Poppy Not Cuddling At Night :(

Minxrat

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Nov 15, 2017
Messages
209
Purraise
233
Location
Southampton, UK
Hi
Poppy is nearly two years old, she is also blind (not from birth). She's my baby :hearthrob::redheartpump:

Three weeks ago she was unwell; lethargic, cold, not eating and vomiting. She received vet care and recovered thankfully. This Monday just gone she was sick again but recovered really quickly of her own accord.

For the last 18 months or so she liked to lie on top of me at night for a while and purr, and usually prod me with her paws. However, since she was unwell she won't do this at all and if I place her on me, she just gets off. I'm really gutted as because she's not a cuddly girl, this was the only physical interaction we had.

Does anyone think it's related to her being unwell and perhaps me medicating her? (badly, I might say!)
 

Furballsmom

Cat Devotee
Staff Member
Forum Helper
Joined
Jan 9, 2018
Messages
39,271
Purraise
53,927
Location
Colorado US
Hi!
Possibly, or she's not truly herself yet.

You could try low volume classical harp music now and then at certain times that would be snuggle times so she associates the music and cuddles.

You could also try a calming product spray on your clothing, that might work to help her.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #3

Minxrat

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Nov 15, 2017
Messages
209
Purraise
233
Location
Southampton, UK
Ah the calming spray, I might try that. She's really relaxed with me, sleeping near me in the evening and at night, it's just the cuddles. I'm hoping she's just on the mend as I really miss that contact.

She has music all day as she's blind - they have to work their way through my itunes playlist :flail::gingercat2::clapcat:
 

FeebysOwner

TCS Member
Staff Member
Forum Helper
Joined
Jun 13, 2018
Messages
22,439
Purraise
33,202
Location
Central FL (Born in OH)
Hi. I hope it is merely because she is recovering from her illness and not quite back to normal yet. What happens when she gets off of you? Does she stay near you or lay beside you? If so, maybe just set her beside you for now - and hopefully, when she is feeling better she will one night just move right back up on her old usual spot!!
 

Kflowers

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jul 28, 2018
Messages
5,772
Purraise
7,617
I think it's part of being ill and recovering from being ill. Probably while she was ill sitting on you made her slightly nauseous. Wait, I mean sitting on your chest meant that her whole body was moving every time you took a breath. Under normal circumstances she enjoys this movement, it harks back to her kittenhood and mom. With her stomach uneasy, it made her more likely to vomit. Think about when you're nauseous, you work hard to be as still as possible.

Being a cat, she is probably waiting until she is certain her stomach will behave before she tries it again. (think about when you ate something and came down with the flu a few hours later. Did you ever eat that thing again? I still can't eat Thousand island dressing and that was a lifetime ago.)
 

r-kins

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Mar 31, 2016
Messages
238
Purraise
192
Poppy is the cutest name for a cat!

Other than that, it's probably just from not feeling well. Plus, sometimes cats go through phases. My cat slept with me every night for a year, then suddenly started sleeping on the couch. You never know what will trigger their change in mood, either. It could be illness to them discovering a warm spot on the floor that they prefer.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #8

Minxrat

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Nov 15, 2017
Messages
209
Purraise
233
Location
Southampton, UK
She's still sleeping next to me, doesn't like being far away as she's blind, but still won't climb on for a cuddle. I wonder if either she's tried and I've been too asleep to notice, or she's got used to getting food when she taps me at night now. Either way, I hate it!

She's eating normally now, and everything is back to how it should be - except the cuddles. If I place her on me, she looks really uncomfortable and gets back down and either disappears off or sits and "looks" offended lol.

When it's really hot in the summer she won't cuddle, she prefers going downstairs, but it's not hot at all.

I don't know, hopefully she'll get over it but I do miss being patted in the face with the nails out...........
 

Furballsmom

Cat Devotee
Staff Member
Forum Helper
Joined
Jan 9, 2018
Messages
39,271
Purraise
53,927
Location
Colorado US
I do miss being patted in the face with the nails out...........
LOL, it's funny the things we miss when they're not occurring :)

I think if you wait, don't lift her on to you for a while, and maybe down the road you could find a treat she particularly likes and place that on you so she finds it, maybe she'll become more comfortable again.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #10

Minxrat

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Nov 15, 2017
Messages
209
Purraise
233
Location
Southampton, UK
She's a funny wee thing - she stopped being really cuddly when she got spayed and then of course she went blind so she essentially does what she wants and gets away with it :redheartpump: She does make me stroke her head and ears sometimes but that's pretty much our only physical contact.

She would pat my arm (or near as dammit lol) in the night and I would then encourage her on by patting my tummy but she's blatantly ignoring me. I guess I'd better just be patient. Milo comes for snuggles but he's such a fidget and as soon as we're nearly asleep, he just runs off......
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #12

Minxrat

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Nov 15, 2017
Messages
209
Purraise
233
Location
Southampton, UK
Still no cuddles...... she's not a huge fan of sitting on me anyway and makes sort of whiny noises so she's doing that even if I place her on top of me. She's perfectly well now and I guess I spooked her with the medication. Gutted. Loved that contact we had, even at 1am :(
 

FeebysOwner

TCS Member
Staff Member
Forum Helper
Joined
Jun 13, 2018
Messages
22,439
Purraise
33,202
Location
Central FL (Born in OH)
You just never know with cats... Mine is a lot older (14+) than your girl, but all of a sudden, maybe at least a month ago, she just plain stopped coming to bed at night with me and sleeping by my head - which she has done nearly all of her life, every night. Nothing else has changed, she is not sick, she just decided she doesn't want to do it every night. Now, she's begun to surprise me by still doing it on occasion.

At least with Poppy, she might change her mind the farther away she gets from her illness. Just enjoy that she still wants to lay by you and maybe one day she will surprise you by crawling back up on your chest. As I said, you just never know!!!
 

Kflowers

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jul 28, 2018
Messages
5,772
Purraise
7,617
Sweet Gum has been making quick visits then rushing off at night. It took a couple of days to figure it, but we've had thunderstorms off and on for almost a week. Hiding is the prime objective during thunderstorms not sleeping on beds or cuddling. I know that's not Minxrat Minxrat 's problem, just thought I'd mention it.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #16

Minxrat

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Nov 15, 2017
Messages
209
Purraise
233
Location
Southampton, UK
At least with Poppy, she might change her mind the farther away she gets from her illness. Just enjoy that she still wants to lay by you and maybe one day she will surprise you by crawling back up on your chest. As I said, you just never know!!!
I hope so! I get the odd cuddle during the night from milo but I HAVE to lie facing away from Poppy lol. He’s such a fidget tho it doesn’t last long. I miss my blind baby just loving her Mumma. But she’s still lying next to me on her blankie :p
 

daftcat75

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Sep 7, 2018
Messages
12,642
Purraise
25,128
Krista does this. I call it her half-Sphinx or full-Sphinx depending on whether its just her front paws on me or if she climbs fully onboard and lays on my chest. She has had a very challenging go of things since Christmas that included a hospital stay and multiple rounds of dental work. When she was not feeling well, she would either skip the nightly sphinx or it would be very brief before she would crawl off to sleep next to me. I am happy to report that as she has been feeling better, the sphinxing has returned. If she sees me laying on my back, she will get on top of me. If I'm on my side and she wants to get on me, she'll get in my face and trill at me.

I'm guessing Poppy still feels "off" and that she will come around again as she feels better. You may even bring this up with the vet the next time you bring her in. There may be something going on that you can't see.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #18

Minxrat

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Nov 15, 2017
Messages
209
Purraise
233
Location
Southampton, UK
Ahh your baby does the same!

I’m hoping she’ll get past it. I wonder tho if she’s also tried to wake me one night and I was too asleep (doubtful tho!). Or maybe the food behind the pillow (used to be treats) is too much of a pull. I will raise it with the vet next nail cut.

She may be cross as two weeks after her sickness she spent a day at the vet being detangled - they did it in stages. Maybe too much of people touching her

She’s blind so I’m always amazed by everything she does.
 

daftcat75

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Sep 7, 2018
Messages
12,642
Purraise
25,128
A detangling doesn't sound like much fun for her. She may have had enough handling for now.

But changes in routines are sometimes the only hints we get that something is wrong, and they aren't feeling well. So if she continues to hold out, and it continues to concern you, then bring her in, and mention it to the vet. You know your cat better than anyone, and how long you can expect a grudge to last vs. maybe something else.
 

catlover73

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Sep 3, 2006
Messages
2,627
Purraise
1,541
Location
Chicago area
I agree about a vet check up or mentioning this to your vet since there have been recent issues.

I am also wondering if this is some sort independence phase that Poppy may be going through. My Apollo did something similar around that age where he stopped coming on the bed at all while we were in it. He would sleep downstairs on top of our love seat. He would also run away if you tried to pet him and he wanted to be left alone. Before this he used to sleep on me all the time. When the phase ended he became a daddy's kid he will only sleep on daddy. He will let me pet him when he wants me to only. He shows love mostly by hanging out on the couch near me or on the bed but not on me. I hope Poppy will go back to sleeping on you soon.

Is there anyone else living with you that Poppy seems to spend time with? I am mentioning this based on the change in behavior I saw with my Apollo when he went through his independence phase.
 
Top