Expert: Kate Tilmouth - 5/6/2009

Question
Hello Kate,

I have an 8.5 month old male cat (Jack) that was neutered by the cat shelter we got him from at 2.5 months of age. My girlfriend and I went out of town for the past 2 weekends in a row and left Jack behind. We left him plenty of food and water and had a friend check in on him once over each weekend. Ever since we came home after the second weekend, Jack has been behaving strangly.

Most concerning is that he isn't eating much. We normally don't leave food out and feed him 3 times a day (morning, after work, and before going to bed). Prior to leaving for the weekend Jack was very familiar with this routine: around meal time he would meow for food, get excited when we went for his food dish and filled it, and proceeded to eat every bite. Now he tends to meow for food, but he's much less excited and usually takes only a few bites before losing interest. Sometimes he'll continue to meow even though his dish in full of food.

In addition to this, he is also showing some wierd behavior. He is very interested in digging in one of our potted plants (something he never used to do) and just acts strangely. He tends to rub his facial glands on things much more frequently than before and I've noticed a small part in his fur at the back end of his spine just before the beginning of his tail.

Do neutered cats still go through behavioral changes when they reach puberty? Or is this a product of us leaving him alone for 2 weekends in a row? I'm going to get some recovery formula cat food that is high in fat and protien to try and convince him to eat. Is here any other advice you can give?

Thanks,
Barry

Answer
Hi
Well the behaviour you describe certainly sounds like it could have been caused by the break in routine.

Recently my own household was in a mess due to some building work which went on for weeks. During this time our routine changes and my own cat started to loose weight as her routine was out and she became  a bit of  recluse.

However since everything has got back to normal she has put the weight back on and is back to her old self. But it did take a week or so to get back to normal.

I would suggest that both the food issue and the rubbing of his scent around the home is both related to him feeling a little unsettled and concerned about his home environment. the scenting is his way of making the home smell more like him which will help him feel secure.

the food issue is probably just a break in routine which will take a time to recover. After all he was used to getting fed three times a day, then on two occasions he had food available all the time. I wouldn't worry too much, just stick to your routine and he i'm sure he will get back on track.

best wishes Kate
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