unhappy cat

by luke
(uk oxfordshire)

hi there, I'm asking this question on behalf of a good friend of mine who i recently helped to find a cat. the cat 'Rocky' actually came from a neighbour of mine and was about six months old when my friend got him, as he came from my neighbour I know what his normal behaviour was like; always very playful and active. since his move, (about a month ago) he seemed to settle in very quickly, explored his new environment etc and seemed at home. but he has recently became very lazy and doesnt seem happy at all, on top of this he is not using the litter tray all of the time, sometimes he will and sometimes he wont, he is very loved in his new home and cared for very well but we're just not sure what to do to bring him back to his normal self, any help will be greatly appreciated.

also, several differences between his old and new environment which i feel may have influenced his behaviour and may be key to finding the solution to the problem:
in the house he came from he was living with about five other cats.
his old house was in the countryside, therefore he could go outside whereas his new is next to a main road, however he had only just begun to go outside in his old home and was already sort of an indoor cat.


Answer by KAte
Well I think you have hit the nail on the head. It sounds to me that he may be bored. Kittens have lots of energy and need a lot less sleep than a older cat. I have two kittens of my own and they would go crazy if they were not able to go outside every day.

If the cat is not able to go out as often as he once did then it is doubly important that his indoor life is made as stimulating as possible.

Please see my page here on this site about this here

https://www.our-happy-cat.com/indoor-cats.html

However if you suspect that his behavior has changed significantly then it may be a sign of illness and so a trip to the vets would be the best option to be on the safe side.

best wishes kate

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