Help?

[shez9199]

i have had my female cat for 14 years and she can come and go from the house whenever she wants by the cat flap,but for the last few weeks she wont go outside and has started using the same spot for her toilet so have purchased a litter tray. I have picked her up and put her out but she seems nervous and runs back to the house! This is totally out of character and dont know what else to do?

[Schutzengel]

At 14yrs your cat is getting to be quite an old lady. Perhaps something has frightened her, and she now only feels secure in the house. A similar thing happened to my 21yr old Tortie female about 3 months ago, and she now has a litter tray. She will stay in the garden for a little while but only if I stay with her, and leave the door open. Then again it could just be a symptom of the ageing process. Hope all goes well.

[terambulan]

Sensible cat.....it's wet and cold outside.

[justmetoo]

something has scared her, and she only feels safe in the house.........not a problem, as long as she uses the litter tray, dont force her outside, at her age shes elderly, as long as shes happy, it happened to my 15yr cat, she was allways outside, suddenly she didnt go out, she hasnt been outside for months now, but shes happy.

[andy-hughes]

Chances are a 'young pretender' from the neighbourhood has decided to have a pop at your cat's territory. As a fesity young queen she would have seen the pretender off in no time, but as a stately matraon, she has decided that discretion is the better part of valour, and retreated.

The other cat, sensing her vulnerability, will enforce its takeover every time it sees her, and she will feel particularly vulnerable when going about her toilet arrangements, so she is hapy to stay inside where she is secure.

Cats are wise aren't they?

[justmetoo]

very wise andy, we dont give them enough credit

[sandmaster]

It is probably a new 'Topcat on the block". We had the same thing two years ago when a beautiful young ginger tom, appeared. Our cats certainly came off worse in any confrontation. Unfortunately he died a year ago but our cats are still very wary about going out. Once beaten......

[skipy]

yes i think you have another cat in the area and yours doesn't like it
I'm afraid i don't know the answer to this one