My boy seem to be don't like to purrr ever since I bring him back

Hi,

Is me again and it is still about my boy boy Garfy. This morning while i read through some of the thread, suddenly one question pop up into my mind, "Why is my boy never like to purrr as others cat?; Is he happy or not?"

Garfy has been with since he is in 6 weeks old. He was a present from my hubby to cheer me up as that time I am having depression due to my phd study. Before we buy him, he was put in a cage together with his mother and 3 sisters. I can see that he is not very sosialable. He like play alone. As the cage is small, most of the time he like to lying in the litter box rather than side by side with the sister. In fact, I recall that none of his sister, his mother nor himself purr during my visit in the pet shop (I visit once a week). As Garfy is my first cat, I don't know that a cat who got the potential to be a good pet should be able to purr. So I bought him when he is 5 weeks old but yet I put him in the pet shop so that he can still be with the mother. After all of his sister has been fetched home by their owner then only I picked him up. I though of want to let him with the mother for another 2 weeks but my vet told not to do so as he has found that Garfy has ring worm problem and ear flea problem too. So starting then, Garfy has been staying with me until now.

Ya, I admit that he look a bit different from others cat. He seem to dislike for people to hug him or hold him. He like to be alone. The closest that he feel ok with human is that he will follow where ever you go and sleep under the chair of table when I sit down to work or watch TV. At the same time he is very playful, we found that he like to play with his own shadow, or in a way as he has is an imagine or inviisible cat partner. So when he was in 3 months old, we decide to buy him a friend to play with. My second cat AMBEL is a very cute and aldorable exotic short hair girl. She use to purr and greet us whenever she saw us.

Now Garfy is going to be one years old in one month time. But yet I can count that he ONLY PURR for 3 times. He purr when he want to wake me up in the morning. It happened when he realise that I didn't wake up at the time that I used to be. He seem to be worry about me. When he purr, he also use his nose to touch or rub on my face and shoulder. I can feel that he seem to tell me "mummy are u ok, why you haven't wake up?"

I love Garfy a lot compared to Ambel even though Ambel seem to be a beter pet than him. Now he have started to let me hug him for 2-3 minits. Somehow with this boy i can feel the message from his eye and body language. I can feel that sometimes he will miss my hug if I have not been hug him for more a day. He know that mummy loves him a lot and somehow he will not get punishment as what his sister get when they are doing the same mistake. I can feel that sometimes this boy is taking advantage from my love toward him.

Ok. The reason why I wrote so long is hope to provide enough information on Grafy so that you all can tell me is that anything wrong with my boy of not being purring. Frankly speaking I cannot tell whether my boy is happy. What I know is that he like some of the toy that I bought for him but after a while he seem to be bored about it. The only thing he like until now is his straching post. Sometime when he play chasing with Ambel, I know he is happy, he can chase and play until he shout like kid. That is the only time i know that my boy is happy. Other than that I don't know as he will only sit aside watching me doing my thing and when I approach him to touch to pamper him, he will walk away slowly just like I am disturbing him.

Is my boy normal? Is he need help?

Hi,

I moved your thread as it was in the wrong place.

Really, there isn't anything wrong with a cat who doesn't purr. Momcat purrs as a form of communication to her babies so they can find her and locate a nipple when their eyes are closed. Usually once they latch on to a nipple, the kitten will purr back to mom.

Some cats also just dislike being held, cuddled or pet. The quickest way that I found to get a cat to accept your desire to have them on your lap is to ignore them. See to their needs, make sure they are healthy, but don't press yourself on them, don't pick them up, cuddle them, or pet them. Pretty soon, we they feel the pressure is off, they will relax and will bond to you quicker and soon you will have a lap cat.

My Buddy was like that. I got him from the SPCA when he was a year old. (he had a bad first year). He would stay around where ever I was but would move out of reach if I tried to touch him. He was interested in whatever was going on but at a distance. He would play as long as there was no contact. And he never purred. It took over a year, but gradually I could pet him and pick him up, although he still doesn't like to be held for more than five seconds. The big thing was one night, I had him for about a year, he jumped into bed and nuzzled into my neck and purred! It lasted about 5 minutes and then he left. It has been his ritual for 8 years now. I think your boy is fine. He obviously loves you or he wouldn't want to be where you are. He may be like my Buddy and just needs time.

Willow is like that. She's purred a maximum of 3 times too (thought a couple of them might have been growls...). She hates humans (she's got a reputation as an evil cat) and swipes at any stranger that reaches for her. Just one innocent swipe, and the stranger has a bad cut and blood is dripping everywhere. Once, a plumber came over and dad left him for just a minute. When he came back, he found that he was trapped, as Willow was keeping him in the corner. And there are plenty of times when my brother brings over friends, and I can hear "Stefan!! Get her off me!! Stefaaaaaaann!!!!!!! Help!!!" (seriously, I'm not kidding).

She hated cats too. We once brought over a friend's cat, Pepper, and Willow screamed at her and chased her all over the house. Fur was flying and Willow eventually cornered Pepper under my sister's bed. We had to bribe her with cream cheese. But when we brought Buffy home, a 4 week old screaming kitten, Willow hissed once and was taken away. Over the next week, she saw that the kitten wasn't trying to hurt her or her territory, so she calmed down. She followed the kitten everywhere, though, either curious or unable to trust her. Over the next few weeks, they got closer and closer and now they're inseparable. Willow still doesn't meow or purr thought. She yowls, growls, and hisses. I've tried ignoring her, and made it to a whole month without picking her up, and she started to rub against me more, begging for attention. How nice... still no purring though... makes me think her purring-devices are broken, lmao!

Hi,

I feel very relief after reading the reply of you all. Thanks a lot. I am asking my hubby to take my two babies photo to let you all see. I remember i did put up my boy boy photo before. In fact he has a homepage but the photo were been taken when he is around 2 months old. Hope to update you all soon.

Yup, garfy boy started to have a positive change only after we bough Ambel for him. At first he dislike her. He chase her all over the house and hissy at her. But the sweet thing is, my Ambel is very frinedly and generous. No matter how Garfy show his dislike towards her, whenever there is a chance she will let him know that she like him as a friend. She want to share her things with him (each of my babies has their own food container, bed and toys). She will clean up his face etc.. At first i am so worry that boyboy will hurt her. I observe them whenever they are together by holding a pillow in my hand so that if anything happened I will throw the pillow toward boyboy to stop him from further hurting my girl. But nothing happened. In fact he started to respect her back. Now they are sharing the same bowl of food and everytime he will act like a gentleman waiting aside for the lady to eat first. Starting from there, he started to let me pick him up, hold him, hug him for at lease 2 minutes.