Cozmo is making me sad,,,,

tom w

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I am sad because Cozmo seems to be growing less friendly to me. He won't sit on my lap any more, he seems to get irritated when I try to pet him. He don't like it when I pick him up like he used to. He still follows me around the house but he keeps his distance now. He don't sit on my shoulders anymore either.

Yvonne says my thinking this way is driving him away, but its the way Cozmo is acting that has started me to wonder why. He still sleeps near me at night, but thats about it. I don't think I changed in the way I am around him or did anything to make him act this way.

Maybe its just because he is growing up and it is just a faze, I am getting afraid he is going to turn into just like the other cats here, I like all of them but they are not close to me like I want them to be. Maybe it has to do with the fact that there are 5 cats here so they don't need as much people contact as if they were the only cat here.

Is it normal for cats to change so much as they grow up?
 

katiemae1277

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honestly it is totally normal for cats to change
but you're also right in that it could be a stage, he's getting older, wants to assert his independence, kinda like a teenager- how old is Cozmo now? anywhere from 8 months to a year and a half is considered teenage years for a cat. My advice is to just let Cozmo come to you, don't force attention/affection on him, cats don't seem to like that at all. I told someone lese this, ignore him, cats hate to be ignored
 

sicycat

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First off, is he feeling ok healthwise? Eating/drinking/using the litterbox normally?
How old is he? Maybe you could try spending some 'alone' time with him if possible in a room away from the other cats. Playing with him etc.
 

sicycat

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Originally Posted by katiemae1277

My advice is to just let Cozmo come to you, don't force attention/affection on him, cats don't seem to like that at all. I told someone lese this, ignore him, cats hate to be ignored
Hehe that is also true too. Zoey and Saki get quite vocal and affectionate if I am ignoring them.
 

laureen227

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Originally Posted by katiemae1277

honestly it is totally normal for cats to change
but you're also right in that it could be a stage, he's getting older, wants to assert his independence, kinda like a teenager- how old is Cozmo now? anywhere from 8 months to a year and a half is considered teenage years for a cat.
speaking of age - has he been neutered yet? could this be a sign of oncoming sexual maturity?
 
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tom w

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I think he is about 6 months old now and he has not yet been neutered yet. The vets office is having a special next month so we can save about 30% on the normal price for the operation.

I guess there isn't much I can do, he either will like me or not.

I think he is feeling OK, he acts like one of his ears bother him though, He digs in his ear and shakes his head like he is trying to get something out of it.

He has so much hair in there and he won't let me get a good look in it to see if it looks funny. Some times it looks like there is black junk in there like when Tuffy had ear mites, but like I said he won't let me get a good look in there.

Maybe it hurts when I try to hold his ear so I can see in there. Maybe he is upset that I almost hog tied him trying to see into his ear.
 

xocats

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He needs to be nurtured ASAP.
I would do it right away regardless of the upcoming special.
 

sicycat

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Now is a pretty good age to neuter. I personally dont think there is harm in waiting till next month. He doesnt go outside or spray does he? I wouldnt wait any longer than that though. And at the same time the vet can check him out for any medical issues.
 

pombina

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Tom I think you are right that cats who have lots of other cats to hang out with, maybe don't need us quite as much

Im sure he loves you though and Im sure once he's neutered he'll be your cuddly little boy again, just like you want
 
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tom w

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I called about getting him in to get neutered, They told me they are all booked up because of the special going on, but they will call me if they get a cancellation. He don't go outside and he isn't spraying.

I am going to take him in tomorrow to get his ears looked at just to be sure there is not a big problem going on in there.

It has been real cold outside and our furnace has the air so dry in the house the cats are having problems with static electricity, maybe that has something to do with not wanting to be petted. I dug out a humidifier for the bedroom today to see if that helps.
 
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tom w

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I feel so dumb, all this time I have been spelling his name wrong. I was looking at all the stuff I got when I adopted him and on his medical record his name is spelled Cosmo, not Cozmo.
 

cheylink

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It sounds to me that he may be physically uncomfortable. It is important to keep the ears clean, possibly he has excessive wax build up which the vet can assist with. Does he seem to be cleaning himself more or itchy. Often in the winter with lack of humidity, skin dryness or other conditions may occur. I have had a humidifier during the winter since I realized how much it helps me as well as my kitty and plants! But truely a vet check is what is needed. Obviously his behavior has changed to the point of your concern, till you have a thorough check, you won't know
.
 

swampwitch

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Without fail, every time our cats act like they are mad, or just not themselves, they are not feeling good, and are fine again after a trip to the vet and they are on the mend. I hope Cosmo is his old self soon again... you know you can spell it Cozmo if you want!

Cheers, from
SwampWitch
 

jeza921

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Four months is about right... my kitten loves my partner way more than me... she is his little girl. Around four to five months old she stopped following him around and loving on him all the time. He's hurt by it, although they're still good friends
She just isn't as babyish anymore. Our little girl is growing up.
 
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tom w

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Hi, I am going to stick with spelling his name Cozmo, I took him to the vet this afternoon to get his ears checked. They swabbed out a bunch of junk and checked it to see if anything is going on and they found that he has some kind of ear infection. I have to put some kind of medicine in his ears a couple times a day for 7 days to hopefully clear it up. He really cried out when she was working on his ears like they are real sore so maybe that has some to do with him not being himself lately. He also got his rabies shot.

They have him down as 9 months old, I really don't think he is that old, I don't know how they came up with that age.
 

malakaiii

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I think having sore ears could definitely affect his behaviour! He was probably feeling funny and was trying to let you know in his strange catty way that something was up. Glad to hear he's on the mend now!

And cats do go through stages as they grow up. My girl was very cuddly at the beginning, then moved on to wanting almost nothing to do with us (she's an only-cat right now). But suddenly she's getting cuddly again at 4.5 years... so there may be hope for a snuggly Cozmo after all!
 

strange_wings

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Originally Posted by Tom W

They have him down as 9 months old, I really don't think he is that old, I don't know how they came up with that age.
Maybe by looking at his teeth and his weight? Is he a bit heavy for a kitten?


I hope he gets to feeling better and doesn't hold it against you too much for having to put medicine in his ears
Maybe some sort of extra treat for being a good boy is in order.

I've not really had a cat become less affectionate with me, but as they get older some do want to be held less and are more content to find their own sleeping spots.
 

pushylady

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Well, his ears should clear up quickly, though he won't love you for putting in the medication!
Poor Cozmo.
My cats both wen't through stages like this. They're both pretty affectionate now in their own ways, but being cats, it has to be on their terms.
 
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tom w

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They weighed him on a big digital scale they use for dogs and it said he is 7 lbs. When I got him just before Christmas I was told he was about 4 months old at that time. The same girl that I got him from works at the vets office and the other girl who started his info folder asked her about how old he is and she said to put his birthday as May 1 for some reason.

The shelter he came from sent his medical info with him and his first shots were in the middle of August so I assumed he was not to much older than that. I would think he would be much bigger than he is if he was born in early May. But I am no expert on this stuff. I was also told when I picked him up and he could wait a month or so before he should be neutered because he was about 4 months old at the time.

If he really is 9 months old then I think he is going to be a small cat, but I just can't believe is that old. His head is just starting to grow into his big tall ears and he has huge feet and thick legs for the rest of his body. I could see maybe the end of July as his birthday but no way the 1st of May.
 
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