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Grasswire2

(13,564 posts)
Thu Sep 6, 2018, 03:12 AM Sep 2018

tabby has gotten extremely needy and weird

Her history. We rescued her from shelter almost three years ago. They told us that she was eight years old, that she had lived with five other cats whose owner could no longer afford to care for them, that she had not been spayed until in the shelter (from that we assumed she had cared for many litters of kittens in adulthood) A very sweet, loving cat. Very affectionate. In the last year or so, she has grown increasingly needy and odd. She spent most of ten months until mid summer burrowed under blankets 90 percent of the time. Since then she only wants to sit on my lap or hide. Mostly sleep on my lap. Obsessively. I am wondering if she is lonely for other cats. She's fixated on me. Not at all on other family.

Any thoughts?

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Laffy Kat

(16,354 posts)
2. See if the vet can do senior screen labs on her (thyroid comes to mind).
Thu Sep 6, 2018, 04:03 AM
Sep 2018

If there is nothing medically wrong, it sure could be psychological.

Grasswire2

(13,564 posts)
3. yeah, I was reading yesterday about mental issues in cats....LOL
Thu Sep 6, 2018, 01:13 PM
Sep 2018

Usually they tend toward violence. That's not the case here. One other oddity is that she picks one place to be (a window sill, the linen cupboard, a dresser drawer...) and exclusively lies in that one spot when not on my lap. One place for a few weeks, then the other for a few weeks. She hates to be on the floor and will run as fast as she can to get to her current spot. As soon as I sit down, she's on my lap, apparently feeling safest there. She's healthy -- no issues at all. She has a picture window with the most spectacular view of the river and boats and many birds and squirrels. I'm thinking of getting her a companion. That's always dicey -- never know if they will get along although she was thoroughly socialized to other cats.

haele

(12,581 posts)
4. Maybe try fostering a young cat or kitten for a bit and see how she handles it?
Thu Sep 6, 2018, 02:29 PM
Sep 2018

As for her picking a different spot to be week to week, that's a way of scoping out her territory, maybe boredom, maybe she's forgotten she's already been there and checking it out again. From your description, it does sound as if she's a bit older maybe than they told you. (Senile Dementia started in on three of my cats with forgetfulness and a smaller world view after the age of 13 or 14, my current old girl is anywhere from 13 to 16 years old by the way she acts)
An older kitten might perk up her interest. Then again, it might not, which is why fostering a good first option if you think she may be looking for company.
Your girl is also obviously more of a tree cat rather than a cave cat (always going high up, treating the floor like lava).

Haele

Grasswire2

(13,564 posts)
5. interesting thoughts, thanks.
Thu Sep 6, 2018, 02:54 PM
Sep 2018

Well, she was said to be eight when we got her, and we've had her almost three years. I suppose it's possible, although she physically doesn't show any signs of age. Tree cat. Interesting thought. She's considered a "blue tabby".

One reason I think she may be lonely for cat company is that I played a couple of kitten and cat meowing videos on youtube and she was deeply affected by them. It was almost painful to watch her react.

haele

(12,581 posts)
6. My 17 year old boy of happy memory used to jump up six feet no trouble on a regular basis.
Thu Sep 6, 2018, 03:03 PM
Sep 2018

Even after he started developing a thyroid problem. We had a 6 ft "crow's nest" cat tree next to the Billy bookcases that he'd leap up on to get up to the top of the Billys and stare down at company, or run across to see what was going on in the kitchen without getting bothered by the dog.

He (and his brother) developed a sarcoma cancer in the jaw that killed them quickly two years apart, probably from the old industrial carpeting (with industrial fireproofing chemicals) or the ancient (and asbestos riddled) linoleum that was in the last rental house we lived in.


Haele

Grasswire2

(13,564 posts)
7. yeah, this kitty goes from windowsill to table to top of the bookshelf to chair back....on and on ..
Thu Sep 6, 2018, 03:12 PM
Sep 2018

Sorry about your boys. I've lost very dear cats over the years.

Sanity Claws

(21,822 posts)
8. She might be sick
Thu Sep 6, 2018, 04:47 PM
Sep 2018

Hiding and being needy are two classic signs of illness. My experience is that cats usually do one or the other but apparently your cat does both.
Take her to the vet ASAP.

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