Hi everyone.
I’ve had several cats throughout my life, the last of whom passed away a year ago quite young due to a heart condition. He was a big, lovely, very gentle cat.
It took me a long time to grieve, and I finally adopted a cat two weeks ago from a local rescue centre. He’s a sweet 2-year-old cat who is quite confident in himself, but a bit wary of the outdoors.
The first 10 days went really well; he was super cuddly, I was really happy, and we slept curled up together. He eats well, is house-trained, and doesn't destroy anything – I really can't fault him.
So, I think I’m going crazy. I’ve had a difficult week with a lot of stress and exhaustion. I have a friend who is terminally ill in hospital whom I visited this week, and the next morning, the cat bit me in bed. It wasn't hard, but he bit me. He’s very demanding of attention and cuddles and miaows a lot.
Since that moment, I’ve developed a sort of blind panic towards my cat. I think everything is getting muddled in my head; I’m quite an anxious person by nature.
I haven't been able to let him sleep with me for two nights now, and I’m struggling to cuddle him because I feel panicked. I’m writing this while shut away in my bedroom because his presence makes me anxious. I’m filled with fear, shame, and sadness.
I’m trying to be rational, I know he isn’t going to do anything wrong, but I can't help how I feel and I’m worried that my attitude will upset him or traumatise him. I’ve never felt like this before. I feel like the only solution is to take him back to the rescue centre.
