Why is my cat becoming timid?

Question

I rescued her from the pound 9 years ago where she had been abandoned by a former (abusive) owner at age 2??. She has always been extremely affectionate and is rarely more than 2 feet away whenever I am home. She used to be a tiger outdoors leaving 2 mice per day on the doorstep. (I have no idea how many she kept for herself). One day she brought a hawk. I checked her carefully and found no injuries. For the last 3 years she has been an indoor cat because I moved and there are now wolves, bears, and a cougar in the neighbourhood. She used to chase paper balls, but now when I toss a paper ball near her she meows and runs to my lap. How can I connect with her inner tiger again?

Answer 1

First off Bravo for rescuing an abused animal from a shelter. You rock for doing that and for caring so much about your kitties health and well being now. The fact is..11 is a fair age for a kitty. She's lucky to have been so well cared for to reach that age in decent health. Some cats as they age lose vision, and it is possible this may be the cause of her seeming fear. I wouldn't expect her inner tiger to emerge so much, these are her feline golden years. Love and spoil her and play with her as she can react to it.

Answer 2

I don't think she's sick. She is just aging a bit and is feeling it. I lost one cat to old age in 2004 and she was the same way. I have another cat that is about 13-15 years old now and he is pretty calm as well. He still goes outside and hunts, fights, chases things. But in the house he's like an old man with arthritis.

You can try taking her outside for supervised time. If she reacts well, let her out when she wants. Cats are smart and will stay away from cougars, wolves, and bears. If she is in danger, she will run home. Just make sure that you have a way for her to get in and out without you having to be there to open a door for her. I use a "cat flap" built in to one of my windows (triple pane glass, was a pain in the butt to get that done) on the opposite side of the latch so no one can use it to break in. Has a magnet at the bottom to keep the wind from blowing it open but all of my cats can get in and out at will.

Answer 3

She's gettin old and she wants to get the paper ball but it is out of her reach..
Mine does that to me sometimes too. She just doesn't want to expend the energy to go get it she would rather express her expltives to you instead;
Like when you come home from work and look at the TV all night and dont wanna move; Same Thing just in cat terms........

They perk up when theres a Treat involved tho. so you can Bribe her to chase the ball maybe but I doubt it.....Enjoy the time you have with her cuz it maybe limited. Love her.....

Answer 4

Take her to the vet and ask the vet to run a 'geriatric profile' or 'senior cat' panel of blood tests, and make sure they check her thyroid levels. It's common for older cats to develop a hyperactive thyroid gland, which revs up the cat's metabolism and causes its heart to race, and often makes a cat more anxious and reserved. If your cat turns out to be hyperthyroid, it's very treatable. If it's left untreated for too long it can damage the cat's heart, so it's a good idea to get your sweet girl checked out. http://www.sniksnak.com/cathealth/hyperthyroidism.html

The vet's senior checkup will also look for other health problems that may cause changes in behavior. I hope she's back to being herself soon!

Answer 5

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Consume foods naturally high in B vitamins, such as whole grains, nuts, and seeds, and iodine (fish, seaweed, vegetables and root vegetables).
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Answer 6

She may not be well, any change in personality or behaviour warrants a vet check. Cats are adept at hiding illness, it's instinct to them as in the wild a sick cat is a weak cat and vulnerable to be attacked.

Her eyesight could be going, your vet is the best one to help you with this.

I hope she's ok.

Answer 7

Maybe she's just getting old. Be sure to pick her up at least once a day. Maybe she needs new food--for mature cats. She is getting up there. Good Luck!

Answer 8

She misses the out doors or shes getting old.

Answer 9

maybe she's getting old and doesn't feel like she can protect herself like she used to.

Answer 10

I would first investigate to see if your kiity is sick. Take it to a Vet first.