My Cat Is Acting Scared

[DaisyMaes_humanMom]

Ok so I adopted my Mo in June, he was 1 year and 3 months old. He is now a year and 8 months old. When we got him, he was spunky and played alot. He is indoor/outdoor and it seems lately he wants to be in but acts very scared of everything, he even cowers when we go to pet him. Could there be a medical reason for this? Or are my suspicion correct that something happened to him. I'm thinking neighborhood kids??? Please help.

PS. Sorry for the bold lettering, it wouldn't turn off.

 

[Columbine]

Hi, and welcome to TCS

I'm so sorry that Mo (who's gorgeous, btw ) is so freaked out. I'd definitely get him to the vet for a checkup, just to be sure, but it sounds like something happened to him when he was outside It could be kids, but it could equally be something else from outside - a new cat in the neighbourhood, maybe.

The best thing you can do for him right now is to be calm and quiet with him, and keep to his usual routine. Interactive playtime is a great stress-buster, so that's definitely worth a go, as is Feliway. Hopefully, with time, he'll relax and be back to his old self You might want to consider keeping him indoor only, though
Six Surefire Strategies To Reduce Stress In Cats
16 Top Cat Experts Share Tips For Dealing With Timid Cats
10 Must-know Tips For Happy Living With A Shy Cat
How To Get A Cat To Come Out Of Hiding?
(I know he's not a shy/timid cat by nature, but the suggestions in the above articles are equally useful in this kind of situation ).

 

[DaisyMaes_humanMom]

Hi, I have an update on Mo. Vet said everything is fine physically, but emotionally something is going on. I have noticed a new cat hanging around so I do think that is the reason. Thank you so very much!

 

[DaisyMaes_humanMom]

Hi, I have an update on Mo. Vet said everything is fine physically, but emotionally something is going on. I have noticed a new cat hanging around so I do think that is the reason. Thank you so very much!

And he is acting more like himself now. Still a little skittish but I see my Mo again.

 

[Kieka]

A new cat in the area would definitely trigger that. I have indoor/outdoor cats too and my little girl gets skittish when raccoons decide to try for our house again. We have a locking cat door that is as raccoon proof as you can get (we did have a problem with raccoons breaking in years ago and it has apparently passed down through raccoon lore since they still try). Just yesterday we saw a large one trying to get in early in the morning. Whenever that happens Rocket spends a good week being skittish around that door and I have to let her in through a different door. Luckily our house has five doors leading to the back yard (not a large house just a ton of doors because my Mom designed the back half to have outdoor access from every room). So could be some other critter too.

 

[DaisyMaes_humanMom]

Yeah it is definitely the new tom cat hanging around. Thank you!