If he’s stressed by something, I would not add anything new but would wait for a vet appt, or if it seems urgent try an emergency vet.

I think the high beam perch in the basement sounds like he feels threatened or vunerable. Not wanting to alarm you but has he been checked for diabetes or mast cell cancer?

This is just a throwing this out there comment BUT I recently read an article about smart devices causing some animals to act odd and like they are afraid, pacing around and walking in circles, trying to hide etc. This person that the article was talking to had just bought these smart plugs to use like she could plug in a lamp and turn it on and off. Her dog was about going crazy acting and a very sharp vet had just found out about this and asked her if she had put any new smart devices in their home and sure enough she had. Took them out and the strange behavior stopped! They can emit sounds that bother some animals.

What arkansas girl said and adding if you have any plug in diffusers with oils or scents in them? That is also very bad for cats. I hope you figure out what is happening to your kitty.

We have not added any smart devices, and I have never used plug-in diffusers. He had a complete blood work done a few months ago and Xrays . I have a diabetic cat, and this seems nothing like when he first was diagnosed. I didn't see him all day and at 11 when we gave Bernie his insulin injection, like clockwork Willie was up from the basement. Ate half a can of Fancy Feast, drank water, was friendly, and returned to the basement. It's just the weirdest thing I ever dealt with with all the cats I've

had over the decades. Here he is.

He's gorgeous. Maybe he just had a bad dream and is over it now.

How do you treat his diabetes?

He's not the one with diabetes. Its the Maine Coon cat I rescued in 2016. He gets .6 of insulin twice a day.

Lily I have no suggestions but just wanted to say that I hope your kitty has no serious ailment, and that on Monday the vet can help find the cause of the symptoms.

Did they check thyroid function? I'm just thinking hyperthyroid can make you really hot and nervous so maybe he's going to the basement because it's cooler? Is he losing weight? Hypert can make that happen too. We had a cat with that and gave him methimazole to control it. (Far better than radiation in my book.) He did fine with that.

Or he is just being a cat. I have given up to figure out why cats do what they do. One of ours is very shy and scared of anything. He has days where he goes to his favorite hiding space and we don't see him all day. We had 4 cats at the house and over the last 3 years lost 3 of them to old age and cancer. The last one a month ago. We gave Max (the fraidy cat) 2 weeks and then brought our two bonded office cats home. The first two days were not good. I got the Feliway Optimum plug-ins and it made a huge difference overnight. If he checks out at the vet I would give those a try. Make sure to get the Optimum. They work better than the reg. or multi-cat in my opinion.

Bless you for giving him a good life. Those of us who love our furry critters know the anguish when trying to figure out if/what is wrong. I hope he's fine and this is one of those, "he's just being a cat" things they all seem to occasionally torture us with.

That Feliway is magic stuff. I was at a pet store getting some because someone had suggested it. The cashier told me she had worked at the SPCA for years and they always used Feliway when new cats came in because they were always so feaked out at being at the shelter.

Some cats like to be on the ground and some like to perch, so maybe he has just realized that he's a percher. Are there other areas to climb on and perch?

Right now, he is upstairs watching the birds. He didn't come up on his own. Husband carried him up. He ate all wet, some dry, drank, and is very active. He is completely normal-looking, with a shiny coat, bright eyes, and when I pet him, he licks my hand and my face if I'm close enough. I'm thinking of going to PetSmart and getting a pheromone collar. Have any of you had experience with this? There is no reason why he'd be stressed. There's just the two of us, no new people, same two cats he gets along with, no construction. No noisy neighbors. He has high places in the house to sit, and he does and he never went in the basement at all except to use the litter box and all is normal there. Is there any negative to using a pheromone collar?

There’s a short article in NYT today about how much less we know about feline health than about canines.

Neither of the 2 cats that I’ve owned seemed difficult or finicky but cats do hide illness or weakness even more than dogs and may be very sensitive to changes in diet, routine, or surroundings.

There are NO negatives using a pheromone collar.

Everything you've said sounds really good. Try this for me: Use a men's hair comb, the tines are all the same width apart....comb his fur. To hold him in place put your left hand on the front of his chest.....comb gently. Talk softly to him assuring him all is well.

Does he allow it? Does he lick his lips? Does he try to run away? Does he growl? Can you get a look at his teeth? Curl a lip up to see if there's any tartar on his teeth?

Maybe he just recently discovered a new fun place to go? Is it possible there is something in the basement like a bird or mouse? Before we fixed our chimney cap, we would get a bird from time to time, in the basement. I can imagine a young cat would LOVE to try and hunt a bird in the basement! :)

You are correct....there "IS" something wrong. Cats want to be with their people. They're social ....he used to be sociable....something's changed. Cats don't like the cold or damp. He's separating himself, hiding from you. Cats do THIS when they're sick, or injured, when they feel vulnerable. Your concern is valid.

I think it's valid too, Nicole. Actually, I did comb him with a stainless steel fine-toothed comb when he was up a few hours ago. He just sat there calmly. There was nothing on the comb...just a few loose hairs. I didn't look in his mouth, but he's less than two years old so his teeth should be okay. The only thing at all that differs from him and the other two is he is forever grooming himself. Way more than the other two. Is he grooming because he is stressed and why does he want to sit very high like in the basement and when he's on the first floor?

The grooming could be stress or allergies. Is there something going on between him and the other two that you might not be aware of? It could be very subtle. Ours seemed to be living in harmony but when one of them passed away, the shy one became a lot more outgoing. They didn't fight and got along but there must have been some bullying going on. If you are looking at allergies and they are sometimes not easy to figure out I can recommend this one. Not a true allergy test but an intolerance test and a whole lot cheaper than going with a veterinary dermatologist.

@lily316...Cats can knock a tooth loose...? I'd try to look. Have you considered impacted anal glands...? The grooming is something relevant. They groom their feet, to put themselves to sleep. Excessive whole body grooming....?

Was that photo of him taken today? Are his pupils both the same size?

He may be hurt? (I had a cat jump & miss...hitting the windowsill, bruising himself)

Oh, he's gorgeous! I know generalized anxiety can show up out of the blue with cats. I went through this with Rocky, although his symptoms weren't the same as your cat's. Some breeds are prone to it. With strays we can't always tell what's in the mix, but Rocky's one blue eye gave away his Siamese ancestry. Best of luck with your lovely kitty!

Any update on your kitty, lily?