She Threw Up And Now Won’t Play With Me ...

[Belle’s_Mommy]

My little Belle is a 7 year old ginger sweetheart! Always super loving and usually super playful with me. A couple weeks ago she did her occasional half asleep mid afternoon wake up and immediately go drink water - eat food super fast - drink water. As a result she ate so fast that her food didn’t have time to digest at all so everything came up in a HUGE log shape of super water absorbed food and she didn’t bounce back like usual and run and play. I picked her up immediately and loved on her and talked sweetly to her and asked her if she was ok. Since then she does not play with me much if at all. She eats ok and poops and pees ok and loves on me and plays on her own at least once a day (but not when I’m awake or at home). She will play with my boyfriend and she sits at her toy like she wants me to play but when I pick up a toy she looks at me and meows in almost frustration. She follows me around and will love on me (although doesn’t sleep under my tented legs like before either). How do I get my little baby back?????? I feel like she associates me with her trauma of that throwing up.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Cats have a hard time associating/assimilating an event that happened 3 minutes ago, much less 2 weeks ago - that is, unless it is a recurring event. I am guessing she hasn't thrown up since?

Something else changed the just happened to coincide with her throwing up - new perfume, or meds, or something like that? It has to be something to do directly with you since she is not changing her behavior around your boyfriend.

See if you can't trace back to that time and determine what might have changed about you.

Although, if she is still 'loving on you', then the only change is her being strange about playing with you and sleeping with you?? Is this an accurate assessment, or am I missing something?

 

[Belle’s_Mommy]

You gave pretty much nailed it. She hasn’t thrown up since. I did have the vet change her food but that was about a week after she started this change. We have been home more and I’ve been cooking at home more. So only other possibility is maybe because I’ve been paying a lot of attention to cooking??? And she’s jealous?

 

[FeebysOwner]

Something you are using in your cooking?? Do you do anything, like chase her out of your way when your are cooking, or block her from being near you? Or, your cooking is interfering with time you would have typically dedicated to her?

 

[Belle’s_Mommy]

Cooking regularly is new for me and I’ve been using an Isntant Pot. I actually invite her to come join me in the kitchen and never scold her or anything - I always say “come on, come help mommy make dinner”. Between cooking and cleaning up, that is most of my evening so I definitely don’t play with her during the time she’s used to it. We used to come home and go out to eat and be home by 7:30 and now I’m cleaning up and putting away dishes and left overs until almost 8pm.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Guess you had better find a way to squeeze in more time for her and see if that changes her mind about playing with you and sleeping with you. It shouldn't take too long really, if that is the problem. And, if can't manage that, perhaps your boyfriend will have to 'step up' and at least clean up, put away the dishes and leftovers (JK, but kind of not if you are cooking for him too!!!)!

Keep looking for other things though, including cooking products, maybe even the soap you are using during the dinner clean up.

 

[Belle’s_Mommy]

Thank you for that advice! I was starting to think after I mentioned the Instant Pot - I wonder if the steam release noise is bothering her???

 

[FeebysOwner]

Thank you for that advice! I was starting to think after I mentioned the Instant Pot - I wonder if the steam release noise is bothering her???

Probably not that if she doesn't run from it...

 

[Belle’s_Mommy]

Yeah she definitely doesn’t - although she’s usually in the bedroom when that happens but we have a small house and you can hear it when it releases. I know she hates the tea pot in the stove when I make hot tea (so I don’t do that often).

 

[ManekiNekko]

Oh, man, my cats hate my Instant Pot. I honestly sometimes choose recipes where I can do natural release so they don't have to hear the steam hissing noise.

 

[Belle’s_Mommy]

She doesn’t show she hates it but I know how she gets with the loud tea pot so I can only imagine how she feels about the IP.