Three year old cat refuses to come home? It's really odd...any ideas?

Question

Sideways(I know it's corny,ok.I never claimed to be gifted at naming them..LOL)No, she didn't leave cuz I call her Sideways so don't EVEN go there! :)
I run an animal rescue and we have a resident feral cat clan on adjacent property but Sideways has always been our pet.Yes, I let her outside but WAIT... I've got a twelve foot fence around my property.My cats don't get out.
There have been no major changes in our home, routine..nothing that I can come up with.I even took her to the vet thinking she's sick. She isn't.
Everyday she used to go outside for about four hours and lay on our pool deck in the sun. Then she came inside.As of ten days ago she went out, layed on the deck for four hours, scouted around the yard and then went and crawled under the shed to sleep.She won't come back in the house.When I bring her in she hisses and spits at the other four cats and me but not at the dog who lives inside.She won't even come in to eat anymore.I don't get it.She disowned me?! Why?

I really butchered that didn't I? What I meant to say is that MY cats stay inside the 12 foot fence and are seperated from the ferals completely. I've tried to make her stay in and she just sits by the door or screams at everything that moves...except for the dog.

I did consider rabies even though she's current on her shots and not exposed to other animals who could potentially transmit the virus. The vet said not to worry about that.
Also, she is spayed. Has been for 2.5 years.

okay let me clarify... my first instinct was that my cat was sick. Therefore the first thing I ALWAYS do is seek medical attention. She went first to her normal vet and had a work up of the basics like fecal. She also had x-rays because 1.5 years ago she broke a hip diving off of the counter. We took her to a second vet seventy miles away because he is kinda the "cat guru" and he did bloodwork for everything from blood sugar to blood gas. $567.00. They say there ARE no more 'routine tests' to give her.
It IS cold here. It has been less than 30 degrees here every night for three nights.
Sideways is the oldest. She owns this place and she is loved more than you can imagine. She never goes without attention. Last night I sat with this cat in the cold...26 degrees outside..for three hours. I even tried to get her to go IN the shed so I finally got her bed, put in a thicker blanket and put it under there for her. Now I'm in here...she's out there in the cold and I feel like sh*t.

She has never "gotten along" with the other cats in the house. She's always sorta been the "alpha female" here and the other four are petrified of her. Last night it got cold. Minky went looking for Sideways about 11pm and when he found her under the shed he stood there screaming. I went flying out there...she was fine but then MINKY refused to come in because Sideways wouldn't come in!! This is ridiculous. We fought..I won..she's in the living room and she is NOT going back out. And boy let me tell you..if looks could kill I'd be dead.

Answer 1

I'm no cat whisperer but mabey your cat's just going trough a phase.She'll get over it eventually or so I hope but usually these things sort themselves out. Hope I helped.

Answer 2

Been a cat lover forever. When I was a kid, my mom tried to get rid of my female cat by taking her to a farm about 60 miles away from home, and she showed up 12 days later. According to a show on the Discovery Channel, cats have a homing mechanism within their endocrine system which utilizes certain chemicals dealing with sense of smell and direction. I also had another cat which was strictly an indoor cat, and she got out. She was exactly like your cat, she refused to come back inside. I guess she preferred to be out since she had spent her whole life indoors. She eventually got sick (I can't remember the name; she became really bloated an her eyes were badly clouded). We had to put her down. I hope your situation turns out better than that.

Answer 3

Can you bring her inside where she will be separated from the other animals..keep her in one room with her own bed, food, etc. and see if she will calm down and stop the odd behavior and eventually have her come back into the house with the rest of the animals. You can go in and spend time with her there without interference from the other pets. Does she normally get along with the other animals? Do any of the other cats bully her? Are all the other cats acting normally? She could be affected by their behavior changing.

Answer 4

Since your vet has ruled out health problems...I am thinking that perhaps she had a run-in with one of the other cats and wants to be as far away from them as she can get. I would let her do as she pleases for the time being. You may find that she will decide to come inside on her own just as suddenly as she decided to move out. Cats are odd sometimes, but they do have reasons for their actions, just not ones that we understand. be patient. Make sure she has food and water out there when it gets really cold. (here where I live, it commonly gets to below zero in the wintertime, and the barn cats are experts at finding warm places to curl up) She didnt disown you, cats arent like that, something else happened. Just be patient!!

Answer 5

Sounds like she's either in heat or sick. I know you say you took her to the vet, but maybe get a second opinion.
Both my cats are inside-outside cats and usually stay out during the day (and sunbathe) and come in at night.
Animals get grumpy when they don't feel well, just like people. That may explain the hissing.

Answer 6

Wow if a vet cant help you then I have no other clue. but maybe she is getting old and likes it outside. There are all sorts or things that interest cats.. as for the eating sometimes they eat grass and bugs and mice..ew I know but its the food chain I'm mention here. =) I hope that she comes in soon and maybe its to warm in the house and he likes the fresh air.

Answer 7

If she is constantly hiding then I would suggest to take her to the vet. But if she is otherwise acting normal, but just won't come in the house, then I wouldn't stress about it. I know it's disconcerting to realize that your cat can live without you, but maybe she is happier outside. As long as she is healthy I wouldn't force her inside. Some cats are just finicky like that.

Answer 8

I would say your cat is sick, maybe take it to a different vet. Maybe you need to look under you shed! If it is sick, sorry. Hopefully Sideways will be ok!

Answer 9

she has decided she doesn't like to share the house with others..let her go if she wants to..had a real nice Siamese cat who moved into a house down the street ..i would pet him on the way to work and say my good byes...funny thing didn't see him for the longest time then he turned up on mothers day for the day and left again...made me feel real good to Know he remembered me..but i still miss him and its been years....

Answer 10

I would say it is more a behavioural thing rather than an illness. There are professionals for animal behavioural problems. Ask your vet for contacts.