Cat is terrified to go outdoors

My 6 year old cat who lives to go out and play each day and who has has
happily spent hours and hours sitting on a comfy cushion in the window,
refuses to go out since last Tuesday and is terrified to sit in the window
looking out, (even with the window closed) preferring instead to hide under
a bed. Today, when we persuaded her to sit in a window in the sweltering
heat ran for her life when a fly came past the window. Before this would
simply fascinate her and she would want to play.

When we do get her anywere near a window (or take her out forcibly in the
car) she continually scans the sky as if that is where the 'danger' is
coming from.....but today it was just a fly that terrorised her. Later a
fly got into the house and she injured herself trying to hide and get away
from the buzzing fly.

Help ! Any ideas ? We thought at first she would not go out because a
neighbour might have installed an ultrasonic alarm to keep cats
away......but no - other cats happily sit in our garden from next door. We
took her to my parents house and let her out in the back garden - she ran
terrified for the house, so it is outdoors everywhere that is 'bad'. We
let her walk from our car by herself to my parents front door the next night
and she headed straight for the front door like a train and practically ran
my father over in her eagerness to get into the house. She feels safe in
the car, always has been a good little traveller, but I am perplexed. Any
ideas ? Will we ever get kitty to go out again ? She wants to.....she
ocasionally goes to the front door, but once you open it for her, she tears
off up the stairs and hides under the bed or under a rug (where we are not
supposed to see her).

Be grateful for any advice or even to know if anyone has experienced a
similar experience ? Pusscat is so depressed, she is flopping all over
the place and sleeping 18 hours a day, not eating as normal etc. I am so
sad for her....she is my baby. Tomorrow we will go to the vet now we have
tracked it down to being bothered by just a fly, but there is a wealth of
experience with cats here.

Laura

LC wrote:

Be grateful for any advice or even to know if anyone has experienced a
similar experience ? Pusscat is so depressed, she is flopping all over
the place and sleeping 18 hours a day, not eating as normal etc. I am so
sad for her....she is my baby. Tomorrow we will go to the vet now we have
tracked it down to being bothered by just a fly, but there is a wealth of
experience with cats here.

Although I prefer to keep my cats inside for safety reasons, I know
this is not the case for everyone as they may have very safe
surroundings.

Do you have mockingbirds where you live? Here we have them and I see
them dive bombing and grabbing on to the back fur of the neighborhood
cats. I would think that would be traumatic and I see the cats duck
under bushes to get away from them.

How about something more sinister, like a hawk or some predator bird
going for her? Would that be possible in your location?

They seem to get scared of noises a lot. Maybe there was a loud noise?

I've read on this ng of other cats getting freaked by some event. I
believe that, in time, it usually dissipates and the cat goes back to
normal behavior. Probably a good idea to take her to the vet, though,
as you are planning.

Candace

Check your cat for having been stung by a bee or wasp or even a hornet.

If a buzzing fly is upsetting her to that extent perhaps she has
accidentally disturbed a nest or something whilst she was out - or even just
one stinging insect that has actually stung her. One wasp can sting
repeatedly, and although herein the UK it's not quite wasp season, they are
about.

Another thing it could be is seagulls. They can be really vicious if they
have young about.

I would not force her to go out (apart from to the vet) or sit in the
window. Let her get her confidence back in her own time.

chas

Candace, thank you - we are in Ireland - have never seen a mocking bird
here - that sounds so exotic But we do have magpies and she also has a
bad injury to the back of one paw that we only saw after 2 days of this
strange behaviour - its at the very top tucked in under the hip and she
hides it very well. (I have now cut away the surrounding excess fur today
to give better access to the area in order to medicate - she loves me
trimming her long tummy fur in summer so I was allowed to do this.) We
thought first the cause of her rushing back into the house after asking to
go out was an alarm, then we moved to the magpies theory after the visit to
my parents house test and further examination of the leg, but today we have
switched to the fly/bees theory. (Logic being that she may have disturbed
a bee's nest, they buzz just like flies to kitty.) I guess it could indeed
be the magpies.....and now even a small thing flying is bothering her ?
Yes, there has been a hawk around here about a year ago - quite rare though.

Don't get me wrong, I would *LOVE* if she had made a happy decision of her
own accord to become an indoor house pet....(we have tried to persusade her
to this way of thinking with limited success as in much reduced time spent
outdoors)...but she didn't choose this happily, its against her nature and
now she is so depressed. I normally work from home so she can have the
window open to come and go as she pleases, which she does, and has a very
well settled routine. Now her routine is completely shot. Kitty came to
us as a little stray, who had fended for herself on the streets through the
winter, while pregnant and almost died of pneumonia. She is now the most
pampered pusscat on the earth and our house basically runs around her.
I cannot bear to see her not even confident in her own home....she won't
approach the windows which she loves ! Even if we take her to the window
there is only a 50/50 chance she will consider it safe to remain there for
even a few minutes (upstairs windows being considered safer than downstairs
ones)

Laura

"Candace" wrote in message
oups.com...
LC wrote:

Be grateful for any advice or even to know if anyone has experienced a
similar experience ? Pusscat is so depressed, she is flopping all
over
the place and sleeping 18 hours a day, not eating as normal etc. I am
so
sad for her....she is my baby. Tomorrow we will go to the vet now we
have
tracked it down to being bothered by just a fly, but there is a wealth
of
experience with cats here.

Although I prefer to keep my cats inside for safety reasons, I know
this is not the case for everyone as they may have very safe
surroundings.

Do you have mockingbirds where you live? Here we have them and I see
them dive bombing and grabbing on to the back fur of the neighborhood
cats. I would think that would be traumatic and I see the cats duck
under bushes to get away from them.

How about something more sinister, like a hawk or some predator bird
going for her? Would that be possible in your location?

They seem to get scared of noises a lot. Maybe there was a loud noise?

I've read on this ng of other cats getting freaked by some event. I
believe that, in time, it usually dissipates and the cat goes back to
normal behavior. Probably a good idea to take her to the vet, though,
as you are planning.

Candace

Chas, thank you The bees are on my list also.....magpies or bees are
strong contenders. Will get the vet to take a thorough look, she is not
happy with us examining this leg too much, so just apply soothing Fuciderm.
No, now that we have seen the reaction to outdoors everywhere as opposed to
just here, she is not being forced but eveytime she asks to go out, she is
obliged with the door being slowly opened. However, once open, she is
overwhelmed and rushes back to the dark safety of under the bed - either
that or straight to the kitty litter.

Laura


"chas" wrote in message
...
Check your cat for having been stung by a bee or wasp or even a hornet.

If a buzzing fly is upsetting her to that extent perhaps she has
accidentally disturbed a nest or something whilst she was out - or even
just
one stinging insect that has actually stung her. One wasp can sting
repeatedly, and although herein the UK it's not quite wasp season, they
are
about.

Another thing it could be is seagulls. They can be really vicious if they
have young about.

I would not force her to go out (apart from to the vet) or sit in the
window. Let her get her confidence back in her own time.

chas

On Sun, 10 Jul 2005 23:20:40 +0100, LC wrote:

My 6 year old cat who lives to go out and play each day and who has has
happily spent hours and hours sitting on a comfy cushion in the window,
refuses to go out since last Tuesday and is terrified to sit in the window
looking out, (even with the window closed) preferring instead to hide
under a bed. Today, when we persuaded her to sit in a window in the
sweltering heat ran for her life when a fly came past the window. Before
this would simply fascinate her and she would want to play.

When we do get her anywere near a window (or take her out forcibly in the
car) she continually scans the sky as if that is where the 'danger' is
coming from.....but today it was just a fly that terrorised her. Later a
fly got into the house and she injured herself trying to hide and get away
from the buzzing fly.

Help ! Any ideas ? We thought at first she would not go out because a
neighbour might have installed an ultrasonic alarm to keep cats
away......but no - other cats happily sit in our garden from next door.
We took her to my parents house and let her out in the back garden - she
ran terrified for the house, so it is outdoors everywhere that is 'bad'.
We let her walk from our car by herself to my parents front door the next
night and she headed straight for the front door like a train and
practically ran my father over in her eagerness to get into the house.
She feels safe in the car, always has been a good little traveller, but I
am perplexed. Any ideas ? Will we ever get kitty to go out again ?
She wants to.....she ocasionally goes to the front door, but once you open
it for her, she tears off up the stairs and hides under the bed or under a
rug (where we are not supposed to see her).

Be grateful for any advice or even to know if anyone has experienced a
similar experience ? Pusscat is so depressed, she is flopping all over
the place and sleeping 18 hours a day, not eating as normal etc. I am so
sad for her....she is my baby. Tomorrow we will go to the vet now we have
tracked it down to being bothered by just a fly, but there is a wealth of
experience with cats here.

Laura



She may have been attacked by something -- either a hornet, bee, magpie or
other bird. Magpies and ravens go for the eyes. Keep her in the house
where she feels and will be safe, MLB

in article , LC at
wrote on 7/10/05 5:20 PM:

My 6 year old cat who lives to go out and play each day and who has has
happily spent hours and hours sitting on a comfy cushion in the window,
refuses to go out since last Tuesday and is terrified to sit in the window
looking out, (even with the window closed) preferring instead to hide under
a bed. Today, when we persuaded her to sit in a window in the sweltering
heat ran for her life when a fly came past the window. Before this would
simply fascinate her and she would want to play.

When we do get her anywere near a window (or take her out forcibly in the
car) she continually scans the sky as if that is where the 'danger' is
coming from.....but today it was just a fly that terrorised her. Later a
fly got into the house and she injured herself trying to hide and get away
from the buzzing fly.

Help ! Any ideas ? We thought at first she would not go out because a
neighbour might have installed an ultrasonic alarm to keep cats
away......but no - other cats happily sit in our garden from next door. We
took her to my parents house and let her out in the back garden - she ran
terrified for the house, so it is outdoors everywhere that is 'bad'. We
let her walk from our car by herself to my parents front door the next night
and she headed straight for the front door like a train and practically ran
my father over in her eagerness to get into the house. She feels safe in
the car, always has been a good little traveller, but I am perplexed. Any
ideas ? Will we ever get kitty to go out again ? She wants to.....she
ocasionally goes to the front door, but once you open it for her, she tears
off up the stairs and hides under the bed or under a rug (where we are not
supposed to see her).

Be grateful for any advice or even to know if anyone has experienced a
similar experience ? Pusscat is so depressed, she is flopping all over
the place and sleeping 18 hours a day, not eating as normal etc. I am so
sad for her....she is my baby. Tomorrow we will go to the vet now we have
tracked it down to being bothered by just a fly, but there is a wealth of
experience with cats here.

Laura


Something scared her. I wouldhave her checked to make sure she isn't ill,
but then let her gain her confidence in her own time. You just can't *make*
her want to go out again. Give her time to get over whatever it is. I'm
certain she will. Please keep us posted.

LC wrote:
she also has a
bad injury to the back of one paw that we only saw after 2 days of this
strange behaviour - its at the very top tucked in under the hip and she
hides it very well. (I have now cut away the surrounding excess fur today
to give better access to the area in order to medicate - she loves me
trimming her long tummy fur in summer so I was allowed to do this.)


outdoors)...but she didn't choose this happily, its against her nature and
now she is so depressed.

Has she been seen by a vet? The depression could be due to her injury.

Lauren

See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe

LC wrote:
Candace, thank you - we are in Ireland - have never seen a mocking bird
here - that sounds so exotic But we do have magpies and she also has a
bad injury to the back of one paw that we only saw after 2 days of this
strange behaviour - its at the very top tucked in under the hip and she
hides it very well. (I have now cut away the surrounding excess fur today
to give better access to the area in order to medicate - she loves me
trimming her long tummy fur in summer so I was allowed to do this.)

Poor kitty, yes, it sounds like she might have been stung by a bee.

Even if we take her to the window
there is only a 50/50 chance she will consider it safe to remain there for
even a few minutes (upstairs windows being considered safer than downstairs
ones)

I'm sure she'll be okay after a little time. Have you been able to see
what the injury looks like? Does it look like s sting? It must be
connected to her fear. Are you still going to take her to the vet.

Let us know how it goes.

Candace

On 2005-07-11, Candace wrote:

Poor kitty, yes, it sounds like she might have been stung by a bee.

Kitty might have been savaged by a dog or another cat. I think they
will react to that more than being stung. We had one cat that was
stung on his nose by a bumblebee. He was swollen for a day, but it
didn't affect his behavior. On the other hand, Red wasn't the sharpest
knife in the drawer. The only thing that really frightened him was the
vacuum cleaner. He would just wail when he was in the same room with
a running vacuum cleaner, and he would be wary of one turned off.

--
e-Harmony.com called the cops after I sent in my personality profile.