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Cat Forum / General Topics / December 2004Wandering Cat
My 5 year old moggie has just developed wanderlust. I moved house about a year ago and expected problems then. But she's been fine until about 6 weeks ago. Now she's gone missing twice in 6 weeks for about 12 days each. She's been found and returned both times, after a poster campaign by me & the kids; the first time by someone about a kilometre away and the second time by a neighbour about 50 m away. I live in a city centre, so a 1 km radius gives lots of hiding spaces and lots of potential new homes. On both occaisions she's returned in good condition and well fed - in fact a bit too well fed. I suspect that she's found a second home somewhere. I've had her microchipped mainly because she loses any collar I put on her within a week. In hindsight, I think that was pointless - there are so many alley cats around here that if everyone reported every potential stray, the RSPCA would be snowed under. Does anyone have any suggestions to discourage her wandering? She's too old and to become a housecat, and to be honest, I've never had a housecat. I find it difficult enough to keep the cats indoors for a couple of days after they've been in the cattery. The fortnight I had to keep them confined to barracks when I moved house was sheer hell for me and I don't think they enjoyed it much either. Any suggestions will be gratefully received. Z > My 5 year old moggie has just developed wanderlust. I moved house about a > year ago and expected problems then. But she's been fine until about 6 weeks [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] > > Z Build an enclosure for her in your yard. > Build an enclosure for her in your yard. I've thought of that, but I'm worried that it would be just as constraining for her as being a housecat. I don't like to see any animal confined. I'm beginning to think that I'll just have to try to find a new home for her in the sticks. I think it's a case of, "You can take the cat out of the countryside, but you can't take the countryside out of the cat." Thanks for the suggestion anyway.  SignatureZ 51? 37' 23" N, 3? 56' 27" W I'm >beginning to think that I'll just have to try to find a new home for her in >the sticks. For Pete sake, leave the cat alone. Nobody will take in a middle aged cat. Are you planning on dumping it? Pat > I'm >>beginning to think that I'll just have to try to find a new home for her [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > Pat So are you saying when she goes AWOL, I should just ignore it? If so, the CPL wouldn't agree with you - http://www.cats.org.uk/html/index.php?sect_id=3#missing. I have no plans on dumping her. Have I inadvertently offended you in any way? SignatureZ 51? 37' 23" N, 3? 56' 27" W Since you're treating your cat like it's a feral animal, that's the way it's going to behave. Pat > Since you're treating your cat like it's a feral animal, that's the way > it's > going to behave. > Pat I don't understand It sound like that it is time to let her go. Go to a home that she chooses. Cats know how to find a good home if they want. Chances are she will come back to visit on occasion. > My 5 year old moggie has just developed wanderlust. I moved house about a > year ago and expected problems then. But she's been fine until about 6 weeks [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] > > Z > It sound like that it is time to let her go. Go to a home that she > chooses. > Cats know how to find a good home if they want. Chances are she will come > back to visit on occasion. If I *knew* that she was going somewhere where she is safe and being looked after, I'd happily let her go. I suspect that's the case as she certainly doesn't seem to suffer any ill effects from her wanderings. However, if someone does think she's a stray and wants to take her in, I would expect that they'd take her to the vet for a check up. if they did that, the vet would scan her and my details would be picked up from the microchip. As that's obviously not happening, I'm not totally convinced that she's just not fending for herself. The balance of probability is that she's found a second home. For my own peace of mind, I'd just like to know for sure. I suppose I'm being too soft - cats are amazingly good at looking after themselves and that includes finding someone to feed them and let them curl up in front of the fire. SignatureZ 51? 37' 23" N, 3? 56' 27" W ["Followup-To:" header set to rec.pets.cats.misc.] On 2004-12-17, Zythophile penned: > As that's obviously not happening, I'm not totally convinced that she's just > not fending for herself. The balance of probability is that she's found a > second home. For my own peace of mind, I'd just like to know for sure. I > suppose I'm being too soft - cats are amazingly good at looking after > themselves and that includes finding someone to feed them and let them curl > up in front of the fire. Does she wear a collar? Can you somehow attach a little note-vial? Just a (weird) thought. I suppose a GPS unit would be too big for a cat to carry =P Signaturemonique, who is sometimes allowed to pet Oscar, a grey^H^H^H^Hblue-cream DLH with an attitude! > Does she wear a collar? Can you somehow attach a little note-vial? I've bought her yet another identity collar with my name & phone no on it. There's no reason why I couldn't attach a note vial, I think I'll go back to the pet shop in the morning. Thx for the suggestion. > Just a (weird) thought. I suppose a GPS unit would be too big for a cat > to > carry =P I've thought about this as well; does this mean we're both weird :-) I remember watching nature documentaries in the '70s when tracking devices were attached to lions in the Serengeti. Surely they should have been shrunk to moggie size by now???? SignatureZ 51? 37' 23" N, 3? 56' 27" W > Does she wear a collar? Can you somehow attach a little note-vial? I've bought her yet another identity collar with my name & phone no on it. There's no reason why I couldn't attach a note vial, I think I'll go back to the pet shop in the morning. Thx for the suggestion. > Just a (weird) thought. I suppose a GPS unit would be too big for a cat > to > carry =P I've thought about this as well; does this mean we're both weird :-) I remember watching nature documentaries in the '70s when tracking devices were attached to lions in the Serengeti. Surely they should have been shrunk to moggie size by now???? SignatureZ 51? 37' 23" N, 3? 56' 27" W > Just a (weird) thought. I suppose a GPS unit would be too big for a cat > to > carry =P Ain't Google a wonderful thing? Just found this on http://www.netcoms.com/iball/newsletter/0303.html ==================== Calling all dog owners! Does the whereabouts of your faithful friend leave you fretting? Well now, thanks to the latest technology, carefree canines will have no place to hide. Dog owners will soon be able to follow their pet's every move on a computer screen (have they nothing better to do!). Technology originally created to track endangered animals (and similar to that used by sailors for sea navigation) is now being made available to the public. British company Oxloc has developed the technology and formed a miniature version of the tracking device which can be fitted to the dog's collar and uses Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) technology to place the pooch to within five metres. Worried owners can tell the clever device how far their pet is allowed to roam and if the mischievous mutt jumps the fence and ventures outside the pre-agreed area, a warning will be sent to a mobile phone via satellite. The message will inform owners of the speed the animal is travelling and if the pooch is being pilfered by a high-flying dog-napper, the altitude will even be communicated! For extra anxious pet owners, the hi-tech device can also be set so that the exact position of the dog is sent to the owner every hour. The tiny, light weight gadget will be available in a matter of months and is thought to set proud hound owners back a hefty ?600, plus a monthly service charge of ?15. Great for paranoid pet lovers with precious pooches - but we know what you are thinking.either dog owners themselves should get out more, or can this chip be inserted into our cheeky children?! ============== I see no reason why it couldn't work for cats, but at GBP 600 (USD 1165) up front and GBP 15 (USD 29) per month, the price is seriously prohibitive. SignatureZ 51? 37' 23" N, 3? 56' 27" W >>It sound like that it is time to let her go. Go to a home that she >>chooses. [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > themselves and that includes finding someone to feed them and let them curl > up in front of the fire. This might sound a bit daft but I dont suppose you could do some sort of poster to find out whos been feeding her, and then work out if they would like to keep her or just contact you every time she goes there. The only other alternative i can see apart from finding her a new home is to start again as if you had just moved in. Keep her in for a week and treat her like a queen then try letting her out again and see if she works, but that really doesn't sound like it would suit her. SignatureBadger Badger Badger > This might sound a bit daft but I dont suppose you could do some sort of > poster to find out whos been feeding her, and then work out if they would > like to keep her or just contact you every time she goes there. Doesn't sound daft at all; it's a cracking idea. The only thing is, should I do it now or wait to see if she goes AWOL again? > The only other alternative i can see apart from finding her a new home is > to start again as if you had just moved in. Keep her in for a week and > treat her like a queen then try letting her out again and see if she > works, but that really doesn't sound like it would suit her. Last time I kept her in for 2 days. This time she's already been kept in for 2 days and I'm intending keeping her indoors until after Xmas, but I feel really guilty when I let her sister out and she's mewing like crazy to join her. SignatureZ 51? 37' 23" N, 3? 56' 27" W >>This might sound a bit daft but I dont suppose you could do some sort of >>poster to find out whos been feeding her, and then work out if they would >>like to keep her or just contact you every time she goes there. > > Doesn't sound daft at all; it's a cracking idea. The only thing is, should I > do it now or wait to see if she goes AWOL again? I think If I was you I would wait til she goes AWOL again. Good luck. Let us know how she gets on when you let her back out. >>The only other alternative i can see apart from finding her a new home is >>to start again as if you had just moved in. Keep her in for a week and [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > really guilty when I let her sister out and she's mewing like crazy to join > her. Poor thing, just hope she realises that it's all for her own good, I'm not a fan of indoor cats either, but then I think that is quite a british way of thinking. SignatureBadger Badger Badger "BC" <BC@fake.com> wrote in message news:LvHwd.859 >> Keep her in for a week > and treat her like a queen then try letting her out again and see if she > works, but that really doesn't sound like it would suit her. I read somewhere that outdoor cats usually have more then one home and sometimes up to 6! There was a court case going somewhere in UK where 2 families fought over a cat as both believed the cat was theirs, while the cat was happily "living" with both of them :) So I think you need to fight for her attention really. The above idea is superb! Keep her indoors, no matter how much she moans, but treat her like a queen, You need to be associated with everything good in her life: fantastic delicious food; toys and games;cardboard boxes and stringy toys; catnip; cat playcenter; lots of scratches on places she likes; NEVER any yelling or God forbid physical abuse; which I know you don;t this just for any potential reader in similar situation. Basically you need to create the positive association with you adn your home, so she'd be back. And she needs to understand that THIS is her territory and give her incentive to come back to it. See the other people might give her more milk or fish, or something she likes. So really just give her what she likes more often. Bribery if you wish. You didn't say if she was spayed. Its a must. She will stray less then. Good luck, let us know how it goes. > I read somewhere that outdoor cats usually have more then one home and > sometimes up to 6! Interesting! I'd be surprised if that was the case in the suburb where I live, where everyone has a section big enough for a decent garden front and back. If anything it has the opposite effect - having cats that regularly patrol their own territory helps keep other cats out. Woe betide any stray cat that tries to smooch its way into our place! Kiwi Gill >- cats are amazingly good at looking after >themselves and that includes finding someone to feed them and let them curl >up in front of the fire. Sure, that's why I have three stray cats who come to eat on my deck every day. That is until they get run over or attacked by another animal. Get real, lady. Pat > >- cats are amazingly good at looking after >>themselves and that includes finding someone to feed them and let them [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > lady. > Pat Pat, I am sure that you are the sort of responsible person who would take a stray cat to the vet so that it can be scanned to see if its owner has had it nicrochipped. BTW, I am real and I'm a bloke. SignatureZ 51? 37' 23" N, 3? 56' 27" W >> >- cats are amazingly good at looking after >>>themselves and that includes finding someone to feed them and let them [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > stray cat to the vet so that it can be scanned to see if its owner has had > it nicrochipped. BTW, I am real and I'm a bloke. Pat, Just thought you'd like to know, I bought my current house because it is several hundred metres away from any busy road, so the chances of her getting run over, although higher than when I lived in the country, are small. We don't have any large carnvores in the UK, so the greatest threat to her would be in a literal cat fight. She's young, strong and can easily hold her own against any other moggie, now that she's carved out her territory, she's doesn't get involved in fights any more. I may have to watch this when she gets older though. Although there's a general feeling around here that foxes can attack cats, I've never actually heard of it happening and I suspect that foxes would go for easier prey. Would you be kind enough to explain your earlier comment about my treating the cat as though she were a feral cat? I've thought about it and I still don't understand it. I originally asked for any advice on how to discourage her from straying as I thought other people here might have gone through similar experiences. Do you have any constructive comments to make? I'd be glad to read them. Thanks. SignatureZ 51? 37' 23" N, 3? 56' 27" W > My 5 year old moggie has just developed wanderlust. I moved house about a > year ago and expected problems then. But she's been fine until about 6 [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] > > Z Oh well, the big day has come. I let her out today. I think it was a big relief for both of us: I think she was starting to get cabin fever. Her behaviour was getting more and more erratic. She was constantly mewing at the door; spitting and hissing at her sister and, when I picked her up a couple of days ago, she scratched me for the first time ever. I let her out this morning, in a dusting of snow, and she was like a kitten again. She was straight up the apple tree and scared the sh*t out of a robin. She's come back inside now and is curled up on the settee with a satisfied purr that is rattling the windows. SignatureZ 51? 37' 23" N, 3? 56' 27" W "Zythophile" <zythophile@thepub.co.uk> wrote in message news:EcBzd.96$e94.85@newsfe5- > I let her out this morning, in a dusting of snow, and she was like a kitten > again. She was straight up the apple tree and scared the sh*t out of a > robin. She's come back inside now and is curled up on the settee with a > satisfied purr that is rattling the windows. That's a good news! She is back home! Excellent stuff! Keep treating her like a queen and hopefully she will stay home more. > "Zythophile" <zythophile@thepub.co.uk> wrote in message > news:EcBzd.96$e94.85@newsfe5- [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > That's a good news! She is back home! Excellent stuff! Keep treating her > like a queen and hopefully she will stay home more. I let her out again this afternoon and held my breath for a couple of hours, especially when it started getting dark. I was starting to get a bit worried, but I've just let her back in after seeing her sat on on the window sill. She's staying in for the rest of the of evening, whether she likes it or not. I wish that she'd learn her sister's knack of knocking on he window pane with her back paw when she wants to be let in. I'll put her and her sister to sleep in the utility tonight, 'cos the weather forecast is for -4 deg C. Her sister's allergy should be OK with one night indoors, but I hope that the weather becomes milder so that they can return to sleeping in the shed. I don't want to be spending 60 quid a year on steroids again. SignatureZ 51? 37' 23" N, 3? 56' 27" W |
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