Hi all! This is my very first post, so I apologize if it's a bit long!
My girlfriend and I live in a one-bedroom apartment with three animals; two cats (brother and sister, both 1 year old, adopted together at 4 months), and a female puppy (4 months old). Since adoption, my male cat has been incredibly social and playful. He generally loves to sit in a lap whenever possible, starts purring like a Mack truck at the slightest touch, and constantly engages in play with myself and our other animals.
Over the last several weeks, however, his behavior has gradually become much more reserved and withdrawn from the rest of our household. This new behavior started about 3 weeks ago, when he began to sleep in odd corners of the apartment, such as on the hardwood floor in the kitchen between the cabinets. He is now spending much of his time sitting by the front door, either staring at the door intensely, or with his back turned to the door. He has also begun to only sleep in corners of rooms, usually wrapped up as if to protect his belly, and he has not been at all interested in play. In general, his behavior over the last several weeks has essentially been the exact opposite of his normal behavior for the last 8 months that we have owned him. Whereas he is usually very social and inquisitive, he is now withdrawing himself from social interaction.
Some other info: His eating, drinking, grooming, and bathroom habits have not changed. He still gets excited for meal times, uses the litter box exclusively, grooms normally, etc... He does not seem to be in pain, and shows no visible signs of illness (vomiting, diarrhea, excessive scratching). I have contacted his vet, but there is essentially nothing they would be able to tell me from a visit, since he shows not signs of physical ailments. Nothing has changed in our apartment, aside from the addition of a new puppy two months ago. He generally gets along great with the puppy, however, teasing her constantly, letting her lick him, cuddling up with her for naps, etc...
Sorry again for the long post! I am simply at a loss for why his behavior has changed so suddenly. This may be impossible to answer, but if anybody has any suggestions, or ideas as to why his behavior would change so suddenly, I would be incredibly appreciative!
My girlfriend and I live in a one-bedroom apartment with three animals; two cats (brother and sister, both 1 year old, adopted together at 4 months), and a female puppy (4 months old). Since adoption, my male cat has been incredibly social and playful. He generally loves to sit in a lap whenever possible, starts purring like a Mack truck at the slightest touch, and constantly engages in play with myself and our other animals.
Over the last several weeks, however, his behavior has gradually become much more reserved and withdrawn from the rest of our household. This new behavior started about 3 weeks ago, when he began to sleep in odd corners of the apartment, such as on the hardwood floor in the kitchen between the cabinets. He is now spending much of his time sitting by the front door, either staring at the door intensely, or with his back turned to the door. He has also begun to only sleep in corners of rooms, usually wrapped up as if to protect his belly, and he has not been at all interested in play. In general, his behavior over the last several weeks has essentially been the exact opposite of his normal behavior for the last 8 months that we have owned him. Whereas he is usually very social and inquisitive, he is now withdrawing himself from social interaction.
Some other info: His eating, drinking, grooming, and bathroom habits have not changed. He still gets excited for meal times, uses the litter box exclusively, grooms normally, etc... He does not seem to be in pain, and shows no visible signs of illness (vomiting, diarrhea, excessive scratching). I have contacted his vet, but there is essentially nothing they would be able to tell me from a visit, since he shows not signs of physical ailments. Nothing has changed in our apartment, aside from the addition of a new puppy two months ago. He generally gets along great with the puppy, however, teasing her constantly, letting her lick him, cuddling up with her for naps, etc...
Sorry again for the long post! I am simply at a loss for why his behavior has changed so suddenly. This may be impossible to answer, but if anybody has any suggestions, or ideas as to why his behavior would change so suddenly, I would be incredibly appreciative!