Why Is My Senior Cat Suddenly Afraid of the Area Rug? (Vet Answered)
This question has been answered by a vet
Small Animal Veterinarian
Dr. Karyn is a small animal veterinarian originally from Australia, now based in the UK. She holds degrees in Veterinary Science (2010) and Zoology. When not helping pets, she tends to her 5 cats and garden!
The Question
Why has my cat developed such great anxiety over the edge of my area rug that he has to study it until he's ready to leap over it? He's also unsure of random, soft patterns on the rug, needing to poke at them with his paw until satisfied. About what, I don't know. I'm crushed that he's so stressed out!
Quick Info about Soxy
Soxy's profile pictureHi Lisa,
Thank you so much for writing in.
Oh, I feel so much for Soxy and his stressful history. I just want to cuddle him and make it all better!
With what you’re describing, I would be wondering whether Soxy might be having problems with his vision. Cats are great at adapting and adjusting, and some cats have been known to go completely blind without their humans realizing it! The fact that he seems suspicious of the edge of the rug and the patterns makes me wonder if his vision and depth perception are playing up.
I would definitely recommend getting him booked in for your vet to examine his eyes, and they may even recommend referring him to an ophthalmologist. Although we can’t exactly give cats glasses, there are some health issues, such as kidney disease or hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, that cause high blood pressure, which can affect the eyes as well, so it’s definitely worth having a check-up.
If everything checks out health-wise, it might be worth considering a new, plain rug!
I hope this helps,
Dr Karyn