16 year old cat suddenly refusing to go outside - advice please!

bacardi66

I was wondering if anyone could help me. For the last week or so my 16 year old neutered male cat has been refusing to go outside (ironically I posted on here a while ago asking if I should restrict him going out now he is getting older ) Its so strange as he has always loved going outside and even when I offered him a litter tray last winter when it snowed he still insisted on going out and never used it.

He has a cat flap in the back door which is always open but a few weeks ago started wanting to go out of the front door which was fine, Id let him out he would stay out for a while, go round the back of the house and come back in through the cat flap.

However now although he asks to go out of the front door when I stand there holding it open (letting freezing cold air in!) he turns around and rushes upstairs. He won't go near the catflap either and has started using a litter tray.

I don't know if I should be worried or not, Im not sure if its because of the cold weather (which never bothered him before). I did read an article on a website about elderly cats which said you should offer them a litter tray when its cold as you wouldn't make your granny use an outside loo in the middle of winter so you shouldn't expect your old cat to go out either

He has a good appetite, keeps himself very clean and enjoys being petted. He seems happy and alert and likes playing with his favourite toy.

If anyone has experienced similar behaviour in an old cat I would love to know how they dealt with it and if the cat went back to going outside again - I don't know if could it be him going senile?

Thanks in advance.

ljonski

Don't worry about it - just let him get on with the way he wants to. Cats are a law unto themselves! Could be the weather as mr Hop sometimes comes in then after 5 mins forgets its cold out there and at the door on his way out refuses to go out

scaredy_cat

it might be wise to get his eyes checked. He will know where the door is but if he can't see outside he won't go. A heart murmur got worse and caused high bp in my cat which in turn caused her to go blind as the blood vessels in her eyes broke.

January20

scaredy_cat wrote: »

it might be wise to get his eyes checked. He will know where the door is but if he can't see outside he won't go. A heart murmur got worse and caused high bp in my cat which in turn caused her to go blind as the blood vessels in her eyes broke.

I agree with this. Before your take your cat to the vet's have a look at his eyes and see if the pupils are dilated as this can be a sign. My cat had exactly what is described above: a heart murmur, high blood pressure and blind at least in one eye. I'd noticed his pupils were constantly dilated.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Or he could just be looking out there, thinking 'is this worth the effort? Nah' and going back inside

Or he could have met a new big and tough cat out there last week.

Or he could need veterinary treatment.


Although mine range between about 5 and nearly 12, they've all been sitting at the door in the cold making their mind up whether they want to go out or not. The answer has always been 'Not on your nelly, mum'.

I suppose they could be going senile....but they were already mad as a box of squirrels.

bacardi66

Thanks for your replies, his eyes seem to be fine as he can see a piece of string and even a fine piece of cotton to chase it and when I hold him up to the window he has a good old look round at what's going on outside and also his pupils do change size.

I wonder if JoJo is right and he is being bullied, he has always got on fine with other cats and never fought but there is a young female cat which has moved in next door and she often seems to be hanging around the front and back gardens.

I dont like to take him to the vet unless Im really worried about his health as he is so old and gets really stressed by it, he had a check up in July and was complimented on his good coat and gleaming gnashers and was given a clean bill of health.

So I will wait and see what happens he seems very perky and happy otherwise.

dizziblonde

You seen how cold it is out there?! I wouldn't be going out willingly myself!

Some cats just become right home-purrsons when they get a bit older. One of ours who was a complete out and about asbo case decided one day suddenly to superglue himself to the sofa by the fire and never ever leave the chair again unless forced to.

Freddie_Snowbits

I use two methods to get our old tom out.

1 Speak in a Japanese fashion, while tapping toes.

2 Get the !!!!!es out in the kitchen

At the moment, all is failing as well due to the boiler being nice and warm and a compfy pile of orange fur stashed underneath it.

scaredy_cat

January20 wrote: »

I agree with this. Before your take your cat to the vet's have a look at his eyes and see if the pupils are dilated as this can be a sign. My cat had exactly what is described above: a heart murmur, high blood pressure and blind at least in one eye. I'd noticed his pupils were constantly dilated.

that's how i noticed she'd was ill. Her eyes are ok now, the pupils do react, just the eye doesn't see anymore. it doesn't stop her from getting on the sofa, or on top of a pile of clothes, which she likes to sleep on!

Catslovelycats

My Persian will go outside in any weather, but even she has met her match in this cold spell and won't go out. If all other aspects of his behaviour are unchanged, he's eating and looing etc as usual, I'd put it down to him just doing what he wants.

eamon

So long as your cat is eating, drinking and going to the toilet within the normal pattern for him then I wouldn't worry. As others have said it is cold out there. Cat 2 hasn't been outside for over a week and shows no interest in going out.