Cat psychologists lend me your ears...

[Ubik1]

I've had cars all my life but I cannot fathom this one.
She is a rescue cat we have had her for a year. Timid but friendly. We have her sister who ha more dominant.

She doesn't like being handled - which is fine. She is very sweet and sits in kitchen begging for food.

She is two and get behaviour changed - more nervous, out all the time, then sleeping for hours and hours. I took her to vet who gave her a shot of ABX. She was so stressed by going to the vets she soiled the pet carrier and required another person to hold her down.

Seemed better but a few weeks later she disappeared. A neighbour found her after 4 days living in her woodpile, starving.

She is now home, has eTen a huge meal, is so tired she keeps falling asleep on kitchen table but is now battering cat flap to get out.

Any advice? Any insight? We are going to keep get indoors for the next few days ...

[Ubik1]

I'm not sure. Her sister doesn't seem aggressive towards her but perhaps there is some sort of silent war going on.

What do I do? I don't want to give fed back to rescue

[Ubik1]

Hmmm will try the feliway. She's stopped battering the cat flap and slunk off to sleep

[susurration]

Feliway definitely. Perhaps try to keep on eye on their interactions to see if something is going on. Could her sister be intimidating her without actually putting paws on? Sitting in her way when she wants to go places etc.

Has anything else changed at home? Builders near by, new neighbours, anyone new in the house can all be a bit distressing. Suscat had a funny few days after a builder came and dug a hole in our driveway. They used heavy machinery and she was a bit jittery afterward.

[YeOldeTrout]

I would keep her in. I'm only an ordinary cat owner, but I would seriously wonder if she had some physical underlying problem that was driving all the weird behaviour. She gets out again she might disappear for much longer than 4-5 days.

[Ubik1]

Well she's out again due to our busy household comings and goings. This time she has a collar with full name and address so if neighbours find her at least they know she's ours.

Other cat is being very affectionate. Which makes me wonder if there is a silent war going on.

Perhaps timid cat is more comfortable outside, coming back fir found occasionally. She certainly doesn't like it indoors.

[YeOldeTrout]

is she around today?
I should have written
I would keep her in in my dreams because reality is she'd find way out

[Ubik1]

No she's still away. Dp is going out with a tin of cat food later to see if he can find her and entice her back.

Do you think we should keep her in? I feel sorry for her but she seems to starve outside...

[YeOldeTrout]

:( You don't have good choices, do you?

What if you tried to quarantine her in a certain room of the house for ... a week? 10 days? And see if she can reprogramme herself to really think of the room/house as "her" territory. Keep the other cat out of the room completely for that 7-10 days.

[cozietoesie]

I'm no psychologist but I'd say that she's decided, for some reason, that she really doesn't like her sister - in fact she's a bit frightened of her.

Has she turned up yet?

[Ubik1]

Dp lured her back into the house with her favourite cat food. She's locked in now. I don't think she's eaten for three days. She's behaving like a feral cat; very nervous, shrinking away from us. It's bizarre because she used to be affectionate.

We are going to keep her in for a few days to see if she adjusts.we have her favourite food and cat milk and treats.

[cozietoesie]

Did her vet do any tests apart from giving her the antibiotics? I would like to think that they've cleared her physically but with that sudden change, I'm not sure - maybe another poster can think of a physical cause for all of this.

In the meantime, I'd treat her a bit like an invalid cat - in the house, full TLC services (nice nosh, litter trays etc) and keep her away from the other cat. (How is the other cat behaving through all of this by the way?)

[Ubik1]

Other cat is sitting close to her, sniffing etc.

Vet couldn't really investigate much - poor cat was terrified and fighting him all the way. Took temp and had s good feel all over her tummy.

I've made her a bed in the kitchen which is high up on a shelving unit And she appears to have slept there last night.

Am in my way home from work so will see what she's like tonight

[Ubik1]

This is sh

[Ubik1]

Sorry - this is she in her favourite spot by the locked cat flap. And this is her with the other cat.

[YeOldeTrout]

I honestly think some deep health problem is going on. You don't want to traumatise her by vet investigating a million things that vet won't even be able to treat (possibly).

I'd keep her in & peaceful & try to hope for the best. Has she had her urine checked for all parameters?

Really don't get the impression your weak cat is suddenly stressed by her sister, something else is going on imho.