Behaviour issue

[Hollycharlie2]

My cat,who is approx 12+ years,not sure as I had her as a rescue cat 7 years ago. Recently her behaviour has become very erratic,she is a nightmare to go out,she only goes in the garden anyhow,but she is clawing my lounge carpet,through to the underlay,I have tried sprays,scratch post which she completely ignores,well now she is messing and soiling in said area as well,I try as soon as I see signs that she needs toile ting to pick her up,but even as old as she is,she is a fast mover and runs away,on top of this her behaviour is unpredictable, and can all of a sudden run around like a lunatic,she is eating,sleeping and grooming normally,but the destructive behaviour and soiling is getting really bad,but at times she is still a loving lap cat. Any advice on what's going on would be much appreciated. My fear is taking her to the vets and them saying the inevitable. There is nothing new in our house that could have prompted a change in her behaviour either.

[Lilith]

Hi there and welcome.

I'm sorry to hear of her changed behaviour, poor girl. But I feel it might be a good idea to get her to the vet, just to rule out the possibility of any nasties and hopefully get reassurance. Then if her problems are behavioural, you can address those without worrying about something more sinister.

It could be that she's had a fright out there, wants to go out, but daren't. Has she got a litter tray indoors? Often cats' habits and needs change as they get older.

Hopefully there will be other people along with more knowledgeable advice re behavioural problems soon but hope this helps for now, all the very best and please keep in touch

[Hollycharlie2]

Thank you,she does have a litter tray,but still prefers my lounge carpet!! Will get her to the vets.

[MarySkater]

You might find this thread interesting:
http://www.catchat.org/felineforum/view ... =13&t=5616

A cat which had previously been reliably using the litter tray, started peeing on soft furnishings. We discussed it at some length - in this case, it was a multi-animal household, so stress was a possibility. But it started to look as though the cat disliked litter, maybe finding it painful on his paws. The owner mentioned that his pads appeared to be peeling, but we haven't had an update since then.