Recently moved house with my cat

[christysid]

My 7yr old female cat Millie has always been a very timid and shy but very loving cat. She used to enjoy the outdoors to some extent but when outside she always stayed close to her big brother Murphy. I had both the cats from birth, they were always close until last january Murphy was found curled up on my neighbours doorstep and had passed away. Since then Millie hardly ever ventured out and was terrorised by other cats coming in the catflap.  I moved house at the start of December last year and i dont have a catflap but since then she has made no effort what so over to go out. Because she has always been very well house trained to use the litter i don't worry about the outdoors thing so much but, recently she  has started meowing behind the living room door if its closed. She doesnt go anywhere when i open it but doesn't seem to like it closed. She has also started meowing infront of the kitchen cupboard door too if its closed. When i open it she sometimes goes in but more often just likes to see its open then she's content. Is it possible she suffers from claustrophobia and is it likely that the house move has affected her more than i realised?

[pcarsey]

I think it could very well be the move. One of my cats HATED it so much when we moved that she lost all of her hair! I took her to the vet and he said that the stress of a new environment causes her to tear her hair out. We put a cat door in our window and we live out in the boonies and didn't want coons or the like coming in so my husband built "steps" up the side of our house for our cats to come in. She would lay out there on the top step for days and days. Finally she got used to it and her hair grew back but it took months and months!!

I agree with Mrs_Savas, love and patience!

[Mrs_Savas]

Oh - what a sweet little face!  Sorry to hear about Murphy, that's always so hard to go through.  I have a cat whose sister passed and it took him some time to get over, as they were sort of twins and very close.  So, I really sympathize

I don't think I'd say claustrophobia.  However, cats don't like change of any kind and this can take may forms.  I think what you are describing is pretty classic in the sense that it's a mildly neurotic behavior brought about by changes in her life.  It may be that she is somewhat more sensitive to this sort of thing than another cat might be, but it's certainly normal.

The good news is that the cure for this, in my experience, is tons of patience and love.  And that seems to be right up your alley!  I wouldn't worry about it, just love her and she'll settle down.  

PS, I have another cat who doesn't like the window closed.  She doesn't want to go throught it, she just doesn't like it closed.  It upsets her sense of how her world should be, I guess.  I do the best I can to make her happy, but when it's 10 degrees outside and the heat is running, then she just has to live with a closed window!

[christysid]

Thank you very much, your reply has certainly put my mind at rest. Where i lived previously the door through to the catflap was always open enough to let her out although she opted to stay in, so i never really gave it any thought. I realise now that had it been shut regularly i'd almost certainly have noticed this sooner.

Thank you for replying, you've eased my mind greatly xx

[PrettyKitty1]

Oh, and by the way, what a cute kitty she is  :)

[PrettyKitty1]

Hi Christy,

I have to say, my cat is the same way. He CANNOT STAND closed doors. Even if it's a door he barely uses, he can't stand to see it closed. He isn't shy, and he isn't timid. He is a brat, and has no problem being demanding. He doesn't live with other cats, and has no problem going outside to chase bugs and lizards.

What I’m trying to tell you here is that both our cats are very, very different, yet they have this ONE thing in common. I don't see a pattern here. Had they been through similar experiences I would have told you what I think it could be, but I see no pattern here, and not one single relation. I just leave all doors open to avoid getting him upset. The front door remains shut, but since he knows that that's the way out he meows only when he wants to head out, which, of course, he isn't allowed if I can't go out with him.  :)