If your cat will not let you leave the house, this post will show you a number of possible reasons why and what you can do about them.
So, why won’t my cat let me leave the house? Possible reasons why your cat won’t let you leave the house are that it is hungry or thirsty, it has separation anxiety, fearfulness, or that there is a problem in the room it stays in.
There are a number of possible reasons why your cat won’t let you leave the house and it might be due to a combination of reasons. However, there are some things you can consider when figuring out the main cause and there are some things you can do about it.
Reasons why your cat won’t let you leave the house
Below are a number of possible reasons why your cat has been doing it and what would make them more likely.
Hunger or thirst
The cause might be that it is hungry. This would be more likely if your cat usually does not let you leave when it has not already eaten but it does let you leave when it has eating. In this case, it could help to try feeding it before leaving instead of after arriving home and to ensure that it is getting the right amount of calories.
Separation anxiety
The reason could be that it has separation anxiety. This is where it does not like being left alone and it gets anxious when it is left alone. This would be more likely if it has started doing it since you have been leaving it for longer. It would also be more likely if it starts getting anxious when you normally leave home.
Fearfulness
It could be the case that something has been causing it to become fearful when you are not around. Things that might make it afraid could include noises like construction works or possibly someone else or another pet being around that it does not like.
If it does seem to be fear that is causing it to not let you leave, it would help to try and figure out what it might be afraid of and to remove it from its environment if possible. Other options would be to have your cat stay in a different area or to do desensitization training.
An issue with the room it stays in
Another possible cause is that there is an issue with the room that it normally stays in. The room might be too hot, cramped or noisy. This would be more likely if it tends to do it more when it has to stay in a certain room.
Things to consider
Below are some things to consider to help figure out the main reason why your cat has been doing it.
If your cat has always stopped you from leaving the house
If your cat did let you leave the house, in the past, it would help to consider what else happened when it first stopped letting you leave. If it started doing it suddenly, it could be due to things such as a change in the time that you feed it or a change in the room it stays in.
What is different when your cat does let you leave the house
If it does let you leave sometimes, it would also help to consider what is different when it does let you leave. For example, if it does let you leave when it has already eaten, it could be the case that it does not let you leave when it is hungry.
What to do about your cat not letting you leave the house
Below are some options you have when dealing with the behavior.
Feed it and give it access to water
If your cat seems to be doing it due to being hungry, it could help to feed it before leaving it. It would also help to make sure that it has access to water while you are away.
Ensure the room it stays in is ideal
It would also help to make sure that the room it stays in allows it to sleep easily. Things to do would be to make sure it’s not too hot, bright or noisy. It would also help to make sure that it has access to a litter box.
Get help
If your cat has started doing it suddenly and you cannot figure out why or it has been behaving abnormally, it would help to take it to a vet. By doing so, you should be able to get expert advice tailored towards your particular cat and to rule out the possibility of it being due to illness or injury.