Cat just started sleeping face down -- is this a message?
November 26, 2023 1:28 PM Subscribe
My dear cat, Cosgrove, has been acting a little off for a couple of weeks. We're going to see her vet on Friday. But I want to ask the hive mind whether one of her new behaviors is a sign or symptom of... something.
Cosgrove has a couple of cat beds where she sleeps with her face mooshed into the sides every now and then. Here's one example. But in the last six weeks or so, notably starting shortly after her littermate, Little Kiwi, died she has pretty much stopped sleeping without the face moosh.
I know cats do this, and that Cosgrove has always done it from time to time, but now it is a constant.
She has a couple of other physical symptoms that could signal diabetes or kidney disease -- is sleeping face down another symptom? I would assume that she's depressed except for the fact that she and her sister weren't very fond of each other in the last few years, and our younger cat, Jasper, has been a more constant friend since he joined us 9 years ago. Still, it must be hard to lose a sibling? I mean, I'm a horrible person but my (much older) brother also died in October with about the same warning time as we got with Little Kiwi, and I'm not sleeping face down over it.
Cosgrove has a couple of cat beds where she sleeps with her face mooshed into the sides every now and then. Here's one example. But in the last six weeks or so, notably starting shortly after her littermate, Little Kiwi, died she has pretty much stopped sleeping without the face moosh.
I know cats do this, and that Cosgrove has always done it from time to time, but now it is a constant.
She has a couple of other physical symptoms that could signal diabetes or kidney disease -- is sleeping face down another symptom? I would assume that she's depressed except for the fact that she and her sister weren't very fond of each other in the last few years, and our younger cat, Jasper, has been a more constant friend since he joined us 9 years ago. Still, it must be hard to lose a sibling? I mean, I'm a horrible person but my (much older) brother also died in October with about the same warning time as we got with Little Kiwi, and I'm not sleeping face down over it.
My cats both tend to tuck their faces in/under/against things more in the chillier times of the year. Maybe she feels the chill a little more for whatever reason this year.
posted by redfoxtail at 1:46 PM on November 26, 2023 [12 favorites]
posted by redfoxtail at 1:46 PM on November 26, 2023 [12 favorites]
Dr. Cat started doing this a couple of years ago in average to cool weather. She is almost fifteen and does have kidney problems, but my feeling is that it's more about feeling the cold more as she ages. It might also be that she enjoys the extra neck support from leaning due to being a more tired and slightly arthritic little kitty.
Do you have heated cat beds for Cosgrove? Heated beds are tres popular around here and it occurs to me that when lying on the heated bed, there is no facepaw or face tucking, so at least for Dr. Cat I think it is about her nose getting colder as she ages.
I hope Cosgrove has a helpful vet visit! We made some alterations to Dr. Cat's diet (not full on kidney diet yet per the vet's advice) and she seems to have recovered her appetite and gained a little energy.
posted by Frowner at 1:55 PM on November 26, 2023 [4 favorites]
Do you have heated cat beds for Cosgrove? Heated beds are tres popular around here and it occurs to me that when lying on the heated bed, there is no facepaw or face tucking, so at least for Dr. Cat I think it is about her nose getting colder as she ages.
I hope Cosgrove has a helpful vet visit! We made some alterations to Dr. Cat's diet (not full on kidney diet yet per the vet's advice) and she seems to have recovered her appetite and gained a little energy.
posted by Frowner at 1:55 PM on November 26, 2023 [4 favorites]
Cats sleeping in a hunched posture can mean they don't feel well. But it's not a solid one-two obvious thing.
posted by tiny frying pan at 3:05 PM on November 26, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by tiny frying pan at 3:05 PM on November 26, 2023 [1 favorite]
I laughed SO hard at that last line. Maybe I'm a horrible person :)
It's possible Cosgrove is sick or depressed, but my cat (much younger) also sleeps like this regularly. She also sometimes just faces a wall for hours. I have noticed she does this much more frequently since her dog-sister died, but I think it's because they really just coexisted and now she feels more comfortable sleeping in what are, to me anyway, more vulnerable positions.
posted by sm1tten at 4:02 PM on November 26, 2023 [3 favorites]
It's possible Cosgrove is sick or depressed, but my cat (much younger) also sleeps like this regularly. She also sometimes just faces a wall for hours. I have noticed she does this much more frequently since her dog-sister died, but I think it's because they really just coexisted and now she feels more comfortable sleeping in what are, to me anyway, more vulnerable positions.
posted by sm1tten at 4:02 PM on November 26, 2023 [3 favorites]
If she’s pressing her head or face firmly against a hard or stationary object, that could be a sign of pain and it’s good that you’re looking into it. But against anything soft or resilient like a cat bed? I got nuthin. Hope your vet visit is good, and safe travels to the other beloved family members you’ve lost.
posted by toodleydoodley at 4:26 PM on November 26, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by toodleydoodley at 4:26 PM on November 26, 2023 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: As a final note, despite numerous visits to the veterinarian and lots of tests that didn't explain her physical issues (and despite my suggestion that the issues could be psychological), sweet Cosgrove died of a broken heart on March 31. Her veterinarian agreed after her death that nothing physical that was tested for was so serious as to have caused her death. Poor girlie just lost her will to live after her sister died
posted by janey47 at 1:38 PM on April 27
posted by janey47 at 1:38 PM on April 27
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I had an older cat that started to do this, and it didn't coincide with any major life changes or illnesses. I think that she just discovered that it was comfortable, the same way she discovered that lying on my butt was comfortable and started to do it all the time. Perhaps she has some older-kitty-related pain and this soothes it. Perhaps she's more comfortable covering up her face now that an antagonist is gone.
Cats are just weird and since we can't ask what's up with them...
I wouldn't be too concerned about this, especially since you're visiting your vet on Friday. I mean, I'd mention it like I would any noticeable change in behavior, but I wouldn't really expect anything to come of it.
posted by Kutsuwamushi at 1:43 PM on November 26, 2023 [3 favorites]