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This past winter I adopted a kitten. Rather, I found a kitten outside on my porch when the big freeze was about to hit. Normally, because there are tons of cats in the neighborhood I tend to treat the strays kinda like homeless (for my own sake) and just mumble something about not having change while I pass them by. This one followed me to my car and when I opened the door she hopped it. Seeing as it wasn't take your cat to work day, I figured I'd just set her up inside in my room to avoid the other cat in my home and that'd be that. So I promised I'd find her owner and return her. A week later she had a name and two weeks later she was mine. After a few months she's only had on issue: during her regular bodyslam practice with the other cat she got an infected cut and had a small fever. We got that cleared up in no time, though and she's been back to her normal self for a couple months now. She's always been a really affectionate cat but recently she's basically just been lounging around and doesn't seem to like to be petted anymore. This is in stark contrast to her usual "I'm going to check in on your nostrils every 15 minutes to see if they're still just as cuddle-able" attitude. Some other facts: -she's a long hair and it's starting to get warm out -she's still playing with the other cat a lot -she's never been good at cleaning herself (stinky kitten) -I don't think she was ever fixed, I got her when she was a bit too young for that -she's always sitting in the same spot now -eating seems normal -my roommate recently moved out (~a week ago) when this behavior started -eating and pooping seems normal Has this happened to anybody else before? Any suggestions?
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May 16, 2014 07:31
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| # ? Apr 19, 2024 03:58 |
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Well... I am not sure how old your cat is, but I am guessing about six months, maybe a bit more? And you got her this past winter. And this cat, she has not been spayed, you said? Well, it's just a guess but I'm thinking she might be starting to go into heat, which might definitely explain a lot of this. You really should get her spayed, because you will inevitably wind up with a bunch of kittens, if they aren't already on the way, and uh, yeah. That's my assessment, anyway.
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May 16, 2014 17:57
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Definitely get her spayed as soon as you can unless she is currently in heat. Then do it as soon as she's out of heat. I've heard spaying while in heat can cause issues? Also maybe think about checking out the Pet Nutrition Thread and see if there's a better food option for her. Some animals can get sluggish if their diet isn't balanced.
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May 16, 2014 18:31
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An cat in heat is a horrible roommate.
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May 17, 2014 03:34
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My cats get less cuddly as it gets warmer. They also stop sleeping on my bed as much which makes me sad and used. She could be depressed because the roommate left. She could be moody because of hormones. Please try to get the kitten fixed ASAP - before the first heat if at all possible. It reduces the chances of certain cancers and also it's really unpleasant for them to go through heat without "satisfaction".
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May 18, 2014 01:17
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I have been calling around trying to find a low cost spay/neuter clinic in my area since I posted, I realize that this needs to happens sooner than later. I think a lot of it is just the change in weather and the change in environment. I've been spending a lot more time with her since the initial post and she's warmed back up a little bit. I think she was just a little bit down in the dumps. I will admit to being a little...defensive at the thought of my cat being depressed. Sort of like how a dad responds to their 12 year old saying he's depressed. "The life you lead and you're loving DEPRESSED?" But yeah, it seems that a little more attention has seemed to help a lot. She's still a lot less affectionate than before. On a side note, I will be purchasing a brush today, I didn't realize how much brushing her might help her out during the coming warmer months. Especially since only one room in the house has A/C. Thanks for the advice, guys. Keep it coming!
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May 21, 2014 23:33
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I'm not sure how helpful or "right" it might be, but my aunt had a long hair that was so fuzzy it was prone to heat exhaustion in the summer and would get really moody when it came to petting. So my mother made it a annual thing when the warm weather came in, the cat got sheered like a sheep so there was about quarter of an inch long hair on its body, but left the head alone. That changed it from moody to normal again
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May 27, 2014 08:15
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SocketWrench posted:I'm not sure how helpful or "right" it might be, but my aunt had a long hair that was so fuzzy it was prone to heat exhaustion in the summer and would get really moody when it came to petting. So my mother made it a annual thing when the warm weather came in, the cat got sheered like a sheep so there was about quarter of an inch long hair on its body, but left the head alone. That changed it from moody to normal again "Lion cut" dooo eeeet and post before and afters.
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Jun 3, 2014 00:53
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I have an extremely needy cat, you can have him. Problem solved!
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Jun 4, 2014 19:57
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Kiss Kiss Bang Bang posted:"Lion cut" dooo eeeet and post before and afters. They're gonna need to shave her to fix her anyway, so do this.
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Jun 4, 2014 22:18
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I have 2 fat 8 year old cats. When they were kittens, they were supper cuddly but then they were total loaners for a good few years. Since then, their interest in us changes periodically for no apparent reason. However, we just started restricting their diet and they are magically super snuggly again... who would have thought 
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Jun 9, 2014 07:00
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| # ? Apr 19, 2024 03:58 |
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Cats are attention whores. If you miss your needy kitty you need to introduce your cat to a camera and post some pictures. This is proven to be 100% effective.
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Jun 12, 2014 13:48
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