Cat is acting scared, will not eat.

by Lisa
(Richmond, VA)

Yes, we have a 15 year old cat, Domino. For the last few days she has been hiding under beds all day, not coming out, not eating, lays in abnormal places, and as soon as she comes out she goes right back into hiding. She is just acting abnormal and scared of something. She seems as though something is hurting her, what can we do?

Answer by Kate
it could be so many things, she could have been frieghtened by something in which case her confidence needs to be built up again, perhaps confining her to one room for a few days so she can get used to that space before being introduced back into the rest of the house. Extra bonding sessions should also be added. You will need to check that another cat hasn't sprayed near doors outside as this may have scared her.
The other option is that as she is so old that she may be suffering from some form or dimentia, this is not unusual (see my page about senior cats). She may also be having difficulty smelling her food due to her age, try to warm the food a little by adding a little warm water tot he food or giving her something extra smelly like fresh fish to eat to see if that stimulates her appitite. if she continues not to eat then you will have to take her to the vets for a check up.

---