Is the cat... worried about me?

[Strelitz]

Ok this might sound crazy.

We adopted a male cat (2), earlier this year. He is brilliant. However he was a street cat previously and really not into sitting on laps etc. As time went on he started siting near us (rather than hiding), but still tolerated being stroked etc, rather than liking it. Swiped the DCs when feeling cornered, that sort of thing.

He is fed by whoever gets up first, no real pattern. He's aloof and seems most comfortable like that.

I've recently had some bad news I'm struggling to process. I've been doing human (not cat), things like crying, isolating and being worried.

The cat has barely left my side. When it's just he and I in the house (he'd usually be out), he'll seek me out and follow me or sit/sleep next to me while I read or whatever. He had also started rolling over or lying on his back with his paws in the air but only to/at me.

Does he know (and care??) I'm sad??

Does he think I might forget to feed him?

I have never lived with a cat before.

Help me understand ?!

(My ego wants to believe he's concerned about me but I know that's not how cats work!)

Of course he cares!

It's such a myth that they don't care, cats can be incredibly intuitive and look after other things. When my mams cat got ill one of the other cats wouldn't leave her side.
They can and do love.

I hope it's he's getting extra dreamies for being a love bug.

Our cats (who are not as good as being smiley pillow-beings as previous cats) definitely stick by us if we're sick. If you add in crying, I think the cat can definitely pick up on it and want to nurture.

Yup! He does. Mine are great with me when I'm feeling blue.

Saying he's 'worried' might not be quite accurate, but I'm absolutely not surprised that he's changed his behaviour. I've had cats before who were really tuned in to anyone in the house who was feeling ill or crying.

He absolutely senses your unhappiness and it's unsettling him. My dogs do this but react differently. One avoids me the other is like a limpet.

Yes. We call it the Paw of Sympathy in our house, when the cat will snuggle on the bed or sofa with you if you are feeling ill, or down.

Thank you for the replies! I had no idea cats could be affected like this by human emotions etc... I guess I understand the whole 'bringing you a dead animal' thing; maybe this is similar?

We were not bonded at all before this though.. it's such a change.

How do I show my appreciation?? Extra treats?

Might this be the start of something, or is it most likely temporary (

When DM died, I had to call work to explain why I wouldn't be in for a few days. During the phone call, my lovely cat jumped on my lap and sat there waiting to be stroked (she had strict criteria normally as to the chair you were in and if the TV was on which was not the case on this occasion). The cat usually was fairly stand offish but I think in her feline way she was trying to offer comfort.
Similarly when I fell down the stairs only the cat came to check on me- the humans in the house just laughed. I miss my cat

This is literally a cat who ran away from me until recently!

That's a cat who loves his mum! He's a beautiful boy OP.

I had this - had some bad health news recently. The boys massively and visibly calmed down and stopped playing up. They're amazing creatures.

Thank you for sharing your amazing stories. Cats seem to be even more incredible than I thought!?

So humbling that he has changed his behavior so much 'for me'. I hope he'll still give me the time of day when things improve!

We say our cat has 2 jobs-

1 Looking after you when you're sick/miserable
2 killing spiders

:)

I had an operation a few months ago and was in a fair bit of pain. My cat usually likes to lie on my tummy/chest and won't settle in the evening until I finally sit down and let her. I had stitches in my abdomen and I swear she knew, she just sat beside me for 2 weeks and didn't even attempt to lie on my tummy. Cats are very intuitive animals.

My cat would always sleep on my front (I didn't really get a say in whether I wanted a hot, furry bib in the evenings!). Until I got pregnant, when he moved to sleeping alongside me.

He also knew when I needed a bit more TLC - just being with me a bit more, showing extra affection.

Cats are smart, OP

I have very vivid dreams, and call out or speak in my sleep, as well as snoring like a rhino! Dcat often wakes me in the middle of these vivid dreams by sitting on my chest. Sometimes, when he is on one of the kids' beds, he just pops in for a moment then goes back to them, as if he is just reassuring himself that I'm ok.

Oh god yes. Our cat can be erm challenging but when you are upset she is glued to you. When my Mum died and I was howling she ran around panicking looking at me and desperate to jump on my knee

Meant to say cats only show their tummies to people they trust as it's quite a vulnerable position for them.. somebody loves you !

Beautiful cat, enjoy your servitude! He certainly looks very happy
Ps I would get rid of the collar, especially if he used to be a street cat, they can strangle themselves out roaming. Microchip is fine.

Absolutely. Cat used to come to comfort us when revising for professional exams. Only prob was flat mate didn't ( initially) like cats.. and cat was my hot water bottle when I got pneumonia.

Absolutely. We took in a feral girl last September. She hid under a chair for 3 months only coming out for food initially.

In February we discovered I was pregnant. The last weekend in January I was sat on the couch drinking gin and she came in hopped up on my lap and tried to snuggle into my gin glass hand. And kept nudging it.

We think she knew before we did.

Since we've known she's become my shadow. My supervisor. She follows me to the toilet (waits outside the door and scratches it if I dare take too long...), she sleeps on bed with me if I go to bed before dh, she snuggles into the bump when we're sat on the couch.

She is my girl. She likes dh and will sit with him if I'm not around. But the minute I'm back she's all me.

Aww he is gorgeous. He looks really content. My cat can be very aloof but I've sat here upset & his cuddled into me, his head under my chin. Also if my daughter is poorly he will curl up next to her like her little protector. Sorry you are having a bad time of it at the moment.

Our girl cat is the family nurse. She's quite independent until one of us is sick and then she sticks by us day and night until we're better. I have a lovely photo of eldest child asleep on the sofa with a raging fever, and both cats guarding her either side like two sphinx bookends.

Oh pikachu that's such a lovely image