- Joined
- Sep 12, 2019
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Hi everyone, I’m a first-time cat owner and reading this forum has been so helpful. Because the way our cat came to us was somewhat unusual, I could now use some advice. Nikolai is a two-year, three-month-old Siberian who belonged to a close friend who passed away about six months ago. Our friend gave Nikolai to my husband and me a couple weeks before he died.
Other than being a little freaked out the first night at our house, Nikolai handled the transition really well. We had the advantage of the same food, litter box, toys and so on, and he never missed a step. He’s also adjusted well to small changes over time. (For instance, our friend fed all dry and we are now feeding both wet and dry.)
When he first came to live with us, Nikolai wanted interactive play all day and into the night. I assumed it was because he was young and probably had not gotten a lot of play once our friend became quite ill. Also at first Nikolai was only OK with brief petting, lapsitting, or pick-ups.
Over the last month or so, I’ve noticed he’s much less frenetic about play. The intensity and duration have scaled way back from six months ago. And now I can pick him up or pet him pretty much anytime, and he solicits petting, especially a morning snuggle.
Nikolai had a full vet check a month after he came to live with us and his eating, drinking, and litter box habits are all fine.
Is it OK to chalk these behavior changes up to his maturing and settling in with us? Or is “less play” in a cat this age the kind of behavior change that should trigger a full vet check?
I know everyone loves pictures, and so do I, so here is Nikolai. Thanks for any insights you may have.
Other than being a little freaked out the first night at our house, Nikolai handled the transition really well. We had the advantage of the same food, litter box, toys and so on, and he never missed a step. He’s also adjusted well to small changes over time. (For instance, our friend fed all dry and we are now feeding both wet and dry.)
When he first came to live with us, Nikolai wanted interactive play all day and into the night. I assumed it was because he was young and probably had not gotten a lot of play once our friend became quite ill. Also at first Nikolai was only OK with brief petting, lapsitting, or pick-ups.
Over the last month or so, I’ve noticed he’s much less frenetic about play. The intensity and duration have scaled way back from six months ago. And now I can pick him up or pet him pretty much anytime, and he solicits petting, especially a morning snuggle.
Nikolai had a full vet check a month after he came to live with us and his eating, drinking, and litter box habits are all fine.
Is it OK to chalk these behavior changes up to his maturing and settling in with us? Or is “less play” in a cat this age the kind of behavior change that should trigger a full vet check?
I know everyone loves pictures, and so do I, so here is Nikolai. Thanks for any insights you may have.
predictive text.
