My farm cat, Scruff, has not been doing her job lately. It has been almost two weeks, since she deporited a dead field mouse on the front porch, and longer than that since she dispatched a rat or other rodent. Normally, she is very outstanding. In fact, she is the only outdoor companion cat I have ever seen. When I am working outside within 1/4 mile of the house, she will be there, even going so far as to climb fruit trees I prune to get as close as possible hoping I will play her favorite game: pet Scruff.

After the Family Siamese passed of old age this Spring, I have been allowing her to come in the house in the ev enings and be a lap kitty. She obviously feels that this treatment is long overdue. I am concerned, though, that this may be the cause of her not being the truyly superior rodent cat she has been in past years.

Advice?

Anytime there is a change in an animal's behavior, you need to rule out medical causes.  Take her to a vet and have her examined.  It could be that it's winter so there's less rodent activity, but it could be something medical.  I'm not a vet and can't suggest what to rule out.