Cats have been revered almost in every culture throughout history. Not to mention, they were buried alongside the kings in ancient Egypt! We continue carrying out this job even today—only to see, sometimes, that we are getting nothing more than cold shoulders in return as if we were merely their servants.
But why does this happen? One might wonder, why is my cat ignoring me? Let us get down to the reasons why your cat may be ignoring you.
Why Is My Cat Ignoring Me?
1. Her Majesty Is Not in the Right Mood—Try Back Later
Unlike the common perception that cats cannot live alone, sometimes, our feline pals just need some solitude—moments of their own! Even if your cat is an attention-seeking fanatic, say she is a Siamese or a Persian, she might often fall into a similar situation. Remember, cats’ ancestors were solitary animals!
Cats are capricious creatures. They might be pretty much into something for a moment and completely ignore the same thing after a while. If your cat is not interested in scratching or cuddling for some moments in a day, worry not—she is probably just not in the mood.
2. Your Cat Has Gotten Old
As they age, several physical and health conditions arise in cats, which hampers their ability to communicate better—giving you the feeling that your cat is avoiding you.
As a cat enters seniorhood, she might, for instance, become less capable of hearing well. The eardrums lose their flexibility, which does not let the sound waves pass easily. Hearing loss with aging is a very slow process, and most parents don’t even notice.
Likewise, elderly cats can suffer from hypertension, reducing their vision power. Cumulating the effects, your cat might ignore you unintentionally.
3. Your Cat Is Afraid
Felines have tendencies to ignore anything or anyone they perceive as a threat. If feeling scared is the reason why your cat ignores you, it must also be accompanied by other signs of fear as you come near her. She will hide, show aggression, or try to appear smaller.
Any past or recent event can induce the fear of their owners in cats. If you have punished your cat or even if you have accidentally stepped on her tail, chances are, she might develop a kind of phobia. Moreover, according to the VCA Hospital, in felines, improper socialization can also lead to the fear of their owners.
4. Your Cat Is Jealous!
According to PetMD, a cat might take the owner petting another cat as an insult, leading to ignoring her or him. Jealousy is common in cats; it can rupture the relationship with the owners when cats start ‘retaliating.’
A jealous cat will hiss at you, scratch more often, and look as if she is being aggressive. Because even simple events can trigger jealousy and territorial instincts in cats, you need to be super careful around her.
Video: My Cat Ignores Me – YouTube
5. Your Cat Is Not Okay
A variety of medical complications can lead to cats snubbing their owners. A sick cat is stressed and has either too much focus on the problem or does not have enough energy to react to anyone’s call.
Cats can, for instance, develop the tendency to ignore people if they have any painful health issues. If you find out that your cat is ignoring you and some signs of bad health also prevail—such as not drinking or eating enough, being standoffish, etc.—it is time to contact a vet.
6. Your Cat Might Be Distracted
Several events can engross a cat so much that she might become unaware of what is happening near her—thus completely avoiding even the people they adore for a while. If you have ever witnessed a cat trying to catch a butterfly with her cute paws, you know what we are talking about!
A distracted cat will only come out of her world either on her own or when she is distracted again. But you do not have to worry; it is a part of feline nature. She will eventually come back to reality!
7. Your Cat Is Sick of Her Routine
Cats indeed thrive on their routine, but having too much of it—without any breaks—can make them bored. Eventually, your cat might start loathing anything that seems to be a part of her daily ‘chores,’ even if it is you!
Bored cats usually vocalize more, stop doing what they are doing, and give up interacting with the people around them, giving off a sense that they are in ignoring mode. If this is the reason, know that it is a serious matter—a sustained period of boredom can lead to several mental and physical issues in cats.
8. Cats Just Ignore!
A University of Tokyo research suggests that cats do ignore their owners. So, it is a part of their nature, and you can only do so much about your kitty avoiding you!
In an experiment, different cats were made to hear recorded voices calling their names. The voices belong to several people, including their owners. While cats did show signs of acknowledgment upon hearing their names from all people, they showed the most interest when they heard their owner’s voice. But the overall reaction was no more than twitching the ears or wagging the tail. In short, these cats were like: “Yeah, I hear you. Know what? Get back on your work!”
What to Do if Your Cat Ignores You?
There are a few takeaways from the reasons why a cat ignores in the first place. These lessons can be transformed into solutions—namely:
- Try to keep your cat happy. Use her favorite food and toys. It does not mean that you indulge your cat in her food so much that she ends up fattening herself. Just be easy on what she loves!
- Include your vet in the loop. If your cat is ignoring you because of her age or any health issue, a vet will have the best fix—for sure.
- Do not scare your cat. Do not do anything that harms her physically or mentally. It is better to train her not to do any mischievous act in the future than to punish her.
- Be careful about your cat’s feelings. It is in the feline instinct to feel jealous. If you want to pet another folk, do it in private.
Why Is My Cat Ignoring Me? Final Words
Your cat is ignoring you because of physical, mental, or behavioral issues. But there is nothing much to worry about—most of the time, a cat ignoring a person is due to some petty reasons. You can still manage the issue; just learn from the reasons and try to figure out the solution, or someday, you might call your feline pal in your group of friends only to see no response.