My cat wont go out.

[dilemma01]

I adopted him aroud 3 weeks ago, he was an outdoor cat, only came home for food, but now he wont go out at all and is driving me bonkers at night, he races arounf the house like something demented, not surprising as he sleeps most of the day, I am trying to keep him awake more and more in the day, but honestly, its like something has possessed him come 11pm, I dont want to lock him in a room at night, do you think he will calm down eventually? And why does he not want to go out? He went out once last week, but went back to his old home naturally.

Also for a cat he has terrible co-ordination, he jumped on the windowsill the other day, walkied across it, and after sever attempts at trying to turn around to walk back, he gave up and walked backwards

poor sod.

That's you and the cat, btw

If he's been an outdoor cat it will take a long time for him to get used to being awake in the day. Night time is probably when he hunted. Has he been neutered?

Yes, hes been neutered, I open the door every night to encourage him to go out, but he just legs it up the stairs.

is at all possible there is some new bigger scarier cat just moved in to the neighbourhood and is beating up all the locals?

Lol, there is a pretty nasy ginger cat around our way, I have seen him a few times hiss at other cats.

DOn't just open the door though- pick him up and turf him out for ten minutes.

Awwww, I would feel horrible doing that, he is only 19 months old, is it possible he has just decided he prefers being a housecat?

COuld be. Ours are always trying to escape, yet when I let them into the garden, they shiver and shake and refuse to go very far at all.