Why Would She Stop...

FeebysOwner

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...jumping into bed with me every night? For ALL of her life (14+) Feeby has always come to bed with me and slept by my head. Even when she was starting to experience some arthritis issues and stopped jumping up on stuff, she would still come into the bedroom and lay on the floor on my side of the bed. Once I gave her Glyco Flex Plus, she was back to jumping up on the bed at night.

She still spends time - as she has always done - on the recliner with me before bedtime. And, she responds to 'directives' very well, so I have always told her it is time to go to bed. She then jumps down from the recliner, has her midnight snack, and promptly follows me to bed.

For the past 2-3 weeks, the routine is pretty much the same, but after her snack she plops her butt on a spot right outside the bedroom and doesn't come to bed. I have to go pick her up, put her on the bed and then she goes right the 'usual' spot, and is there for the night.

Everything else about her is normal - eating/drinking/litter box. She also is at my side 24-7 if she can be - has been that way for years.

I know no one will really be able to tell me, but I am willing to listen to theories...
 

abyeb

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Maybe her arthritis is flaring up a bit? That might make her more hesitant to jump up on the bed. Can you take her to the vet for a quick check-up? It could be that her medications or supplements need to be adjusted a bit. Something else that you could try is stairs like one of the options listed here: Stairs - Free shipping | Chewy, that lead up to your bed. That way, it’s not such a big jump for her.
 
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FeebysOwner

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Maybe her arthritis is flaring up a bit? That might make her more hesitant to jump up on the bed. Can you take her to the vet for a quick check-up? It could be that her medications or supplements need to be adjusted a bit. Something else that you could try is stairs like one of the options listed here: Stairs - Free shipping | Chewy, that lead up to your bed. That way, it’s not such a big jump for her.
Nah, that isn't it. She is still jumping up on everything else (that she had stopped before). Has interim steps for all of her jumping spots including the bed. Just won't go to bed...
 

Kflowers

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Okay, hummmm, could it be a 'stranger cat' wandering through her yard? Young cat, or Baby maybe?

You mentioned that it was a bit more chilly than usual down there. Is she sleeping on heat vents? In one house we had the same number of cats as heat vents and they covered every single one of them. Coldest winter I remember.

It's also possible that while she's still jumping/taking the stairs just fine to her other spots - while you weren't home - she may have made the jump to the bed and missed. Either missed by hitting the side of the mattress or toppling off from a bad landing. Or she may have fallen asleep on the bed and rolled off. The landing on the floor would have hurt a bit. As you know, little things can discourage cats from trying again. How many have avoided a once favored window because when they approached it a hawk flew past casting a shadow over their spot?
 
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FeebysOwner

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Okay, hummmm, could it be a 'stranger cat' wandering through her yard? Young cat, or Baby maybe?
Nope. No where near a window/door.

You mentioned that it was a bit more chilly than usual down there. Is she sleeping on heat vents?
No. Heat vents are in the ceiling (yeah, that's FL - don't ask).

It's also possible that while she's still jumping/taking the stairs just fine to her other spots - while you weren't home - she may have made the jump to the bed and missed.
She NEVER goes to our bed unless I am in it. She does however, STILL jump up on the bed in the side room for an afternoon nap - and that is WITHOUT an interim step (go figure that one).

Not rejecting everyone's ideas. Just letting you know whether or not they are plausible. Keep 'em coming!!!
 

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Well if you didn't say it was plausible, we'd think you were ignoring us.

Just to push the thought. I thought Young cat and Baby were wandering through your yard. Just because the yard is no where near the bedroom window or door, well, Feeby's a cat, you know. Mine were good at saving up the 'reaction' until it was a good and dramatic time to have it. Except for the 'exploding' cat thing where they are on the footstool then suddenly on the ceiling. Or climbing the window panes. BTW mice can also climb glass.
 
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FeebysOwner

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Of all the things you just proposed - messing with my head seems the most likely. However, doesn't explain why she is by my side all day long otherwise, and then chooses to be MIA at bedtime - and, bedtime only.
 

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This might sound silly, but maybe she got used to you picking her up?

My cat plays with a small ball all the time. One day, (after a small period of her being sick) I wondered if she was still sick, since the ball fell down my bed and she didn’t jump down to pick it up as usual, so I did it for her. And so on, I did it all the time since I was sure she wasn’t ok enough to go up and down, until one day I saw her doing it. When I layed next to her and she dropped the ball, she stayed put. And eventually, I picked it up for her and so on.

Now I at least made it clear that if I’m sleeping, I will not get up to pick the ball :lol: at first she wouldn’t do it herself, but after sone time she does now haha.

Just a suggestion, given that everything else is absolutely nornal. Maybe that day she was lazy and realized you would do it for her!
 

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Has anything happened recently to delay you getting into bed after you called her to go to bed? Perhaps you had to stop in the bathroom on your way to bed. The reason I mention this is one of my cats gets annoyed if she goes into the bed room to go to bed and I am not in bed very quickly. If I do not get in bed fast enough she jumps down and leaves. If I want her to come back to bed then I have to find her and carry her to bed. Sometimes after this happens it can take about a week for her to decide she will come to bed without me carrying her.

Another one of our cats Apollo sleeps cuddled only with my hubby. If hubby takes to long to get ready for bed once he gets in bed he will leave and may not come back that night. He will sleep downstairs on top of the love seat when he gets annoyed. He does not consider my hubby to be ready for bed until he lays down with his CPAP mask on. He will walk around complaining if hubby has to get out of bed for any reason during cuddle time. I have been woken up from a sound sleep because Apollo was unhappy my hubby had to go to the bathroom at 3am.
 
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FeebysOwner

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Maybe you've changed body/face moisturizer that you use at night only? or any other strong smells in your bedroom at nighttime only?
Nah, but I did wonder if I screwed up and didn't change my sheets on my normal schedule (:blush:), but not for 2-3 weeks!!!

This might sound silly, but maybe she got used to you picking her up?
She HATES being picked up - always runs from my husband, but will 'tolerate' me doing it here and there.

Has anything happened recently to delay you getting into bed after you called her to go to bed?
Maybe - I wondered about this because there is a couple of programs that are causing me to go to bed later than normal. So, perhaps, I messed with what she considers the usual bedtime! However, last night I fell asleep on the recliner and went to bed REALLY late - and yet, she actually came to bed on her own. But you know, cats are very WEIRD (certainly mine is NO exception), so it's possible...

Is there a heat vent above that spot, so she's lying there to enjoy the warmth?
I said before heat vents are in the ceiling (yeah, that's Florida for you!)

I know you said shes still jumping on everything else but it what shes still jumping on as high as the bed? think is she jumping the same height?
When I put interim steps up for her on all of her jumping up spots, I forgot about the bed in the spare room, but nearly daily she jumps up there to take an afternoon nap. (Just realized this the other day - DUH.)

Good stuff guys!!
 
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FeebysOwner

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So, after coming to bed on her own on 1/30, she hasn't done it again. Now the only way she is in bed with me is if I go to the living room and pick her up and put her down on the bed. And, she stays. Go figure...
 

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Sweet! she wants the extra cuddle, but doesn't want to ask for it. Such a cat.
 
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FeebysOwner

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Sweet! she wants the extra cuddle, but doesn't want to ask for it. Such a cat.
More like she is getting picky and cranky in her old age and has decided to 'switch' things up just to see what will happen. She is really a pretty obedient cat, so I think once I pick her up (which I almost never do) and put her in bed, she resigns herself to stay.

I am glad she doesn't leave after I put her there (like she would with my husband) or we would be playing "in the bed, out of the bed, in the bed, out of the bed, etc." all night long!!
 

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and what happens if you don't bring her to bed - does she stay alone in the living room for the night?
I think I would respect that to see if she gets lonely after spending few nights alone.
 
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FeebysOwner

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and what happens if you don't bring her to bed - does she stay alone in the living room for the night?
I think I would respect that to see if she gets lonely after spending few nights alone.
Yep, stays alone in the living room all night long - without a care in the world (well, as far as I know). I haven't gone as far as a whole week of letting her do that, but I suppose I could...

She is even so 'tricky' that she has realized that if she stays on the recliner (which she 'shares' with me during the evening) that I will not pick her up and take her to bed after I leave the recliner and head to bed. But, I go to bed very late and my husband gets up very early, and he always finds her on the floor when he gets up - not the recliner.

Still trying to figure out after all these years, what is the deal with going to bed with me, when absolutely nothing else about her has changed.
 
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Kflowers

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I was remembering. When my "I'll sleep back to back with you' dog got to be about 5 she quit sleeping with me. Big dog single bed. She was already on pain medicine for hip dys and arthritis. I think, I and the herd of cats just moved too much during the night for her.

could be time to up Feeby's arthritis medicine. I know sigh.
 
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