Hello,

I am hoping some of you have some advice on this as it is worrying me slightly.

My cat Millie is 2 years old, and in the last couple of months or so has become very disinterested in my partner and me. She was never the most friendliest of cats to begin with, for instance she's not a lap cat, but she would always stay on your lap for a cuddle when you put her there, and she used to sleep on my head all night.

Anyway lately she has taken to being out all evening, not coming in to say hello when we get home from work (she used to come running and miaowing to say hi, even if she did then disappear staight off afterwards) and now she only comes to bed late at night, and disappears off as soon as the alarm in the morning goes off. She never comes into the living room anymore to lie down in, prefering instead to sit on the dining room table in the other room, and if we give her too much attention she will actually run away from us and go out. (i feel like i am describing a teenager here! )

Is this normal cat behaviour? I have been presuming so far that this is just a phase that cats can go through around this age. Any advice would be helpful!!

Sounds to me like summer cat behaviour. Most cats are pretty much house cats in winter, but come summer, they love to be out and about because there's lots of new smells and things to investigate. My outdoor cats hardly ever come into the house in the summer, never mind going on anyone's lap. Animals aren't "affectionate" in the human sense of the word - everything they do is directed towards their own comfort, which just occasionally means they'll sit on you and allow you to cuddle them!

Definitely agree with this. My cats are also "summer cats" I hardly see them during the summer months, especially my elder cat, who isn't really interested in food. My younger cat will always appear at food time but then disappear again into the garden. Neither of them are lap cats so I can't really comment on that. I'd just take it that the seasons bring us different cats!!

Thanks for your input, its as i suspected, she's always been an independant cat anyway, she has just taken it to another level at the moment!

Ok i will stop fussing and leave her to it

Not only do cats behave differently in summer, in the way others have described, but they can also behave differently when they become psychologically socially mature, which with cats is anytime between about 18 to 36 months

In the summer you will find some cats will treat your home like a hotel.

And some of those that do won't even belong to you

This is also true. Maine Coons are a bit slower to develop than other cats, but I've definitely noticed ours getting a bit more independent after he was about 4 years old - he'll put up with a cuddle, but isn't always as keen to sit on my lap as he used to be, and prefers to sleep beside me instead. Outdoor cats are very cuddly in winter still, but not at all in summer.

Add to that the much warmer weather & that it is fledging time for baby birds so the "call of the wild" is much stronger for cats at this time of year.

If you want to engage with your cats a bit more then you need to put in some time & effort. Go out in the garden with them in the evenings, play with some toys, take them for a walk etc. My cats wait until I get back from walking the dogs in the evening & then I have to take the cats for a walk round the green outside. Then we all go in for supper!