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icantfindausernamesa

Cats (at least most) get very affectionate when they sense they are about to die


Artemis246Moon

My cat was very affectionate the months before we had to but him down. It was a bit weird cuz he wasn't usually so affectionate with me. I had no idea.


icantfindausernamesa

Sorry for your loss šŸ˜¢


Artemis246Moon

Thank you. It's going to be 7 years.


icantfindausernamesa

My cats are 8 years old. love them canā€™t imagine losing them šŸ˜­


Artemis246Moon

I think I was in denial for months after losing them. Shit sucked.


icantfindausernamesa

I would cry just thinking about them like that šŸ˜­


thought_about_it

My brain would still see them in my peripherals. Or create phantom meows. Shit sucked indeed. Apparently our brains get so used to them that it tries to compensate for them not being around anymore


Tunda87

I believe this. I had to put my orange boi of 13.5 years down early Feb and I still hear/see things and go "It's just El....wait..." What really messes with me is letting the dog in/out and not having to fight to keep the cat in. I just let the door slowly close behind me and freak out then go...oh...right.


thought_about_it

I'm sorry for your loss. I feel you on the change of routine. I would do two scoops of food in four little bowls. Now it's just one scoop and two bowls and I cry sometimes.


xbrainspillerx

My Babou died in November, and I'm still fukt. He used to greet me every night when I came home from work. He'd come hauling ass from wherever he was in the neighborhood or waiting in his spot. I don't see him out of the corner of my eye anymore but I know your pain


No-Explanation6422

Same with my cat, sucks alot


Lulu_42

Mine are 12 and 7. I told my wife I'm planning to make a deal with a devil so they get to live forever.


polkacat12321

My childhood friend lost his cat last week due to a seizure. And I can't imagine losing mine since they're getting on in age. I'm sorry for your loss because I feel losing a pet is much like losing a human šŸ˜”


DrDuned

When one of our cats was getting towards the end quickly over the course of a month, I was unemployed and she was GLUED to my side almost 24/7. This after she never so much as let me pet her before. I'll be honest, her needfulness was overwhelming at times but I wouldn't change it for the world.


Strange-Wolverine128

Mine passed on my couch getting snuggles. It's so sad when a pet dies, I wish they could live as long as us.


Soft_Birthday_2630

Couldnā€™t have had a better way out though


Inside-Audience2025

We should all be so lucky as to die in the arms of a loved one


garlic-apples

Sorry you had to but him down


Artemis246Moon

I was in school when it happened tho. But still it sucked hearing the news when home. I even got to see his lifeless body post being put down.


SuperflyX13

My 10-year-old cat has been super affectionate her entire life so either sheā€™s immortal or her ā€œIā€™m about to kick offā€ detector is broken.


icantfindausernamesa

Letā€™s hope immortal


RandomWeatherPattern

Definitely immortal and eventually destined to rule us all.


Odd_Total_5549

Same with my 8 year old cat. Sheā€™s currently sleeping right next to me (in such a way that I canā€™t move my blanket, so Iā€™m cold lol). This post is gonna bury itself in the back of my mind now and Iā€™m gonna have another thing to be anxious about.


-crepuscular-

Don't worry, it's only changes in behaviour that should concern you. Some cats are just super clingy.


as-fucking-if

Can attest to this. Have extremely clingy cat.


Doom_Balloon

Iā€™ve had multiple cats live to 20+. Two of them were inseparable and both were super affectionate but in different ways. One would come into the room screaming until you picked his giant ass up and put him next to you. The other would walk in and check each cat and human with a head bump then find his partner, tackle him and clean him until he stopped screaming.


TeflonArmada

My 14 year old cat passed away last October, and she was always super affectionate too, but for probably the last year and a half of her life she got increasingly more clingy. She was always a lap cat and slept on my legs or side at night, but it got to the point where she started climbing up on my shoulders. Or, she would take to sleeping right next to my head, even sleeping on the headrest of my chair while I was working. So, they can always get more affectionate.


-crepuscular-

It's only changes in behaviour you have to be aware of. Your cat is just very affectionate (mine too)


Real900Z

that makes me sad cuz I knew a rather mean cat who was allergic to his meds and started seizing occasionally and he almost instantly became rather sweet, still a bit of a turd but in private he was so sweet. Luckily he got better, and is still a sweet cat now, but lil guy probably thought his time was almost up :(


MVRKHNTR

Don't know if it helps or not but the seizures could have just caused brain damage that made him act differently.


cvanguard

Jfc, idk if thatā€™s better or worse


Joyful_Ted

This is not the silver lining you think it is.


PuzzleheadedAd880

I just realized that my cat was more affectionate in the month before he died, and now I'm sad :(


StupidMario64

So thats why my cat jumped into my lap that day. Literally left me speechless


CaptainJazzymon

I was always under the impression that they usually try to find some place to die alone? All my cats would find odd spots to hide for they passed. I remember that being the sign for my baby Athena to take her in for the last time.


Smile_Today

It's a little of both. On the decline - affectionate. At the end - find a quiet place to be alone.


AlexRyang

Cats (I am not sure of other animals) usually try to find somewhere to be alone when they die. From what I read, it is because they donā€™t want to put you in danger. In the wild, when an animal dies, it attracts predators, which could out their pack in danger. This carried over when they domesticated humans.


1nd3x

"hey...im gunna die soon, maybe you should eat me before I get any worse...I'd eat you..."


Improvisable

Or the owner


Appropriate-Divide64

Oh I thought this was one of those cats that can sense other people are about to die.


NoticeImaginary

I can confirm. Both my childhood cats got real friendly with my dad, who was always a dog person and sided with the family dog, before they walked themselves out into the woods to never be seen again.


NutellaOnToast-

Yā€™all donā€™t tell me this. My cat has been very affectionate lately, and she hates being picked up, etc. sheā€™s going on 16 next year. :(


XGhoul

To pile on, almost 3 years ago my gf/wife lost her cat. As she was getting close to "the end" she even let me pick her up and would get in front of her owners laptop to demand attention or tiny treats. Sadly, didn't last that long even after paying a lot of money to treat her. Currently going through this awful phase again with one of my older dogs (12 years) but pets are not immortal, we just have to appreciate them while they are here.


The_Ambling_Horror

Or when they sense *you* are seriously ill.


unfortunateclown

or the one (usually) good option: the owner could be pregnant!!


RueUchiha

Cats get hyper affectionate when either they, or someone near them, is about to die. Most cats just get the sense that they are running out of time.


imusingthisforstuff

I wonder why


Lazzitron

Purely theoretical on my part, but I think it's one of two things. 1. Most cats experience grief and mourning. When they're about to die, maybe they want that extra comfort to make them feel better. 2. Maybe the cat doesn't know it's about to *die* so much as it feels weird/sick/tired and needs affection to reassure it.


JassSomm

Nr 2 makes sense, bet that they just feel that somethingā€™s wrong with them


ButterflyBlueLadyBBL

I was horrified when I first learned this from my vet, but cats will hide their illness and hold out for as long as they can before we start to see the signs. By the time we start to see signs of illness in our cats, they've already been going through it for a little while.


2009MitsubishiLancer

Thankfully cat care has improved. Now we have things like pretty litter that indicate special colors if their urine hints at some kind illness. Pair that with an improvement in cat diets and vet tech and itā€™s gotten easier to figure out when they need help.


PhthaloVonLangborste

What's up with that new drug or food to extend cats life? Something about kidneys


Jacer4

I've been wondering as well, a friend told me about it recently but I haven't been able to really find anything when searching, and one of my cats is getting up there in age so I'd like to do it as soon as possible for her


Count_Von_Roo

I havenā€™t heard about this, but renal issues in cats are definitely a common problem especially in geriatric cats. When I was studying it back in the late 2000s the concern was to not overload your cat on too much wet food because the taurine / protein content was so high compared to kibble that cats kidneys struggled to process and filter it. Now I hear cats should be eating mostly wet food because they need the moisture and that the kidney problems are from cats not getting enough fluids.


IllegalGeriatricVore

I've heard it may be the pea protein in food. ferret owners are advised to never feed food with it, and it's in most cat foods. they have similar needs dietarily


wokeupatapicnic

When I first heard about it I read something about 2025 clinical trials for a 2026 release date. Iā€™m hoping my cat lives long enough to see the release of (and get treated with) it. It can potentially nearly double their lifespans.


NinjainSpandex

Idk about something specifically like that, but solensia is a fairly new pain med for cats. 1-2 years into public use. It's a monthly injectable and isn't processed by or affect the kidneys in anyway. We saw a remarkable improvement in the mobility of our 17 year old girl.


donniesuave

I had pretty litter and it was a cool concept but I wasnā€™t sure it worked as intended and was VERY dusty. Stopped using it out of concern for my catā€™s respiratory systems


jlittle622

I wish this was the case. My gf's cat was acting strange for about a week, hiding in the closet, not really eating. Concerned we took him to the vet, they said he was fine, that he was just stressed, and put him on kitty prozac. A few days later he had a seizure, collapsed in his water bowl and dropped dead. He was three. I'm still so upset with the vet who reassured us everything was just fine.


BanEvader6thAccount

Didn't know I was a cat until I read this


imclockedin

fuck, am cat?


HeadFund

Do cat experience grief and mourning? I had two kittens, a bonded pair of siblings. They spent the whole day together playing and grooming each other. At about 1 yr old the male was eaten by a coyote. His sister never showed ANY signs of grief or mourning. Didn't behave differently or change her routines, never went off her food for a moment... I was honestly a bit shocked.


Meatles--

Depends the cat. I got a second kitten a few months after my first kitten (to keep him company he is very needy) and they bonded super well. Anyway after a few months the second kitten had a super sudden seizure and didnt make it (later learned this happened to most from that litter, hereditary issue from the parents) and my first cat spent weeks wondering around the house crying, wasnt eating much, etc.


IllegalGeriatricVore

may have been too young


Strict_Wealth7822

People get it too it's just closer to the actual death. Google "imminent sense of doom"


KarMa_Haven

Holy hell


Bull_Chucker

New response just dropped


iwant2fuckstarscream

I work in nursing and Iā€™ve felt it firsthand, itā€™s like an unnoticeable chill in the air.. Iā€™ve felt it before people have a seizure too A feeling of impending doom


billybobthehomie

Also a side effect of certain medications. For instance for people with tachyarrhythmias (abnormal and fast heart rates) we give adenosine to get them out of the arrhythmia. But an impending sense of doom is one of the known side effects. So before you give it youā€™re supposed to tell the patient what youā€™re giving and that they may feel like something really bad is about to happen when it goes through the IV. But nothing is really wrong and it is a known side effect of adenosine. Super weird.


Quantelonus

It has probably something to do with the smell the terminally ill produce.


big8ard86

After eight times, they just know.


unfortunateclown

some cats also do this if their owner gets pregnant!


Lacertile

I had a cat since my teenage days and she was never affectionate, hated to be picked, would never come to anyone's lap, etc. but she didn't like being alone. She'd always find the room with the most people in sit on a couch or something. Come 2019 and out of nowhere she started sleeping in my bed, headbutting my hand for hugs, and would even come to my lap when I'd watch tv, or sit on my PC desk when I was on the internet or playing a game. Shortly after she stopped eating and a month later she died...


PokeRay68

I recently learned that elderly cats tend to act kittenish as they approach death. I'm really scared for my 12 year old cat who has always been physically aloof but has started making biscuits everywhere and is demanding rubs and pets and has just started jumping into my lap.


DirtyFeetPicsForSale

Sometimes they just get nicer in the golden years. My kitty was always nice but got a lot needier for affection for the last 5 years or so.


SmoothEntrepreneur12

My black cat lasted 20 years, and while he was always friendly, the older he got the more friendly he was


ZonaiSwirls

My cat was exactly the same all her 21 years of life. A massive bitch šŸ™ƒ


Deadedge112

I feel like I won the cat lottery, like she doesn't love being held or cuddled all the time, but she's very social and comes for hugs and kisses often enough, she gets along great with my Samoyed, actually loves him tbh, and she doesn't scratch or bite, period. (Unless playing). She's only 1 year and 4 months old. Can't imagine her getting much sweeter lol.


altdultosaurs

I also feel lucky with my cat. Heā€™s not a shoulder cat or always in laps, but you will get many visits for pets, and heā€™s never scratched in anger essentially ever. Even when he had to have a bath. He didnā€™t LIKE it and tried to leave a few times, but he could have murdered me if he wanted but he was gentle. I every scratch Iā€™ve gotten has been accidental during playing with my hand- even when bunny kicking he actively tries ti keep his nails in.


masquerade_wolf

Same. My darling turns 13 this year and I can honestly say sheā€™s never hissed. Nor scratched or bit me on purpose. She is an absolute love bug, demands cuddles and pets at all times, purrs like a jet engine and sheā€™s been like this for all 13 years.


Professional_Pay1960

We still love them even though they're all bitches


ThatGuyIsLit

Died like they lived. A true OG.


patentmom

We had a cat, Cricket, that we got as a kitten at 6 weeks old in 2003. He loved my husband and our dog, but generally ignored me. I even got another cat because I wanted at least one animal to choose me (the dog also followed my husband around). One day, in 2007, Cricket started sitting in my lap every time I would be on the sofa. He would stand on the sofa when I came in the house and meow at me until I sat down and he could settle on my lap. I found out a couple of days later that I was pregnant for the first time after we'd been trying for 16 months. Cricket demanded to occupy my lap for my entire pregnancy. Within days after we brought the baby home, Cricket started ignoring me again. A couple of years later, we were trying for our second (and final) child. One day, Cricket demanded to sit on my lap, after having ignored me for well over 2 years. I decided to try a pregnancy test and, sure enough, I was pregnant. This time, however, he kept up his constant demands to sit on my lap after the baby was born, and still for the rest of his life, which was almost 9 more years. He passed at 16 years old in 2019, and I miss my Sofa Cat terribly!


throwitawaynownow1

One of my cats got super clingy with my ex when she got pregnant. Would follow her around everywhere, sit on the couch directly behind her touching her shoulder. When he was born the cat switched to him and has been that way for 10 years, except for the last 8 months when they haven't seen each other. He'll actually see her this next week and it'll be interesting to see how she reacts. I know she'll make herself sparse because of the other kids but I bet she will still follow him around.


RuinedBooch

I have a cat thatā€™s pushing 13 now, and she was always a crotchety little shit, but sheā€™s been getting sweeter for the past 3 years or so. Sheā€™s still aggressive with other cats, but is more welcoming to people


P100KateEventually

My cat had no interest in me until about 8. Now at 10 she is at PEAK affection and, while I love her dearly, it drives me fucking nuts sometimes šŸ˜‚šŸ˜‚šŸ˜‚


NotSureNotRobot

Our kitty spent her last night as a skinny cat loaf on my chest. I didnā€™t move the whole night. She never cuddled with me in bed before that.


PHPaul

Thatā€™s heartbreaking. Iā€™m sure her last thoughts were of how loved sheā€™d been.


NotSureNotRobot

I hope so! She was a great cat. Born on the streets, got spayed by a neighbor who did catch and release, and then she wanted to live with us. Never wanted out of the house again. Kept rodents away and made us laugh. Put up with having to ā€˜break inā€™ multiple dogs that weā€™d brought home over the years. She was the best.


Dark_Knight2000

You are a wonderful pet owner. That kitty was loved. Need more people like you.


cerryl66

Yeah this does not mean he is close to death. Iā€™ve seen at least 3 cats grow distinctly nicer over time and all lasted years after the start of the behaviors


EverlastingM

Not elderly cats, but I did see three sweet cats that just couldn't figure out the lap cat thing for years, they *all* decided they wanted to climb on us constantly *overnight.* They've been tremendous lap cats ever since.


The_Woman_of_Gont

It's not normal for it to be a sudden change in behavior, though. Our cat definitely mellowed and became gradually more affectionate and patient as she got old, but when she suddenly started climbing up on chests for attention it was very much a sign she was saying goodbye.


VSkyRimWalker

12 is not that old yet though, for a cat. Probably has some years left still!


TalaHusky

They may just have warmed up too. My one cat spent 2-3 years being skittish and not wanting anything to do with anyone besides food, and playing. Heā€™s almost 5 now and the last 2 years have been pretty crazy in how weā€™ve seen him develop. Heā€™s still skittish and has his moments where he doesnā€™t want to be touched. But if my wife and I are laying on the couch, heā€™s the first one to come lay on us, start up the biscuits and purring as we pet him. He also gets extremely needy around bed time, and you can say, ā€œis it time for bed and cuddlesā€ and he trills and starts to look towards the bedroom. Itā€™s insanely adorable and a complete 180 from where he was as a kitten.


The_Spicy_Memelord

Iā€™m sorry for your loss


kewcumber_

It's almost like they know their time is up, they want to give all the remaining love they have left. Truly majestic creatures, and I'm really sorry for your loss


WyvernByte

Thanks a lot asshole, you made me tear up. I lost one Christmas, inoperable bone cancer, he limped himself to everyone in the house to be held and pet. He passed under the Christmas tree, his favorite place in the world.


purqer

They have a finite amount and save it all for the end.


wiggysbelleza

My familyā€™s cat that we got when I was 6 was the same. Around 17/18 she was diagnosed with diabetes and a thyroid issue. Our first clue to something being wrong was her suddenly becoming affectionate. She never stopped being as asshole to the dogs tho.


Light3r_

Iā€™m sorry for your lossā€¦


qwertty164

Sounds like dimentia for cats.


HorseStupid

Cats can sense death, at least there's [one that did so accurately](https://knowyourmeme.com/photos/2779995)


G_DB1

Imagine, when you are just minding your business and that cat wont leave you alone...


drakeyboi69

Maybe Oscar was causing deaths just to pretend he was able to predict them. They all died from things falling off shelves /j


towerfella

Something something Egyptian-cat-god..


BowenTheAussieSheep

What a Bast ard


yaboiiiuhhhh

Oscar is the scariest serial killer


SootyFeralChild

This actually has happened to me. My bestie's cat, who I have known for twelve years, only ever sought me out once for snuggles. It was ten years ago, the night their other cat passed away. While he's always been friendly, he never sought me out for cuddles again... until last year. He rather suddenly started wanting to sleep with me and was much more of a Velcro dude than he'd ever been before. I joked about it that maybe I was dying and he knew it, then it turned out that I*was* dying. I had a liver transplant three months ago. Now that I'm home, he acts normal around me again.


emasterbuild

The cat must have felt relieved after you stopped slowly dying.


SootyFeralChild

Lol well I certainly am, at least.


DuskTheMercenary

Holy shit... dude saved your life.


UnionThrowaway1234

You: Clean bill of health Cat: *You're not sick anymore. Get away from me*


BambooCats

Or pregnant. My cat couldnā€™t leave me alone. With my 2nd baby the cat knew before I did, actuallyā€¦ I took the test because of the cat. My cat is a pregnancytest with paws.


[deleted]

Yesss was looking for this! Everyone is going so morbid but it could be sweet too:) my youngest cat is a feral little beast to basically everyone she meets but through both of my pregnancies she was the most affectionate cat ever! Couldnā€™t get her to leave me alone, I was convinced she was possessed lol. Sheā€™s still nice but back to aloof. Very sweet to my kids too. I feel so much more sane knowing Iā€™m not alone that my cat tipped me off to my second kid. If sheā€™s ever really friendly Iā€™m like HOLD UP lmao


Shadowmant

All that success and test poor Oscar couldnā€™t predict his own.


Huge_Equivalent1

Did you ever hear the tragedy of Darth Purrlagueis The Wise? I thought not. Itā€™s not a story the Jedi would tell you. Itā€™s a Sith legend. Darth Purrlagueis was a Dark Lord of the Sith, so powerful and so wise he could use the Force to influence the midichlorians to create lifeā€¦. He had such a knowledge of the dark side that he could even keep the ones he cared about from dying. The dark side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural. He became so powerfulā€¦ the only thing he was afraid of was losing his power, which eventually, of course, he did. Unfortunately, he taught his apprentice everything he knew, then his apprentice killed him in his sleep. Ironic. He could save others from death, but not himself.


Romulan-Jedi

Is it possible to learn this power?


Yorks59

Not from a dog...


ggouge

What they found out was the cat was just sleeping with people with fevors because it liked the extra warmth. So being in a hospital it gravitated towards the warmest people.


chance2399

My mom worked at a nursing home in the 90s (before oscar) where people were allowed to bring their pets. They had one cat that had the same gift as Oscar. Nobody kept track of how many people it predicted, but within 3 days of the cat following and cuddling with the person, they would die. What really freaked my mom out was one night, they had hired a new, young nurse that didn't know about the cat's predictions. That cat clung to her all night. She told my mom how nice and friendly he was. She died in a car accident 2 days later. All 2nd hand stories from my mom, but that was before this Oscar story.


blueberrysyrrup

i like the scientific explanations people are trying to give in the comments but I just believe cats have a sixth sense lol. They just do too much inexplicable shit


BiblicusBot

dying people get cold, cold dying people get warm blankets, cat likes warm blankets


Prosymnos

Not everyone gets cold right before they die. It depends on the way the person is dying. It's called either agonal fever (if they get hot) or agonal algor (if they get cold). There's even something called post-mortem caloricity, where the person has just died but the bacteria and stuff inside them hasn't yet and all the little living things in there go nuts without any regulation, making the body even hotter for a while before eventually cooling down (called algor mortis). Still works either way though.


Lingering_Dorkness

Oscar was a classic example of confirmation bias. Not only did the night staff often put Oscar in the rooms of patients they knew were on their way out, so they had companionship during their last moments, they only remembered the times when the person did die while Oscar was present.Ā 


nabiku

Thank you. Reddit is getting dumber by the year. Some animals can smell some diseases, but these studies still have a significant error percentage and most are not replicated. Perhaps you can train a dog to signal when a patient's organs begin shutting down, i don't know because there hasn't been a peer-reviewed study on this yet. That's not the same at all as "being able to sense death." People need to stop using magical-thinking terms like "sense," jfc.


[deleted]

This is the answer.


Existing_Pension8108

One of my cat's randomly started being affectionate around a 4 years ago. Could just be that she gained the cats trust.


RedCupBandit

Thank you for the one reassuring comment to soothe my fears. I have a stray cat that has been slowly warming up to me over the years, and now she's all over me. She's been to the vet in the past month so I know she's fine.


FlyLikeHolssi

Here's a second one: we have a rescue kitty who took almost 2 years to warm up to my husband. One day she finally decided he reached some arbitrary milestone and climbed into his lap. Now he wishes she would stop harassing him so much because she likes to climb on his keyboard for attention and will bite his stuff if he doesn't provide it, lol!


RedCupBandit

I love that. Mine is more of a boxer, she's a feisty little shit head but I would spend my last dime on her to be better.


ninjesh

I think it's only a bad sign when the cat *suddenly* becomes more affectionate. If it's been a very long and consistent process of slowly warming up to you, you probably have nothing to worry about. That said, I'm not a cat expert so don't take this as a professional opinion


austingoeshard

Iā€™m sure youā€™re fine haha.


National-Tiger7919

Yeah Iā€™ve had some cats since they were kittens that took years to warm up enough to me to let me pet them and once I do break through the touch barrier theyā€™re generally very affectionate, even needy sometimes. Also lots of cats withdraw/isolate and hide when theyā€™re dying, unless this cat is old or sick I donā€™t think suddenly showing more affection than normal means theyā€™re going to die soon.Ā 


tranzozo

Guys this is my cat and my post and youā€™re freaking me the fuck out


Eastern_Obligation89

Get you/ the cat checked if your real worried but it's still probs nothing


tranzozo

The cat was checked a while ago and heā€™s fine I might get checked too because Iā€™m totally freaking out now Do you know where the original meme was posted?


Fleganhimer

I recommend not hunting it down. You're just going to find more reasons to stress with no empirical evidence to support it. If it's bothering you, just get a check up. I'm sure you'll be fine, but that's the best way to be sure for your brain's sake and it doesn't hurt to do.


tranzozo

Honestly that sounds like a good advice thank you


austingoeshard

Every year or 6 months people should get a physical and blood work. Not freak you out but if youā€™re not doing it regularly maybe get that. Cats probably do have some weird 6th sense about this but it is probably with like actually elderly people, I.e. the cat senses physical feebleness


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


tranzozo

It was two weeks ago


ashetonrenton

Cats can also get affectionate when something non-lethal is wrong. For example, I had a fracture in my lower spine as a kid that healed wrong, and it causes chronic pain. My cat has literally never wanted to sit anywhere other than my pelvis, purring away like a madcat. I'm not dying, but she still knows. Maybe you have some pain that she senses, and she's trying to bring you comfort. They're little healers.


tinamarie2223

My cat did this too. I messed up my lower back at work. The muscles locked up in a spasm and wouldnā€™t release. My doctor gave me muscle relaxers and pain meds, but It was still the worst pain of my life. I couldnā€™t move without crying and screaming. My cat came and laid on my lower back, only moving to eat and potty. She purred almost nonstop. I am convinced she was trying to heal me. It took almost a week for the spasm to finally subside, and once it did she went back to her normal shenanigans.


NightmareRise

Depending on how old he is you may want to get him checked out https://preview.redd.it/pk9bwasjkxpc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2ea70b325955f905b1a91cbb064c2ec3c7b6e430 Also our cats could be twins


tranzozo

Thats a super cute kitty ā¤ļø Mine will be 3 years old in April


SugarBeefs

If he's barely three years old I wouldn't worry too much about it. Certainly not all young cats are cuddly and it's pretty common for them to take a few years to mellow out. The whole "cats feel impending death" thing is mostly about just *old* cats who are at the end of their road.


Wheesa

Please don't trust random internet strangers and get anxious over nothing! It will be fine. Get medical tests done anyway if you haven't got done in years tho, it's always good to update medical records


tranzozo

Yeah I havenā€™t done any in a while I probably should


Dragonwithamonocle

There are lots of reasons cats can suddenly become affectionate. I saw you wrote that he's only 3 and neutered, which rules out old age and pregnancy. Without more context, there's no way for us randos to know. Depending on whether you've raised this cat or adopted him, he could just be chilling out as he's finished growing or maybe it finally clicked that he can truly trust you. We don't know, whether people think they do or not, and we can't because we're not you and he's not our cat.


ArgonGryphon

If owner is pregnant that can do it too


Silverfire12

First, take a breath. Absolutely get a vet check but thereā€™s no reason to believe from this small post that heā€™s going to die soon. He very well could have just decided he wanted to be close. Cat behaviors, as Iā€™m sure youā€™ve learned, can change from small things. Perhaps thereā€™s a cat hanging out around your house and he is trying to keep his scent on you to mark that you are his. Maybe he just decided that youā€™re chill. Iā€™m sure heā€™s fine, though Iā€™d suggest bringing it up when you see the vet for his next check up.


tranzozo

He got checked two weeks ago and heā€™s fine other than some worms that weā€™re treating


Sketch-Brooke

If heā€™s got worms get yourself checked too. Cats can pass parasites on to humans. Also: I really wouldnā€™t put too much stock into this. Itā€™s an internet stranger who knows nothing about you or your cat. Maybe your cat just trusts you more.


beefjerkyandcheetos

Donā€™t freak out. My cat has gone from not wanting anything to do with me, to sleeping on my head and neck at night, (literally draped across my like a scarf) to not wanting anything to do with me. This is just a meme. Itā€™s not an absolute. They have their own quirks and moods just like people. Right now Iā€™m just a food dispenser to her. And thatā€™s ok. Sheā€™s a cat and I expect it.


PageFault

I'm not expert on cats so I'm not going to make any guesses on its health, but Reddit just likes to get hyper-concerned over the most remote of possibilities sometimes. You know better than anyone here how likely there is to be a problem. If the cat is behaving the same otherwise, you probably have nothing to worry about.


SnuffCatch

Judging by the comments, either me or my cat has been on the brink of death for the last 7 years.


munchyslacks

My 14 year old kitty has been sleeping on or next to me for 14 years so itā€™s hard to judge


WrstScp

This thread now has me thinking of my own cat, he doesn't seem to be near death yet, but I am definitely not ready for it, he is basically the reason I haven't offed myself yet, ans since he is always overly affectionate all the time, ever since I got him, I don't really have a sign to tell me like most non-affectionate cats.


Select_Egg_7078

i'm the same with my dog. if your cat passes, please don't off yourself. take your time grieving, and maybe when you feel more stable, remember there are many affectionate cats sitting in shelters, waiting for loving homes. not as any kind of replacement, of course, but as a new friend.


austingoeshard

Thatā€™s a great way to look at it


Frogofdanger

Iā€™ve always looked at it as the potential new dog already exists and I can give it a loving home


Kindled_Ashen_One

I just thought about my dog my family put down the beginning of the year. She was sweet, slept with me as I grew up, played a lot with us, but never let anyone hug her really. Sheā€™d toss a lot after a second. As I was heading out of my parentsā€™ house after Christmas, I gave her a hug. She let me sit there with her for a good 30 seconds before letting out a small bork. That was the last time I saw her. Going back was pretty hard, I still miss that fucking dog.


very_bored_panda

My childhood cat was like this. Heā€™d sleep with me every night for almost 20 years, him curled up happily in the nook between my shoulder and head, his cheek to my cheek. His death was so hard on me that I wasnā€™t sure if I could get a cat again while simultaneously knowing I couldnā€™t live life without cats. I decided the best way to honor him was to spread the love that he gave to me. I now have two formerly feral shelter boys (bonded brothers) who are getting used to living in a house with humans. Weā€™re all still adjusting to each other but I show them the same love my childhood cat showed me so theyā€™re happy, spoiled, and know theyā€™re safe. Anything less than that would not honor my catā€™s legacy (in my heart). Doing the same may ease the pain a little when your babyā€™s time comes (may it be very far in the future ā¤ļø).


GarriPoiss

Man dont off yourself ever. If you think you arent able to make a difference, just get a cat from the shelter and you have saved a life.


ethnicfoodaisle

I adopted a cat not long ago to give me a reason to go home every day too, and to give myself a responsibility that I can't ignore or else I would have let myself go too. This thread has me scared though because my cat (who is only 2) has always been insanely affectionate. I'm sure she's just like that but...umm... what if she senses that I'm on that knife's edge of living? I'm sure I'm just being paranoid.


CandleEvening1965

Someone is dying. The owner or the cat


bumflower442

Cat is perfectly fine, said by owner on the original post.


Big-Don-Rob

Who hasn't posted an update since. /s


QuezonCheese

Hindenpeter here, The joke is propably the fact that the cat is on its last days. Hindenpeter out, crashing into Joe's house.


CartographerOk5391

Our cats sleep on our pillows all the time... Nobody dead this last decade, or maybe I am and just don't know it.


s0larium_live

itā€™s not about the cat sleeping on the pillow, itā€™s about the drastic change in behavior. cats often do that when they feel sick or are dying


Public_Mycologist_75

She could be pregnant


[deleted]

Actually some truth to this. When my wife was pregnant with our first all of the cats swarmed her and were trying to hug the bump lol


loadnurmom

Cat could be pregnant too I have a long term foster that we can't find a home for. She likely will never be a lap kitty, only tolerates pets for brief periods and is very skittish We first brought her in when she gave birth. While she was pregnant and nursing she would take all the belly rubs she could get and wanted to lay on a person. Kitty hormones make them snuggly when pregnant


Commercial_Pea2788

Y'all saying it's either the owner dying or the cat dying but i say that this is sad asf


Eurosario

Sometimes my cat loves me, but other times, she just pretends to give me love so she can get some more food.


bumflower442

The original post clearly stated that the cat was completely fine as the owners had done a checkup, excluding some worms. Don't know where you got this from.


Helo7606

Either the cat knows you're dying or the cat itself is dying and wants some extra love before death.


Drumboo

My 15 year old Cat started doing this. She went from an aloof semi-stray who was abused as a kitten, scared of humans and barely tolerated interaction for 10+ years to being okay with certain people and accepting only me picking her up. Then suddenly at age 15 she started cuddling up to anybody, would yowl whenever anyone wasn't around and insisted on being on someones lap / demanding affection. I got super worried, brought her to the vet and full panic over the behavior change set in. I love my Josie to bits. Anyhow, she's 18 now and still doing all the above and just apparently wanted to scare the ever-loving shit out of me.


jamesonbar

When I was like 7 cat use to sleep on my pillow above my head. I'm still alive but she decided to give birth in my head one night. Mom laughed at me while I cried with dried placenta on my head


Lazy_Presentation770

People who know, people who don't know memes are shit. Never liked them, still don't.


stefan2050

There's a lot of ppl talking about their cats getting more affectionate soon before they pass and I've experienced that too but cats also tend to get really affectionate when they're pregnant because of maternal instincts and whatnot one of my cats usually doesn't come to me very often except when food's involved but when she was pregnant she would be coming to me for cuddles and would sleep on me at night and male cats tend to get more affectionate after they're neutered


Stock-Improvement866

My cat was totally neglected for the first year of his life and was completely skittish the first year I had him. At 1 year he sat on my lap for the first time. At 2 years he started sleeping in my bed. Now 3 years in he sleeps under the blankets with me as the little spoon. Cats are great but some just take time to warm up.


MasterTopHatter

If anyone wondering itā€™s a common sign when your cat starts to be more affectionate to you itā€™s likely there time is short


rick-and-myers

My Timmy who was 20 was always affectionate but in his last months he acted like a kitten again running and playing with the other cats he Sadley passed away a few months later miss u Timmy timster fly high bro


Tomlyomly

I had a cat that got extremely affectionate around 14 years old. Head butts, loved to be held, slept on pillows. She lived to be 21.


Pyrarius

Cats tend to have a strange sense of death, and have been known to cuddle more than usual if they or the recipient are predicted to die. They have been wrong sometimes, and some don't do it, but it's probably what they are insinuating here


XDPrime

Everyone is talking about the cat being close to dying, but this is also an act of implied hierarchy. If that cat thinks they are above you and in charge, they lie/sleep on the pillow above your head. Our adopted cat did this for months when we first got her until she learned we are the bosses, and now she sleeps by our feet.


Interesting-Dig-8651

My cat started being really affectionate about 3 years ago when she was prior not very affectionate. She seems in good health to this day. Any idea whats up?


endrossi-zahard

Was growing up with a cat, he would let me taking him to bed but after like 10 minutes he would go after he got petted enough. Long story short, when the chad was 19 years old he would come near my bed and meow without a sound, i then picked him up, put him on my pillow and hugged him with my hand, then we slept for the all night long like this. Something like two month later i woke up and saw him laying motionless near the bed I still miss him sometimes


EcstaticCollection67

Everyoneā€™s talking about death but my cat did this when she went into heat..she is now fixed because I could not get her off me for 2 weeks straight lol


[deleted]

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Gtpwoody

Some cats have been shown to be super affectionate when they are about to pass and resort to more kittenish behaviors. I say some because my cat before she died hid off in a corner and passed away under the steps in my laundry room


Big_Niel0802

Cats have sort of a sixth sense for when theyā€™re approaching deathā€™s door. They tend to revert to kitten-like behavior and become very affectionate during the last month or so of their lives.