08-02-2016, 11:50 AM
This is a long story but I will try to keep it as short as possible. (But it's still not going to be short.)
4 years ago a neighbour asked me to look after her cat for 2 weeks. She is rarely in the country. I am still looking after her cat. She visits about 3 times a year for one/two days. I am sent money regularly to pay for cat food etc. I do not fault that.
The little cat -Sally -is very sweet but knows her own mind. She is not very dependant but has grown to like me very much. It was always a pleasant experience -going to visit her twice a day, spending time there with affection, playing, food, companionship, and then me going home. She seemed very contented, basically healthy, socialised, accepted my coming and going....etc.
I told her in plain English: "I am not your 'owner', I am your friend who visits you to help you."
She loves the outside world. She has acres of land which she likes, and is fiercely independent. But the house is now rented to 'guests' for weekend breaks, retreats etc. It has been that way for 2 years now.
Once (months ago) a dog might have put his nose through her cat door (to her own private room where she has her food, bed, shelter etc. The room is well away from the main house and she always liked it.) I didn't see that happen, but deduced that was what scared her from going in her room suddenly, as the gardeners sometimes bring a Spaniel. She was scared of the room for a while but soon settled down. I moved her soft bed to a higher place. She liked that.
Suddenly, she became very scared of the room again. That was at least 2 months ago. She will dash in, get her food, then wants to get back outside as soon as possible.
When I am there I block the cat door, and when I do she will often settle down for a while and relax. But as soon as I open the door she races out like there is a devil behind her.
Now there is no danger, and she knows there is no danger any more,. Guests last week brought an old dog with them. She kept away from it. She was intelligent enough to know when it had gone and stretched out on the sun lounger in the garden within one hour of their departure!
But she has gained a habit of being scared of her room. The habit won't go away. She behaves as if she expects danger there any minute.
I tried all sorts of things....catnip toys, letting her do things at her own pace -never pushing her against her will, food treats as positive reinforcement whenever she came in....etc
Now it has got worse. For the first time in ages, it rained heavily all day and night. I went to see her as usual this evening and she was refusing to go in her room, and was completely drenched from determinedly staying outside. She hates water, and I have never seen a cat so wet.
I dried her off, gave her food, blocked the cat door, and she relaxed. I stayed 2 hours with her. Yet she refuses to get onto any soft bed, and will only sit on a small hard place where she can't sleep properly or even lie down. She sits tensely on a hard surface, almost nodding off, then wakes up again. She behaves with terror if I try to encourage her to get onto a soft bed! She seems afraid of relaxing.
I have placed 3 different beds in the room, yet all she wants is to be out of the room. Like severe claustrophobia.
I was sure that if/when the weather turned she would come around and go back to her room....Not so apparently.
Nothing I do helps. I have given her small food treats when she has gone even near a soft bed. I have sat on it myself to put my scent on it (which I know she trusts). I have kneaded and purred to make it clear to her the bed is a happy place. I have tried to distract her by playing with things she likes or by whistling a gentle tune which she always likes very much. She has responded, then moments later, made a dash for the door and howled.
None of what I do helps.
By the way, it isn't physical. It's not a sudden need to poop or pee etc.
I have tried my very best to give her a happy life under the unusual circumstances but nothing is working.
I tried her a couple of times at my house and she was even worse there, and couldn't wait to get home!
What do I do? Can anyone suggest anything?
4 years ago a neighbour asked me to look after her cat for 2 weeks. She is rarely in the country. I am still looking after her cat. She visits about 3 times a year for one/two days. I am sent money regularly to pay for cat food etc. I do not fault that.
The little cat -Sally -is very sweet but knows her own mind. She is not very dependant but has grown to like me very much. It was always a pleasant experience -going to visit her twice a day, spending time there with affection, playing, food, companionship, and then me going home. She seemed very contented, basically healthy, socialised, accepted my coming and going....etc.
I told her in plain English: "I am not your 'owner', I am your friend who visits you to help you."
She loves the outside world. She has acres of land which she likes, and is fiercely independent. But the house is now rented to 'guests' for weekend breaks, retreats etc. It has been that way for 2 years now.
Once (months ago) a dog might have put his nose through her cat door (to her own private room where she has her food, bed, shelter etc. The room is well away from the main house and she always liked it.) I didn't see that happen, but deduced that was what scared her from going in her room suddenly, as the gardeners sometimes bring a Spaniel. She was scared of the room for a while but soon settled down. I moved her soft bed to a higher place. She liked that.
Suddenly, she became very scared of the room again. That was at least 2 months ago. She will dash in, get her food, then wants to get back outside as soon as possible.
When I am there I block the cat door, and when I do she will often settle down for a while and relax. But as soon as I open the door she races out like there is a devil behind her.
Now there is no danger, and she knows there is no danger any more,. Guests last week brought an old dog with them. She kept away from it. She was intelligent enough to know when it had gone and stretched out on the sun lounger in the garden within one hour of their departure!
But she has gained a habit of being scared of her room. The habit won't go away. She behaves as if she expects danger there any minute.
I tried all sorts of things....catnip toys, letting her do things at her own pace -never pushing her against her will, food treats as positive reinforcement whenever she came in....etc
Now it has got worse. For the first time in ages, it rained heavily all day and night. I went to see her as usual this evening and she was refusing to go in her room, and was completely drenched from determinedly staying outside. She hates water, and I have never seen a cat so wet.
I dried her off, gave her food, blocked the cat door, and she relaxed. I stayed 2 hours with her. Yet she refuses to get onto any soft bed, and will only sit on a small hard place where she can't sleep properly or even lie down. She sits tensely on a hard surface, almost nodding off, then wakes up again. She behaves with terror if I try to encourage her to get onto a soft bed! She seems afraid of relaxing.
I have placed 3 different beds in the room, yet all she wants is to be out of the room. Like severe claustrophobia.
I was sure that if/when the weather turned she would come around and go back to her room....Not so apparently.
Nothing I do helps. I have given her small food treats when she has gone even near a soft bed. I have sat on it myself to put my scent on it (which I know she trusts). I have kneaded and purred to make it clear to her the bed is a happy place. I have tried to distract her by playing with things she likes or by whistling a gentle tune which she always likes very much. She has responded, then moments later, made a dash for the door and howled.
None of what I do helps.
By the way, it isn't physical. It's not a sudden need to poop or pee etc.
I have tried my very best to give her a happy life under the unusual circumstances but nothing is working.
I tried her a couple of times at my house and she was even worse there, and couldn't wait to get home!
What do I do? Can anyone suggest anything?
