Topic: cat behaviour, claustraphobia ??? (Read 3104 times)

kel1982 · « **Reply #22 on:** October 14, 2011, 11:21:47 AM »

it sounds like a possible idea yes, we have dogs in the surrounding gardens though and they dont seem to help him at all, and even when we have a dog visiting he doesnt want to know. maybe he was just too attached to maggie and jessie

think we all still miss having a canine buddy round the house.

thekittensmittens · « **Reply #21 on:** October 13, 2011, 17:17:08 PM »

ok this may sound a bit bizzarre and no idea if it will work but could you not play sounds of dogs woofing etc in the background of the house , maybe if you have a friend with a dog take a blanket round or somat to attract some doggie smells to the blanket? Its probably a mad idea as no idea really but he really seems to be missing his doggie mates and they obviously made him feel secure

he does look happy in his kennel though so i wouldnt beat yourself up about it, all cats have odd quirks just like people , Dudley just has a few more

kel1982 · « **Reply #20 on:** October 13, 2011, 12:43:39 PM »

lol bless him and his dribbling, hes done it since he was a little kitten, when he purrs he dribbles, he doesnt do it any other time, its like he forgets to swallow as if you stop fussing him all of a sudden its like he realises his tongues hanging out a little and hes got a wet chin and he laps it up. hes never dribbled when nobody is fussing over him, and its usually only when hes really getting a good chin tickle and he closes his eyes and starts paddling his little feet too. we have asked the vet if its normal for him, he had a mouth check qand was deemed an odd quirk he has.

we need to wait until the end of the month to get him to the vets as they wont allow us to pay afterwards it has to be paid for on the day. he will get a check up though. we will have to hide his carrier, and try to bribe him to come to us with some tasty treats.

ive looked at the feliway stuff before, but im not sure if it would actually do much for him as hes not in the house for more than a few minutes before he bolts again. saying that, last night we forgot to close the living room window and while we were watching tv, he snuck in and curled up on my lap for over half an hour. as soon as we got up to go to bed he darted out of the window. was nice to briefly have him in though.

Tiggy's Mum · « **Reply #19 on:** October 13, 2011, 00:43:18 AM »

He's a lovely looking boy, love those pics of him with his pals

Have you heard of/tried Feliway? It's basically a plug in that gives off relaxing pheromones. My cat had severe issues going into the kitchen after a nasty experience, with a Feliway plugged in he is much happier going in the kitchen and so much more relaxed in general.

If you thought it was worth trying then this site http://www.medicines4pets.co.uk/shop/feliway-diffuser.html is a very good price for the plug with a vial of Feliway, it's normally £22-£23 elsewhere. Quite a few members have ordered from them with no issues, free delivery over £25 otherwise it's £2.40

sheilarose · « **Reply #18 on:** October 12, 2011, 20:08:16 PM »

Can you secure your garden first? Block off cat access with bits of plank and a few nails? This has helped our Agrophobia and catflap-phobia (not so far removed from your plight).

If a rogue cat has been in your house, you might not detect it but Dudley certainly will.

Try cleaning the whole area around your back door, the step, frame and door inside and out, with Simple Solution (from Pets at Home) and see if he comes closer.

Agree with Gill, though, I would rule out health issues first. The vet should see him to assess if he has any urinary tract or dental issues etc that may be causing this swing in behaviour.
I mention dental as his drooling may be a rotten tooth/gum problem causing him pain when he eats - he may associate indoors (where he eats) with that pain, or wherever he experiences the pain (inside your house, the kennel where his treats are etc...) which has made him wary of that place.

(I'm not putting this very well am I. Sorry, got personal stuff going on today and I'm using PIOH as distraction therapy)

Basically, make a vet appt, then get him on your knee on a blanket outside and when he's not looking, wrap the blanket around him and pop the whole bundle into a basket then off to the vet. Then come back and tell us what the findins are.

Gillian Harvey · « **Reply #17 on:** October 12, 2011, 18:47:22 PM »

Love that pic of the 3 of them on the settee

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #16 on:** October 12, 2011, 17:50:44 PM »

Yes he did love his canine friends and so sad that you cant have one now cos think he would be back in the house and this and the unneutered toms are the source of his problem, very sad cos he is a lovely cat.

kel1982 · « **Reply #15 on:** October 12, 2011, 16:25:49 PM »

this was him 2 years ago when he was much braver in the world, with his trusty canine guarding his garden when he was out and about i think it made me more secure

and this one is from last last year if i remember rightly, with maggie, they were so close it was depressing separating them. she would chase out any other cat who came into the garden.

and one with our old collie x and when maggie was 1st with us, just before jessica had to be pts

kel1982 · « **Reply #14 on:** October 12, 2011, 16:23:25 PM »

yes we have thought he may be missing his canine buddies, its such a shame, but he would have far more company if he just 'braved' the indoor world

im hoping as the cooler weather kicks in he may come round to the idea that houses arent overly scary.

he does seem very pleased with his kennel now though, maybe the cushion just wasnt quite right, and the wash and dry has made it better. i did also wash out the kennel itself, he did have an issue a month or so back with a huge grey cat who was determined it lived here, stole his food, and basically kicked him out of his own garden. thankfully, after numerous times of us chasing it off it seems to have disappeared, hopefully for good. maybe this cat decided to mark his territory as its own and it wasnt smelling right, have only just thought about that! there are a few families around here who have in excess of 10 cats and none are neutered, they are now over running our small estate. the grey one who kept stealing his food and staking a claim to our garden was most definitely an entire male, it was, erm...obvious from behind,and it was downright aggressive even standing its ground to me or my husband

i cant stand people who dont neuter their cats! they have mums, dads, brothers and sisters all mating freely and they try to then give away any offspring but its gotten to the point now where as you drive into our small village estate that you have to watch out for the cats/kittens in the road. poor duds is in the minority group of being a single neutered cat, it must be quite un-nerving for him anyway

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #13 on:** October 12, 2011, 15:55:31 PM »

Dudley looks gorgeous and sounds like he misses his doggie friends

Trigger and I both have that kennel and he looks very comfortable in there

kel1982 · « **Reply #12 on:** October 12, 2011, 15:08:08 PM »

Yes he has always since he first came home at 8 weeks been living with a dog. When we had our old collie x put to sleep 2 years ago in february he went a bit odd, but we took in a westie from a family member who no longer wanted her and he got back to his usual self. this all started as soon as the westie went to her new home as i couldnt walk her as much as she needed any more which wasnt fair on such a bouncy breed of dog, and she couldnt be let off lead either so her life wasnt as great as we wanted to give her. we think he actually thinks he is a dog, he has absolutely no fear of dogs, and will happily sleep beside a dog, yet a cat or kitten comes near him, hes off like a shot or will stand his ground hissing and fluffed up. hes an odd critter, but we love him.

i took this piccy of him this morning, he looked at me like i was invading his privacy

but i wanted to prove hes decided his cat kennel is ok after all! i put it up on teh wooden swing seat as thats where he usually hangs out as its got a roof on it and it protects him from the worst of the rain.

Dudley, our 5 year old moggy

he looks tiny in this pic!

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #11 on:** October 12, 2011, 14:52:54 PM »

I think triggers idea is excellent and as he has no other cats to copy and learn how to use the flap, then you can prop it open for him to start with and sshow him how it works.

You mention you used to have a dog...........was he big friends with the dog and did this behaviour start when you no longer had the dog?

I am so pleased he is using the kennel

My semi feral Sasa doesnt do closed doors either but uses a cat flap and a recent change in the cats in the house meant I had to put a barrier up in the hall, it can be seen through but she decided that she wasnt going to stay in the house anymore, cant tell if its the barrier or the kitten............14 months old now............that has caused the problem.

In the last week she is back in the house due to the weather I think but I hope she now understands that she is still safe and can come and go just as before.

Last night she met the kitten almost nose to nose and thankfully she sat her ground lol, but she doesnt meow but squeaks, last night was full blown meows and possible a hiss. Lupin had crept up to her very very slowly and backed away again and Sasa didnt leave after and has been in all night and still is.

So now your cat..........whats his name? is using the kennel and came in for a bit, this is all good signs and a cat flap may be the icing on the cake.

kel1982 · « **Reply #10 on:** October 12, 2011, 13:17:01 PM »

hmm, we had been considering this, i suppose if we did that and he learnt how to use it he would know there was always a way out. will definitely look into it, we have a wooden door too so easily fitted.

Kay and Penny · « **Reply #9 on:** October 12, 2011, 12:03:14 PM »

if you don't have one already, I would put a cat flap into the back door, so that he can come indoors if he changes his mind

I had a rescue cat who wouldn't come into the house for several months, but he eventually started creeping in through the cat flap after I'd gone to bed

yours might even feel more secure once he realises he can come and go without your intervention

kel1982 · « **Reply #8 on:** October 12, 2011, 09:47:18 AM »

ok, last night we tried again to get him into the house, he came into the back door and sat for nearly 20 minutes having lots of fuss, he was purring like crazy

and dribbling (as he always has done when he purrs) we had to leave the door open a crack as as soon as it clicked shut he went nuts. we then gave him what used to be his favourite chicken and duck wet food in gravy which he went nuts over and ate the lot, wouldnt eat it inside the house but dug right in when we put it outside. hes gotten a proper thick fur coat, thicker than ive ever felt on him, i figure its because hes been out in all weathers rather than relaxing in the nice warm house as he used to.

yesterday i washed and dried his cushion from his outside kennel, and cleaned out the kennel itself just incase something didnt 'smell' right in there for him. popped my head out this morning, and guess who was peeking out of his kennel purring away to us

. he still wont come in the house properly unless all the windows and the back door is open (bit too chilly for that!) , but, as long as hes at least using his kennel he has some shelter and a comfy bed. when i put his kennel back together i moved where it was sat aswell, just incase it was something to do with where it was which was putting him off using it. im now considering buying him one of those snugglesafe heat pads, i have 2 for my guinea pigs, and think he would really like one too. will start saving up.

i dont think hes ever going to be the house cat he used to be when we had the dog, but i already feel so much better for him using his kennel. hes due his vaccintations very soon so will get him a full check up when he has those done, i did check him all over last night though, eyes, ears, nose, mouth, all fine, felt him all over and no obvious problems, hes chunky so hes eating well and always got plenty of energy. will still get him checked over though.

kel1982 · « **Reply #7 on:** October 11, 2011, 16:31:16 PM »

right, ok, well i guess vets it is then,will try and get him in within the next week or so, should be fun given we cant keep him inside and we dont see him from one day to the next depending on how the hunt is going. i know its awful to say, but i often think it would have been far easier for us to have said no to the kitten nobody wanted on christmas day. doesnt help im not a cat person and we are completely broke after i lost my job last month. dare i say it, can life get any harder at the moment...

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #6 on:** October 11, 2011, 16:27:17 PM »

Yes in a word.

If its a behavior problem then he needs specialist help and maybe something inside has scared him so much that he is terrified to come inside anywhere and you need to get it resolved cos he will not survive a very bad winter like last year if he is used to being indoors and will not even go and shelter inside a kennel or something.

If you have fields they will have rats and rats will snack off sleeping cats who are maybe semi comotose due to the cold.

Sadly I know of a cat who was a stray and had terrible rat bites that happened literally just before I rescued her and she is now living safely and happily with the wonderful Moira on Purrs.

kel1982 · « **Reply #5 on:** October 11, 2011, 16:21:32 PM »

hmmm, would a health issue thats showing no signs at all really just show up with him refusing to be in the house??? seems a bit odd.

kel1982 · « **Reply #4 on:** October 11, 2011, 16:17:39 PM »

he already has one of those plastic kennels with a soft warm bed in there which i wash regularly, however, in the same kind of time frame hes refused to go in there too. we have even been putting treats in there for him, he will stick his head in, and if he cant reach it he will leave it, if he can hook it out with a paw he will do and eat it outside but he refuses to go inside it. i caught him curled tightly in a ball a week or so back, beside it but on the wet concrete

he was soaked through!

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #3 on:** October 11, 2011, 16:15:04 PM »

I think you need to eliminate any health problems as a first point of call and get him to a vet.

Its strange I think for cat to change so much, I have a semi feral who decided to go feral for a while and live in the shed but now its getting cooler she is moving back in. She would come in and eat and leave again.

Dawn F · « **Reply #2 on:** October 11, 2011, 16:10:57 PM »

what about a dog kennel

kel1982 · « **Reply #1 on:** October 11, 2011, 16:08:07 PM »

ok, the cat in question, male, 5 years old, neutered at 6 months before he ever went outside. has been an indoor/outdoor cat since then. never lived with another cat, never gotten on with them, did live with a dog but sadly we had to rehome her due to me developing health issues which have caused pain when walking and nobody else being home to walk her. over the past maybe 8 months, the cat has gone from a lovely cuddly indoor cat, sofa time and purring soppy baby, to a claustraphobic oddity!

he will come and open the back door, meowing all the time like he used to do to ask to be let in, then he will come in, but if we dare to close the door he yowls the place down and panics until he finds an escape. i mean jumping all over the kitchen sides (never been allowed to get up there) darting around the sofa, jumping up at the windows. as soon as he gets outside, he relaxes but wont come near the house. hes gotten so bad we now have to feed him outside too. he has also began hunting and eating whatever he catches rather than eat the food he has out there. he used to be hooked on wet foods, so would have dry down at all times then a couple of times a week have a treat of a wet tin of food. now he wont touch wet food, will eat a few dry biscuits if he hasnt managed to hunt. we used to worm him using granules which we mixed into wet food, now we have to catch him and force a pill in him. we frontline him regularly but to do that we have to sit outside and wait for him to come to us, then catch him and do it before he realises whats going on. he doesnt run away but hes not keen.

outside, if we sit down, hes all over us, proper lap cat, loves his cuddles and fuss, even when my 1 year old sister is around he will run up to her for fuss. come in the house though and hes gone over the fence and away incase we bring him in.

i am now panicking, with the weather cooling down, he really hated it last year, and we cant leave a shed or out building open for him to come and go as he pleases. there is no way on earth we can confine him to the house, the stress it causes him and the noise he makes are unbareable.

help...please....if i thought he had a 2nd home somewhere id be fine but i know he spends all his time in the fields around us and in the hedgerows, hes either going to freeze or starve if we get the winter we had last year and to be honest, id rather he went to a new farm type home where i know he can escape it all and find food than stay here with us living like he is. i just dont know where to turn now. i am allergic to him, so hes limited to downstairs when in the house anyway, but he has made the odd run for upstairs before, id open up the house if i could do in an attempt to show him its safe.

Author Topic: cat behaviour, claustraphobia ??? (Read 3104 times)