Advice needed - cats that regularly go missing

Hi all

I’m looking for some advice if you can help. I have a six year old very much loved and healthy cat (spayed) who doesn’t wear a collar but is microchipped. The problem is that she has recently started going missing for up to 4 days at a time. We panicked at first, especially given the freezing temperatures, but as time goes on and as it is apparent that when she does come home she is fine, looks well and is not hungry, we are coming to the conclusion that she must be staying in someone’s home.

We were obviously very worried and upset when it first started happening. We still get worried but have stopped putting out the lost cat posters as there seems to be little point. That being said we would never know if something did happen to her as we would assume she was with these other people. It feels like these people give little heed to the concern they may cause. I understand that stroking someone else’s cat and making friends is fine, but to take a cat in, feed it and have it stay for several days just seems to be crossing the line.

I don't feel able just to accept the situation, but am at a loss as to know what to do. We have talked to alot of people who live locally and now have an idea now who it might be. I wondered if this had happened to anyone else and would be grateful for any advice as to how to handle the situation?

Thank you

It's a difficult one isn't it? if you work full time and the cat is outside perhaps these people are happy to let him or her in to keep warm and safe if the weather turns bad? They are obviously looking after the cat well, but I can fully understand your concerns. We have a neighbour's cat who regularly comes for either his tea or to sleep for the night! However, we have an arrangement that we drop them a text to either ask them to pop round and collect him or let us know if they want him to stay where is is...usually fast asleep on our bed!! More often than not they are happy to let him stay, but on occasion they have been happy to come and collect him...he actually has a charmed life!!! Perhaps you could speak to the people concerned and explain your concerns. In our case it's a massive help to his "mum" to know that he's safe and happy to visit us if she's out at work all day...and she is more than happy to bring his "overnight bag" if she goes away on holiday!! Everyone's happy...most of all the cat!

The people he goes to see are obviously cat lovers and spoil him so briliant. So long as you know were he is thats what matters and he comes to see you now and again thats as good as its going to get. Cats have a free spirit so learn to live with it . A cat comes to our house and he knows were cat people so he makes himself at home but goes when hes had enough [about 2 hours ] We know were he lives so phoned his owners and they said he keeps dissapearing for days at a time so we are not the only house he visits . I guess he is a young cat and will eventually settle down with you

Okay Milo time to go :hihi:

Could you put a collar on her, or at least a paper collar, with a note asking the "other family" to contact you?

I had this issue with my cats at my old house. Black and white cat would disappear for days when it was cold. Talked to one of the neighbours and apparently another lady was claiming ownership of her. She always wore a collar, I even put one on her that said 'Do Not Feed Me', but she kept losing them. The tabby cat once turned up with a different collar on, too. I never found out who it actually was.

My two cats I have at the moment don't wear collars, but they are always in the house at the moment whilst it is cold, and neither goes very far anyway.

I suspect my older cat goes to other people's houses, she has put weight on recently, and she's just a chubby ball of fur at the moment

Put a mini camera on the cat if you can get it to wear a collar. We had people on our road feed one of our cats even though we asked them not to. Their cat had died so they seemed to adopt / 'kidnap' ours and overfeed it.

I would keep your cat in for a few days. When it does go out, make sure its just been fed so hopefully it will stop it going to other houses for more food.

Thank you for all your comments – they are very helpful. We now have a very good idea who the people are and have it on good authority that they are aware of our concerns (having seen our missing cat posters) but fully intend to continue keeping Millie whenever they want. They haven’t called us to discuss the situation, despite my number being available on the poster. I understand cats are free spirits, but morally it just seems wrong to do this. I wouldn’t mind if they befriended her, petted her and even fed her, but surely it’s going too far to close the door at night and keep her in continually when we are out in the early hours worried and calling for her. My daughter is extremely upset – Millie used to sleep on her bed and she misses her a lot. Plus are we expected to continue to pay for insurance, vets bills, worming tablets, flea powder and cattery fees when we rarely see Millie? I have always been a cat owner and have never experienced this before. I guess the only option now is to knock on their door and hope they will be reasonable.

Why is it wrong to keep her in at night? You shouldn't leave cats OUT at night.

When you move home you usually keep a cat in for a few days until it gets adjusted. I have kept cats for over thirty years and had them ranging from semi feral farm kittens to a pure breed cat that wasn't fond of going out so he became a house cat.

Most cats will want to go out at some point during the day but it was on rare occasions that my cats didn't sleep in the house at night. I used to worry if they weren't in at night. I let mine out during the day but never at night unless they failed to come home. Usually a shake of their treat biscuit box would get them in for the night.

Why don't you try telling them a fib? Why don't you tell them the cat is a diabetic so has to be fed at 6am and 6pm then injected? Our cat has just passed away at the grand old age of (almost 18) and he was a diabetic, that's what gave me the idea to suggest this to you. It might stop them feeding the cat and keeping it in their house.

I can't seem to get the number 8 to stop turning into an emoticon. Serves me right, should have just typed eighteen.

Our cat was almost eighteen when he passed away

It’s wrong for them to keep her in at night as Millie is not their cat!

I realise cats should not be out at night which is why we are out fruitlessly and endlessly calling for her to come in every night. However, this is usually unsuccessful as these other people have already kept her in after she has visited them during the day.

Thank you for your idea re the white lie – it might be worth trying.

Why don't you just keep her in and take her out on a lead. People used to let their dogs roam free and defecate everywhere, that is no longer acceptable. You don't see cats roaming about on the continent because of the rabies risk. People either keep them in the house or take them out on a lead, much more responsible.

I am totally fed up with the cats who use my garden as a toilet every time I dig over or plant seed. Cats can spread disease just as much as dogs and the increase in urban foxes means they are at risk when they are out in the early morning or evening if on their own.

It’s wrong for them to keep her in at night as Millie is not their cat!

 

I realise cats should not be out at night which is why we are out fruitlessly and endlessly calling for her to come in every night. However, this is usually unsuccessful as these other people have already kept her in after she has visited them during the day.

 

Thank you for your idea re the white lie – it might be worth trying.

Its awful of them, perhaps even illegal? We lost a cat like this. The older cat of our three was getting fed up of our other two younger cats and as the old neighbours may outlive another cat we reluctantly decided to let them keep it cat when we moved. In truth, we had 'lost' it long before that. If I had known it would be 'stolen' I would have kept it in more. It wasn't as active as the younger cats so it wouldn't have been cruel on the cat.

Margarita Ma - cats often don't like leads. Our house cat (as a kitten) would flop down and refuse to budge if we put a harness and lead on him.

Put a collar on the cat and a tag on the collar identifing it as yours.

If you want to know exactly where it's going then this tiny GPS tracker is pretty cheap and will fit on a collar.

You can then track the cat from home.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/321922519710?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT