Does my cat have anxiety?

[crazycatfellow]

I first started seeing this cat when he and his brother were wee kittens. I took Midnight in not knowing he belonged to someone thinking he was the kitten of one of the pregnant feral mother cats. I think they've been through a lot. They are very affectionate cats but me and my mother believe their original owners did not want them so they kicked them outside. They were nearly hit by vehicles outside and we don't even know if they were feeding them. All they wanted was to give love and get love/attention. Their original owner supposedly gave Midnight to a friend and their daughter. Tiger was supposedly given to another tenant here. One day we saw the daughter of the friend that took Midnight chasing him down the road trying to get him because he ran outside. I guess she gave up, after that Midnight was back outside all day/night. Their homes were questionable and I was speculating how well cared after they were.. So they came back to my place where I took them in and gave them a home, food and love they needed.

I ended up adopting Midnight and his brother that I renamed Tiger. They adopted me and grew on me. But I noticed something.. when sleeping on their own they seemed alright, if I lightly touched them with my finger they'd suddenly wake and let out a loud trill. They started sleeping with me and I'd notice they would suddenly wake for no reason and loudly trill something like night terrors with humans. They are also super affectionate and want nonstop undivided attention. They both would obsessively groom my face like dog kisses. I'm the only one they would do that to. 

I still have Midnight however Tiger suddenly vanished without a trace in October last year. Midnight has went into heat and he seems to act differently than the other cats, a bit more aggressive. He will nip at the other cats and let out a shriek cry or trill in the process. His  cry as it is was different that the other cats and kind of hideous, it's deep or whimpery and kind of hard to describe.

I was just curious if any of this is indicative of anxiety in cats considering the history of him and his brother with what they've gone through?

 

[shadowsrescue]

I am not sure about anxiety.  But are any of your cats spayed/neutered?  You mentioned Midnight ( as a he) going into heat.  Male cats do not go into heat, but they can get loud and vocal and more aggressive when there is a female near them in heat.  Any cat that is not spayed/neutered will have no control over some of their behavior due to hormones coursing through their bodies.  Please please get your cats spayed/neutered especially since you are allowing them to be outside.  The cat population is out of control. 

Once the cats are spayed/neutered you will notice a difference in their behavior.  They will become more calm and possibly more affectionate. 

 

[crazycatfellow]

The being more loud/vocal and slightly more aggressive or dominant is more recent due to going into heat. I'm working on getting them in for spaying or neutering. The other behavior had been going on for a while prior to him going into heat. Midnight is just going on around eleven months or a year old of age. His brother was also exhibiting similar behavior and at the time neither were old enough to go into heat.

 

[starbuk]

I've read that cats can start reacting to their hormones as early as 6 months.. despite some of the behavior getting worse now, I think it is impossible to distinguish what is caused by hormones and what is caused by something else.  On top of all that, you don't know how calm they will be once neutered, so it does not make too much of a difference what % is being caused by hormones now.  If they are acting out, get them to the vet asap to be neutered/spayed.

 

[crazycatfellow]

^ This was before he was of age and mature to go into heat. His brother displayed similar behavior.

Not sure it matters now. Midnight's brother Tiger came up missing back in October and feared the same would happen with Midnight as well. My fear seems to have come true today. I tried to get Midnight inside before I lied back down to go to sleep. He was being stubborn lying on the railing of the deck starting at something. I didn't feel like throwing on clothes, my shoes or going out barefoot to grab him. I was going to be up in a few hours and temps were warming up so I planned to let him in when I got back up. Well he's been missing since this morning and he would usually be back well before now.

We were afraid someone might have taken cats to drop somewhere. We asked around back when Tiger came up missing. No one seen him or knew what happened to him. We speculated maybe their original owner took them back. One problem with that is their original owner made it obvious they didn't want them and they were outside all the time. I took them in and they effectively became mine once I started caring for them and they bonded with me. They forgot their original owner and would always come back. It would be a big FU to me to suddenly decide to take them back, breaking my heart not knowing where they went. I asked a girl living in the house they came from when Tiger went missing and she hadn't seen him or had any idea where he went. I knew something was up when Tiger didn't come back after a couple hours and now Midnight. I was their world and they showed affection to me they didn't with anyone else, even grooming my face or giving me "kisses" like a dog. They liked to cuddle with me, snuggle against my face giving head butts and love bites, sleep on my chest, nuzzle in my neck. They wanted my complete undivided attention and now I've lost another great part of my life it seems.

I keep going to the door frantically, looking out and calling him but no sign of him.

 

[shadowsrescue]

Since he is not neutered he out and about looking for a mate.  The warm weather has started to get the females into heat.  He is completely hormone drive and is out to find a female.  If/when he comes home, please do the right thing and get him neutered immediately.  By allowing him outside, you are being very irresponsible.  He is being allowed to produce more kittens and you are fully aware of this.  He should not be allowed outside under any circumstances until he is neutered.  I am sorry if this sounds harsh.  Your cat cannot control himself right now.

There are many low cost spay/neuter clinics available.  I do not know where you are located, but someone here might be able to help you find a very reasonably priced place to have the cat(s) neutered. 

Your cat is most likely not being taken, he is out sowing his oats.  He will roam for miles and not be concerned of food or anything, just the drive to find a mate.  You have control over this he does not.  Please be reponsible and get him neutered and in the mean time do not allow him outside.

 

[crazycatfellow]

I can't help that he runs out. He sees an open door and he goes for it, I can't always chase him down. I try to keep him indoors, I can't always prevent him from getting out and sometimes he sneaks past me. If not him there are several other unneutered strays and ferals outside. The only low cost option to me is the SPCA but they give difficulties assisting with anything.. overbooked, understaffed, no vets on staff. They can't assist with anything that other shelters would likely be able to assist with. There's nothing else in the area, other shelters and organizations are out of the way. I'm trying to get feral cats in under their discounted barn cat spay/neuter clinic but they are giving me difficulties. Was told they would have openings February and March but they changed that and now claim they are booked and would only have limited openings for only two cats next month. If I am doing all I can it's not really my problem but the limited resources and options I have..

If not for me these cats would be out, possibly sickly or dead and increasing the feral population. No one else was going to do anything. We exhausted everyone we can think of. I have multiple cats to try finding openings for in the SPCA spay/neuter clinic so I am not financially burdening myself by trying to pay the full price. Unless there's other options available to me to provide financial assistance, discounts and support. You are not familiar with the area, we don't have the options where I live that some do elsewhere. Me and my mother have discussed splitting costs to pay the normal price and take them to a regular vet.

I'm trying to see what other options (if any) I have. Searching around has yielded me nothing conclusive so far. I just took a feral into the vet for a checkup and treatment. I'm doing what I can, I can't help anything out of my control.. 

 

[starbuk]

 
I can't help that he runs out. He sees an open door and he goes for it, I can't always chase him down. I try to keep him indoors, I can't always prevent him from getting out and sometimes he sneaks past me. If not him there are several other unneutered strays and ferals outside.

Just keep your doors closed.  If you need to use your doors, pay attention to where he is and don't let him out.. you know he sneaks so you can keep an eye on him.

 

[crazycatfellow]

By the way he is in indoor/outdoor cat. When they want out they want out. Sometimes I can't react fast enough or they are hiding somewhere by the door where I can't see them and when I am leaving to go somewhere. If I can grab him and put him back in I do, if I can keep him from getting out I do. When he bolts for the door it becomes a choice of letting him go or accidentally slamming the door on him possibly hurting him because I can't close it fast enough before he gets to it. The same issue with other ferals and strays trying to get in I can only do so much to keep them out but there are times I can't help they might get in no matter how much I try to prevent them. However, please don't say I'm irresponsible when I'm doing something or trying to do anything within my power. If not for me he would've been homeless, hungry and possibly dead. Neighbors here get cats then throw them out without ever spaying/neutering, providing vet care or even as little as feeding them. They throw them outside completely neglecting and abandoning them. I don't even think their original owners were feeding Tiger and Midnight, they were always outside, they looked and acted hungry. They've almost been hit by cars in the past and they certainly didn't seem to miss their old home and owners. I'm working on getting them in for spaying/neutering and have already taken two others, provided vet care for one. 

In regards to the ferals when I tell someone they were ferals they act like they don't believe me. I fear that may be why I have trouble getting them in to the discount spay/neuter "barn cat" clinic since they've been socialized and are quite tame for ferals. I was told for ferals they were easy to deal with and well behaved. Plus it doesn't help that despite them being ferals from the outdoors they barely had any fleas on them. That's what lots of patience, attention and love can do. Once you earn the complete trust of ferals they seem more affectionate than typical house cats do. I know the history of these cats/kittens and my mother does as well. We know they were feral or abandoned and stray.

 

[starbuk]

It's great you are helping ferals but think of it this way: by letting him out unneutered you are just creating MORE ferals that may one day end up hurt or dead (as you say).

Most cats will go outside if you let them.  Most will complain loudly if you do not comply.  But they all stop this if you are vigilant and don't let them out.  Keep them indoors because they are safer there.  Keep them indoors if they are unneutered because you are contributing to the cat problem because it is in your power to NOT let them go outside unneutered.

There's a difference between saying "when they want out they want out" and "sometimes I cannot react fast enough"   With the first it's saying that you let them out because it is their will and you don't choose to go against it.  The second is something that is totally 100% preventable by just being aware of where the cat is.  When you are going to open a door, look for the cat.  If you see the cat far away, you are okay.  If not they may be hiding and open door slowly, shutting it if they come out.  Put them in a room whenever you are going to go outside.  You see it is a choice, there are many ways you can ensure he does not sneak past you and I don't think it's necessary to get into all the scenarios online here.

It sounds like you know what is going on and are letting them out anyway, which is irresponsible and that is why someone said that.  It does sound harsh and you probably don't see it that way and won't stop, but that is the truth as most people would see it.  Thanks for helping the kitties but please take the additional step to truly help them by fixing them or at the very least keeping them indoors until you do.

 

[crazycatfellow]

Midnight came back. I think he was in someones house. He smelled like other animals, urine or really musty like a dirty unkempt house would. I'm trying my best to keep him inside. You have to realize this place isn't that big, not like a house with an upstairs or anything that would take a cat time to make their way to the door giving ample time to react. If I have to open the door for anything it takes a split second to make their way to the door and out it. I can look around, not see them and turn away for a split second and they are at the door. They can be sound asleep and at the door in a split second. I can try my best to keep them in but there are times they'll be able to get out regardless. I can't always help that.

My parents ten year old cat which is spayed btw and had been an indoor cat all her life. Now she is froggy and wants out in good weather. Despite the best efforts of my parents to keep her from getting out she will still manage to bolt out of the door. Every situation is not the same and because you can manage to keep your cats from getting out the same isn't going to apply to everyone else. They will hide, often times out of view (blind spots) and they can be at the door and out it within a split second. It's impossible to always be able to spot them and/or react in time and prevent any cat from getting out, they will eventually get outside.

No, it's not a choice. My choice is I want him to stay inside and actively try to prevent him from getting outside. I have an overwhelming fear of him or any of the other cats getting out and getting hit by a car or coming up missing. I've tried to keep him in especially after his brother came up missing since I've been so afraid he would be next. I had trouble sleeping and was depressed, my anxiety was up and kept going to the door to call him back. I was so afraid I lost him just like his brother last year. I have one room excluding the bathroom with a door on it. Bedroom door isn't very secure and they can paw it open. Bathroom is kind of small and I don't want to keep him shut in a room when I'm not here because he needs to use the litter box and eat/drink. If I have to open the door for another reason I'll put him in a room or hold on to him.  I haven't bothered with doing that much because putting them all in another room every time I have to leave or open the door is tedious. If they make it to the door I try to grab them or call them back in if I can. If I see them I try to keep them away from the door and shut the door immediately. I am doing something, I'm not letting them out or kicking them out the door like what it is being made to sound like in previous replies.

The place isn't that big. Though it's just myself and the cats so there's enough room for them to run around, have spots to sleep. Enough space for me and kitties. There's an entire bedroom with a cat tree they have exclusively to themselves. I'm doing what I can to work with the SPCA. A female will be going in on Friday for spaying. Next month two more will go in. They are booked and have limited openings, if I could offset the cost of a vet or the normal price to get them done at the SPCA I'd opt to go that route to get them all spayed/neutered as soon as possible.