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Cat Forum / Health and Behavior / May 2004"Outdoorsy" cat suddenly scared of EVERYTHING...???!!!
We adopted Skeeter, a really sweet 2 year old orange tabby, a neutered male, about 6 months ago. He's a really sweet cat, very passive, loves to be petted. The idiots who owned him previously declawed him, unfortunately. Skeeter has always SCREAMED to go outside, so about 3 months ago, we started letting him out, and he became one happy kitty. He always toileted outside, and loved to wander around the house, NEVER far, and usually slept inside at night. About a week ago, he ran up on the porch begging to get inside. Since then, he has been scared to death of everything. He spends almost all of his time sleeping under the bed or hiding in some far corner of a closet. We tried taking him just out on our large deck/patio, where he always LOVED to hang out with us, and the instant we put him down, he dashed to the door and started pawing at it trying to get back in, almost in a state of panic. THEN... after he got back in, he ran to a back bedroom and started pawing at a closet door, trying to get in there, as if the devil himself were after him. I'm assuming he was terrified by some dog or something. This has been going on for a week now. Any advice would be MOST welcome. Thanks, Ron M. Ron -- Please consider keeping Skeeter inside. Even if he screams. Over time he *will* get used to it, and you will never have to worry about him being killed by a car or a dog or a jerk neighbor like the one I have who traps cats and throws them off his boat dock in the trap. If he gets really inconsolable, he might want company -- if you're away all day at work, get him another cat for company. -- M9 > We adopted Skeeter, a really sweet 2 year old orange tabby, a neutered > male, about 6 months ago. He's a really sweet cat, very passive, loves [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > Thanks, > Ron M. "Ron M." <rmorgan7@austin.rr.com> wrote in message > I'm assuming he was terrified by some dog or something. This has been > going on for a week now. Any advice would be MOST welcome. > > Thanks, > Ron M. Unfortunately, since we don;t speak the same language as our cats, you can;t explain to him that is OK,and that the danger is gone. So the only thing you can do is give him lots of reassurance, petting, nice tone of voice, and lots of bribes. Do not under any circumstences force him to go out, as you will just reinforce the panic. Just let him do what he wants for now, even if that means being in the cupboard where he feels safe. You';ll see, in a few weeks he'll start coming out as cats are naturally very curious. For now, you just reassure him that as long as he is at home nobody will hurt him. He has created a negative association with the outside for whateva reason, and that will need to be broken, but extremely slowly, by helping him grow back his self-confidence. Saying that, it's probably better he stays indoors, where he will be safe from other animals people and cars. Whot happened outside, yeah could;ve been a dog, or another tom that he had a fight with. We have a local bully Barney who although nice to humans, hates any male cat! He will fight them to death! The amount of times I had to rescue a scared kitty from top of a tree, while Barney guarded it from underneath. So yeah you may have a local bully there who knows. Just don't force him. He'll be fine. This is a good time for the bribe and lots of petting him. Gee > We adopted Skeeter, a really sweet 2 year old orange tabby, a neutered > male, about 6 months ago. He's a really sweet cat, very passive, loves [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > Thanks, > Ron M. I'd sure let him stay in. Don't push him. Consider getting some Feliway to calm him. Try to play with him inside and build his confidence up. If he ever wants to go out on the deck with you, he will. I wouldn't let him out to wander, especially declawed that's for sure. But mostly, don't push him. Karen > I'm assuming he was terrified by some dog or something. This has been > going on for a week now. Any advice would be MOST welcome. One thing I recall is that a change in behavior tends to warrant a trip to the vet. It can be many things, and only the vet can find out.  SignatureDennis Carr - ke6isf@spamcop.net | I may be out of my mind, http://www.dennis.furtopia.org | But I have more fun that way. ------------------------------------+------------------------------- > We adopted Skeeter, a really sweet 2 year old orange tabby, a You just do not let a declawed cat outside. Period. Something frightened him because he is not stupid--he knows his defenses are not what they used to be. What are you thinking? Are there no dogs or cats etc. where you live? > You just do not let a declawed cat outside. Period. Something frightened him > because he is not stupid--he knows his defenses are not what they used to > be. What are you thinking? Are there no dogs or cats etc. where you live? I know, I know. We WANTED him to be an indoor-only cat, and we had the exact same concerns about his being declawed. I'd like to get hold of the idiots who did that and remove their fingers... In any case, this was after several months of his constant SCREAMING to get outside, waking us up at 3 a.m. (and we MUST have our sleep), etc. He wouldn't even poop in his litter box; he'd do it right next to the door. He'd stand up on his hind feet and paw at the door until the pads of his feet were raw, trying to get out. It was unbearable to watch. We finally let him out on the deck when we were out there eating or talking, and he was just SOOO happy and peaceful. He'd step off the deck and wander a few feet away, but never far. I don't think he ever got more than 50 feet from the house. He still spent 3/4 of his time inside, and if he needed to toilet, we'd just let him out for a couple of minutes. Yeah, we have another cat, and they play somewhat. There are many dogs in the area, but very few strays, although there are some. There's a ZILLION cats in the neighborhood, however. Last night, he didn't even come out of the bedroom where he usually "lives," which is VERY unusual. Now he's afraid to even walk around inside the house. We really have to solve this. Like I said, we HAVE to have our sleep, and we can't live with him waking us up at 2, 3, 4 in the morning, pooping and peeing all over the place, etc. Ron M. > Last night, he didn't even come out of the bedroom where he usually > "lives," which is VERY unusual. Now he's afraid to even walk around [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > and we can't live with him waking us up at 2, 3, 4 in the morning, > pooping and peeing all over the place, etc. If he doesn't *want* to go out, you aren't losing sleep. ;) All kidding aside, if he isn't going out, is he going potty in the house? He is very used to going potty outside from what you've posted. So, where does he usually go? In the dirt? If so, perhaps putting the soil from the area where he usually goes into a litterbox would teach him to use one. Put it right by the door or wherever he's been going in the home. Move it later, but for now, keep it there. He may prefer a cardboard box with low sides instead of a traditional litterbox for now. Whatever makes him happy, makes you happy. *g* He really needs to be inside. He has no defense without his claws. Only teeth, and teeth don't help him climb trees to get away from danger. Going out with you is one thing (and a great thing, IMO). Going out all by himself is just a tragedy waiting to happen. Also, take him to the vet. Behavior problems can have physical origins (maybe he hurt himself outside). If nothing else, the vet can prescribe something to make him less nervous. Fear multiplies if it isn't handled. Don't forget the love, treats, and praise for desired behavior. Positive reinforcement can work wonders. Signature-- ~kaeli~ Why do people who know the least know it the loudest? http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart http://www.ipwebdesign.net/kaelisSpace Ever heard of a litter box? > > You just do not let a declawed cat outside. Period. Something frightened him > > because he is not stupid--he knows his defenses are not what they used to [quoted text clipped - 31 lines] > > Ron M. > In any case, this was after several months of his constant SCREAMING > to get outside, waking us up at 3 a.m. (and we MUST have our sleep), > etc. He wouldn't even poop in his litter box; he'd do it right next to > the door. He'd stand up on his hind feet and paw at the door until the > pads of his feet were raw, trying to get out. It was unbearable to > watch. I know what might work, but it will seem cruel. (It did to me when the shelter owner told me about it.) Do you have a room you can confine him to with a window where you could put a cat shelf? It would have to be a room far enough away from you that you cannot hear him when he cries. Put his box and food and lots of toys in there, and you'd have to go in and visit him and play with him a lot. But confine him until he gets the idea "this is where I live." > We finally let him out on the deck when we were out there eating or > talking, and he was just SOOO happy and peaceful. He'd step off the > deck and wander a few feet away, but never far. I don't think he ever > got more than 50 feet from the house. He still spent 3/4 of his time > inside, and if he needed to toilet, we'd just let him out for a couple > of minutes. This was quite convenient for you but the wrong thing to do. He never should have been let out at all--due to safety issues and the fact that you WANT him to be an indoor cat. > Yeah, we have another cat, and they play somewhat. There are many dogs > in the area, but very few strays, although there are some. There's a > ZILLION cats in the neighborhood, however. Well now he's been traumatized, so no more. > Last night, he didn't even come out of the bedroom where he usually > "lives," which is VERY unusual. Now he's afraid to even walk around > inside the house. Confine him, get feliway, pay him a lot of attention. Be patient. If you can hear him when he cries at night, get a large Hepa filter for your room and close your door. The sound will help drown him out. > We really have to solve this. Like I said, we HAVE to have our sleep, > and we can't live with him waking us up at 2, 3, 4 in the morning, > pooping and peeing all over the place, etc. If he is confined in a single room that is large enough to play in but small enough that he had better use his box or risk pooping near where he eats, he will use the box. Good luck. > We adopted Skeeter, a really sweet 2 year old orange tabby, a neutered > male, about 6 months ago. He's a really sweet cat, very passive, loves [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > Thanks, > Ron M. A declawed cat can not defend itself properly, therfore should stay inside. I have a declawed cat also, when it wants to go outside I go out with him and watch him play. This way he has the security of knowing I am there to protect him, in case he needs me to kill an attacking feral or slaughter an aggressive dog passing by. J.C. |
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