10 reasons why a cancer man is ignoring you and what to do about it

Cancers can be difficult to figure out sometimes.

They could be showering you with praise one moment, and next thing you know… they’re ignoring you.

But don’t get discouraged. It doesn’t mean they’ve lost interest!

In this article, I will give you 10 possible reasons why a Cancer man is ignoring you.

1) He just wants your attention

The Cancer man is most likely the type to send you a lot of texts, share pictures of his day, or ring you up out of the blue. So if all of a sudden he stops communicating, it’s probably because he wants you to feel his absence.

Represented by the crab with its hard and prickly exterior, Cancers are pretty soft on the inside. They’re actually very sensitive and need constant affection.

In order to be happy in any relationship, Cancers need a healthy amount of attention but they find it hard to outwardly demand it.

Perhaps you were busy with your own thing or trying to beat a deadline that you unintentionally ignored him. Him ignoring you is a signal that you need to reach out to him—ASAP!

2) You pushed him away

 Because of their very doting nature, Cancers can overwhelm you with so much care you could suffocate. Believe me, with a Cancer man, it’s not impossible.

Perhaps you told him off, telling him he’s too heavy, or too clingy. This can really hurt his feelings because sometimes he just can’t help it— it’s a big part of his personality. It’s how he shows his affection for the people around him, especially so if you’re important to him.

And when you laugh it off as no big deal, he’ll shut himself in further because the crab does not like to be mocked or made fun of. If you know you’ve said something along these lines, it’s best to apologize.

 3) He’s dealing with personal problems

Cancers find it hard to handle life’s challenges very gracefully.

Like the elusive crab, your guy could retreat into his own corner and will only brave the waters if it’s safe for him to do so.

This requires you to be the bigger person—to trust your Cancer man instead of listening to the voice in your head that says “He’s losing interest!” or “He’s cheating on you!”

Cancer men are known to be one of the most loyal partners in the Zodiac, so trust him and don’t make it about you.

As shaman Rudá Iandê explains in this mind blowing free video, many of us are stuck in our toxic views of how men and women should act in a relationship. And this leads us to breaking things off and jumping to the next one…only to have another set of issues that make us want to flee.

And it’s precisely because of our old views on love, we get paranoid when our partner pulls away.

Learn how to break free from these chains by discovering what true love and intimacy really is.

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4) He’s re-evaluating your relationship

Cancer is a water sign, so they are actually very sensitive to the tiniest details and nuanced changes in your relationship.

He’ll notice when there’s a shift in the balance between the two of you. In fact, he might pick up on too many signals and analyze them too much. He might withdraw from you because of some crazy assumptions on his part.

He’s in a state of anxiety from dissecting your relationship, so he clams up.

Remember, he needs constant affirmation and validation. Don’t worry. He’s not shutting you out completely. But take it as a sign that you need to clarify some things with each other.

5) He’s cleaning his apartment— literally!

The place most comfortable to Cancer is his own space. He spends a lot of time tinkering about his nest, adjusting a misaligned piece of furniture, buffing the floors until they shine, dusting every nook and cranny.

Have you ever noticed a crab doing meticulous cleaning of its habitat? Yes, he’s exactly like that. He tends to prioritize the home, his safe space, above everything else. And after all that work to keep the place neat and tidy, he’ll want to stay in it— sometimes for too long, if left unchecked.

So when he doesn’t reply to your messages for a whole day even on his day off, chances are he’s just doing a deep-clean of his apartment. And if he doesn’t contact you that night, he must have tired himself out and is snoozing it off.

If you like, you can give him a surprise visit, see what he’s up to and offer him company. He won’t mind as long as you won’t make a big mess.

6) He’s genuinely busy

Cancer men are much loved in the workplace because they are hardworking and very passionate at what they do. Because of this, people rely on them.

So when your DM gets seen zoned, or he misses a call once or twice, he might be really juggling too much stuff at work.

The thing about Cancer is that whenever he gets stressed or fatigued due to work, he’ll seek that place of comfort, and stay there until things calm down.

Give him time, because eventually he’ll want to spend it with his loved ones and those important to him to “recharge” and get back to his usual self.

7) He’s testing the waters

 The crab has a hard exterior which, in astrology, translates to the person’s self-protectiveness and defensiveness. He lives quite the guarded life.

And moving like the crab, he can go side-ways, left or right, but never direct. Despite being a cardinal sign that gets him to act, he is always thinking about the consequences of his actions, especially when someone’s feelings are involved.

If he ignores you for a little while, he’s assessing the situation between the two of you and thinking about the steps to take from here on out.

He might be trying something out, but he can’t tell you all about it because he’s very non-confrontational. He’s also a bit shy.

He can only dip his toes in the water in the hopes of avoiding rocking the ship in which you two are on.

 8) He wants to be alone

Sometimes it’s not really about you. It’s just that he likes his peace and quiet.

Many Cancer individuals are introverts. They’re also empaths, and absorb a lot of emotional energy from the people around them. They get overwhelmed by the many stimuli from the outside world. They also can’t take a lot of negativity so they constantly long for their familiar space.

It’s normal for him to withdraw from time to time and zone out.

If you ever notice your Cancerian drastically changing moods from being ridiculously clingy to suddenly shutting you out, it’s because Cancer’s ruling planet is the moon. Just like the sea from where this mystical crustacean came, his moods are being pushed and pulled like the tide.

9) He’s about to make a big life decision

 Everybody reaches a few crossroads as they go through life.

When your Cancer man is not talking to you, it must be that he has a lot on his mind at the moment— either about work or personal matters.

The problem with Cancer is that, true to their water element, they are very wishy-washy when it comes to decisions. They are sometimes capricious. They hold back a lot, and change their minds at the last minute.

He might be contemplating on an important matter, and he can’t seem to make up his mind.

When he’s left alone during this time, he’ll most likely settle for something based on his emotions, which in most cases, is not the best thing to do.

You can help by pulling him out of his reverie and share your opinions. He’s actually very open to hearing other people out and valuing their thoughts.

10) He’s in love

Love and romance are right up Cancer’s alley!

You could say, they’ll have it mostly smooth-sailing because they are naturally nurturing and caring.

Love with Cancer is definitely rewarding, but there’s always a catch. You can’t have it fast.

Cancer will take his time getting there. And he can get really apprehensive. Getting him to open up will require a lot of effort and patience from his potential mate.

Being very afraid to take risks, I wouldn’t be surprised if he chose to ghost you just to avoid getting hurt later when he’s already serious about you. In short, he wants to run away rather than be the one left behind.

If you’re as serious about the commitment as he is, then be prepared to take charge.

What to do when a cancer man ignores you

Reach out to him

 Cancers just have a really shy personality, so you reaching out to him first is actually a great help.

And don’t worry that you’re intruding into his personal time or space, because sometimes he needs another person to snap him out of it.

Until you find out what’s really bothering him, it’s best to approach him gently.

 Lure him out with food

 Cancer rules the 4th house of home and family. Being the homebody he is, he definitely can’t turn down a scrumptious feast.

They say the way to a man’s heart is through the stomach- and the shortcut to a Cancer man’s heart is through a home-cooked meal.

So warm up to him by showcasing your cooking talent. Even if you’re not particularly good at it, he’ll appreciate the gesture.

 Reassure him

 Because he is prone to over-thinking, misunderstandings are to be expected. He’ll be running different scenarios in his head and he can get lost in these negative thoughts.

 It’s not a hopeless case though. Despite all that, he is still open to communication and will hear you out.

So all you need to do is remind him constantly that he’s worrying over nothing.

Give him his alone-time

Like any grown adult, time with the self is important, but especially so for Cancer. So give him that me-time that he’s been longing for.

Don’t try too hard to get his attention.

Calm down. He’s not going anywhere, you can be sure of that. He won’t venture far or explore much outside of his cave. He’d rather spend quiet time with himself.

Still, check up on him every once in a while. Send him a text to make him feel that you are just a message away if he needs you. He’d love that.

Final words

When it comes down to it, Cancers are just all about respecting their space, but also letting them know that you’re not too far away.

So ignoring you doesn’t mean it’s the beginning of the end, but more like a means to something else.

If you can understand this part of him, then your relationship will be a steady and long-lasting one.

Pearl Nash

Pearl Nash has years of experience writing relationship articles for single females looking for love. After being single for years with no hope of meeting Mr. Right, she finally managed to get married to the love of her life. Now that she’s settled down and happier than she’s ever been in her life, she's passionate about sharing all the wisdom she's learned over the journey. Pearl is also an accredited astrologer and publishes Hack Spirit's daily horoscope.

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