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Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

Why had my indifferent cat become a snugglebum.

18 replies

Mumdiva99 · 13/02/2023 07:17

I am writing this with my cat on my chest. This is now a regular occurance. Fir the first 2.5 years I got disdain and a lap cuddle once a month to ensure I fed her. What has happened?

OP posts:
PlaitBilledDuckyPuss · 13/02/2023 07:29

Has anything changed in her life?

Original poster
Mumdiva99 · 13/02/2023 07:32

Not significantly. We are a family of 5 so house is always busy etc.

I put the sleeping on my bed down to the heating being a bit lower. But snuggles are even newer than that.

Yesterday she bought me a worm right up to the bedroom when I was in bed and proudly shouted what she had brought me!!

OP posts:
Walkinginthesand · 13/02/2023 07:34

Did you get her as a kitten or as a mature cat?

PlaitBilledDuckyPuss · 13/02/2023 07:34

In my experience cats do calm down gradually as they age.

coffeecupsandwaxmelts · 13/02/2023 07:37

I've had this with my 7yo rescue cat.

He used to hate cuddles and never sat on my lap. Eventually he tolerated a head scratch but now he jumps up on the sofa with me and on Saturday, he cuddled with me for over four hours!

I suspect it's a mixture of age and him finally realising he can trust us - we don't know his whole background and we think he might have been kicked or hit by previous owners.

Allergictoironing · 13/02/2023 07:37

Sure you're not preg? 😁

Being serious though, it took mine ages before they would even let me touch them but suddenly it was like a switch had been turned on - Boycat became a total cuddle monster after a couple of years. Even Girlcat (rather aloof normally) would have her evening sessions of cuddles. Of course now she's missing her brother she's demanding attention all the time, but that's different.

Itisbetter · 13/02/2023 07:42

It’s cold.

WhineWhineWINE · 13/02/2023 07:46

Hopefully just age and building of trust. Sadly though my cat did this when she wasn't well and was starting to feel a bit rubbish. Keep an eye just in case, but enjoy the cuddles.

Original poster
Mumdiva99 · 13/02/2023 07:46

We got her and her sister as babies - we knew the home they came from too.

100% not PG. Lol. 3 teenagers.....I'm going to be worrying more about teen pg's in the next few years than me popping another out. Cats are spayed so they definitely aren't.

Maybe it's just growing up. I like it so all good.

I like less the very insistent scratching at the bathroom door if I forgot to admit her for rolling around on the bathmat after my shower.....

@Itisbetter you are probably right. No love for me.....I'm just a handy hot water bottle.

OP posts:
Original poster
Mumdiva99 · 13/02/2023 07:48

WhineWhineWINE · 13/02/2023 07:46

Hopefully just age and building of trust. Sadly though my cat did this when she wasn't well and was starting to feel a bit rubbish. Keep an eye just in case, but enjoy the cuddles.

Will do. Thank for the tip. (Although recently she has been playing more with her sister and played laser like she hasn't since a kitten.....so I think she's well.)

OP posts:
NoSquirrels · 13/02/2023 07:49

Both boy cats we’ve had (both rescues at about a year old each time) didn’t do laps until about 2 or 3 or so, then became cuddle monsters. Normal, I reckon. We’ve got 9-month-old kittens now, both boys again, and at the moment they’re not lap cats either, though will sit near us on the bed. I’m hoping they become lap cats in due course - I miss my old girl who died in December, she sat on me every day.😍

ImAvingOops · 13/02/2023 08:38

My very aloof cat is now 4 and is starting to allow the occasional cuddle - completely in her terms of course!
I think it's a combination of age and liking the body heat!

Fizbosshoes · 13/02/2023 08:45

coffeecupsandwaxmelts · 13/02/2023 07:37

I've had this with my 7yo rescue cat.

He used to hate cuddles and never sat on my lap. Eventually he tolerated a head scratch but now he jumps up on the sofa with me and on Saturday, he cuddled with me for over four hours!

I suspect it's a mixture of age and him finally realising he can trust us - we don't know his whole background and we think he might have been kicked or hit by previous owners.

This gives me hope. We have 2 rescues. One is friendly the other is very timid. Will not allow stroking or nudging. She sleeps on DDs bed and we are (just about) permitted to pet her there but if she's anywhere else in the house she runs away from us. At night time she will head-nudge DD and be friendly to her but only if no kne else is there!

MsSupineLickspittle · 13/02/2023 08:50

One of ours started to do this - obsessively, but only once she was about 2 and only during winter months of darkness and to poor DD who would rather it not be happening.

I had another cat that went from disdainful hissing to full on lap cat but that was only once the other cat went on a one way trip to the vets and I was never sure whether it was out of fear or relief.

coffeecupsandwaxmelts · 13/02/2023 14:13

@Fizbosshoes it took us about five years to get to this stage!

The first year or so we had him, you couldn't get near him without being hissed at. Then he began to tolerate a head rub and he'd start to rub around our ankles at mealtimes too.

About 2-3 years in, he started to ask for fuss if he was on a high up surface like a counter or table and he'd let me pick him up for a cuddle too (but not DH).

Then about three months ago I was sat on the sofa and he jumped up next to me and started kneading on me which he's never, ever done before. It didn't last long before he jumped down but now he does it most days and will sit with me for ages 🥰

It has to be on his terms though and if he jumps up and I try and put him on my lap, he looks at me in horror and runs away 🤣

Fizbosshoes · 13/02/2023 14:21

@coffeecupsandwaxmelts
We've had ours 7 years so I've been biding my time...!🙂

Wbeezer · 18/02/2023 13:41

I can beat all of you, after more than 13 years our cat finally decided to climb onto my lap for the evening!

Why had my indifferent cat become a snugglebum.
Original poster
Mumdiva99 · 21/02/2023 02:00

Wow @Wbeezer.....just goes to show you should never give up hope!!!

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