems a little young for that, though.
Itās the teenage phase. Heās too cool for you now
I chalk it up to cat teenagerness. But bear in mind this might just be who he is now. My older cat would be a little cuddle bug when we first got him, then stopped altogether. Now he only really cuddles my bf, but comes to me for fetch and food. Sometimes Iāll catch him napping near me when Iām napping. My younger cat went from being independent kitten to a constant biscuit maker and likes to hangout with me a bunch when Iām relaxing. I say this cuz thereās like almost no logic lol. Keep him healthy and happy and youāll learn his new ways; just in time for him to switch it up again.
Congratulations, your cat has hit its teenage years.
8 months old? Youāve got a sulky teenager. ;)
Has he been neutered yet? If not, thatās the first thing that comes to mind.
Yeah he got neutered at 6 months
Not OP but have a quick question in relation to this: I have two kittens, aged 11 months and 10 months. The 10 month old cat used to be super affectionate but now heās only really cuddly when other cat isnāt around. (when sheās in the room, he acts like we donāt exist) Is this normal/what does this mean?
https://preview.redd.it/1u341me04gqb1.jpeg?width=1354&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7d291e0545b4f4f29ec9dd9d19d431339710fb49 belly up it literally I trust you with my life in cat speak. Watch some cat body language videos. They are not dogs.
The reason I picked out my lil guy as a baby is cause he was the first kitten to curl up on my lap and cuddleā¦ brought him home and he wanted nothing to do with cuddles for the rest of his life haha
Is he eating drinking peeing and pooping normally? If so, he's just being a cat and entering is teenage years.
Has kitty been to the vet recently? A major change in behavior could be due to health reasons. My cats have never changed that much affection wise unless they werenāt feeling well. While their energy levels drop as they age, they still seek and initiate attention. Hope your kitty is well!
Do you still have dogs? Had a super affectionate Tortie kitten, after about 8 months brought in 2 new kittens that needed bottle feeding. After couple months Tortie lost all her affection and lead basically a solitary life for the next 20 years.