Hi there, can you help me please, I don't know whats up with my cat Tootsie?

Question

Hi there, My cat Tootsie is a very sweet and affectionate cat and I love her to bits, but recently she seems upset when I stroke her, she always loves to cuddle up with me but for the past week or so she cries when I stroke her (I only stroke her head because she doesn't like me stroking her back.)
She gets excited to see me and will head butt me affectionatley but when I stroke her she cries, i'm so scared that Im hurting her but im so gentle with her and im confused because she headbutts me? So her head can't be sore or can it? Then the other day I went to give her a cuddle but she just smacked me in the face! Am I doing anthing wrong? im confused. It really upsets me to she her cry and when I try to comfort her she smacks me away now, is it me thats making her upset?
she has been spayed also

Here she is...

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t4/dramaqueen10_2007/DSC00195.jpg
Thank you for all your help.
ps. she has done this before but then it stopped, but it started again

Answer 1

Aww, she is sweet. I can't really answer your question though, but my guess is that you are not hurting her.
I would phone the vet if I were you and ask for advice. Chances are they will say bring her in as the advice never comes free but it might be she is a little under the weather or has something wrong you cannot spot so would be worth her getting checked anyway.
You could leave it a while since you say it has happened before....maybe she just has off days!

Answer 2

I rule of thumb for any pet that has all of a sudden changed it's desires or way of acting is to get it to a veterinarian fast for a checkup. If you have always been able to pet her back and now you cannot, she could be injurred or have some ailment or disease that is effecting how she feels or desires to be held. Since she cannot communicate in any other way but to avoid you or to cry, she is telling you by those actions that she is hurting. In my vets office, there is a poster that states that the #1 animal that can hide sickness is a cat. I have two kitties and one of them has been seeing a vet weekly to monthly for almost a year for a bad diarrhea and high white blood count. Our vet has done every kind of test you can do on him and only recently have we started coming up with a possibility that can identify what his problem is. For a long while we thought he had dry FIP and that is a disease that takes many months to show it's face. Now we have ruled that one out and are researching other possibliities. So that should show you how hard it is to identify some cats problems. My concern is that maybe she has a hurt spine. Since kitties love to jump, leap, or climb so they can easily be hurt if they land wrong. I would get your kitty into a vet as soon as possible. A vet can identify the problem much quicker than you can but there has to be a problem if she don't want to be petted anymore. She either has some ailment that is making that place sore to touch or she was injurred there and her way of avoiding you and crying is her way to say "I need help".

Answer 3

If at all possible, take her to the vet for a check-up. It's not worth the risk to just wait and see -- there could be something wrong, and if so, you want her to get proper care rather than letting her suffer. It could be something quite simple and of minor concern, but having an explanation will put your mind at ease.

Is there a chance you are bringing an unknown animal's scent into the house, or have you been exposed to any new chemical odours that could be bothering her? That's something to consider. A cat's sense of smell is much more acute than ours.

I think the crying is her way of telling you something is wrong, so you must follow up and try to find out what's going on.

Best wishes to you and your adorable Tootsie!

Answer 4

hi there,
sorry to hear about tootsie! If your cat is an outdoor cat , the first thing to check when shes ill or in pain are her claws!! sounds weird eh! the reason behind this is that its the first tell tale sign if your cat has been hit by a car - if her claws are filed down short or badly torn from being pushed along the ground! this may then be an indication of internal damage - let us know how you get on.

Answer 5

Is it possible she could have hurt herself somehow. Penne was like that once and it turned out she'd pulled a ligament and torn it in her knee - no idea how she did it, but it meant an operation and overnight stay in the vets, so it might be an idea to have her checked out at the vets just in case there's soemthing sinister going on.

I hope she's okay

Answer 6

I know the last time my friends cat did that her cat had cancer. Don't be alarmed, she just might be tired of being cuddled. Try leaving her completely alone the next couple of days and then see if she stops howling. If she does you know what the problem is. If she doesn't go to the vet ASAP.

Answer 7

First of all your cat is sooooo cute! (a little biased cause she looks alot like my Merlin!)
Like yougogirl said, any change in attitude or behavior warrents a vet visit. Cats will hide their illnesses so long that by the time we actually see they are sick, it's too late sometimes to do anything about it.
Hopefully she is healthy and has one of those many many quirks that our cats are famous for.

Answer 8

Your kitty could have injured herself, maybe a bruise or put a bone out - it's as easily done in cats as in humans!
One of mine was hit by a car once - we knew because a panic stricken car driver followed her to the door and told us - to look at her nothing was amiss but when we took her to the vet he could feel that her shoulder was bruised.
Take her to the vet to be sure she isn't in any pain as they will be able to help her!

Answer 9

Take her to the vets my cat was the same couple of years ago he used to be loving come up to me but when i picked him up he wold cry so come home form work one day and he was laying outside half dead took him to vets and had to be put to sleep hopfully its nothing to worry about but my cat used to cry for years and i thought he just didnt like being picked up found out somehitng wrong inside

Answer 10

sometimes cats act weirdly when they know something bad or strange is going on.... i beleive cats are very smart i love mine to death... it is also possible that these are just affectionate cries, but im not sure, about the hitting in the face.. maybe she was in a fight and has a sore back?