Sea Change in Cat

Hello,

As I posted here several weeks ago, my little cat had an abscess on his rump.
After lancing and cleansing over several days (and more loving affection and
attention than anyone deserves, except for one's little cat), it now appears to
have cleared up completely. No fever, no swelling, no lethargy. He has been back
to his old self for over a week now, except for one thing: He no longer jumps up
on the piano keys when I am playing.

He leaps up onto the counters, onto a high stool near the window, and onto my
desk, as he used to always do. He returned to sleeping next to me at night on
the bed. He's back to leaping to my lap often to contemplate and purr. He's back
to being full of jelly beans in the morning, romping about and making a happy
ruckus over his imminent breakfast.

But I am mystified about the piano. (My playing has not improved, so this is not
it. And I play loud and often by routine through the day.)

Has anyone seen a cat change behavior (or personality) like this after an
illness?

in article . net, Caliban at
wrote on 1/4/04 4:03 PM:

Hello,

As I posted here several weeks ago, my little cat had an abscess on his rump.
After lancing and cleansing over several days (and more loving affection and
attention than anyone deserves, except for one's little cat), it now appears
to
have cleared up completely. No fever, no swelling, no lethargy. He has been
back
to his old self for over a week now, except for one thing: He no longer jumps
up
on the piano keys when I am playing.

He leaps up onto the counters, onto a high stool near the window, and onto my
desk, as he used to always do. He returned to sleeping next to me at night on
the bed. He's back to leaping to my lap often to contemplate and purr. He's
back
to being full of jelly beans in the morning, romping about and making a happy
ruckus over his imminent breakfast.

But I am mystified about the piano. (My playing has not improved, so this is
not
it. And I play loud and often by routine through the day.)

Has anyone seen a cat change behavior (or personality) like this after an
illness?


I'm certain it will come back to him

Karen

in article . net, Caliban at
wrote on 1/4/04 4:03 PM:

Hello,

As I posted here several weeks ago, my little cat had an abscess on his rump.
After lancing and cleansing over several days (and more loving affection and
attention than anyone deserves, except for one's little cat), it now appears
to
have cleared up completely. No fever, no swelling, no lethargy. He has been
back
to his old self for over a week now, except for one thing: He no longer jumps
up
on the piano keys when I am playing.

He leaps up onto the counters, onto a high stool near the window, and onto my
desk, as he used to always do. He returned to sleeping next to me at night on
the bed. He's back to leaping to my lap often to contemplate and purr. He's
back
to being full of jelly beans in the morning, romping about and making a happy
ruckus over his imminent breakfast.

But I am mystified about the piano. (My playing has not improved, so this is
not
it. And I play loud and often by routine through the day.)

Has anyone seen a cat change behavior (or personality) like this after an
illness?


I'm certain it will come back to him

Karen

On Sun, 04 Jan 2004 22:03:12 GMT, "Caliban"
wrote:

Hello,

As I posted here several weeks ago, my little cat had an abscess on his rump.
After lancing and cleansing over several days (and more loving affection and
attention than anyone deserves, except for one's little cat), it now appears to
have cleared up completely. No fever, no swelling, no lethargy. He has been back
to his old self for over a week now, except for one thing: He no longer jumps up
on the piano keys when I am playing.

He leaps up onto the counters, onto a high stool near the window, and onto my
desk, as he used to always do. He returned to sleeping next to me at night on
the bed. He's back to leaping to my lap often to contemplate and purr. He's back
to being full of jelly beans in the morning, romping about and making a happy
ruckus over his imminent breakfast.

But I am mystified about the piano. (My playing has not improved, so this is not
it. And I play loud and often by routine through the day.)

Has anyone seen a cat change behavior (or personality) like this after an
illness?

I have noticed that cats like to change their routine occasionally.

On Sun, 04 Jan 2004 22:03:12 GMT, "Caliban"
wrote:

Hello,

As I posted here several weeks ago, my little cat had an abscess on his rump.
After lancing and cleansing over several days (and more loving affection and
attention than anyone deserves, except for one's little cat), it now appears to
have cleared up completely. No fever, no swelling, no lethargy. He has been back
to his old self for over a week now, except for one thing: He no longer jumps up
on the piano keys when I am playing.

He leaps up onto the counters, onto a high stool near the window, and onto my
desk, as he used to always do. He returned to sleeping next to me at night on
the bed. He's back to leaping to my lap often to contemplate and purr. He's back
to being full of jelly beans in the morning, romping about and making a happy
ruckus over his imminent breakfast.

But I am mystified about the piano. (My playing has not improved, so this is not
it. And I play loud and often by routine through the day.)

Has anyone seen a cat change behavior (or personality) like this after an
illness?

I have noticed that cats like to change their routine occasionally.

In article ,
m. L. Briggs wrote:

On Sun, 04 Jan 2004 22:03:12 GMT, "Caliban"
wrote:

Hello,

As I posted here several weeks ago, my little cat had an abscess on his
rump.
After lancing and cleansing over several days (and more loving affection and
attention than anyone deserves, except for one's little cat), it now appears
to
have cleared up completely. No fever, no swelling, no lethargy. He has been
back
to his old self for over a week now, except for one thing: He no longer
jumps up
on the piano keys when I am playing.

He leaps up onto the counters, onto a high stool near the window, and onto
my
desk, as he used to always do. He returned to sleeping next to me at night
on
the bed. He's back to leaping to my lap often to contemplate and purr. He's
back
to being full of jelly beans in the morning, romping about and making a
happy
ruckus over his imminent breakfast.

But I am mystified about the piano. (My playing has not improved, so this is
not
it. And I play loud and often by routine through the day.)

Has anyone seen a cat change behavior (or personality) like this after an
illness?

Was it possible that while he had that abscess, he was on or near the
piano when something knocked against it causing pain? Animals will
avoid places where they've experienced pain, even if there's no logical
connection. That's one reason why a cat with a UTI may avoid using
their litter box -- they associate it with the pain of peeing with a UTI.

Priscilla

In article ,
m. L. Briggs wrote:

On Sun, 04 Jan 2004 22:03:12 GMT, "Caliban"
wrote:

Hello,

As I posted here several weeks ago, my little cat had an abscess on his
rump.
After lancing and cleansing over several days (and more loving affection and
attention than anyone deserves, except for one's little cat), it now appears
to
have cleared up completely. No fever, no swelling, no lethargy. He has been
back
to his old self for over a week now, except for one thing: He no longer
jumps up
on the piano keys when I am playing.

He leaps up onto the counters, onto a high stool near the window, and onto
my
desk, as he used to always do. He returned to sleeping next to me at night
on
the bed. He's back to leaping to my lap often to contemplate and purr. He's
back
to being full of jelly beans in the morning, romping about and making a
happy
ruckus over his imminent breakfast.

But I am mystified about the piano. (My playing has not improved, so this is
not
it. And I play loud and often by routine through the day.)

Has anyone seen a cat change behavior (or personality) like this after an
illness?

Was it possible that while he had that abscess, he was on or near the
piano when something knocked against it causing pain? Animals will
avoid places where they've experienced pain, even if there's no logical
connection. That's one reason why a cat with a UTI may avoid using
their litter box -- they associate it with the pain of peeing with a UTI.

Priscilla

"Priscilla Ballou" wrote
snip
Was it possible that while he had that abscess, he was on or near the
piano when something knocked against it causing pain? Animals will
avoid places where they've experienced pain, even if there's no logical
connection. That's one reason why a cat with a UTI may avoid using
their litter box -- they associate it with the pain of peeing with a UTI.

Yes, this is possible. Good idea. He may indeed have tried to jump up (maybe
even a few times; those piano keys with the hands dancing on them look like fair
game) when the abscess was swollen and had particularly bad bouts of pain.

He seems more docile in general. He'll let me pick him up while I'm standing and
hold him for as long as I am able now. Before he wasn't all that keen on being
picked up for more than a moment.

Perhaps we bonded a little more because of this trauma. Or maybe this is wishful
thinking on my part. He's a good cat, either way.

To share more for the interested reader:
Thankfully, I have found a solution to his meowing indicating he wants to go
outside (which is not going to happen on purpose ever again). If he's run around
a lot already for the morning, I time him out for like five minutes in his (very
large) travel crate, in view of me. He settles down really fast. When I open the
door, he usually just keeps sitting there, purrfectly content. It's very
strange. It's like he just wants a little serious attention.

"Priscilla Ballou" wrote
snip
Was it possible that while he had that abscess, he was on or near the
piano when something knocked against it causing pain? Animals will
avoid places where they've experienced pain, even if there's no logical
connection. That's one reason why a cat with a UTI may avoid using
their litter box -- they associate it with the pain of peeing with a UTI.

Yes, this is possible. Good idea. He may indeed have tried to jump up (maybe
even a few times; those piano keys with the hands dancing on them look like fair
game) when the abscess was swollen and had particularly bad bouts of pain.

He seems more docile in general. He'll let me pick him up while I'm standing and
hold him for as long as I am able now. Before he wasn't all that keen on being
picked up for more than a moment.

Perhaps we bonded a little more because of this trauma. Or maybe this is wishful
thinking on my part. He's a good cat, either way.

To share more for the interested reader:
Thankfully, I have found a solution to his meowing indicating he wants to go
outside (which is not going to happen on purpose ever again). If he's run around
a lot already for the morning, I time him out for like five minutes in his (very
large) travel crate, in view of me. He settles down really fast. When I open the
door, he usually just keeps sitting there, purrfectly content. It's very
strange. It's like he just wants a little serious attention.

Caliban quoth:

He seems more docile in general. He'll let me pick him up while I'm standing and
hold him for as long as I am able now. Before he wasn't all that keen on being
picked up for more than a moment.

Perhaps we bonded a little more because of this trauma. Or maybe this is wishful
thinking on my part. He's a good cat, either way.

To share more for the interested reader:
Thankfully, I have found a solution to his meowing indicating he wants to go
outside (which is not going to happen on purpose ever again). If he's run around
a lot already for the morning, I time him out for like five minutes in his (very
large) travel crate, in view of me. He settles down really fast. When I open the
door, he usually just keeps sitting there, purrfectly content. It's very
strange. It's like he just wants a little serious attention.

These paragraphs seem possibly linked to me. He's had a big dose of
attention from you related to his care during his healing. So now he's
happier in physical contact with you, more docile about that contact, and
asks for attention. He sounds more bonded to me. I mean, he sounds to me
as if he's more bonded to you!

The cat I grew up with got very sick after we adopted him. My mother
nursed him back to health with droppers of warm milk and brandy, then
treated ringworm on top of his head with a cooling potion. For both of
these treatments, she put him in the leg of a pair of my jeans. I was
four years old at the time. That kitten grew into a cat who was totally
attached to us all. I used to carry him upside down, with his tail and
legs over my shoulder, and he'd purr all the while. (I stopped when I got
older and wised up.)

I think something similar may have happened with you and your little guy.
Your relationship may have just become even more special.

Priscilla