We have a 14 year old black female cat who has been hiding in our basement for several years. She has always been reclusive and nervous, but since the introduction of a new cat 2 years ago she has gotten worse. We have a cat door down there but she will not go outside. She meows at the basement door for food and runs away when we open it. One time we caught her to put her outside and she disappeared for a week and wouldn't come back to eat until we opened the cat door again. We are concerned because she is always in the dark. We have a litter box but she defacates indiscriminately in the basement and the smell is coming into the house. She also never interacts with us. We've had this cat since it was a kitten and it's always been treated well, but it started hiding in the basement 12 years ago when we added a small dog to our family and now that we have the second cat she no longer even uses the cat door to go outside.
We are lost as to what to do with her. We've tried leaving the door open to coax her into the house with food, but she won't come. The few times we've tried putting her in the house, she hides for days under coaches and snarls when you come near. It's to the point now where we can't even get a hold of her. We feel this is not a healthy life for her and in the process our house is being comprimised. We'd like to see her live out her life, but are lost as to what we should try next.
We are lost as to what to do with her. We've tried leaving the door open to coax her into the house with food, but she won't come. The few times we've tried putting her in the house, she hides for days under coaches and snarls when you come near. It's to the point now where we can't even get a hold of her. We feel this is not a healthy life for her and in the process our house is being comprimised. We'd like to see her live out her life, but are lost as to what we should try next.