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- Sep 14, 2018
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Hello all, this is my first post on this board and will be a bit lengthy, but I'm very worried about my baby and need some advice.
I've had my cat Louie since he was found abandoned at around 3 weeks old. I bottle fed him and took care of him and according to the vet he basically sees me as his mommy. I got him while I was still living with my parents, and once he got big enough my dad wouldn't allow me to keep him inside, so he became an outside cat at about 6 months old. He is neutered and he's always been incredibly affectionate with me; he loves snuggling, being held, purrs like crazy, never uses claws when we play, etc. Just a very sweet cat.
He's about a year and a half old now, and about a month ago I brought him to live in my new apartment with me. My roommate also has a cat, Harold, who I've been trying to slowly introduce him to without much success. For the first couple weeks Louie, although he didn't want to be around Harold, was content to stay in my room and continued to be his sweet snuggly self with me. But about a week ago he changed and started being very stand-offish, biting me when I try to hold him, attacking me when I try to pet him, etc. He would climb on my chest when I was laying down (his favorite way to snuggle) and let me pet him for just a minute and then suddenly stop purring and just start biting the crap out of my arm.
I had tried bringing Harold into my room to get Louie used to his scent, so I thought maybe that was the issue and disinfected everything to try and get the smell out of the room, and he calmed down for a couple of days, but now he seems to be starting up again. I thought maybe he was bored so I got him new toys and tried playing with him more one-on-one, etc., but for the most part he doesn't seem super interested in playing any more than normal. He just doesn't seem to want me to hold him. He'll lay on my legs while I sleep but if I try to pull him up to my chest to cuddle or try to pet him he meows and runs away.
I'm not sure if Harold is the cause, because my roommate leaves for days at a time and he'll get bored, make noise in the living room, meow early in the morning, etc. I thought maybe this was stressing Louie out, but he's not exhibiting any of the typical signs of cat stress (meowing excessively, digestive issues, lack of appetite, etc.). He's still eating and drinking normally and his litterbox behavior has been consistent since he moved in, but he does seem very restless. I don't hardly ever catch him just peacefully napping.
I know this is lengthy but he's never acted like this before. This morning I tried to pick him up and he actually used claws, which he NEVER does. I'm not sure if he's bored and misses outside or if it's redirected aggression as a result of the other cat or if he may be sick, but I'm really worried about him and I just want my baby back to normal. Any help anyone can give would be so so so appreciated.
I've had my cat Louie since he was found abandoned at around 3 weeks old. I bottle fed him and took care of him and according to the vet he basically sees me as his mommy. I got him while I was still living with my parents, and once he got big enough my dad wouldn't allow me to keep him inside, so he became an outside cat at about 6 months old. He is neutered and he's always been incredibly affectionate with me; he loves snuggling, being held, purrs like crazy, never uses claws when we play, etc. Just a very sweet cat.
He's about a year and a half old now, and about a month ago I brought him to live in my new apartment with me. My roommate also has a cat, Harold, who I've been trying to slowly introduce him to without much success. For the first couple weeks Louie, although he didn't want to be around Harold, was content to stay in my room and continued to be his sweet snuggly self with me. But about a week ago he changed and started being very stand-offish, biting me when I try to hold him, attacking me when I try to pet him, etc. He would climb on my chest when I was laying down (his favorite way to snuggle) and let me pet him for just a minute and then suddenly stop purring and just start biting the crap out of my arm.
I had tried bringing Harold into my room to get Louie used to his scent, so I thought maybe that was the issue and disinfected everything to try and get the smell out of the room, and he calmed down for a couple of days, but now he seems to be starting up again. I thought maybe he was bored so I got him new toys and tried playing with him more one-on-one, etc., but for the most part he doesn't seem super interested in playing any more than normal. He just doesn't seem to want me to hold him. He'll lay on my legs while I sleep but if I try to pull him up to my chest to cuddle or try to pet him he meows and runs away.
I'm not sure if Harold is the cause, because my roommate leaves for days at a time and he'll get bored, make noise in the living room, meow early in the morning, etc. I thought maybe this was stressing Louie out, but he's not exhibiting any of the typical signs of cat stress (meowing excessively, digestive issues, lack of appetite, etc.). He's still eating and drinking normally and his litterbox behavior has been consistent since he moved in, but he does seem very restless. I don't hardly ever catch him just peacefully napping.
I know this is lengthy but he's never acted like this before. This morning I tried to pick him up and he actually used claws, which he NEVER does. I'm not sure if he's bored and misses outside or if it's redirected aggression as a result of the other cat or if he may be sick, but I'm really worried about him and I just want my baby back to normal. Any help anyone can give would be so so so appreciated.
