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Posted 07 April 2012 at 16:29 | Last updated 09 April 2012 at 13:21
My 12 year old cat suddenly hates me
Asked by Lisa H | 2 Answers
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Sarah H
Hi Lisa
I am sorry to hear that Harry won't let you near him, but it is good that at night he does, sadly cats are quite solitray and it could be that he gets all the stimulation he needs in teh day from your son and then just makes use of you when it suits him (that unfortunately is the joy of cats), I know its frustrating but I wouldn't force the issue as Harry could see that as a threat, when he comes to you I would just talk to him quietly and give him affection for a small amount of time then leave him so inadvertantly leave him wanting a bit more and then hopefully he will build up to having affection in the day. Please don't take this personally
Good luck
Author:
Lisa H
Owns:
- 1 Cat
My son and I are the slaves to 3 wonderful cats. Molly, approx 14 yrs, Harry Potter, approx 12 yrs, and James, 10 mths. All 3 adopted us after being disregarded by mean humans.
Expert answer
Hi Lisa
Sorry to hear Harry is less social than he used to be. I totally agree with Sarah's comments. Introducing a kitten, which you say both your existing cats didn't really like, may have caused the reduction in Harry's need for social contact from you. Cats don't need company in the way that we humans do - they're also not good at sharing resources so there are a few things you can do to ease any tension. Cats don't like to eat, drink, toilet and sleep in the same area. Neither do they like to queue up for access to resources - when they want to eat they want to eat there and then, same for drinking, toileting and finding a rest area. So make sure you have plenty of single cat size resting areas (cats like to be off the ground) out of sight of each other, same goes for feeding areas, litter trays and water bowls - a few areas around the house are preferable to one area. So make as much use as you can of your home to provide multiple resource areas - once the pressure is off resources you may find that Harry reverts back to his old self and starts seeking you out again.
All the best
Julie