Is a cat wanting to go outside always a bad sign?

[KittyFriday]

Just curious - I just heard that a person's cat was demanding to go outside frequently and when they finally went to the vet it was diagnosed with kidney cancer and was put down.

If you've seen my previous thread, my cat loves to go out into the backyard. He can be pretty darn insistent about it. I always go out with him in my fenced backyard so that he can't run away and when I go in, I take him with. He was an outdoor cat for 10 years so that might have something to do with it. Nothing he does outside really concerns me; sometimes he eats grass, but mostly he rolls in the dirt, sits in the sun, and watches the birds.

He just had his annual checkup and got a clean bill of health, aside from the fact that he has gained weight and needs to shed some pounds.

Just wondering if anyone else had the same vein of thought that his demands to go out are a bad sign, or if he's just a diva who wants fresh air.

 

[Katie M]

Not necessarily. Selene tries to get out of the apartment whenever the door's opened. She's healthy, but she's bothered by closed doors. Whenever I open the bathroom or closet, she rushes over to try to get in.

 

[fionasmom]

In my opinion, your cats sounds as if he just likes to go outside once in a while and relax. I think that you are referring to the belief that a cat will try to go off alone if they are sick or will try to find a quiet place to die. It certainly does not extend to any cat who simply wants out because outside looks appealing. It sounds as if you have already made sure that your cat is in good health and I would definitely factor in that he was an outdoor cat for 10 years and old habits are hard to break.

My orange boy Jamie does not ask to go outside as he almost died there as a tiny abandoned kitten, but he is very hard headed about what he wants inside and how things are going to be.