Expert: Dear Tabbi - 5/7/2009

Question
Hi we have two cats.  Originally we had the female black and then adopted the neighbours ginger neutered male out of pity for him.  They got on fine until he moved in and then wanted her to move out.  Most of the time they rub along OK.  The odd time he tries to mount her but on the whole not ideal but OK.  Just lately she stays out all hours and weathers (its a cold autumn here) and comes in to eat and miaows piteously to let out immediately she has finished eating.  This whether he is around or not.  She used to love sitting on my knee getting warm and was quite happy sleeping in another room from him.  She is quite neurotic now and I have a job to get her in sometimes, food or not.  Can you help.

Answer
Joy,

There could be a couple of possible explanations. You don't mention whether or not your female is spayed. If she is not then have her done ASAP. I'm guessing that she is, but sometimes, though it is uncommon, an ovary will be left/missed. That can cause the cat to show heat symptoms. That could explain why she wants to be outside and why the male tries to mount her. The only way to know for sure would be to have an expensive ultrasound done on her or have her re-spayed.

The male's behavior is normal. Some neutered cats when they get to be 2-3 years old start mounting things (cats, dogs, legs, stuffed animals). Those cats have a strong 'male mentality' and even though they can't do anything, they think they can. The cats are reacting to a female in heat somewhere in the neighborhood that they can smell. Even if they are indoor cats they can smell a female up to a block away from inside the house! Their behavior stops when no more females are in heat.

The other possible explanation for your female's strange behavior is...because she wants to. Sometimes only a cat knows why it acts like it does. A cat is an independent creature that owns you...you don't own it, and it will go where it wants to be. I have the same behavior with some of my cats. I have one cat that 'adopted me' and came in the house to stay except for wanting out to go outside to the bathroom and then coming right back in. After about 5 months of that she suddenly wanted outside. I have food outside too so she ate out there and didn't want to come inside. She stayed outside for about a month and a half, then last week she wanted inside again and is now staying in and back to her old routine. I had another cat that did not like the kittens I was fostering and moved to a neighbor's house that didn't have any cats...for 6 months! He would come home periodically for a few minutes then leave again. Then one day he came home and stayed...like he never left. My cats also will have their favorite sleeping spot for a long time, then suddenly they have a new place they want to sleep in. There is no rhyme or reason sometimes to why they behave in a strange manor. Maybe it's all about change.

She will come back in when she wants to. Probably when she is bored with whatever is keeping her interest out there. It may be a nest of animals, a mouse supply, a cat she became friends with, a neighbor she likes that is feeding or playing with her (does she have a break-away collar with your address and phone on it in case someone thinks she is a stray?), the wind blowing leaves around, etc. As long as your cat is happy being outside and safe, then I wouldn't worry about her behavior.

Tabbi