Cat won't go upstairs anymore

[ISaySteadyOn]

Usually, my cat wakes me up for food with the traditional paw in face method. However, this summer we changed upstairs a bit by putting ceiling fans in.

Now she won't come upstairs anymore. She'll sit on the landing outside the bathroom (old house, bathroom on floor of its own) but she won't come all the way up into the bedrooms.

Afaic, she is just as much a member of the family as I am and I don't want her to feel that there are places she can't go.

Plus I miss my furry little alarm clock.

Has anyone experienced this? Or does anyone have any advice?

As required, I have provided a pic of upstairs refusing cat 😸

Have you tried carrying her upstairs a few times and playing with her in the rooms with the fans? Lovely cat OP. 🥰

Good idea. Thank you!

Hope it works. Let me know!

Our Ernie hated the ceiling fan especially when it cast a shadow, he would back away from it

It didn't stop him coming in the room so she may come round

Aw bless her, she's scared of the fan.

She needs to learn that it's safe. Carrying her up to the room and giving her cuddles and treats there may help her get her confidence back.

Does she think the fans are birds of prey? Our cat is properly wary when kites fly over the garden. It must be an instinct because I don't think she's any idea why they are a threat.

All really helpful. She's outside at the moment but when she comes in, I will try your as suggestions.

She's already been having a bit of a difficult time because of territory disputes. When we got her, she was pretty much the only cat in our neighbourhood, but now there are a lot more. Turns out our neighbourhood has more cat servants than I thought.

Hearing sight all ok? DDog is blind and deaf and only very rarely ventures upstairs now or could be pain from going up the stairs?

Yes, she's fine as far as that goes. She just had her annual checkup and no problems the vet could see. She's 5 so not terribly old really.

So I have tried cuddling her in two ceiling fanned rooms so far. It's going well. She used to like sitting on the windowsill in one of the rooms and she did that happily yesterday. So a few more to go, then we'll try it with the fans on low and go from there.

Our rescue is not convinced about the fan at all after 2 months. She’s not having it at all.

She’ll never die in a ceiling fan accident though.

Well, now mine is happy downstairs because DD1 built her a lovely cat nest in the sunniest part of the living room .

Sounds like you're making progress. Great to hear OP.

Just using this spot as a journal to track progress. I have taken her upstairs to 1 room, petted her, she's had a drink, gone out the window and sat on the windowsill. Now she is kneading my jumper I left on my bed and giving herself a lying down wash. If she curls up and naps, I shall consider that a win for the day.

Yes!

fab.

Happy news! She's lovely OP.

She is lovely... awwwww.

She's still asleep there. Now if I do this for each room, she can regain her rightful territories as Empress of the house 🐱

Further happy news that only you all and DH might understand. I got a paw in the face and a purring headbutt at about 5:30 AM.

Thank you all for your help. She's been upstairs now every day this week.

That's such brilliant news.

It's great. She stepped on my head this morning on her way out the window. She's fine now

Result 🐈‍⬛