Kitten stopped going out

[LouisaJF]

We have a lively 10 month old kitten who has suddenly become a hermit. During the summer she loved being outdoors and although she didn't go far, she spent lots of time out there playing. In the last month or so she has completely refused to go out and if we throw her out she climbs the PVC door with her claws to make sure we don't ignore her and let her in.

I wouldn't mind this but it has meant she has become destructive inside. She is shredding wallpaper and carpets and is driving me nuts with it. I try and play with her as much as possible but I have 2 young boys who take up most of my time.

What can I do? I'm not sure if it's the weather that has put her off. I have spotted a fox recently so that could be part of it. She needs to get rid of this energy somehow while I've still got a house left!

It could be that something has scared her, but it is normal for them to go outside far less in the winter than the summer. My 2 year old does out a couple of times a day to go to the toilet and that's it. Can you try going out with her?

She won't go out at all! She sits at the door sniffing the air but won't set foot out there even if we're outside.

There may be another cat around that she is afraid of. After we moved to a new home with a neutered tom next door, our middled-aged cat used to sniff the air when we opened the front door for her to go out, and sometimes went out, sometimes decided against..

The other cat would let us stroke him, but would then suddenly grab the arm of who ever was stroking him and attack it, including biting. When our neighbours moved away, our cat still sniffed, but then went out each time (unless it was raining, of course). It was only then that I realised what had been going on.

If this is the case with yours, I don't really have any advice, except things might change as tthe kitten grows up. And if and when she does go out, listen out for catawauling, which precedes a fight, and go out to them, which should make the other cat flee.

There are quite a few cats around although I've seem her come face to face with most of them without much drama.

There is a fox that walks across our garden early in the morning and I suspect he is more likely to be the problem. A fox killed our last cat so we're all pretty wary of him.