Cat doesn't love us any more...

Cat doesn't love us any more...

Author
Discussion

Chocolate Teapot

Original Poster:

351 posts

204 months

Tuesday 22nd April 2014
quotequote all
So, we have this cat, it appeared on our doorstep about 6 months ago as a kitten, we didn't feed it or anything but every time we opened the door it would run in the house and start desperately trying to eat our cats food, this happened for about 24 hours before it disappeared.

A couple of weeks later my 5 year old's school rang us to ask if we could come and collect our cat as it was tearing it around all the class rooms and my little boy recognized it as the cat that was at our house. They were told it's not our cat but I went and collected it anyway to try and find it's owners.

I managed to find the owners of the cat and they said they were happy for us to keep him as he was a nuisance! We were quite happy with this as he's a lovely cat. I have since spent a bit of money getting him chipped, snipped, flea'd, wormed & insured!

He was kept inside for a month after his op before we let him out. Recently, he has been going missing for days and only showing up briefly looking at our food on offer then wanting to immediately go back outside again... (he gets wet & dry food and usually eats the lot)

I understand he is obviously getting fed elsewhere and he often comes home smelling of old ladies perfume. I bought him a collar with a tag on it that had his name and my mobile number so that wherever he was going they would realize that he has an owner.

Now what has really annoyed me is that today he has come home again after being missing for 2 days and his new collar is missing and somebody has put another collar on him!! what's that all about?

Currently he is asleep next to me on the sofa under house arrest, but i'm after some advice on this situation, is it recoverable? should I let him go and just appreciate the 10 minutes we get with him every few days? should I keep him inside for another few weeks?

What I don't want is to have to accept that he is no longer our cat and then in 12 months time end up with a vet calling saying your daft cat has been ran over, needs some treatment and we have cancelled our insurance policy!


Here's the little beast looking very proud of himself just now, he's called Ginger:








Chocolate Teapot

Original Poster:

351 posts

204 months

Tuesday 22nd April 2014
quotequote all
Oh and just to add, he definitely isn't going back to his old house, I have checked this one out!

otolith

55,899 posts

203 months

Tuesday 22nd April 2014
quotequote all
I wonder how many old ladies he's been tarting himself round - he's probably got a circuit!

storminnorman

2,357 posts

151 months

Tuesday 22nd April 2014
quotequote all
any contact details on the fresh collar?
My grandma lived on a terrace in Coventry and was a serial cat enticer. The last one she managed to convert was actually next door's cat and was fking mental. When they found out I have never seen a greater display of indifference.

Anyway, I do believe you can buy tracking collars if you're the sort to go knocking on doors

Chocolate Teapot

Original Poster:

351 posts

204 months

Tuesday 22nd April 2014
quotequote all
storminnorman said:
any contact details on the fresh collar?
My grandma lived on a terrace in Coventry and was a serial cat enticer. The last one she managed to convert was actually next door's cat and was fking mental. When they found out I have never seen a greater display of indifference.

Anyway, I do believe you can buy tracking collars if you're the sort to go knocking on doors
I thought about tracking collars but those I have seen are either costly or obvious. More than happy to knock on doors!!

He's definitely tarting himself around a load of peoples houses as every person we know reasonably well in the immediate vicinity says he comes to visit them, thats 4 houses. I'm not too bothered about this as I know they don't feed him, he just goes inside and sleeps on their sofas.


Edit to add: no contact details on the new collar!

storminnorman

2,357 posts

151 months

Tuesday 22nd April 2014
quotequote all
Cats are inscrutable at best and you may have to accept he's a lifelong granny surfer. However someone swapping collars takes the biscuit and i'd definitely invest in a tracking collar - even if it is obvious you'll know where he ends up, and you have a door to knock on to ask for your cat or a contribution for the healthy cat and collars which you paid for.

S1_RS

782 posts

198 months

Tuesday 22nd April 2014
quotequote all
We were in a similar situation with one of ours, Jake. He followed us home from a night out, we looked after him for the night but took him back to where we found him the next day (on the advice of the vet, not my choice) soon after we found out he was homeless so spent the next few months walking the same route to find him, when we finally did he followed us home again, he slept solidly for three days, after which we got him chipped, snipped and vaccinated. He was a fair bit wilder this time round so if he said he wanted to go out then he went out, no questions. He was a proper wanderer and was known to all in the area, going inside others houses to clear up any food left down, he would spend the days with any number of local neighbours. Sometimes he would come in for food, sniff it and go straight out again, not to be seen for a day or so. My partner and I both decided that we wanted what was best for him so if he chose to live elsewhere then so be it. Also we had five other cats to look after as well. We just gave him the space he demanded and slowly but surely he moulded us into the owners her wanted. Gradually he's calmed down, he spends much more time at home, he's always fairly close by when you call him and always eats his dinner. He's become a very loving cat and we would hate to be without him now.

warp9

1,583 posts

196 months

Tuesday 22nd April 2014
quotequote all
This happened with one of our cats who would go to a couple of houses and in particular one that had a couple of teenage girls that fed, petted and encouraged him to come round.

To begin with I did the same and put a collar on him, but it didn't last long (not sure if cat pulled it off or it was removed).

We then had a knock on the door one night from the 2 girls asking if we could put a bell collar on as he was bringing dead and half dead birds to them. I asked them why they thought he was doing this, they categorically said they didn't know and wasn't feeding him. I had a nice but firm conversation with them saying he was my cat and they shouldn't be encouraging him into their house.

These girls then put a bell on him, which I took off. I went round their house to confront them and they were totally wishy washy about it, even though the cat was asleep on their sofa.

We then went through a period of stalemate. Cat ruled and went where he pleased and was fed from at least 2 homes. It ended up with us moving (not because of that) which solved the problem.

I have to say the whole thing really pissed me off. It's just not acceptable to feed someone else's cat. My suggestion would be to find who's doing this and have a neighbourly chat with them.

Chocolate Teapot

Original Poster:

351 posts

204 months

Tuesday 22nd April 2014
quotequote all
I don't think keeping him indoors is going to achieve anything frown

It's really annoyed me that somebody has put a collar on him!, I'm going to look in to tracker collars further but I would just be concerned he would have it taken off him.

S1_RS

782 posts

198 months

Tuesday 22nd April 2014
quotequote all
I forgot about one thing I did, I put a bright yellow collar on him and wrote on it, "SPECIAL DIET -DO NOT FEED"

MitchT

15,788 posts

208 months

Tuesday 22nd April 2014
quotequote all
Chocolate Teapot said:
I'm going to look in to tracker collars further but I would just be concerned he would have it taken off him.
At least if it's taken off him and he comes back without it you'll know where it is.

4G63T

2,947 posts

171 months

Tuesday 22nd April 2014
quotequote all
get the tracker coller, you will know where its been taken off, as the software will say it has stopped moving, just watch where he goes, and then visit every house.

as soon as you get to the house that smells of old lady perfume, have a chat, firm chat.

Kermit power

28,634 posts

212 months

Tuesday 22nd April 2014
quotequote all
I spent years hoping someone would steal my wife's bloody cats, and not a sniff!!! How come everyone else seems to be having theirs swiped? irked

oOTomOo

594 posts

190 months

Tuesday 22nd April 2014
quotequote all
Once a cheat, always a cheat. Get a Dog..

ali_kat

31,988 posts

220 months

Tuesday 22nd April 2014
quotequote all
S1_RS said:
I forgot about one thing I did, I put a bright yellow collar on him and wrote on it, "SPECIAL DIET -DO NOT FEED"
This is what I was about to suggest smile

This place personalise them for not much more.

http://www.kittycollars.co.uk/personalised-cat-col...

stuartmmcfc

8,653 posts

191 months

Tuesday 22nd April 2014
quotequote all
ali_kat said:
S1_RS said:
I forgot about one thing I did, I put a bright yellow collar on him and wrote on it, "SPECIAL DIET -DO NOT FEED"
This is what I was about to suggest smile

This place personalise them for not much more.

http://www.kittycollars.co.uk/personalised-cat-col...
Would be my suggestion.

The cat may have lost it s original collar, especially if it was one of those that come off if they get caught on something.

Chocolate Teapot

Original Poster:

351 posts

204 months

Tuesday 22nd April 2014
quotequote all
stuartmmcfc said:
Would be my suggestion.

The cat may have lost it s original collar, especially if it was one of those that come off if they get caught on something.
It may of come off yes, however, it had been on for a few weeks and it's a bit strange he came home with a new collar straight away!

I will probably get a collar that says do not feed - special diet, sounds like a good idea.

I didn't realize the tracking collars were live tracking, thought they had to be plugged in on return to download a gps map. Has anyone used one and can recommend a brand that is quite accurate?



TwigtheWonderkid

43,248 posts

149 months

Tuesday 22nd April 2014
quotequote all
Chocolate Teapot said:
So, we have this cat,
That's your mistake, in the first 5 words. No one has a cat, a cat has you. Dogs have owners, cats have staff.

I like my cats but I never delude myself about what they feel for me. You can lavish love and affection on a cat for 10 yrs, but if someone moves in nearby with better food than you, it'll fk off in a heartbeat.

Mobile Chicane

20,735 posts

211 months

Tuesday 22nd April 2014
quotequote all
Bob is a complete cat-slut.

Even though I'm his 'feeder', he'll far rather cosy up to one particular male friend.

I think he fancies him.

netstar

155 posts

208 months

Saturday 26th April 2014
quotequote all
You will never own a cat no matter how much you love spend on it etc. a cat will decide if it wants to live with you or someone else. A cat will always own you.