If your cat does not seem to love you anymore, this post will show you a number of possible reasons why and what you can do about it.
So, why does my cat not love me anymore? Likely reasons why your cat does not seem to love you anymore are intimidation, injury, illness, a change in its environment, or that you have been interacting with it differently.
There are actually a number of possible reasons why your cat does not love you anymore and it might be due to a combination of reasons. However, there are some things you can consider when figuring out the main cause and there are a number of things you can do about it.
Reasons why your cat stopped loving you
Below are a number of possible causes and what would make them more likely.
Intimidation
It might be the case that you have been intimidating it. You might have been intimidating it by approaching it too quickly, being too loud or aggressive around it or because you accidentally hurt it. Instead, it would help to be calm with it and to approach it slowly.
Injury or illness
Another possible reason is that it has gotten an injury or illness. This would be more likely if your cat has started behaving differently suddenly and if it has been showing others signs of illness or injury such as not moving around as much or being fatigued. In this case, the best option would be to take it to a vet.
A change in its environment
The cause could also be that there has been a change in its environment. Changes might include getting another pet that intimidates it or new noises in your environment causing it to hide.
It thinks you do not want it to show affection
It could also be the case that it thinks you do not want it to be affectionate. This would be more likely if your cat has stopped being affectionate since you stopped giving it as much attention yourself or since you started moving it away when it came near to you.
You started petting it differently
It might also be the case that there is an issue with the way you have been petting your cat. It could be the case that you have been petting it too strongly or you have been doing it in a way it does not like. This would be more likely if your cat does show affection towards you sometimes but it stops when you start petting it in a certain manner.
An issue with its diet
The reason might also be that an issue with its diet has been causing it to behave differently. It might be eating too much, not enough, or it might be eating things it should not be. An issue with its diet would be more likely if it has started behaving differently since a change in its diet or when it eats certain food.
Things to consider
Below are some things to consider to help figure out the main reason why it has been behaving that way.
What else happened when your cat stopped loving you
One thing to consider would be what else happened when your cat stopped showing affection. It could be the case that there was an event that caused it to start behaving differently. If it started doing it suddenly, it could be due to things such as a change in its diet, a change in how you interact with it, illness, injury or a change in its environment.
It might be showing affection towards you without you realizing
It is also important to consider that cats can show affection in many ways and it might be the case that your cat has been being affectionate but you haven’t been noticing it.
Ways that your cat might actually be showing affection towards you could include:
- “Nosing” you which is where it touches you with its nose and smells you
- Putting itself into vulnerable positions when it is around you
- Licking you
- Leaning on you
- Bringing things to you
- Following you around
What is different when your cat does show affection
If your cat does show affection towards you sometimes, it would also help to consider what is different when it does show you affection. For example, if it does show you affection when it is not hot inside, it could be the case that the hot weather has been causing it to get fatigued.
What to do about your cat not loving you
Below are some options you have when dealing with the behavior.
Get help
If you’re not sure why your cat has been doing it or it has been showing signs of being ill or injured, the best option would be to take your cat to a vet. By doing so, you should be able to get expert advice tailored towards your particular cat and to rule out the possibility of it being due to medical issues.
Show more affection to it yourself
It might be the case that your cat thinks you do not want it to show affection towards you. To fix this, it would help to show your cat affection throughout the day by petting it and playing with it.
Pet it differently
As mentioned above, it could be the case that there is an issue with the way you have been interacting with it. Instead, it would help to pet it in a way that it seems to like and to be calm around it. Usually, cats prefer to be rubbed below the chin instead of having a full back rub.
Ensure it is getting the right diet
It would also help to make sure that it has been getting the right diet, it has been eating the right amount of food and that nobody else has been feeding it without you knowing.