Cat has completely changed!

Question
We, a family of 5, with 3 teenagers, took on 2 kittens from a friends litter just over 2 years ago, one black and white,and the other a tabby. They have always been quite close but recently the tabby, also slightly smaller than the other, has been acting rather odd, spending more time outdoors, and becoming more and more timid. In the summer she spent more and more time outside, and now it is becoming colder, the male cat is spending more time indoors. The other week the tabby went out for 3 days. We saw her, but were unable to cox her in for the 3 days. However, when she came back in to eat, she went out again and was out for 9 days.
We did not see her until yesterday, however she was reluctant to come back in, but was stuck in a bush, so we caught her and bought her in. She is very very thin and extremly timid. We have taken her to the vets and they have advised us to use the feline diffuser, however this has had no affect. She does not walk around the house, she is scared to move. She will sit on laps and allow for long cuddles,however, i feel this is down to fear rather than choice. We have given her space, love and lots of food, but she just seems more and more distant.
Is there anything we can do to help her? There has been no change in the home to cause this change in behaviour, however there has been the arrival of another cat next door. (Our other cat is completely happy and normal?)


What should we do??

Answer
Cherie,

Is she spayed? If not that could be part of the reason for her behavior.

Could one of your teenager's friends have possibly scared her, accidently stepped on her, or unintentionally injured her in some way, or playfully terrorized her? I'm not insinuating anything....but just covering possiblities about your cat's behavior. Do they play loud music that could hurt her ears?
It sounds like she is avoiding being in the house for some reason, and when she is, she is nervous and unhappy.

For now, I would keep her inside, preferably in a quiet room...maybe your bedroom...with a litterbox, food and water so she can regroup and calm down while you try to figure out what could have caused her behavior. Spend time with her but don't force her to be affectionate until she feels trusting and secure again.

I don't know how well diffusers would work, but you can try Bach's Rescue Remedy. Bach's Rescue Remedy can be given in the water during any time of stress. You can use up to ten drops every time the water is changed depending on the level the cat is stressed. If your cat does not like the taste (though the alcohol content is almost negligible after dilution), you can rub one or two drops behind the cat's ear. The remedy can be given by mouth, which is the most effective method. Only a few drops (4-8) are necessary, and need not be swallowed, but only must contact the mucous membranes (gums, tongue, lips). Be careful not to contaminate the dropper by touching it to the animal (if this occurs, rinse the dropper in very hot water before returning it to the bottle). You can also add a dropper full to the water dish, or a few drops on wet food (there is no effect of dilution). You can add a dropper full to a spray bottle filled with bottled spring water, and use it to spray a room, carrier, car, around litter boxes or plants, or other problem areas. You can even put a few drops in your hand and pat the animal on the head and around the ears with it--the head is very sensitive to energy and will absorb essences in this way.

For most behavioral problems, you can give 3 to 4 times a day for 2 to 4 weeks, or add a dropper full to their drinking water every day until no further signs of distress are present. There is no improper or wrong method of applying the Bach Remedies. It is not necessary to be precise in counting the number of drops in any of the dilution methods. You cannot overdose the Bach's Remedies, they are non-toxic and have no side effects.

You can get it at a health food store (people use it too) or on-line. Here is Bach's website:
(copy and paste, or type, the whole link into your address bar)

http://www.bachflower.com/Pets.htm

And here is some further information:

http://www.nelsonbach.com/BFE_for_pets.html

http://www.oes.org/page1/Bach-Rescue-Remedy.html

I hope this was helpful.

Tabbi