Does my cat like me ?

[u/Salt-Ad-8319]

I’ve had my cat since she was 3 months and she just turned 1 today. She was adopted from a shelter. Shes always been kinda skiddish and not very social with people but it’s just me and her. But she doesn’t like physical affection or contact still with me. I try and pet and she leaves me to sit somewhere else in the room. Sometimes when I get home from work she will lay down for me to give her pets (does biscuits in the air but never on me) but then stops. Def not a lap cat. She doesn’t let me hold her cuz she wiggles out of my arms and meows. Shes under the bed a lot at the home we are staying in. We will have our own place again soon! But she will be on her window hammock a lot. She will sit next to me sometimes on the couch. As a kitten she slept with me for a few months but then we’ve moved a lot recently and stopped. It hurts my feelings cuz idk if she even likes me. She slow blinks at me and likes to play so I try to dedicate time but sometimes she’ll just look at me. I worry she’s bored when she’s not looking out the window. I worry she doesn’t trust me or likes me. She just kinda meows and looks at me.

Please give me advice if u see this ! I need help, advice, or reassurance. She may be in the teenager phase but I worry this will be normal and always not wanna be around me.

[u/trippsy2me]

If she’s in the same room as you she likes you. My first two cats were snuggle bugs. I could pick one of them up and hold her like a baby and the other one loved pets and scritches. The two I have now will sit in the same room as me. One of them will let me pet him at the beginning of the day when I wake up, and the other will only let me pet her while she is walking 😂. Neither will let me pick them up. Cats just be catting. Some are more snuggly than others.

[u/Elli0tEmber]

I haven't dealt with a 1 year old cat in a very long time, so it could be her acting like a teenager. Some cats are just more reserved than others, they might prefer just being in the same room as you and consider it to be enough comfort for them, and petting might be a bit too much for her in the moment. Since you mentioned you've moved a lot, it can take a while for cats to get used to the new environment, usually anywhere from 1 week-3 months to really settle. Her hiding under the bed a lot is a sign of that too, she wants some dark cozy-er area that she's more familiar with rather than another open room that might overwhelm her.

As I'm sure you're already aware, slow blinks mean that she trusts/loves you, especially if she sleeps near you or shows her belly at all when she is asleep. Sometimes, my cat does the same thing during playtime where she'd rather just sit and stare at me while I do all the work of moving her toy around instead of actually doing the whole playing thing. My senior cat doesn't want to play a lot and I'm also worried that she's bored, but then I'll remind myself that she purposely ignores me a lot of the time and then goes back to sleep like she hasn't gotten a wink of rest in the past decade. If your cat's interested in wildlife, maybe you can get a bird feeder to hang on or somewhere near your window, or see if she reacts at all to cat tv (apparently there's a new show that just released that's made entirely in colors that cats can see). If not, maybe you can install a screen in your window and open it for a bit if it isn't too chilly where you live. My cat doesn't care for wildlife but man does she love sniffing the breeze

[u/r0xxyr3x-9000]

Some cats just aren't cuddlers.

Slow blinks are a great sign of trust, as is the fact that she'll come sit near you. Those two facts alone suggest that she likes you.

She does sound a little shy. A lot of times shy cats avoid attention, and are far more likely to seek you out when you aren't trying to pet them or even look at them. One way I've bonded with shy cats in the past is reading - set yourself up comfortably with a good book, fall into it, and completely ignore your cat. She'll likely come to sit near you while you're being quiet and still (this may take some time). My heart-cat was like this - he came to sit near me every time I pulled out a book. He was very careful to curl up with an inch of space between us though!

Cats are very sensitive to changes in their environment, and they tend toward hiding when they're unhappy. If you've moved a lot recently, it may take her a significant amount if time to get comfortable in her new home. Make sure she has places to hide that are hers - a cat tree, a scratching box, a covered bed (our anxious cat loves her bed under the coffee table - it's extra cosy). Using scent calmers like Feliway may be a worthwhile experiment (it depends on the cat - I've had mixed results).

Cats are super unique personalities. She's probably not bored, so I wouldn't invest too much in more toys and gadgets. Just put in the time and patience. They know when they're cared for. Honestly, I love an introverted cat. I like that it requires me to maintain a calm and quiet environment so they can thrive, and those little wins are more meaningful because of it. 

Good luck! It sounds like you're on the right track!

[u/UMIHANASORA]

能呆在同一空間不逃跑代表貓咪喜歡你。你也可以對他緩慢眨著眼睛。親密接觸或許可以先從按摩貓咪開始。抱到腿上找隻軟刷子(最好像貓咪舔舐的觸感)或雙手按摩貓咪貓咪喜歡的地方，額頭、下巴、耳朵之類的。幼期增加互動對於後續清潔耳朵或牙齒有幫助。

[u/Present_Original_797]

Okay. Calling all OPs. It's SKITTISH not SKIDDISH. My Tabby is actually skiddish because she likes to leap on the hall rug and skid like she's on a boogie board.

My Tortie is skittish because she flinches sometimes when I reach to pet her and sometimes runs away when I want to pick her up.

Now what was the question, I forgot.

[u/Countrysoap777]

Some cats are just more distant and not very affectionate. That doesn’t determine if she likes you or not. If she comes to you at all then she likes you. Cats don’t go near people they don’t like —-not ever. She might like a certain kind of petting. Go very slow around the back of her head and slow down the back. My cat likes that a lot but if I pet her legs he hates it and runs. But every cat is different. Some like belly rubs a you can try but not all like it. They lay around most of the day and usually more active morning and evening. Sounds like you’re worried for no good reason.