Cats have a broad and complex set of feelings and emotions. One of the most irritating parts of their personality is that a cat might suddenly change its behavior toward you. This can give the impression that your cat no longer likes you.
If your cat seems to dislike you, she may be angry with you for neglecting or frightening her. Likewise, accidental injuries can cause your cat to become anxious. An unsuitable environment and a lack of mental stimulation might also displease your cat. However, your cat may also become angry and distant due to illness or injury and project these feelings onto you.
Although you may initially assume your cat is angry with you, this is not always the case.
Several factors cause cats to appear angry or unhappy. These can cause them to project their aggression and anxiety onto you.
Why Does My Cat Suddenly Not Like Me?
Cats are not resentful but become distant and withdrawn when they have a reason to do so.
In most cases, cats are not angry at you but at your behavior.
Unfortunately, if your cat is acting strangely around you, several possible explanations exist. You’ll have to do some detective work to figure out what’s bothering her.
Cats rarely direct their emotions to a specific person, but it’s easy to interpret them that way. You might think your cat doesn’t like you anymore if she:
- Ignores you when you call her
- Runs away when you approach her
- Keeps away from you
- Hides more often
- Only comes near you to eat
- Scratches the furniture
- Has bathroom accidents in the house
- Hisses at you when you approach
- Bites you when you try to pet her
It can be difficult to figure out the cause of this behavior. Therefore, we will now discuss the most common reasons why it may seem that your cat suddenly doesn’t like you.
The Cat is Afraid of You
When your cat develops negative associations with you, it becomes afraid of you and either lashes out or hides.
Several things can trigger these negative associations:
- Yelling at the cat
- Making loud noises
- Accidentally hurting the cat
- Forgetting to feed it
- Locking her in a room
- Doing something your cat does not like
- Cause stress
- A visit to the vet
Although you may not realize that you have upset your cat, you may need to take steps to restore trust.
If your cat is hiding, leave him alone until he is ready to come out.
In the meantime, try to figure out what is causing your cat’s anxiety. Then, you want to prevent it from happening again by taking appropriate measures.
The Cat Feels Neglected
Most cats crave at least some form of affection. Even the most aloof animals are happy to be petted occasionally.
If you neglect your cat or don’t give it the attention it deserves, it may begin to pull away from you.
Many things can cause your cat to feel neglected:
- The litter box is not emptied often enough
- Your regular feeding schedule is not followed
- The cat has been punished
- She is not getting enough mental stimulation
- The cat is in pain that you don’t recognize
- You don’t brush its fur or groom it properly
Feelings of neglect are likely exacerbated when you bring a new pet into your home.
When you get a new pet, remember to show your cat enough affection that it doesn’t get jealous.
The Cat Has Health Issues
Your cat’s strange behavior may have nothing to do with you. It could be a sign that she is not well.
Symptoms of illness can vary a lot depending on the cat’s health problem, but common signs of health issues in cats include:
- Hiding frequently
- Not eating
- Weight loss
- Excessive vocalizations
- Visible pain
It is not straightforward to identify health issues in cats as they are experts at hiding their discomfort.
Illness and injuries make them vulnerable to predators. Therefore, they appear as healthy as possible so other animals won’t notice.
Sick cats reduce their interactions with their owners. Before you realize something is wrong, it may seem like your cat is intentionally avoiding you.
Take your cat to the vet as soon as possible for the treatment it needs.
The Cat is Pregnant
Some cats become more needy and affectionate while pregnant. On the other hand, others become angry and aggressive. The reason for both possible behaviors is their fluctuating hormones.
Also, pregnant cats usually feel more tired than usual, especially in the later stages of pregnancy.
This can also give the impression that your cat is avoiding you. You may interpret this behavior negatively if you don’t know that your cat is expecting offspring.
Signs of feline pregnancy include:
- Her oestrus cycles stop
- The nipples look swollen and congested
- The cat is hungrier than usual
- She vomits frequently
- She is looking for quiet places to hide
- The cat has a swollen belly
If your cat shows unexplained aggression toward you or runs away from you more than usual, take her to the vet. Have him check to see if she is pregnant or not.
The Cat Has a Lack of Mental Stimulation
Bored cats often become angry and aggressive. This is because they have no other way to eliminate their pent-up energy.
Cats spend much of their day sleeping, but when awake, they enjoy playing with their toys and roaming outside.
When they can’t do that, they become destructive. They might even hurt you.
It would help if you played with your cat with their favorite games and toys to prevent this behavior.
In most cases, this is enough to reconcile the cat with you. However, you shouldn’t be surprised if it requires a little more time and effort to regain their trust.
The Environment is Unsuitable for the Cat
Cats become unhappy when their environment is not comfortable enough. To be happy and healthy, cats need:
- A warm place to sleep
- A comfortable bed
- Access to a clean litter box
- Constant access to fresh water
- Food at regular, set times
- Plenty of hiding places
- Several toys and a scratching post
- Opportunities to run, jump, and climb
- A safe environment, free from hazards
Cats are territorial and bond with their environment. When conditions are not suitable, they become stressed and anxious.
They then exhibit behaviors that make it appear that they are angry with their owners.
Why is My Cat Suddenly Avoiding Me?
There are times when it feels like your cat is avoiding you. There are several reasons why cats do this, which can make it difficult to determine the cause.
Some of the most common reasons your cat avoids you include the following.
She is Unhappy
Cats experience mood swings. If your cat is having a bad day or not feeling particularly happy, she will avoid you because she wants to be alone.
If your first instinct is to shower your cat with affection, you shouldn’t do that because it will make your cat feel even worse.
Give her the space she needs, and she will calm down.
She Needs Relaxation
Your cat might avoid you because she is comfortable where she is and doesn’t want to move.
If your cat has just come home from a night hunt or has recently played extensively, she is saving her energy and does not want to be bothered.
She is Sleeping
Cats in stage N 3 of non-REM sleep, called slow-wave sleep (SWS), are asleep, but their senses are heightened to what is happening.
There are two forms of SWS: light sleep and deep sleep. Even if your cat is only in the light phase, it can still be energized.
During this sleep phase, you will probably notice that your cat’s eyes stay open and her ears move. This allows her to react to danger when she hears strange noises.
However, if you try to interact with your cat during this phase, her body parts will twitch, but she will not respond.
This can appear as if your cat is avoiding you, but she is trying to get some sleep.
There Have Been Changes in Her Routine Or Environment
Cats are creatures of habit. You’ve probably thrown her off balance if you’ve changed something about your cat’s routine.
All it takes is for you to set a new feeding time or move the scratching post to a different location.
In the worst case, these changes can make your cat feel stressed and anxious. This is the most likely reason she will avoid you.
Her Sensory Organs Are Weakened
Your cat may not be avoiding you on purpose. Cats commonly ignore their owners because they can’t see or hear well and don’t know you’re there.
It can be very distressing for cats to lose their hearing or vision.
They will retreat and hide as a coping mechanism, making it seem like they are avoiding you.
Complete or partial blindness will also cause your cat to withdraw from you.
If your cat doesn’t respond when you call their name, their hearing may be impaired. However, you can quickly test this theory:
- Use a loud, squeaky toy
- Hiss at your cat, as cats take this as a sign of danger
- Jingle a bunch of keys
- Crumple up a piece of aluminum foil
If these sounds don’t lead to a response, take your cat to the vet to test her hearing. Unfortunately, if she does respond and your cat moves her ears or wags her tail, she’s ignoring you.
Old Age
Age-related problems are sometimes responsible for cats ignoring their owners.
As cats age, their bodies slow down, and they need more rest than they used to. This means your cat may no longer have the energy to respond to you.
She will likely become grumpy and avoid you if you disturb her rest.
Also, older cats are usually less interested in their surroundings. Often, they prefer to be left alone.
Age-related health conditions like arthritis or toothaches can also cause your cat to withdraw.
However, this is nothing personal. She is simply dealing with her discomfort in her way.
Why Does My Cat Sit Not On My Lap Anymore?
Not all cats like to sit on their owner’s lap. But for most cat owners, it’s a special moment when they do.
If your cat used to enjoy jumping up on your lap but doesn’t anymore, he may have gotten out of the habit of this behavior.
They will not sit on your lap if your environment is stressful for your cat, as such a vulnerable position because it exposes them to danger.
It is unlikely that your cat will sit on your lap until things calm down and relax.
If you have upset your cat by yelling at or accidentally hurting him, he will not sit on your lap as long as he associates these behaviors with you.
It would help if you worked on your bond for your cat to trust you again.
If your environment hasn’t changed or your cat doesn’t seem afraid of you, he may be injured.
Injured cats would never put themselves in such a vulnerable position. They prefer to hide while they are in pain.
First, examine your cat’s paws to ensure they are not injured. Then, take your cat to a veterinarian for a thorough examination.
You can also try encouraging your cat to sit on your lap again. Try the following tips to do this:
- Tempt your cat with food or catnip.
- Reward your cat when he sits on your lap
- Give your cat positive feedback with a soft, gentle tone.
Why Doesn’t My Cat Like to Be Held?
Cats often don’t like to be held because it makes them feel vulnerable. Instead, they prefer to have all four paws on the floor, where they are protected and in control.
Being held triggers panic, even in the most affectionate pets. Likewise, cats do not recognize cuddling as such because it is not natural to them.
That’s why most cats resist as soon as you pick them up. But this is not the only reason because cats also do not like to be held under the following conditions:
- The cat was mistreated at some point
- She was once dropped from a great height
- It is injured or in pain
- The cat is angry
Cats do not understand why they are being lifted. They then become frightened and try to break free.
To avoid this reaction and prevent your cat from being angry with you, you should refrain from picking your cat up altogether.
Some cats do not accept being picked up. So do it only when it is indispensable. For example, to put your cat in its carrier.
Why Doesn’t My Cat Sleep With Me Anymore?
Cats usually prefer to be high up. Feral cats find safety in trees, where they can survey their surroundings and spot predators.
If your cat has left your bed, he is probably looking for a higher place to sleep. However, this is not the only possible reason. There are other possible reasons.
You Move Around Too Much
Your cat is probably too restless to get comfortable if you fidget or move around too much while sleeping.
Once cats find a comfortable position, they usually stay there. After a while, your cat will get fed up with the constant movements and look for another place to sleep.
Unfortunately, you can’t change this as you can’t control your movements while you sleep.
It’s Too Warm
When there are too many people in bed, it can get boiling, especially in the warm summer months.
This probably means your cat has sought a cooler place to sleep.
When it gets colder again, your cat may come back. But for now, enjoy the extra space.
She Has Found a Better Place
Cats regularly look for new places to sleep. So, if your cat has left your bed, she has probably found a better place.
So it’s not because you did anything wrong. It’s just that your cat may sleep better somewhere else.
Your cat may return to your bed, but only after he’s made friends with his new sleeping spot.
Do Cats Become Less Affectionate With Age?
Some cats become less affectionate with age, but not all. It depends on your cat’s personality.
Some cats like to be around their owners more often and become more needy as they age. Others develop a distant, aloof personality.
As kittens grow up, they tend to be less affectionate. They are more interested in going outside and hunting. At this point, their predatory instincts kick in.
Likewise, some older cats distance themselves from their owners because their bodies change. As their senses diminish and their bodies ache, they become more withdrawn and less affectionate.
Unfortunately, these changes are a natural part of the aging process. As long as you provide a comfortable environment for your cat, she should remain content there.
How to Get Your Cat to Like You Again
If you suspect that your cat is unhappy with you, there are many steps you can take to repair your relationship.
The important thing is to know when your cat has had enough. If your pet becomes stressed and aggressive at any time, take it slow.
Watch Your Body Language
Cats are intuitive and pick up on your body language. One wrong move can make your cat even more hesitant to be around you.
If you crouch down when interacting with your cat, you will appear less frightening. Sometimes, cats interpret eye contact as a sign of aggression. So try to avoid looking directly into your cat’s eyes as much as possible.
It’s also important to pay attention to your cat’s body language. For example, if she puts her ears to her head and her eyes are wide open, she doesn’t trust you yet.
In contrast, relaxed, happy cats show their belly and hold up their tail. Seeing these things gives you the best chance of building a bridge with your pet.
Give Your Cat Some Space
Let your cat take the first step if you want to rebuild the bond.
While it’s tempting to go overboard with affection, your cat probably won’t appreciate it and will become even more suspicious of you.
Instead, give your cat the space he needs and be ready to approach him when he loosens his stance.
When your cat comes to you, don’t pounce on her immediately, but crouch down and offer her your finger to sniff.
If she is comfortable and relaxed, pet her. However, if your cat walks away, leave her alone.
In time, your cat will be willing to approach you again if you resist the temptation to bug her.
Attune to Their Preferences
All cats have different likes and dislikes. That’s what makes them so unique.
You can use this to your advantage by taking advantage of what your cat likes best.
For example, if your cat likes to be stroked in a particular spot, you should pamper him with gentle strokes. If your cat likes to be brushed, spend some time combing out her knots.
This should help your cat realize she can trust you and has nothing to fear. It will probably take some time.
It would be best if you also tried avoiding what your cat doesn’t like.
Feed Treats in Moderation
Cats respond to food, so feed your cat their favorite treats to encourage them to come to you.
However, be careful not to give her too many because that could cause her to misbehave. There is also an increased risk of weight gain and obesity.
Instead, selectively feed your cat her favorite treats to get her to approach you or make her engage in social interaction.
Most cats can’t resist that invitation and will start associating their favorite food with you.
Play With Your Cat
Once your cat becomes friends with you, you should play with him to re-establish a bond with him.
This will make bored, unstimulated cats feel happier and less stressed.
However, it is crucial to know when to stop. It is advisable to stop the interaction and let your cat calm down if she becomes too aggressive or starts attacking you.
Once you figure out the cause of your cat’s aloofness, you should eliminate the cause to improve his mood.
As mentioned earlier, it is unlikely that your cat is personally angry with you. However, there is a reason for her behavior that you should address.
