A box of kittens was abandoned on my street early last summer. I took in two last August and the other two have disappeared (to good homes, I hope). According to the vet, they are about a year old right this month.

Anyway, they seemed to have switched personalities and it's a little weird. The boy cat (Buddy) was always the insecure little snuggler who would always try to sit on your lap, sleep on your foot, meow until you pet him, stay close to your side, etc. He carries string with him because he wants you to play with him by dangling the string over his belly. (It's adorable!) The girl cat (Gilbert) was the stand-off-ish one who didn't want to be picked up or touched. She always follows me from room to room, but with a little lag time and tends to keep her distance. She only meows when she's hungry (especially when I first get up in the morning). She is also more capable of entertaing herself with toys, pieces of twice, or whatever is around. She is very self-directed.

Recently, my cats seemed to have switched personalities. Gilbert is snuggling, sleeping on my legs at night, meowing at me all the time, etc. She wants me to toss a ball or stuffed mouse rather than wrestling with it herself. And she's on my heels (and getting tangled in my feet) all the time. The strangest part is that she is now nudging my hands and arms in an attempt to pet or scratched behind the ears. Meanwhile, Buddy is suddenly now keeping his distance. He's not as aggressive with sitting in my lap anymore. though he still follows me with the string, he is playing by himself (or with Gilbert) more. He doesn't follow me from room to room like he used to.

It's hard to describe, but it's more than what I just typed. After months of having pretty distinct personalities, it now very much seems like they're switching. What is up with my nutty cats?

That is strange. Have you switche food? Changed around your furniture? Moved or anything like that? All these things can affect a cat's personality, they like things to be the way they usually are.

I just want to caution you about string, don't let your cat swallow it or he may choke on it. Just a little heads up. You might want to check with your vet about their little switch, I dunno what this could be.

Ironically, I haven't done anything different since the time I brought them in with me!!! Even as I type, Gilbert muscled her way onto my lap (a first) and Buddy is sitting in a chair across the room watching us. It's nuts!

Thank you for the tip on the string. What Buddy actually carries around with him (like a little puppy dog rather than a cat) is the belt/tie that I pulled out of a pair of pajama pants; it's thick and heavy and long and almost indestructable by little cats. It's nothing he can choke on. He has a couple of those, plus some things I got at the pet store. Believe it or not, he rotates toys.

These two are just too funny sometimes!

Good news about the string. On your personality switch, I can't tell you what it might be. That's weird how they suddenly change personalities like that. Have you talked to your vet? It might be a medical problem but then again it might just be your cats being weird

my best bet would be hormones~ though your cat should have quite some hormonal changes months ago, this sidden change now might have been triggered by external elements(given that you ahven't doen ar introduced anything new). maybe there's a cat in heat somewhere near your place.

just my two cents.

That is very interesting. I had a kind of similar experience with some cats of mine. I had a calico kitty named Pie who loved to go for walks. Every night she and the dogs and I would go for a walk. We got another kitty a few years later, but she was too frightened to walk. Pie died and a few days later I took the dogs out for a walk, and the new cat Peaches starts coming along. She's obviously terrified, but refuses to turn back like she has always done in the past, and just plugs along with us meowing all the way. The next night same thing. Now she enjoys walking, and is even more fearless about it than my original walking kitty. It was almost like she took on some of Pies' personality when she died. Strange huh?

Have you had them spayed and neutered? Sounds like not yet. Males get more independant with age, and females " nest up" when sexually mature.