cat spends all her time in the basement

[flamingo1981]

asaandsheba.jpg

• flamingo1981
• Dec 24, 2013

is it okay? I just moved a month ago here, she seems fine to always be in the basement by herself. I go down and feed and water her on the basements bar shes not there.


She hangs out in the roof space of the basement a lot of times. I got her a new fellaway color also.  She just seems to stay down there more and more. I bought her a HUGE six foot scratching post i put in my living room she never touched it when it was in the basement. I wonder what shes using to file her nails? OR do some cats just not fie them?

Be nice to have her come up but shes not interested.  It could be my dog chased her down there twice ? She NEVER was scared of my dog before and would even steal food from my dog and just had no fear of my dog. SHe did not run from my dog before. IF she runs now she will turn around and puff up and go at my dog, My dog does not get aggressive she just sniffs or licks my cat still stometimes. But my cat will howl and threaten my dog. She has not used her claws on my dog but she threatens to if my dog gets near. My dog also loved her and was protective over her like she was my dogs pup. That bond is dead.

I have not let them interact since only when my dog is in the crate my cat will walk by it. Sometimes my cat goes in the dogs crate when the dog is not there. But the cat doesnt want anything to do with my dog.  3 years of friendship.  SHes a rescue so shes had bad experiences with other dogs in the past. Shes about 7. A long time ago when my cat was a barn cat my dog rescued her from some coyotes.

 

[mservant]

It sounds like your cat has been very stressed by the move. Do not give up on your cat and dog getting along still - iIt may be that you have to do some gradual reintroductions with your dog and cat given how long she has been choosing to stay in the basement, and that your dog has chased her a couple of times now.  That does not mean it will never work.  

Are you leaving her food down there or taking it down and staying to see her when she feeds?  Have you seen her recently to check that she is alright:stress can cause some illnesses like UTIs in cats.  Does she have a litter tray down there, and if so does she use it?

I hope you are able to reassure her and coax her in to the main part of the house with you, and that she is well while she is seeking safety in the basement.

 

[flamingo1981]

 I feed her on the bar, then she hides in the bar or goes back into the roof

Her litter is on the ground hidden away though she has not done anything like loose fur or not go to the bathroom outside the box

when she sees me she runs up to the bar corner and wants pets

She WONT go on the ground if the dog is free out of the crate (she would always jump on the ground before with the dog), she will let the dog sniff her while shes on the bar but she warns the dog with a howl that shes "thinking" of clawing my dog but she never claws my dog cause when my dog sniffs her she also is licking her, its a silly situation

My cat just wont go on the ground unless dog is in her crate, If i did try to put her on the ground she would either bolt  (bad) or turn on the dog and attack

my dog does not respond to anything she doesnt  care if the cat is fighting her or purring she still licks the cat she doesnt care if the cat claws her either there is no aggression, but when she chased the cat downstairs its like my dog was another dog all of a sudden

 

[flamingo1981]

yes i can gt her to come up sometimes in the main house when the dog is not there but if she sees the dog or even KNOWs the dog is there (she knows without looking even) she will not go down.

 

[flamingo1981]

my cat is prone to UTI but shes good now we fixed that and got her on the right food.  WHen she had a run in with coyoytoes she went into a huge depression and refused to eat for weeks and weeks, They tried to drag her away ffrom under a shed but my dog (her friend) caught up with them and got a hold of their face and forced them to let go. 

the fellaway collar makes her very "mellow" shes moer quiet and lazy on it.

She never let my dog chase hr in the past, because she would just turn around and wack my dog silly(tortie) and my dog loved it, and would just lick her or try to rest her foot or head on her. Like the cat could do no wrong.

She uses the litter box perfect. There are a lot of wires in the basement roof but there might be mice there also so maybe thats why she likes it. Its a weak roof she could fall through but if she did i dont think she would get hurts its not a big fall.   Shes acting like this dog is a stranger and not the same one she lived with for 3 years.

THey would even be left alone together i had to stay in my parents house a while and the 2 of them would always be free in the basement togethre sitting near each other on the ground.

 

[mservant]

Mice in the roof space could well be one reason she's spending time up there! 

  

On a serious note it does sound like she has been spooked by that one funny episode with her dog friend.  If you can get her confidence and have her down from the roof space spend time with her.  In coaxing her more in to the main house I strongly reccommend you look at the introducing cats and dogs article on the site and spending time on this process. 

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/introducing-cats-to-dogs

I really hope this works for you.  It must be really hard when they have previously been good friends.

 

[flamingo1981]

thanks you want to know something even more twisted? My cat is terrified of the crate and car rides she was screaming in her crate when we made the 3 hour trip to my new house.  So we put her in the back section with the dog while she was in the crate and she went totally calm and quiet. So the dog made her feel better otherwise she would have soiled her crate many times on the drive.

 

[mservant]

It must be so sad seeing how they are now so soon after things like that.   I do have hope for you getting them back together; there are many similar situations written about on the site and with patience and working through things with them there is a good chance of seeing them back together.  

I will be thinking of you and waiting to hear how things go for you.  I hope your home feels warm and settled with all of your fur family soon.