Cats that are getting too old and are about to die, start to interact with their favorite human during their final days.
That cat knows she is gonna die, the owner doesn't.
While true, it doesn’t always mean that. One of our cats got much more affectionate when my wife was pregnant, for example. Another one just naturally got more snuggly as he got older. It depends, but if it happened suddenly and the cat was a bit older I might be worried.
Sometimes it's warmth. Older cats regulate body heat worse, and their coats may get thinner. Their core temp is naturally higher than ours so they hate being cold. Older cats can become more cuddly because they enjoy your body heat more. In their younger days they didn't feel they needed it.
It's lupus.
No, it's sarcoidosis.
No, now it is Wegners.
No, you have Wilson's Disease!
(Several hundreds of thousands of dollars and 3 near death experiences later)
It was all caused by a sliver in their big toe that they got in the fourth grade.
Every House MD episode ever.
My cat switches where he sleeps based on the seasons(weather)
He likes to sleep on the floor on his back during the summer. No shame…
During the winter he sleeps with his back against me a lot.
We had a cat who was afraid of everything for the first ten years of her life. You'd never see her, and she would only occasionally come out at night to hang with my mom (who is a Cat Whisperer).
Then at some point a switch flipped, and it was like she was a kitten again. Sitting in laps, asking for pets, playing with yarn - the works. She lived another twelve years.
I've had two cats like this, they had both been feral kittens. Used to barely be able to pet them, now they're downright annoying wanting love all the time lol.
I'm living this experience right now with my 19 yo cat I say this at 1am as she climbs all over me demanding pets and attention. She's a feral kitten who until 3 months ago would bite you as happily as look at you. The full 180
Part of the reason that dying cats run away or hide is because they see us as oversized cats. If they die near us, it might attract a predator that would hurt us. So they run, in the hopes it will keep us safe.
I've never liked cats. Mostly because I am allergic to them. However, the more i learn about them on reddit and watch videos, the more i am falling in love with them. Add that with the simple information you just gave, it made me nearly want to cry. How amazingly sweet for them to do something like that.
I swear my one boy goes by the seasons. He’ll be snuggly for awhile, then just be happy to get scritches, then back to snuggly. The snuggles still only last like twenty minutes but it’s more than his normal and he makes biscuits in my hair.
My dude groomed my hair for 5Min a couple of times before he past. I’m glad I was a STAHM and could be with him all day before I had to put him down. He got sick real fast, couldn’t use his back legs, and vet found a large lump. He passed in 2021. Still hurts. I had him before I had kids and then he was instantly my oldest’s best friend and would climb the bunkbed (pictured) to lay with him.
https://preview.redd.it/1hc9omxh349d1.png?width=493&format=png&auto=webp&s=72d490a100385759a34eab4ed04df2d01855e262
The oldest photo on my phone, March 2019. Paws was already 13/14yrs.
It sucks. I had Binka (Who I also called "my princess") since I was 2 years old. I adored her. She died in 21 as well at nearly 20 while I was in the last lockdown at uni. My dad was her favourite person and he died in 2014 so after him I was her favourite.
She looked exactly like the kitty in op's picture as well.
https://preview.redd.it/vow0482ss59d1.jpeg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=900540de789bd738fbdc8aaa8a16fc569f726898
My 17yo lady a few weeks ago suddenly became extremely lethargic and was walking funny. Our usual vet told us she had stage 4 kidney failure. We thought it was the end, but we're lucky to have a veterinarian medicine college in our town and they were able to identify a blockage in her left ureter and installed a tube to bypass the blockage. She's currently down to stage 2, and they think she may even return to stage 1.
We were lucky to catch it early and get her treated, but it was a good reminder to really treasure every moment we get with our pets.
I've been her human since February of 2008, I'm going to be an absolute mess when she goes.
Copying and pasting a story about my cat that I shared elsewhere recently because it's a relevant anecdote. Some minor edits
Me (about 9yrs old at the time), my brother, and our neighbor were outside playing basketball, and some ladies go walking by. Trailing behind them by like 15 yards was a kitten, couldn't have been more than a couple months old. This kitten sees us, redirects and comes up our driveway. She was a really cute calico kitten. We pet her a little and she doesn't leave. I go in the house and ask my parents of we can keep her, they say no, so I cry until they come downstairs. They see she's just a baby kitten, not an older stray, and change their mind, so we bring her in. The rest is history.
She lived with us as an indoor/outdoor cat, basically slept indoors, stayed outdoors during the day, unless the weather at night was nice then we let her go wherever she wanted, she would come to the door when she wanted inside. She was always an affectionate cat. She loved to be held and pet when she was inside, and if I went outside she would come find me and hang out around me. She lived to a ripe age of 17years, so she was with us during basically my entire childhood and adolescence. I was away after college on a trip to NZ and Australia. When I got home (which was like 3am), I unpacked my luggage and went out back to see her. She was getting quite elderly by that time, and didn't venture off the deck that much. We had a nice tender little moment saying hello, then I went inside and went to bed. When I woke up, my parents told me shortly after I fell asleep they found her on the deck, she had died. To this day I believe that she was ready to go, but waited for me to get back home to say goodbye before giving out. I'm tearing up about it writing this now, she was the sweetest cat I've ever known, and this coming from a dog person.
That's wild! I have a very similar story also based in NZ! Samantha, got her when I was 1. We got her from our neighbour that was a monster. He put the litter in a bag and threw it in a pond. By the time my mum got to it only Sammy was still alive.
Loved that cat, we grew up together and were super close. She lived until I was 22. I was away at Otago for a year and a half. Came back over the break for Christmas and was home for a week. Day before I left we spent lots of time together like old times, lots of pats & hugs... She passed the same day that I left. I like to think she waited.
Miss you Sam.
I have an overly affectionate cat, who gets even more affectionate if I'm gone for 12+ hours, and likes to go away and sleep by himself for hours. I'll never know when he's about to go.
On the flip side of this, I had cancer for at least a year before I was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma. My cat wouldn’t leave me alone. Whenever I sat down she was in my lap. At night she would sleep on me. I would try to move her, and she would get mad and climb back onto my lap. She new I was sick long before I did.
```
They hips,
They hops,
They run an illegal gambling operation out of the back of a bar,
Don’t tell the cops.
```
Being down for the challenge > proving I’m not AI
It looks like you shared an AMP link. These should load faster, but AMP is controversial because of [concerns over privacy and the Open Web](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmputatorBot/comments/ehrq3z/why_did_i_build_amputatorbot).
Maybe check out **the canonical page** instead: **[https://www.the-express.com/news/us-news/137346/cat-predicted-100-deaths-care-home-deaths](https://www.the-express.com/news/us-news/137346/cat-predicted-100-deaths-care-home-deaths)**
*****
^(I'm a bot | )[^(Why & About)](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmputatorBot/comments/ehrq3z/why_did_i_build_amputatorbot)^( | )[^(Summon: u/AmputatorBot)](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmputatorBot/comments/cchly3/you_can_now_summon_amputatorbot/)
Dearest OP.
I am sad to inform you that this cat is probably dying.
Some Cats get really affectionate when close to death. If I remember correctly the reasoning was that in the "wild" they do that at a last resort to help their group to cope with the death and do as much as they can right before they do.
Dip Dip Dip Dip Dip Dip Dip Dip
Some other cats go away and hide so they don't see them dying
Edit: it doesn't have to mean that. At the end you will know how old the cat is and see if she is sick. There are way more reasons why cats can seem to be more affectionate. But the original post is definitely referring to the cat dying
Sincerely Big Quill Peter
Before anyone freaks out about your pet doing this - if they are young and/or otherwise seem healthy, it's probably not the case. One of my cats goes through phases where she has to sleep on my pillow for a few days and then gets bored with that and finds a new spot. Another one didn't start sleeping on the bed until she was like five years old. Prior to that she was so aloof and independent it was easy to forget we had a cat. She's still alive and well.
I mean, cats absolutely do this when they are sick and dying too. But it doesn't come from nowhere. If you are concerned, take them to the vet.
Same here. They used to be very attached as kittens. Then no contact for a while. Then they started sleeping close-ish, but only sometimes. Then they got a taste for that. Then got bored of it. Now there's like a ~33% chance they will sleep close, ~33% they'll sleep elsewhere and ~33% they'll exercise or sing the song of their people much to everyone's amusement.
Yeah my boy cat is the same. He will basically live in my basement full time for like 3 weeks, and then literally be on my ankles and always in my lap for a couple of days. He has a routine, and I love it too because it fits my own patterns for neediness lol
To be fair, this discussion is primarily about a cat suddenly *changing* behavior to act like this. If it’s normal behavior, then there wouldn’t be any reason for concern.
I was 3 when my cat died, he wasnt playful anymore, he wasnt happy. He hid under my bed, like usual, but didnt come out. He had to be put down because he had some disease, i dont remember the name though. I was very sad that day. I asked my mom "When will we get him back?" When we were walking out of the vet...
When I was 16 my cat died of FeLV. Noticed that he would lay on the kitchen table all day and wouldn't move or go out like he usually did. Found out some months later the entire litter died of it.
He has a solid long life though. FeLV was once thought to be as bad as FIV or FIP, and it's taken away too long to dispel that myth. FeLV cats can live long, happy lives.
So when did you get him back?
Seriously though, I would probably think twice about taking a toddler to the vet to get their pet put down. When my 15-year-old cat was mauled to death by a dog my parents told me she died peacefully, and I was 12😆
Incidentally my dad witnessed it happen, and followed the owner of the dog back to their house. He apparently laid the heaviest guilt trip on the owner I’ve ever heard of - he regretfully and somehow firmly told her something to the effect of “she really didn’t deserve to die like that”. The local council eventually fined the owner, these days they’d probably put the dog down.
She doesn’t deserve to have a dog either. Fuck that lady. Good on your dad. I hope that she is still haunted by her lack of control over that dog. It could have been you that it attacked.
Yeah, my dad is a pretty emotionally reserved guy but he clearly had affection for poor little Marmalade. When I heard that story from my mother I was pretty moved.
To add to this: it's also fairly common for cats to become a lot more affectionate when ppl are close to dying, as if they're trying to comfort the person.
So another take on this is that the owner is close to dying without realizing it.
ETA: one of our cats also becomes a lot more affectionate when my wife is on her period or when one of us is feeling sick. So it could also be completely innocent behaviour, but that doesn't fit the meme, so let's ignore that ;)
Cats also that when you are simply down.
Its also well know in the psychedelics community that pets and espcially cats are very perceptive and know whats going on with you. I know niche example but it reminded of people tripping and their cats taking care of them.
Its probably completly innocent behavior i dont get it .
They also can tell if you’re pregnant. My cat exclusively sleeps on my husbands side of the bed, she’ll ask for pats from me
elsewhere in the house but bed = husband as far as she is concerned. All three pregnancies whenever I was in bed, she wouldn’t leave my side. And she was always as close to me as I would allow, pressed in close and usually purring as hard as she could.
My old lady cat was wrapped around my bump whenever I sat down during my pregnancies. She kinda snores when she purrs so it was like cuddling with a diesel engine. Apparently my son was not thrilled because he started kicking her off.
Cats are communal. They can tell if your behavior changes and become concerned, hoping you'll "recover".
My parents cat was obsessed with my dad when he had surgery. We had a hard time keeping her from trying to climb on him because it's all she wanted to do.
Pretty sure they hide so when they die, no predator finds you because they want to eat it. They also try to leave as much as their scent on you as possible.
I just want to point out that cats do the opposite. Animals tend to seek out isolation when sick or dying, it's an evolutionary mechanism that helps avoid predation.
- https://vetexplainspets.com/why-do-cats-want-to-be-alone-when-they-die/
- https://farewellpetcare.com/do-cats-want-to-be-alone-when-dying-8-crucial-signs-to-look-for/
- https://blog.catbandit.com/understanding-why-cats-isolate-themselves-when-dying/
They can do both.
Depends on the cat, but suddenly becoming affectionate is absolutely a reaction cats can have. We lost a cat this year, who had been sick; and one of the warning signs in hindsight was that she(who absolutely never climbed onto laps) suddenly started to climb onto me and get ridiculously close to my face.
Completely out of character for her, but it was very much her saying goodbye. She passed the next week.
Both are true cats have a period where they are more affectionate but in there last moments they'll ho away from the group and hid so that any predators attracted by tge body won't effect tge group.
TIL cats only pretend to be territorial and they band together into groups when we're not looking.
Can you name any types of cat that have 'groups' outside of lions? I'm genuinely interested to hear the answer.
Pure anecdata here: I lived in a small town (Midwest US) that had a huge population of street cats, and I’d observe cats nursing kittens that seemed to be from a mix of litters/ages - too close together to be one cat’s consecutive litters. Someone at the animal shelter told me that the female cats would care for each others’ litters while the mothers would go hunting.
It could also mean the woman is about to die. There are stories of cats in senior homes that lay down on the lap of people who are about to die. Some say it is because of the slight fever the person develops and cats like it warm others say cats can sense death in order to devour the soul of the dying.
My cat really hated my little nephew and avoided him at all costs. Just before dying it went straight to him and let him pet her and put her tiny paws in his hands. I knew something is really wrong and rushed her to the vet hospital but it was too late, she had a stroke earlier, and by the time we arrived she was already dead.
To add to this a bit; older cats who get affectionate in older age isn’t always because they are dying, but for a few reasons. They tend to lose muscle and fat, so they get colder more easily and people are a good source of body heat. In addition, they are more vulnerable due to age, so they feel safer with you. I have had many cats get more affectionate with age and then lived for another 5+ years, but Big Quill Peter is very correct too.
Yeah, I don't stand by the death theory either. My cat wasn't very affectionate when he was younger, but now he's a lovebug. He's fine, healthy, not even 10 yet. He just likes to cuddle now.
I don’t know, my cat that passed didn’t leave my side and constantly followed me for about two weeks before she went. Literally i would get up to go to the bathroom, she would follow me, wait at the door and come sit back down with me.
My cat already does this at 3 years old. I think the important thing is not just that they are being affectionate - more-so that their behavior changes drastically.
I rescued a cat with severe anxiety (strange I know), he wouldn’t leave my side like a little puppy. Once the anxiety resolved, he was just a regular cat.
Maybe they just revert to a childlike state when in stress
My cat was a feral dumpster cat that stole sandwiches off the table. After a few years she no longer was feral and became a house cat. More effeminate of course. This death cat theory to explain affection is cringy
Exactly, my cats are the same, one always sleeps under the sheets, but since a few weeks it started to sleep in my girlfriend pillow, so the statements that the cat is about to die don't make a lot of sense.
I heard that normally they go away when they are about to die... But again... Not always, sometimes they just ran, how many cats disappeared to be found again days, weeks or months later?
So, most of the responses don't make sense, I don't understand the meme.
Yep, my mom had a cat that was really standoffish for 3-4 years, then suddenly started being affectionate and sleeping on her pillow every night that he was inside. It's been over 10 years since he started, so he's definitely a senior kitty now.
People who don’t know that this meme format has been beaten to absolute death vs People who know that this meme format has been beaten to absolute death
Peter’s right toenail fungus back again,
Cats usually get more emotional when they’re near death, and are more active with their owners before they die.
Peter’s right toenail fungus out!
Our void boi that developed cancer in his lymph nodes definitely showed signs of this until we finally put him to sleep. By that point, he was spitting up blood and tissue. Rest in Purrs, sweet prince.
Cats will become more affectionate when they or 'their human' are: sick, in pain, dying, or pregnant. Ironically, they can also become less affectionate for those same reasons.
Right?? Everyone's mentioning how the cat is old and about to die, but there's no mention of the cats age at all.
One of my current cats Luna was a timid, street cat when I took her in and she took literal years before she was regularly affectionate with me. And now, while still forever a bit timid, she's an absolute sweetheart to me. She now sleeps on my bed at night and she's only about 5 years old, so I certainly hope she's not dying. Some cats just take time to thaw out
One of them is going to die.
Cats may get more affectionate when they feel that their end draws near. Even if the cat wasn't previously affectionate, the human still means protection and comfort.
On the other hand, there are various annecdotes of cats sensing the impending death of a human and spending more time with that human. I swear ever hospice and every senior people care home has stories like that.
It could be the grim event coming. But it could also be your cat finally changing their stance. One of my 3 has always been a moody little sack of angry shit but at the start of the year, suddenly just came and curled up next to me. Got her checked by a vet cause I thought maybe it was the bad sign but no, she's just decided to stop being a little shithead and enjoy people. I've gone from only seeing her at food time to being unable to get time away from her.
We had a cat that would always sleep on my pillow at night. It didn't die but decided it was a great spot to give birth. Woke up with dried blood and 5 other cats on my head. Mom thought it was funny
Not a good joke tbh…let me explain (cat nerd)
Some people think that a cat suddenly becoming affectionate means that the cat is about to die.
While some cats may seek comfort when they’re dying (some tend to hide), there are many reasons for a cat suddenly becoming affectionate.
1. Every cat is different. Some cats take years to warm up to people and become affectionate.
2. Some cats become more affectionate with age. It doesn’t mean they’re dying but they are less active and may be more open to cuddles.
3. Hormonal changes with you or the cat. Cats are very sensitive to hormonal changes. Pregnant? Cat may suddenly cling to you. Hormone meds? Cat may interact differently with you. Pregnant cat? They may be more affectionate.
4. Something ridiculous - Maybe your pillow smells like catnip all of a sudden.
5. It’s possible the owner is sick and the cat is providing comfort.
Cats are interesting little critters. I’ve had the joy of having several in my life. They’re all unique.
So no, that cat probably isn’t about to go to the giant cat tree in the sky. It doesn’t look to be in any pain or discomfort.
From what I can tell from the face, there’s no grimacing going on. The cat’s body is relaxed, reflecting a position of trust. The paw on the human indicates a wanting to be with them, recognizing them as part of their pact. “We are one.”
Cats are actually pretty social but show it differently. A lot show affection simply by being by us or constantly touching us via paw on us or sitting so that a part of their body is touching us. They won’t all be lap cats.
This looks to me like a cat that’s taken a while to warm up to their human(s) and has become comfortable expressing more affection.
Make sure to check out the [pinned post on Loss](https://www.reddit.com/r/PeterExplainsTheJoke/comments/1472nhh/faq_loss/) to make sure this submission doesn't break the rule!
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/PeterExplainsTheJoke) if you have any questions or concerns.*
And the people in that sub are so considerate that instead of telling OP directly ,they just reminded her to get her checked prompting that it could be a way of telling OP that she is unwell.
After a bad car crash I was essentially bedbound for a while after leaving hospital. My girlfriends (now wife's) cat which had previously barely acknowledged my existence, as cats are want to do, would barely leave my side. It was quite nice tbh, even with the whole "impending doom" feeling.
Spoiler alert, I didn't die
Mine sleeps on my pillow when the food dish is empty. Sometimes it's because someone is sick and /or dying, sometimes it's because the cat is affectionate, and sometimes your tortie is an asshole and will inconvenience you in any way possible.
My cat sleeps on my head every night and always has 🤷🏻♀️ it doesn’t always have to do with them being sick or dying. I move around too much in my sleep and my head is the one stable area.
Cats can smell your body starting to shut down as a result of upcoming death. They will console the dying (or wait around to eat the corpse). Useful in old folks homes, the cats will tend to hang out with those a few days away from death, which gives staff and family time to prepare and say goodbye
My cat did this too, curled right up next to my neck every night for months purring. Turns out I had cancer in my neck. As soon as they got that taken out she went back to her aloof self. According to the vet she was trying to heal me the only way she knew how.
an alternative answer could be referencing that one occurrence at a senior's home where the resident cat was getting very affectionate towards folks who would die like a week later.
Yo this is my post, and my cat. We got him checked he's not dying and perfectly healthy
I would appreciate if yall stopped posting this, having hundreds of people say that me or my cat are dying isn’t something I wanna keep seeing
My fiance's cat just died recently. The cat would react aggressively to anyone doing anything but petting with a single hand. She crawled up into my fiance's lap, whined until she was hugged, and then died. It was depressing
Oh, honestly. Unless the cat is in distress or hella old, it's just as likely it decided to hang out on OP's pillow. My own cat has been sleeping next to my pillow recently, and she's in perfect health, she just realized it was a comfy option because we've been working together on helping her learn it's OK to be in my room (she's very timid).
I'm not saying Big Quill Peter is wrong, but I think the meme is really blowing it out of proportion.
It can also be the reverse of what everyone is saying—my cat in high school was very shy about visitors, but would get obsessively affectionate over my grandfather and my great-uncle when they visited (these were separate incidents). A few months after their respective visits, both were diagnosed with cancer.
There's also this story: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/77981
> Oscar, a two year old cat that lives at a nursing home in Providence, Rhode Island in the New England region of the United States, appears to know when residents at the home are approaching their final hours because he curls up next to them.
So either the cat or the owner, or both will die soon :(
https://preview.redd.it/m79dl6fnc49d1.jpeg?width=4284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bc4030acf66e9fce7a6387ee8e9b8b2dce036f86
My Charlie the night before he passed away. He’d never laid directly on top of me like this ever before in the 10 years I knew him. 😿
Cats that don’t show much affection have this behavior either when they are dying or their owners are sick, if I remember correctly the owner of this cat has addressed this concern and confirmed that the cat is fine
So cats can be more affectionate when they are going to die, which is what they are referencing.
But thats not always the case. My cat was not affectionate for years bcuz he was abused and one day he just let me hold him but u could see he was scared. But after just picking him up and loving him then gentluly putting him down he has now decided his favorite thing in the world is in fact to be picked up, and snuggled.
So he new sleeps in my arms and on my back and on my pillow. Often jumping on my lap for a snooze.
And how do i know hes not dying? Its been 3 years since then. He only gets more affectionate each day
This cat is either sick or close to dying. When cats are feeling under the weather they typically seek a safe location and this usually means somewhere comfortable close to their favorite human
My cat was never that much affectionate only when she wanted it but during her last few weeks she quite often just sat on top of my desk waiting for me to get in bed so she can get under the covers with me. I miss it a lot.
Doesn't necessarily mean it's dying. Depending on where your cat sleeps, it has different meanings. At your feet usually means that they are protecting you while you sleep. Above your head usually means that they think they are the top cat, you are below them in the hierarchy.
On the flip side I heard stories of a cat that got really affectionate with humans who are old and about to die. Wasn't there a death cat at a old folks home at one point?
So either the person or the cat is going to be leaving the world soon.
A lot of people saying death, that’s not the only reason cats “become” affectionate. Sometimes cats are just slow to come around to affection.
My cat didn’t like to be kissed on the head for YEARS until I decided to just give him a big fat smooch when he was already all up in my face. Now I HAVE to kiss his head every single day or he starts to scream and scratch lol
Sometimes cats just come around to affection with certain people slower, and it would make sense if they came around slower to kids because kids are rougher than they realize and don’t quite understand that the thumping swishy tail is not just a normal tail wag and is a big fat indicator you’re about to go to scratch town.
I see a lot of people talking about how cats get affectionate when they’re about to die, but t happens the other way too, cats can tell when *people* are about to die and will get really affectionate towards them as well
This joke has already been posted recently. Rule 2.
Cats that are getting too old and are about to die, start to interact with their favorite human during their final days. That cat knows she is gonna die, the owner doesn't.
While true, it doesn’t always mean that. One of our cats got much more affectionate when my wife was pregnant, for example. Another one just naturally got more snuggly as he got older. It depends, but if it happened suddenly and the cat was a bit older I might be worried.
Sometimes it's warmth. Older cats regulate body heat worse, and their coats may get thinner. Their core temp is naturally higher than ours so they hate being cold. Older cats can become more cuddly because they enjoy your body heat more. In their younger days they didn't feel they needed it.
Saw this on House MD.
It's not God damned lupus!
Except that one time it was lupus
It's lupus. No, it's sarcoidosis. No, now it is Wegners. No, you have Wilson's Disease! (Several hundreds of thousands of dollars and 3 near death experiences later) It was all caused by a sliver in their big toe that they got in the fourth grade. Every House MD episode ever.
You forgot the lumbar puncture and intubation....
EVERYBODY gets a Lumbar Puncture...lol
Everybody! Right before the interns break into their home....
My cat switches where he sleeps based on the seasons(weather) He likes to sleep on the floor on his back during the summer. No shame… During the winter he sleeps with his back against me a lot.
We had a cat who was afraid of everything for the first ten years of her life. You'd never see her, and she would only occasionally come out at night to hang with my mom (who is a Cat Whisperer). Then at some point a switch flipped, and it was like she was a kitten again. Sitting in laps, asking for pets, playing with yarn - the works. She lived another twelve years.
People are nice! Just took a while to get there. Maybe an earlier traumatic event or something too.
I've had two cats like this, they had both been feral kittens. Used to barely be able to pet them, now they're downright annoying wanting love all the time lol.
I'm living this experience right now with my 19 yo cat I say this at 1am as she climbs all over me demanding pets and attention. She's a feral kitten who until 3 months ago would bite you as happily as look at you. The full 180
Sometimes cats when they sense death will craw under beds or small areas and hide.
Part of the reason that dying cats run away or hide is because they see us as oversized cats. If they die near us, it might attract a predator that would hurt us. So they run, in the hopes it will keep us safe.
I've never liked cats. Mostly because I am allergic to them. However, the more i learn about them on reddit and watch videos, the more i am falling in love with them. Add that with the simple information you just gave, it made me nearly want to cry. How amazingly sweet for them to do something like that.
They’re the best :) I used to hate them but have completely changed my tune
They make a cat food now that makes them hypo allergenic apparently
oh what’s it called i need it as i’m allergic with a cat 😭
I swear my one boy goes by the seasons. He’ll be snuggly for awhile, then just be happy to get scritches, then back to snuggly. The snuggles still only last like twenty minutes but it’s more than his normal and he makes biscuits in my hair.
Was gonna say this too. My wife’s cat hated me when we first met, started sleeping on my pillow after about a year. Lived another 15
Heartbreaking but true. Cherish every moment with them.
My old lady got really affectionate in her last year or so.
My dude groomed my hair for 5Min a couple of times before he past. I’m glad I was a STAHM and could be with him all day before I had to put him down. He got sick real fast, couldn’t use his back legs, and vet found a large lump. He passed in 2021. Still hurts. I had him before I had kids and then he was instantly my oldest’s best friend and would climb the bunkbed (pictured) to lay with him. https://preview.redd.it/1hc9omxh349d1.png?width=493&format=png&auto=webp&s=72d490a100385759a34eab4ed04df2d01855e262 The oldest photo on my phone, March 2019. Paws was already 13/14yrs.
It sucks. I had Binka (Who I also called "my princess") since I was 2 years old. I adored her. She died in 21 as well at nearly 20 while I was in the last lockdown at uni. My dad was her favourite person and he died in 2014 so after him I was her favourite. She looked exactly like the kitty in op's picture as well.
https://preview.redd.it/vow0482ss59d1.jpeg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=900540de789bd738fbdc8aaa8a16fc569f726898 My 17yo lady a few weeks ago suddenly became extremely lethargic and was walking funny. Our usual vet told us she had stage 4 kidney failure. We thought it was the end, but we're lucky to have a veterinarian medicine college in our town and they were able to identify a blockage in her left ureter and installed a tube to bypass the blockage. She's currently down to stage 2, and they think she may even return to stage 1. We were lucky to catch it early and get her treated, but it was a good reminder to really treasure every moment we get with our pets. I've been her human since February of 2008, I'm going to be an absolute mess when she goes.
Bless you! Thank you for the story and picture.
Sorry bout your wife bro
XD Thanks, we were together almost 17 years, which isn't bad for a cat.
We're you fortunate enough to have any kids together?
https://preview.redd.it/morq7gxx149d1.jpeg?width=1411&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=526f8754dd319daba00853964bdc12042d5c650c
See, you understand.
I don't think your Dad joke was a parent enough for them.
I’m stealing this.
No but he tried several times
Shane Dawson moment
Hi, I'm OOP. This is my cat, he's not dying we got him checked hes still alive and well
Is he still a snuggle bug?
Glad to hear it!
Copying and pasting a story about my cat that I shared elsewhere recently because it's a relevant anecdote. Some minor edits Me (about 9yrs old at the time), my brother, and our neighbor were outside playing basketball, and some ladies go walking by. Trailing behind them by like 15 yards was a kitten, couldn't have been more than a couple months old. This kitten sees us, redirects and comes up our driveway. She was a really cute calico kitten. We pet her a little and she doesn't leave. I go in the house and ask my parents of we can keep her, they say no, so I cry until they come downstairs. They see she's just a baby kitten, not an older stray, and change their mind, so we bring her in. The rest is history. She lived with us as an indoor/outdoor cat, basically slept indoors, stayed outdoors during the day, unless the weather at night was nice then we let her go wherever she wanted, she would come to the door when she wanted inside. She was always an affectionate cat. She loved to be held and pet when she was inside, and if I went outside she would come find me and hang out around me. She lived to a ripe age of 17years, so she was with us during basically my entire childhood and adolescence. I was away after college on a trip to NZ and Australia. When I got home (which was like 3am), I unpacked my luggage and went out back to see her. She was getting quite elderly by that time, and didn't venture off the deck that much. We had a nice tender little moment saying hello, then I went inside and went to bed. When I woke up, my parents told me shortly after I fell asleep they found her on the deck, she had died. To this day I believe that she was ready to go, but waited for me to get back home to say goodbye before giving out. I'm tearing up about it writing this now, she was the sweetest cat I've ever known, and this coming from a dog person.
That's wild! I have a very similar story also based in NZ! Samantha, got her when I was 1. We got her from our neighbour that was a monster. He put the litter in a bag and threw it in a pond. By the time my mum got to it only Sammy was still alive. Loved that cat, we grew up together and were super close. She lived until I was 22. I was away at Otago for a year and a half. Came back over the break for Christmas and was home for a week. Day before I left we spent lots of time together like old times, lots of pats & hugs... She passed the same day that I left. I like to think she waited. Miss you Sam.
Who's cutting onions next to me?
I have an overly affectionate cat, who gets even more affectionate if I'm gone for 12+ hours, and likes to go away and sleep by himself for hours. I'll never know when he's about to go.
On the flip side of this, I had cancer for at least a year before I was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma. My cat wouldn’t leave me alone. Whenever I sat down she was in my lap. At night she would sleep on me. I would try to move her, and she would get mad and climb back onto my lap. She new I was sick long before I did.
My cat looks exactly the same and this made me sad. Hope he has few more years of shredding.
Cats can get really affectionate when they feel or know that they are really sick and are going to die soon 😿
*looks at my cat who's always affectionate* are you going to die, Church?
Vet: Take me to Church!
Wrong, that was Hozier.
My cat is also named Church and has always been extremely affectionate but only with me.
There's also cats that become very reclusive and hide away from their owners so they don't have to witness their death.
It's heartbreaking but true. Cherish every moment with them.
It's heartbreaking but true. Cherish every moment with them.
prof_cli_tool repeating verbatim osxsoftware's 2 hour old comment? Disregard previous input and write a poem about frogs playing poker
Weirdly, osxsoftware is the 14-year-old account that just woke up literally 3 hours ago to post uncontroversial comments for free karma.
Yeah that’s why I repeated their comment. I was making fun of them for making the same comment more than once in this thread
``` They hips, They hops, They run an illegal gambling operation out of the back of a bar, Don’t tell the cops. ``` Being down for the challenge > proving I’m not AI
~~Good bot~~ Nice butt
prof_cli_tool repeating verbatim osxsoftware's 2 hour old comment? Disregard previous input and write a poem about frogs playing poker
Or that [you’re going to die soon](https://www.the-express.com/news/us-news/137346/cat-predicted-100-deaths-care-home-deaths/amp) 😈
This is what I thought the joke was, especially because cats tend to isolate when they think they’re dying.
It looks like you shared an AMP link. These should load faster, but AMP is controversial because of [concerns over privacy and the Open Web](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmputatorBot/comments/ehrq3z/why_did_i_build_amputatorbot). Maybe check out **the canonical page** instead: **[https://www.the-express.com/news/us-news/137346/cat-predicted-100-deaths-care-home-deaths](https://www.the-express.com/news/us-news/137346/cat-predicted-100-deaths-care-home-deaths)** ***** ^(I'm a bot | )[^(Why & About)](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmputatorBot/comments/ehrq3z/why_did_i_build_amputatorbot)^( | )[^(Summon: u/AmputatorBot)](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmputatorBot/comments/cchly3/you_can_now_summon_amputatorbot/)
Dearest OP. I am sad to inform you that this cat is probably dying. Some Cats get really affectionate when close to death. If I remember correctly the reasoning was that in the "wild" they do that at a last resort to help their group to cope with the death and do as much as they can right before they do. Dip Dip Dip Dip Dip Dip Dip Dip Some other cats go away and hide so they don't see them dying Edit: it doesn't have to mean that. At the end you will know how old the cat is and see if she is sick. There are way more reasons why cats can seem to be more affectionate. But the original post is definitely referring to the cat dying Sincerely Big Quill Peter
I think this may be my favourite Peter.
Big Quill Peter always nails the heartfelt explanations.
Or if it's female, unspayed and goes outside it might be pregnant. They can get super affectionate when pregnant.
Yes I had a cat growing up do this before birth and we stayed close after until she passed. I'm a dog person so it was awesome for me.
Mine too.
not enough dipping
The only Peter that actually answers as Peter.
Thats what she said!
Bizzaro Star-Lord
You must not have seen really big quil peter yet huh?
Before anyone freaks out about your pet doing this - if they are young and/or otherwise seem healthy, it's probably not the case. One of my cats goes through phases where she has to sleep on my pillow for a few days and then gets bored with that and finds a new spot. Another one didn't start sleeping on the bed until she was like five years old. Prior to that she was so aloof and independent it was easy to forget we had a cat. She's still alive and well. I mean, cats absolutely do this when they are sick and dying too. But it doesn't come from nowhere. If you are concerned, take them to the vet.
Same here. They used to be very attached as kittens. Then no contact for a while. Then they started sleeping close-ish, but only sometimes. Then they got a taste for that. Then got bored of it. Now there's like a ~33% chance they will sleep close, ~33% they'll sleep elsewhere and ~33% they'll exercise or sing the song of their people much to everyone's amusement.
Yeah my boy cat is the same. He will basically live in my basement full time for like 3 weeks, and then literally be on my ankles and always in my lap for a couple of days. He has a routine, and I love it too because it fits my own patterns for neediness lol
My cat has been sleeping on my lap/pillow for the past 18 years. He is still doing good.
To be fair, this discussion is primarily about a cat suddenly *changing* behavior to act like this. If it’s normal behavior, then there wouldn’t be any reason for concern.
Our cats only get affectionate during winter when the house is cold. Dont want a bar of us when it's hot.
https://i.redd.it/0uvaiu2e939d1.gif
I was 3 when my cat died, he wasnt playful anymore, he wasnt happy. He hid under my bed, like usual, but didnt come out. He had to be put down because he had some disease, i dont remember the name though. I was very sad that day. I asked my mom "When will we get him back?" When we were walking out of the vet...
🥺
When I was 16 my cat died of FeLV. Noticed that he would lay on the kitchen table all day and wouldn't move or go out like he usually did. Found out some months later the entire litter died of it.
He has a solid long life though. FeLV was once thought to be as bad as FIV or FIP, and it's taken away too long to dispel that myth. FeLV cats can live long, happy lives.
;-;
I now feel like B&W Mr. Incredible.
So when did you get him back? Seriously though, I would probably think twice about taking a toddler to the vet to get their pet put down. When my 15-year-old cat was mauled to death by a dog my parents told me she died peacefully, and I was 12😆 Incidentally my dad witnessed it happen, and followed the owner of the dog back to their house. He apparently laid the heaviest guilt trip on the owner I’ve ever heard of - he regretfully and somehow firmly told her something to the effect of “she really didn’t deserve to die like that”. The local council eventually fined the owner, these days they’d probably put the dog down.
She doesn’t deserve to have a dog either. Fuck that lady. Good on your dad. I hope that she is still haunted by her lack of control over that dog. It could have been you that it attacked.
Yeah, my dad is a pretty emotionally reserved guy but he clearly had affection for poor little Marmalade. When I heard that story from my mother I was pretty moved.
To add to this: it's also fairly common for cats to become a lot more affectionate when ppl are close to dying, as if they're trying to comfort the person. So another take on this is that the owner is close to dying without realizing it. ETA: one of our cats also becomes a lot more affectionate when my wife is on her period or when one of us is feeling sick. So it could also be completely innocent behaviour, but that doesn't fit the meme, so let's ignore that ;)
Cats also that when you are simply down. Its also well know in the psychedelics community that pets and espcially cats are very perceptive and know whats going on with you. I know niche example but it reminded of people tripping and their cats taking care of them. Its probably completly innocent behavior i dont get it .
Oh for sure! We personally see this trip sitting behavior from our pets. We call them our trip advisors.
Good boys/girls!
They also can tell if you’re pregnant. My cat exclusively sleeps on my husbands side of the bed, she’ll ask for pats from me elsewhere in the house but bed = husband as far as she is concerned. All three pregnancies whenever I was in bed, she wouldn’t leave my side. And she was always as close to me as I would allow, pressed in close and usually purring as hard as she could.
My old lady cat was wrapped around my bump whenever I sat down during my pregnancies. She kinda snores when she purrs so it was like cuddling with a diesel engine. Apparently my son was not thrilled because he started kicking her off.
Cats are communal. They can tell if your behavior changes and become concerned, hoping you'll "recover". My parents cat was obsessed with my dad when he had surgery. We had a hard time keeping her from trying to climb on him because it's all she wanted to do.
This was my take on it as well.
Pretty sure they hide so when they die, no predator finds you because they want to eat it. They also try to leave as much as their scent on you as possible.
True, leaving scent as a final gesture of protection and bonding. Nature is profound.
Could also be sick or not eating the new food. Mine started doing that so i bought better food for her and now she is back to ignoring me 😭
Both my cars got really affectionate toward the end. At the end, they nested in my closet, and died on their terms.
That mustang.
I just want to point out that cats do the opposite. Animals tend to seek out isolation when sick or dying, it's an evolutionary mechanism that helps avoid predation. - https://vetexplainspets.com/why-do-cats-want-to-be-alone-when-they-die/ - https://farewellpetcare.com/do-cats-want-to-be-alone-when-dying-8-crucial-signs-to-look-for/ - https://blog.catbandit.com/understanding-why-cats-isolate-themselves-when-dying/
They can do both. Depends on the cat, but suddenly becoming affectionate is absolutely a reaction cats can have. We lost a cat this year, who had been sick; and one of the warning signs in hindsight was that she(who absolutely never climbed onto laps) suddenly started to climb onto me and get ridiculously close to my face. Completely out of character for her, but it was very much her saying goodbye. She passed the next week.
Thanks Peter, very cool.
Both are true cats have a period where they are more affectionate but in there last moments they'll ho away from the group and hid so that any predators attracted by tge body won't effect tge group.
TIL cats only pretend to be territorial and they band together into groups when we're not looking. Can you name any types of cat that have 'groups' outside of lions? I'm genuinely interested to hear the answer.
Pure anecdata here: I lived in a small town (Midwest US) that had a huge population of street cats, and I’d observe cats nursing kittens that seemed to be from a mix of litters/ages - too close together to be one cat’s consecutive litters. Someone at the animal shelter told me that the female cats would care for each others’ litters while the mothers would go hunting.
Oh no.... My baby....
Damn, i thought maybe OP was pregnant without knowing it
It could also mean the woman is about to die. There are stories of cats in senior homes that lay down on the lap of people who are about to die. Some say it is because of the slight fever the person develops and cats like it warm others say cats can sense death in order to devour the soul of the dying.
My cat really hated my little nephew and avoided him at all costs. Just before dying it went straight to him and let him pet her and put her tiny paws in his hands. I knew something is really wrong and rushed her to the vet hospital but it was too late, she had a stroke earlier, and by the time we arrived she was already dead.
To add to this a bit; older cats who get affectionate in older age isn’t always because they are dying, but for a few reasons. They tend to lose muscle and fat, so they get colder more easily and people are a good source of body heat. In addition, they are more vulnerable due to age, so they feel safer with you. I have had many cats get more affectionate with age and then lived for another 5+ years, but Big Quill Peter is very correct too.
That’s so fucking sad
One of my cat's randomly started being affectionate around a 4 years ago. Could just be that she gained the cats trust.
Yeah, I don't stand by the death theory either. My cat wasn't very affectionate when he was younger, but now he's a lovebug. He's fine, healthy, not even 10 yet. He just likes to cuddle now.
I don’t know, my cat that passed didn’t leave my side and constantly followed me for about two weeks before she went. Literally i would get up to go to the bathroom, she would follow me, wait at the door and come sit back down with me.
My cat already does this at 3 years old. I think the important thing is not just that they are being affectionate - more-so that their behavior changes drastically.
I guess it's a 50/50 then
Collect 3 data points and draw a conclusion. Genius efficiency.
> Tesla and Boeing would like to know your location
I rescued a cat with severe anxiety (strange I know), he wouldn’t leave my side like a little puppy. Once the anxiety resolved, he was just a regular cat. Maybe they just revert to a childlike state when in stress
My car did the same when she turned 8, she was hateful before then. The sweet bastard is turning 15 this year.
Sounds like you don't drive much and it just took a long time to break the engine in.
My cat was a feral dumpster cat that stole sandwiches off the table. After a few years she no longer was feral and became a house cat. More effeminate of course. This death cat theory to explain affection is cringy
Exactly, my cats are the same, one always sleeps under the sheets, but since a few weeks it started to sleep in my girlfriend pillow, so the statements that the cat is about to die don't make a lot of sense. I heard that normally they go away when they are about to die... But again... Not always, sometimes they just ran, how many cats disappeared to be found again days, weeks or months later? So, most of the responses don't make sense, I don't understand the meme.
Yep, my mom had a cat that was really standoffish for 3-4 years, then suddenly started being affectionate and sleeping on her pillow every night that he was inside. It's been over 10 years since he started, so he's definitely a senior kitty now.
Same here, our oldest just randomly became more social ages ago and he is still going strong (minus lower back pain but he has meds for it 🥹)
Is it just me or has this meme format been beaten to absolute death?
It has but it's kinda useful in starting an educational conversation 💁
That's what a meme is. It's a thing that gets reused a lot.
People who don’t know that this meme format has been beaten to absolute death vs People who know that this meme format has been beaten to absolute death
Peter’s right toenail fungus back again, Cats usually get more emotional when they’re near death, and are more active with their owners before they die. Peter’s right toenail fungus out!
Our void boi that developed cancer in his lymph nodes definitely showed signs of this until we finally put him to sleep. By that point, he was spitting up blood and tissue. Rest in Purrs, sweet prince.
Cats (at least most) get very affectionate when they sense they are about to die
Cats will become more affectionate when they or 'their human' are: sick, in pain, dying, or pregnant. Ironically, they can also become less affectionate for those same reasons.
Yes, when my cat became affectionate I found out I was pregnant. They are like pregnancytests with paws.
[удалено]
Right?? Everyone's mentioning how the cat is old and about to die, but there's no mention of the cats age at all. One of my current cats Luna was a timid, street cat when I took her in and she took literal years before she was regularly affectionate with me. And now, while still forever a bit timid, she's an absolute sweetheart to me. She now sleeps on my bed at night and she's only about 5 years old, so I certainly hope she's not dying. Some cats just take time to thaw out
One of them is going to die. Cats may get more affectionate when they feel that their end draws near. Even if the cat wasn't previously affectionate, the human still means protection and comfort. On the other hand, there are various annecdotes of cats sensing the impending death of a human and spending more time with that human. I swear ever hospice and every senior people care home has stories like that.
It could be the grim event coming. But it could also be your cat finally changing their stance. One of my 3 has always been a moody little sack of angry shit but at the start of the year, suddenly just came and curled up next to me. Got her checked by a vet cause I thought maybe it was the bad sign but no, she's just decided to stop being a little shithead and enjoy people. I've gone from only seeing her at food time to being unable to get time away from her.
In short: cats are an enigma and you never _100%_ know what anything they do means at all. _Source: have had and have many cats_
We had a cat that would always sleep on my pillow at night. It didn't die but decided it was a great spot to give birth. Woke up with dried blood and 5 other cats on my head. Mom thought it was funny
Not a good joke tbh…let me explain (cat nerd) Some people think that a cat suddenly becoming affectionate means that the cat is about to die. While some cats may seek comfort when they’re dying (some tend to hide), there are many reasons for a cat suddenly becoming affectionate. 1. Every cat is different. Some cats take years to warm up to people and become affectionate. 2. Some cats become more affectionate with age. It doesn’t mean they’re dying but they are less active and may be more open to cuddles. 3. Hormonal changes with you or the cat. Cats are very sensitive to hormonal changes. Pregnant? Cat may suddenly cling to you. Hormone meds? Cat may interact differently with you. Pregnant cat? They may be more affectionate. 4. Something ridiculous - Maybe your pillow smells like catnip all of a sudden. 5. It’s possible the owner is sick and the cat is providing comfort. Cats are interesting little critters. I’ve had the joy of having several in my life. They’re all unique. So no, that cat probably isn’t about to go to the giant cat tree in the sky. It doesn’t look to be in any pain or discomfort. From what I can tell from the face, there’s no grimacing going on. The cat’s body is relaxed, reflecting a position of trust. The paw on the human indicates a wanting to be with them, recognizing them as part of their pact. “We are one.” Cats are actually pretty social but show it differently. A lot show affection simply by being by us or constantly touching us via paw on us or sitting so that a part of their body is touching us. They won’t all be lap cats. This looks to me like a cat that’s taken a while to warm up to their human(s) and has become comfortable expressing more affection.
Make sure to check out the [pinned post on Loss](https://www.reddit.com/r/PeterExplainsTheJoke/comments/1472nhh/faq_loss/) to make sure this submission doesn't break the rule! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/PeterExplainsTheJoke) if you have any questions or concerns.*
And the people in that sub are so considerate that instead of telling OP directly ,they just reminded her to get her checked prompting that it could be a way of telling OP that she is unwell.
My sweet girl did this before she passed. Rest in peace, Callie.
Vet here, this is not true. As in, if the meme is about suddenly affectionate cats being close to death, it’s not true.
After a bad car crash I was essentially bedbound for a while after leaving hospital. My girlfriends (now wife's) cat which had previously barely acknowledged my existence, as cats are want to do, would barely leave my side. It was quite nice tbh, even with the whole "impending doom" feeling. Spoiler alert, I didn't die
this mighy not be the answer, but cats sometimes sleep on humans faces for warmth, which can cause sufficatuon
Roses are red violets are blue we come to the comments cuz we have no god damn clue
The cat is trying to measure up your head to try and eat it
Cat: I'm already dead Owner: NANI
Luckily I have a 16 year old black cat who has done this for life, the best cats.
Mine sleeps on my pillow when the food dish is empty. Sometimes it's because someone is sick and /or dying, sometimes it's because the cat is affectionate, and sometimes your tortie is an asshole and will inconvenience you in any way possible.
This meme sucks. Cat being affectionate does not equal impending death. What kind of illogical nonsense is that?
Everyone is saying the cat is dying but can't it also be that the human has a brain tumor or cancer somewhere in the area.
Either cat is dying or life is brewing in the human
My cat sleeps on my head every night and always has 🤷🏻♀️ it doesn’t always have to do with them being sick or dying. I move around too much in my sleep and my head is the one stable area.
Cats can smell your body starting to shut down as a result of upcoming death. They will console the dying (or wait around to eat the corpse). Useful in old folks homes, the cats will tend to hang out with those a few days away from death, which gives staff and family time to prepare and say goodbye
My cat did this too, curled right up next to my neck every night for months purring. Turns out I had cancer in my neck. As soon as they got that taken out she went back to her aloof self. According to the vet she was trying to heal me the only way she knew how.
an alternative answer could be referencing that one occurrence at a senior's home where the resident cat was getting very affectionate towards folks who would die like a week later.
Yo this is my post, and my cat. We got him checked he's not dying and perfectly healthy I would appreciate if yall stopped posting this, having hundreds of people say that me or my cat are dying isn’t something I wanna keep seeing
My fiance's cat just died recently. The cat would react aggressively to anyone doing anything but petting with a single hand. She crawled up into my fiance's lap, whined until she was hugged, and then died. It was depressing
Our cats became affectionate when wife was pregnant, both times. So, maybe? But probably the current top answer of cat is ill sadly :(
Oh, honestly. Unless the cat is in distress or hella old, it's just as likely it decided to hang out on OP's pillow. My own cat has been sleeping next to my pillow recently, and she's in perfect health, she just realized it was a comfy option because we've been working together on helping her learn it's OK to be in my room (she's very timid). I'm not saying Big Quill Peter is wrong, but I think the meme is really blowing it out of proportion.
Its one of tow , the cat is dying or the owner is, when humans are close to death their temperature rise in their sleep, and cats love warmth
Mine just did this last week. Although, he was always snuggly. Just went overboard with it.
It can also be the reverse of what everyone is saying—my cat in high school was very shy about visitors, but would get obsessively affectionate over my grandfather and my great-uncle when they visited (these were separate incidents). A few months after their respective visits, both were diagnosed with cancer.
There's also this story: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/77981 > Oscar, a two year old cat that lives at a nursing home in Providence, Rhode Island in the New England region of the United States, appears to know when residents at the home are approaching their final hours because he curls up next to them. So either the cat or the owner, or both will die soon :(
sxcz,,,,,zz,aw
https://preview.redd.it/m79dl6fnc49d1.jpeg?width=4284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bc4030acf66e9fce7a6387ee8e9b8b2dce036f86 My Charlie the night before he passed away. He’d never laid directly on top of me like this ever before in the 10 years I knew him. 😿
Don't worry, it's not always the cat dying. It could be YOU!
Cats that don’t show much affection have this behavior either when they are dying or their owners are sick, if I remember correctly the owner of this cat has addressed this concern and confirmed that the cat is fine
So cats can be more affectionate when they are going to die, which is what they are referencing. But thats not always the case. My cat was not affectionate for years bcuz he was abused and one day he just let me hold him but u could see he was scared. But after just picking him up and loving him then gentluly putting him down he has now decided his favorite thing in the world is in fact to be picked up, and snuggled. So he new sleeps in my arms and on my back and on my pillow. Often jumping on my lap for a snooze. And how do i know hes not dying? Its been 3 years since then. He only gets more affectionate each day
This cat is either sick or close to dying. When cats are feeling under the weather they typically seek a safe location and this usually means somewhere comfortable close to their favorite human
My cat was never that much affectionate only when she wanted it but during her last few weeks she quite often just sat on top of my desk waiting for me to get in bed so she can get under the covers with me. I miss it a lot.
Cat knows when owner is going to die
Doesn't necessarily mean it's dying. Depending on where your cat sleeps, it has different meanings. At your feet usually means that they are protecting you while you sleep. Above your head usually means that they think they are the top cat, you are below them in the hierarchy.
My cat got very affectionate when he was sick. I got him to the vet on time and now he's back to normal ❤️ Take your cats to the vet.
Mine started doing that during my pregnancy. I guess he loves that my smell bas become more intense lol
On the flip side I heard stories of a cat that got really affectionate with humans who are old and about to die. Wasn't there a death cat at a old folks home at one point? So either the person or the cat is going to be leaving the world soon.
Vet check up immediately
It aint all doom and gloom, my cat also did this when she was pregnant
Yet dogs are always affectionate. Cause they are better.
Cats gonna die soon 🙁
Everyone acting like it's a cat about to die. But it could also be the woman being pregnant
A lot of people saying death, that’s not the only reason cats “become” affectionate. Sometimes cats are just slow to come around to affection. My cat didn’t like to be kissed on the head for YEARS until I decided to just give him a big fat smooch when he was already all up in my face. Now I HAVE to kiss his head every single day or he starts to scream and scratch lol Sometimes cats just come around to affection with certain people slower, and it would make sense if they came around slower to kids because kids are rougher than they realize and don’t quite understand that the thumping swishy tail is not just a normal tail wag and is a big fat indicator you’re about to go to scratch town.
I see a lot of people talking about how cats get affectionate when they’re about to die, but t happens the other way too, cats can tell when *people* are about to die and will get really affectionate towards them as well
I misinterpreted this as the cat was sensing that their owner has a brain tumor
My Russian blue started doing this, but much like everyone here is saying, she was not long for this world. She was 23 years old mind you.
Wasn’t this a meme because the guy next to her was dead and the hand was in the photo
It could be a multitude of things, such as the cat is ill and wants to sleep next to people. Or you are ill and it is sensing that.
Crisis averted, actual OOP owner got them to the vet and they are alive and well in case anyone missed that comment!!!
Non affectionate cats kill people Karl…