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Why would a cat who loves to go outdoors day or night suddenly be afraid to go out during the day?
OK, my cat Joslyn loves to go outside on her leash with her dad and I all the time. She has not had any bad experiences during the day or anything, but over the last few months she has become terrified of going outside during the day. She will run and try to scratch us to get away from the door if we try to go out. If we do get her outside, she will sit by the door and howl until we take her in. This is not normal behavior for her and it worries us. Any ideas why she would suddenly fear going out during the day? By the way, she still loves going out at night. She will run and play and act as if going outside is so perfect for her. We thought that maybe she didn't like the cold weather, but even on warm and sunny days, she freaks out. This makes us sad, because we love taking walks with her and the three of us enjoying the beautiful days. Now we can only go outside with her at night. Any help would be wonderful.
We live in a small town with allot of neighbors so she only goes outside when her dad and I are with her. She is always on her leash so we can keep and eye on her. We are always watchful so there has been no animals or anything that would scare her.
When we did get her outside and she howled we went back in within 5 minutes. We have even tried leaving the front door open and sitting on the porch to see if she would come out to us in her own time, and no results. She will sit just inside the doorway and look out, but won't go past the door. The weirdest part of it all is that she will cry and beg to go out at night. We are starting to wonder if she isn't becoming slightly vampiric LOL.
13 Answers
- 1 decade agoFavorite Answer
It is a possibility that a neighborhood dog or even another cat has tried to pick a fight with your cat. Have you noticed any new neighbors moving in? That may also be a problem between the sounds of moving trucks, the smells of new people, or even the smell of new pets. Have you gotten any new pets? This may also be a problem if your cat feels obliged to stick by the other pet at all times until it falls asleep. There are many different reasons that your cat could be afraid to go outside at night; these are just a few suggestions.
- ?Lv 41 decade ago
She could smell another animal..cat...dog..fox..coyote (depending on where you live)...bear. etc. This could be scaring her into staying inside. I would suggest try a few more days and if she is still scared, keep her in for a week and then try again. If no change, let her be an indoor cat. There is no harm in that. Can't force a kitty to do something they dont want to do :o) Good luck
- 1 decade ago
Well hun the best that i can think of is as other people have said , a new animal or something is making the cat or joslyn act that way of a day time. wish i could help u more.
- Anonymous1 decade ago
First, I find it cute that you'd walk your cat. Maybe she doesn't like the leash? Perhaps you took her to the vet or an uncomfortable place and it was during the day and she remembers is was light outside and if you take her out you're taking her back to that awful place (in her mind).
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- elliebearLv 71 decade ago
I find it hard to believe that your Cat
is trained to use a leash, Wow.
Cats are like Dogs, they have great
sense of smell.
Do you live near people, or how far away?
Maybe they have a animal they put out
in the daytime.
Take a walk , or ride around in the daytime
and see if you see anything.
First find out how far away cats can smell.
I hope it is someones pet, then you can
take her over to make friends with it. :-)
- 1 decade ago
its simple, something has spooked her! but its weird that she still likes to go out in the night, you'd think it would be the other way around! you got a crazy cat thow! i would let her stay in when she wants, thats like forcing you to do something you really dont want to at all but are forced into it everytime! let her gain her own confidence about going out, instead of you letting her cry on the front stoop! Good Luck!
- Grandma Pat <><Lv 61 decade ago
That is strange. Have you had the Vet check her eyes to see if there might be something that would make the sunlight hurt them? I really can't think of anything if she's not had any bad experiences. Hope everything goes OK.
- 1 decade ago
Maybe you should look around your yard and/or neighborhood today and investigate! There may be a new cat in town, animal (that she may find threatening), a nasty person, or maybe she is sick. She may fell nervous if she is indeed sick. I would definitely investigate because this is a little fishy!
Source(s): I have 2 cats. One which is outdoor and all of my previous cats are outdoor kitties! - pomegranatepantsLv 61 decade ago
maybe a predator has moved into the area like fox, or a coyote. or maybe a neighbor has a new big dog that the cat can smell/hear. maybe the cat was confronted by a bigger cat that has claimed your neighborhood as its territory...
- notyou311Lv 71 decade ago
Keep her indoors. There is no need for a cat to go outdoors. Perhaps the scent of a predator is in the air.
