Returned From Vacation And Lily Is Standoffish

[big woo]

Hi Everyone -

I went away for 6 nights and instead of my regular drop-in cat sitter, I had someone stay overnight with my cat, Lily, age 16 and 1/2. Usually when I return from a trip I am greeted with head butts and clinginess from this exceptionally affectionate and social cat (whom I adopted in Oct. 2016). This time, nada. She will climb up on the bed and lay next to me, but she is not interested in her usual toys and is not playful. I began giving her Antinol (fish oil for joints) prescribed by my vet, daily, about a week before I went away. Each day it gave her an immediate boost where she was dashing around after her toys and jumping up on furniture. Now that I've returned the Antinol doesn't seem to have any effect. I give her a B-12 shot once a month which usually gives her some pep, too. I gave it to her two days ago but she is still lazy and sleepy. She is on 5 mg methimazole for hyperthyroid (1/2 pill every twelve hours). I'm confident she received her meds while I was away. She has a good appetite and normal poop.
Thank you for reading this far. My question is: can cats get mad at their owners for leaving them with someone new? The caretaker was highly recommended.

 

[haleyds]

I mean technically by "science" no. But yes lol. Miss kitty gets upset with me whenever I go anywhere for more than a day or two. She won't come to me, stares at me from a distance and ultimately makes me feel like a jerk for leaving her. When I'm gone she's cared for perfectly by people she knows and loves but because I'm her primary care giver usually, I'm the one who has to deal with her pouting.
I'd give it a couple more days and if she still isn't acting like her self then there might be a bigger problem considering she is an older cat, but I don't really think that's the case. You've just got a big baby on your hands.

 

[jcat]

Cats can definitely be angry about being left and give their owners the cold shoulder when they return. Our shelter also boards pets, and it's not uncommon for a cat to ignore the owner, hide behind a shelter worker, or even claw the owner when it's picked up. We have one regular feline boarder, Arielle, who's so bad about it that we have to put her in her carrier before she even sees her owner; otherwise she shreds the woman's arms and hands.

 

[BombayKittyLover]

My cats will give me THE death stare for at least two days after I go absolutely anywhere for more than a day. I would say it is usual, but if she isn't he normal self in a week I would take her to the vet. This has happened so many times to me it isn't even funny. Don't be too nervous about your precious kitty, but keep trying to pet and cuddley cuddle with her.

If all else fails, use a different caretaker. Maybe your kitty and the caretaker didn't get along?

Good luck!

 

[big woo]

Thank you all for the replies. It hepls to know that others have experienced this! Lily may me gradually warming up. She's actually lying next to me on this lazy Saturday morning instead of at my feet. I love this animal and we have had a bond since she adopted me. I never planned to adopt such an old cat with so many medical needs but once I met her I was smitten. Since October she has gained 4 lbs and now weighs a healthy 10 lbs. It's been quite a long road to stability.