(Ron M.) wrote in message . com...
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.

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.