I’ve just adopted a little black cat, just one year old, from a rescue centre (they found her as a stray). I've had her for almost a week now.
At first, everything was going well; she was playing from the very first day and she seemed to have settled in really quickly.
However, for the last three days, she has just been sitting in the middle of the lounge or the kitchen. When I go over to see her, she looks at me and gives these little meows. She doesn’t want to play anymore, but she is eating and drinking normally.
When I want to stroke her, she lets me. I should mention she’s a very gentle cat and hasn’t shown her claws or teeth once, even though I have a two-year-old daughter who can be a bit rough.
Every evening she comes over to me for a fuss and curls up on me. But the rest of the time, she doesn't...
I was wondering what you think might be going on, with her meowing and not wanting to play anymore?
Thanks in advance.
Translated from French
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It could also be that she's staying in a particular room for a bit of peace and quiet — especially since you mentioned your 2-year-old can be a bit rough with her. And if she comes to you of her own accord in the evening and curls up on your lap (I'd imagine by that point your little one is in bed?), that would make a lot of sense. It's just a thought, of course, but it's definitely possible — cats really don't like being bothered, and sudden or rough movements are even worse 😳
Is she using her litter tray alright? Is she going to the toilet normally? Because if she's in pain when urinating or having a bowel movement, she might be meowing because she's holding it in for too long — which could mean there's something wrong (a urinary issue, for example).
It might be worth keeping an eye on that, and if you notice anything unusual, it would probably be best to take her to the vet to make sure everything's fine on that front.
I tend to agree with the people saying she’s probably just a bit of a chatterbox.
Mine is exactly the same; she meows to say hello, whenever the wet food comes out, or if we stop playing and she’s decided that the game isn’t over yet.
When we talk to her while looking at her, she gives us little blinks and sometimes replies with tiny little meows.
From watching her closely, you’ll eventually understand what each type of meow means. At the end of the day, every cat is different.
But since your kitty is eating and drinking normally and still giving you cuddles, I don’t think you have anything to worry about. Just try to encourage her to play every now and then to see how she gets on.
I don’t think we should overlook the fact that cats all have different temperaments. Even more so when they’ve had "a past" (separated from their mum too early, mistreated, abandoned, rehomed...).
Meowing can mean a thousand different things, and it’s not necessarily a sign of discomfort. Personally, my girl only ever meows to say "Oi, I'm here, have you seen me? Give me some fuss," but she’s NEVER meowed for food. Even when she sees her dry food coming, she just rubs against my legs but stays completely silent. I still find it surprising because every cat I’ve ever known meows (either softly or very loudly) when they’re hungry and their food is being served. It just goes to show, they’re all different!
Personally, my girl meows a bit "on her own terms". She meows whenever she wants cuddles and I'm not at her beck and call (like if I'm standing up or busy doing something); she meows at the window because her ladyship has got used to me holding her up to look out in my arms, she meows when she wants to play, and so on... Maybe she’s just picked up a habit without you even realising ^^? It could be all sorts of things, but since your kitty doesn’t seem unhappy, I reckon you don’t need to worry :) just try to work out what she’s after!
I think she must have gone hungry while she was living on the streets; she often miaows next to her bowl even though it's full. She must be worried it’ll happen again.
