Feels like my kitty doesnt love me back

My bf and I got our baby Twinkie in February from the rescue. She was about a year old, and they told us they had taken her in off the street, that she had run away from home, but that she was a really sweet and affectionate cat. She had just been spayed but she had a slight infection, so they sent meds home with us to give her (turned out to be a struggle every day).

The first night Twinkie was home, she curled up on the couch with me and my bf while we stroked and petted her (and I worried my heart out about her low weight and her infection and her refusal to eat/drink) and she purred the entire time.

After she got healthy, Twinkie's personality seemed to change. She lost all interest in being stroked, scratched under the chin or otherwise. She wouldn't stand for having her sides touched (I think this is bc of the spaying - the poor thing had stitches and a shaved tummy), and she would walk away when someone came near her.

I wonder if she wasn't badly socialized as a kitten - or if this is the result of living on the street. Has anyone gone through a situation like this, and if so, what did you do? Did your kitties ever come around, or how did you deal with knowing they wouldn't be sweet and affectionate? Am I selfish for wanting her to change (even a little), or am I just unrealistic?

Your poor kitty. She has been through a lot. Sorry to have to say, but some cats just have that sort of personality and you can't change it. My mother has a beautiful cat; when we got her she was mad. She ended up using 8 of her 9 lives within the first 6 months (one incident she managed to escape out the door and got hit by a car); got pregnant way too young and had a horrific spaying at the hands of a vet who should have been struck off. Just as you said with your kitty, she goes mad if you touch her sides now.

She is now 13 and is still very cranky. She will let you pet her for about 2 minutes if you're lucky then she'll attack you. She just wants the quiet life and to be left alone!! We kept one of her kittens and he is the biggest pet ever. I think how they are brought up at the beginning can make a huge difference to their personality;kind of like humans.

All you can do is keep showing your love!

And it does seem as if female cats are more affectionate towards males and vice-versa (which makes sense, I guess :-).

She may still come around. Five months is not all that long. As Catnip stated she has been through a lot.

You could try playing with her a little more often. Get a feather wand and see how she reacts. Young cats like to play and are more prone to want to cuddle with their play mates.

Other than that I would give her the space she wants. Some cats just are not affectionate and since she was found on the streets she may not have been socialized well as a kitten.