Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
My fiance and I moved across country with our three cats. During our 3600 mile road trip, the cats were placed in their carrier and were let out once we got a hotel room. Now we are here in our new place and there have been many problems with my one Taby cat. His name is Duke and he is 6 years old. My other two cats are 2 and 3 years old as well. A few days before Christmas, he escaped outside for about 30 minutes and ended up coming back inside. We gave him a bath to ensure no ticks or fleas or any other disease. On Christmas Eve, he managed to escape outside again but this time it was for 2 days!! I woke up one morning and saw him sitting on the rocking chair on the patio. Again, we gave him a bath and let him roam free with the other cats inside the house. We have been very cautious since then to make sure that the front door stays close at all times. For some reason he is like a bullet, he manages to run straight out the door even when you are guarding it like crazy. Now, his new thing is to jump on the dining table and break through the blinds to get into the window. None of the cats are allowed to get up in that particular window because it is near the dining table. My other two cats like sniffing the outside but they don't like going outside. Duke on the other hand will meow and meow and meow and scratch at the front door as well as jump on the table and try to get into the window. It is very frustrating and we don't know what to do. We have an enclosed garage that we put him in at night because he always starts his little meow-scratching annoying-ness around the same time and he will do it for the entire night. I am almost 6 months pregnant and I feel that I am losing it!! I do not want to give him away but I'm at a loss. He sleeps all day, only getting up to eat or go to the bathroom and then around 7pm he starts up again, every night! We have about 4 different windows that are kitty approved and we can open them so they can smell the outside but all Duke wants to do is get outside.
He will also have these very aggressive episodes where no one can be around him (not even touch him) because he starts to growl and hiss at you. He has already lunged at me twice and once at my fiance. I'm scared to see how he will react when the baby comes but I'm not sure if I should even chance it. My mother, who also has a cat, is willing to take him when the baby does arrive but I don't want Duke to feel that we are giving up on him or whatever. His aggressive state is scary and again we put him in the garage when he gets like that.
We have been thinking about getting one of those shock collars or electric fences but I'm not too sure...If you have any suggestions on what we can do to help solve this problem please let me know.
Did this behavior start after the move? I would take him to the vet and have him checked out to make sure he's not sick. Then you could try Feliway to see if this calms him down. He could just be upset by the move. I would also try to play with him during the day instead of letting him sleep all day, maybe you can tire him out before bed time.
Did this behavior start after the move? I would take him to the vet and have him checked out to make sure he's not sick. Then you could try Feliway to see if this calms him down. He could just be upset by the move. I would also try to play with him during the day instead of letting him sleep all day, maybe you can tire him out before bed time.
Hello! Yes, this behavior only started after we made the move. Although, before we did move, Duke would always want to go out in the hallways of our apartment. I forgot to bring our vet records with us, so before I take him I want those records to be here (which they are on their way). He is still good for his shots, I know that but I will take him just to be on the safe side.
My mother advised me of the same thing. Because he is older than the other cats, he may be having a difficult time with the whole move. Makes sense. We try and play with him during the day but he doesn't really get up. We have plenty of balls, scratching posts, and a laser pointer but he will only get up for a few minutes. LOL. It's like once he is awake he goes straight for the front door and the table. I forgot to mention that he does that annoying stuff during the day sometimes too. I feel horrible once he is in the garage because it's cold but the stress of him and being pregnant is overwhelming at times to where I cry.
I have to say you're right about a cat being upset. Older cats sometimes don't fair well on long moves. And if kitty is not feeling well to boot- he's been through a lot. Cats can be fine one day and running 110 degree temps the next. But with the behavior you are telling me about, it sounds like something isn't right with him. He needs to go to the vet ASAP.
As for looking out the window? Cats love to do that and will go to whatever window they can- even if it's not on the permitted list. I've had blinds ruined from one of my cats constantly sitting on them. Your cats are in a new place and want to look out to get EVERY angle of the new home. The new home is just as new and amazing to your cat as it is to you. As my landlord put it after we moved in and the cat destroyed a blind—"Well, kitty HAS to be able to look outside too."
Have you tried going out and going with your cat on a jaunt around the yard? I don't know if your cat is the kind that will just walk around outside with you. Maybe he's darting outside for attention. You are very lucky to have your cat return back to you after a few days and especially if you are in a new home. Try playing with him outside on your porch- if it's big enough.
I have to say you're right about a cat being upset. Older cats sometimes don't fair well on long moves. And if kitty is not feeling well to boot- he's been through a lot. Cats can be fine one day and running 110 degree temps the next. But with the behavior you are telling me about, it sounds like something isn't right with him. He needs to go to the vet ASAP.
As for looking out the window? Cats love to do that and will go to whatever window they can- even if it's not on the permitted list. I've had blinds ruined from one of my cats constantly sitting on them. Your cats are in a new place and want to look out to get EVERY angle of the new home. The new home is just as new and amazing to your cat as it is to you. As my landlord put it after we moved in and the cat destroyed a blind—"Well, kitty HAS to be able to look outside too."
Have you tried going out and going with your cat on a jaunt around the yard? I don't know if your cat is the kind that will just walk around outside with you. Maybe he's darting outside for attention. You are very lucky to have your cat return back to you after a few days and especially if you are in a new home. Try playing with him outside on your porch- if it's big enough.
Keep us posted on any changes.
As soon as I get his records, I will most definitely take him to the vet. It seems like the windows and the tables we do not allow him to jump on, they like it the most. When we first arrived here in the new place, he was completely fine and then he completely changed as soon as he got out for those 2 days. Weird.
Funny that you say that. Yes, my fiance walks him around the house on the lease we have but right when it was time to go inside he went straight for the window and table. I've never had a cat act like this before. Never had an outside cat either. I really don't want him to go outside all the time because I'm afraid that he'll get fleas or something. Also, we don't have a porch to really put him on. This house is a little weird. I don't know what else to do. Once he hears anyone walking through the front door, or if the door opens he makes a dash for it.
Location: Los Angeles>Little Rock>Houston>Little Rock
6,489 posts, read 8,814,543 times
Reputation: 17514
My 8 year old cat is like yours. We moved from Arkansas to Texas a couple of years ago and ever since he does his best to get outside. He stands on the couch in the family room and claws at the blinds on the back door. I squirt him with a spray bottle and then he moves to the front of the house and claws the blinds. Once he tires of that he jumps up to the door and grasps the doorknob between his front paws as if he can open the door. He will do this over and over. All of these behaviors are accompanied by a godawful howling. Any time we go out or come in we have to be very careful or he will get out.
Most days I have my son take him out in the back yard and let him sniff around, scratch on the trees, roll in the dirt, and just inspect things for a while. This settles him down and he has never come in with fleas or ticks.
Try a spray bottle...works pretty good and it is kind of fun!
My 8 year old cat is like yours. We moved from Arkansas to Texas a couple of years ago and ever since he does his best to get outside. He stands on the couch in the family room and claws at the blinds on the back door. I squirt him with a spray bottle and then he moves to the front of the house and claws the blinds. Once he tires of that he jumps up to the door and grasps the doorknob between his front paws as if he can open the door. He will do this over and over. All of these behaviors are accompanied by a godawful howling. Any time we go out or come in we have to be very careful or he will get out.
Most days I have my son take him out in the back yard and let him sniff around, scratch on the trees, roll in the dirt, and just inspect things for a while. This settles him down and he has never come in with fleas or ticks.
Try a spray bottle...works pretty good and it is kind of fun!
Good luck!
Hello. Wow he tried to open the door? That's interesting! Yeah we tried the spray bottle thing as well and he is afraid of it but man he just doesn't get it. LOL. He cries and meows so much that it drives us insane. I'll keep working on it and see how that goes. Thanks for the luck, we'll need it!
Sounds to me like you have one very stressed kitty from that move plus I think what he is trying to do is to make sure that your home is HIS territory! Male cats are extremely territorial, and for an older cat to be taken out of his comfort zone is quite frightening and traumatizing to that cat. This is NOT in any way YOUR fault....this is just the way of a male cat.
If this was my cat, I would try several things. I have used Bach Flowers Rescue Remedy with great success with my stressed out cats. Believe me, it really works! They make one without alcohol in it strictly for pets. I usually give 4 drops in an oral syringe, if you have one, and mix that with spring water, putting it directly into the cat's mouth. Or, if you don't have an oral syringe, mix 4 drops right in with his moist food.
I have also had great success with flower essences. There are two places that I have found online that carry incredibly good quality essences. Google Anaflora flower essences and the other google aromatherapytexas and you will get to the sites. These products are incredible and have calmed my cats down tremendously. Just so that you know, I have now a total of 15 cats that I have rescued over the years and am healing, all with diseases or with special needs. I would not be recommending these products if they did not work. I mix 7 drops to one ounce of spring water in a glass bottle with a dropper (maintain sterility) and give my cats 3-5 drops of that mixture right in with their moist food. IF you decide to go this route, direct message me, and I will recommend to you which specific flower essences to get.
I hope my information here has helped you. Your cat really needs help right now, and he needs to get calm so that he again can be his normal self. You seriously don't need the stress with being pregnant and all, and this poor little guy sure doesn't either. Good luck!!!! Oh, yes, one last word. Do take him to a vet to rule out that he is not ill!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
It's like once he is awake he goes straight for the front door and the table. I forgot to mention that he does that annoying stuff during the day sometimes too. I feel horrible once he is in the garage because it's cold but the stress of him and being pregnant is overwhelming at times to where I cry. 
Yeah we tried the spray bottle thing as well and he is afraid of it but man he just doesn't get it. LOL. He cries and meows so much that it drives us insane. I'll keep working on it and see how that goes. Thanks for the luck, we'll need it!
