Cat won't go to his catio all of a sudden and is acting weird

[Sleepless in Texas]

Hello all,

New here and a new cat owner as well. I tried to search the forums for a possible answer but sadly, no luck. So I am hoping some of you could possibly help. First a little bit of history.

Last October 2021, a stray/feral cat decided to make my front porch its home. So I started to feed it every day and did some flyers in the neighborhood trying to find its owner. Months went by and no response. Winter and Spring came by and still no response. So in April of 2022, I went to get him neutered and tested. I was told he was FIV+ and that I could no longer let him outside for fear of him getting the other cats in the neighborhood contaminated. He either needed to be put down or I needed to keep him in the house. So I decided to adopt him. Mind you, I have 2 senior dogs. We gave him his own room.

A month after adopting him, we built him a window catio so that he could still enjoy the sunshine, birds, wind, etc. Needless to say, he loved being outdoors. He was in his catio almost all the time. Until 4 days ago! That's when his behavior and problem started. I noticed he started to wiggle his head often and scratch his ear. I thought perhaps it was an ear mite even though I give him revolution for cats which is supposed to kill ear mites. This affected him so much that he didn't want to go outside to his catio at all. Yesterday, he didn't want to eat, he wouldn't use his litter box, he didn't even eat his treats, and he wouldn't even join in on playtime, which he also used to love. This morning he just sat on his perch and didn't even look at me when I entered the room. He only responded a little bit when I whirled his easer toy but it was a slight movement, nothing like how he used to be. I started to clean his ears, wiping them with an ear cleaner but he just keeps running away.

Vets here in my little town are few and far between. Getting an appointment for him like pulling teeth and is booked months ahead of time. I will try to see a vet on an emergency basis but I just wanted to know what else I could do to get him to go enjoy his catio again. Even if the vet can effectively get the ear mite issue taken care of, will he go back into his catio? I tried luring him in there with treats but even that didn't work. He is listless not like how he was before he got this issue. Sometimes though, his ear is up, so I can't be sure if it is an ear mite or just a dirty ear. But his new behavior is making me worry so much that I can not sleep.

Any help or advice is very much appreciated.

 

[FeebysOwner]

I think he needs to be seen by a vet, as this could very well be something more complex than just a case of ear mites. This could be an ear infection which would require treatment. Whatever it is, it is bad enough to change his routines and eating. Since he is FIV+, it could be related to that. When you take him to the vet, ask about what kinds of supplements you could give him to help boost his immune system.

Once treated, then he should feel better, and I would imagine that will enable him to feel like being in his catio again.

Can you call the vets nearby to see if you could take him in as a 'walk-in'?
FIV and Cats: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments (webmd.com)

 

[catsknowme]

Bless you for rescuing that poor kitty! He definitely needs professional help to determine what is going on. Not eating and the head symptoms are alarming. Because he was outside before his rescue, he may have suffered a head trauma that is just now manifesting (kicked by mean person or traffic collision) OR, hopefully, it's ear mites or fungal infection or something else relatively easy to treat. Please keep us updated !
Meanwhile, prayers and vibes for you both!

 

[rubysmama]

My first thought when seeing the thread title, was that something may have spooked him when he was in the catio. But with him not eating or using the litter box, plus the other changes in his behaviour, I think a vet visit is likely necessary.

 

[Sleepless in Texas]

I think he needs to be seen by a vet, as this could very well be something more complex than just a case of ear mites. This could be an ear infection which would require treatment. Whatever it is, it is bad enough to change his routines and eating. Since he is FIV+, it could be related to that. When you take him to the vet, ask about what kinds of supplements you could give him to help boost his immune system.

Once treated, then he should feel better, and I would imagine that will enable him to feel like being in his catio again.

Can you call the vets nearby to see if you could take him in as a 'walk-in'?
FIV and Cats: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments (webmd.com)

Thank you for your reply. Yes, I was able to get him an emergency appointment for tomorrow. And I will for sure ask the vet about the supplements.

 

[Sleepless in Texas]

Bless you for rescuing that poor kitty! He definitely needs professional help to determine what is going on. Not eating and the head symptoms are alarming. Because he was outside before his rescue, he may have suffered a head trauma that is just now manifesting (kicked by mean person or traffic collision) OR, hopefully, it's ear mites or fungal infection or something else relatively easy to treat. Please keep us updated !
Meanwhile, prayers and vibes for you both!

Thank you for your reply. You are too sweet and yes, I will surely keep you posted when I go see the vet tomorrow.

 

[Sleepless in Texas]

My first thought when seeing the thread title, was that something may have spooked him when he was in the catio. But with him not eating or using the litter box, plus the other changes in his behaviour, I think a vet visit is likely necessary.

I think you might be right that something "spooked" him cause he ran right back inside his room after the incident. I am hoping all will be well soon. I miss his normal self

 

[rubysmama]

I was able to get him an emergency appointment for tomorrow.

I'm glad you were able to get him an appointment. Paws crossed they can figure out what's going on with him.

 

[catsknowme]

Bravo on getting a vet appointment! I am praying that it is just a case of kitty getting spooked in the catio (can dogs or coyotes get in your yard?)and the resulting stress brought on some sort of treatable infection.

 

[Sleepless in Texas]

I'm glad you were able to get him an appointment. Paws crossed they can figure out what's going on with him.

In fact. they had a cancellation so I went yesterday and was told that his ears were just dirty but NO mites! So, it might be just he was spooked, all I know is for now he is 90% back to himself again. He still does not want in to his catio even though I already cleaned it but only time will heal him, I guess. For now, I just put him in a small crate and bring him to the front porch to help him enjoy the outside air and whatever he can see.

Thank you once again for your responses. P.S. You got lucky with your orange tabby over there, in all my reading it seems the orange color tabby has a higher percentage that they would be males, not females.

 

[Sleepless in Texas]

Bravo on getting a vet appointment! I am praying that it is just a case of kitty getting spooked in the catio (can dogs or coyotes get in your yard?)and the resulting stress brought on some sort of treatable infection.

I was able to see the vet late yesterday and it seems he was spooked but I dont know of what! My dogs can go to the yard and he is or was used to them being there right below him where they can't touch him. But it seems he is now spooked by something else. As long as he is back to his normal self, and somewhat healthy, that is all that matters.

Thank you for your responses, it is greatly appreciated.

 

[Kflowers]

He might have seen/heard a hawk. Hawks and owls will take cats, so he should, instinctively, be afraid of them.

 

[Sleepless in Texas]

He might have seen/heard a hawk. Hawks and owls will take cats, so he should, instinctively, be afraid of them.

Thank you for your response! That is a very good possibility. I have seen some big birds fly around here, not sure if it was a hawk or whatever it was. But I will be more mindful of these bigger birds. Hopefully, soon, I can convince him that his catio is safe for him.

 

[Mighty Orange]

Since he is an FIV positive cat, I would check into a supplement, You might want to take a look at the animal essentials line of products available on Chewy.

 

[catsknowme]

Since he is an FIV positive cat, I would check into a supplement, You might want to take a look at the animal essentials line of products available on Chewy.

I concur with this advice. I have had good results with L-lysine and CoQ10 (I use Qunol capsules, very pricey but RiteAid often sells them Buy One, Get One Free). I am also familiar with using herbs, as is my vet, so I keep marshmallow root, Slippery elm bark , German chamomile and red raspberry leaf on hand; your local vet should be able to advise you for your specific cat.

 

[rubysmama]

all I know is for now he is 90% back to himself again.

Oh, that's great news!

P.S. You got lucky with your orange tabby over there, in all my reading it seems the orange color tabby has a higher percentage that they would be males, not females.

I didn't know that fact about orange tabbies, till after I'd adopted Ruby. Surprisingly there's quite a few orange female tabbies here at TCS, so maybe they're not all that rare after all.

 

[Sleepless in Texas]

Oh, that's great news!



I didn't know that fact about orange tabbies, till after I'd adopted Ruby. Surprisingly there's quite a few orange female tabbies here at TCS, so maybe they're not all that rare after all.

Rare or not, she's beautiful!!!

 

[Sleepless in Texas]

Since he is an FIV positive cat, I would check into a supplement, You might want to take a look at the animal essentials line of products available on Chewy.

Thank you for your advice. I was told by the vet to look for food that has Taurine and arginine?, not sure if that is even spelled right LOL

 

[Sleepless in Texas]

I concur with this advice. I have had good results with L-lysine and CoQ10 (I use Qunol capsules, very pricey but RiteAid often sells them Buy One, Get One Free). I am also familiar with using herbs, as is my vet, so I keep marshmallow root, Slippery elm bark , German chamomile and red raspberry leaf on hand; your local vet should be able to advise you for your specific cat.

Thank you again. I shall look into these for my specific cat.