My cat is distant and growls after baths. What's wrong with him?

Question

My cat has been really distant and has changed.. in the past, every time a gave him a bath he would fall asleep after I rinse him off and put him in my lap.. now he growls at me. And he will never come sit with me on the couch or on my bed which he used to do all the time. I know I'm probably being paranoid but its like we lost our bond. Do u know what's wrong with him? Also i dont know what kind of breed he is but maybe u can tell me what he is by some pictures? Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | unspayed | 4 years and 1 month old

C. Rathjens, DVM · Accepted Answer

Well, it's highly unusually that cats will enjoy a bath. At 4 years old, he's now social mature and would be more comfortable telling you to go away if you're doing something offensive. It's possible he's never really love the bathes but is just now letting you know (like a child in their 20s is going to interact differently with their parents than a 5 year old). The other possibly is that he has pain somewhere that is causing him to suddenly dislike the baths. It can be tricky to find pain in cats, even in the vet clinic, because they are just generally grumpy to be there and don't always get MORE grumpy if we find the spot that hurts. Still, starting with a vet visit is probably the best idea. If his exam is normal, I'd recommend stopping bathing him, he doesn't need it and can clean himself and see if your normal bond returns. He may like being brushed instead, or just sitting next to you. In terms of breed, I would call him a domestic short hair (DSH for short). :) I hope that helps! Your bond isn't going away, but your relationship may be evolving.

My cat is distant and growls after baths. What's wrong with him?

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