My kitten changed behavior - someone even said it could be health issues. What do you think?

MissyCat480

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Here is the story.
I am first time cat owner, I rescued her when she had less then 2 months. Now she is somewhere between 4 and 5 months old. She was overall healthy beside some sore throat which she got antibiotics for and it went away. She also got her first vaccine about month ago.
Around two weeks ago her behavior changed and talking with my coworker made me worried.

At first I was worried I did something wrong and she decided not to show me affection anymore and my coworker sad this could be sign something is happening to her. Before she would always come to me for cuddles, she would purr like crazy for me. She would sleep right next to me or even under blankets with me. Now she acts as if I bother her, she often avoids me when I try to pet her. Everyday I find her hiding behind curtains in bedroom, she also stopped sleeping with me. She does not come to me at all anymore and is always avoiding me. She loved when I played with her using toys but now she does not seem interested at all, she starts to play with me and after less then 5 minutes she gives up and usually just lays down. Her food preferences changed, which I did not notice before. She used to be so happy when I walk in front door after work and now when she hears door opening she does come see who it is but does not seem excited at all. She is never active during the night, only does some playing by her own in the morning and then again she sleeps most of the afternoon. Also she is grooming all the time, a little to excessive even for a cat in my opinion. There are few more changes I can not think of at the moment but these are the biggest ones.

As I said, at first I thought maybe I did something to annoy her but my coworker sad this could all be sings something is happening with her. I called our veterinarian yestreday and she is out of the office today but we will see her first thing tomorrow. She told me it is okay to wait one more day if she is drinking, not refusing food and if she is using toilet regulary which is for my cat all good. Until then I really need some opinions, could it really be health issues or did I do something? I assure you I have been nothing but great to her, never punished her or yelled at her and always made sure to stay consistent with her daily meals, play time etc. It just broke my heart both thinking I did something or thinking she may be sick or in pain. Any advice will help me survive until Friday. Thank you!!!
 

Hellenww

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Kittens go through different moods as they grow. At 2mt she was just a baby/toddler, now she's more like an 8-10yr, more independant, confident, and less of a Mama's girl.

Has she been spayed yet? Her hormones could be kicking in. Make sure she doesn't get out.

Take a stool sample when you see the vet.
 

di and bob

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It could be a health issue, especially with the hiding. That is when I know my cats are sick. It could be a slight reaction to her vaccines too, especially if they were recent. Sometimes they take a few weeks to build up enough in the system to be a problem. As long as she is eating, drinking, and using the litterbox, you could observe her for a few more days and see if she gets better. You might call teh vet and ask about this.....
 

Kflowers

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Our kitten stopped cuddling and was very aggressive (claws and biting) from shortly after she was rescued. Vet said some singletons are just like that. That didn't do it for me. I'd had a dog with arthritis the vet didn't discover before they did x-rays. So, I had them do a full body x-ray of the cat --one x-ray plate should cover the entire kitten, the vet was against it because it wasn't needed. BUT it was needed. The x-ray revealed that the less than one year old kitten had arthritis involving three vertebra on her spine. Once she started taking the OTC dasuquin, the anger and aggression backed off and the cuddles returned. If you give dasuquin or similar give it a few weeks to start working. But in the scheme of vet expenses one full body x-ray for a cat isn't that much.
 

susanm9006

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I doubt it is related to her behavior but did want to mention that she is old enough now to be spayed and you do want to get that scheduled if it hasnt been done.
 
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