Cat returned after 5 months

[skrumtuoscatlayd]

Hi, my male cat went missing in early Jan this year and he came back to my house yesterday for the first time but then when I tried to approach him, he ran away. I went after him to search but there was no trace of him
Why do you think he ran away? Does he not recognise me? He was standing on the rail of the balcony as he used to when he was living in my house but when I cried his name loudly and tried to run towards him he ran away within a blink
Before he ran away he was staring at me as if he does not recognise me

 

[Caspers Human]

I'm sure that he recognizes you but, after being outdoors for all this time, I think he's deciding whether its safe to come in.

When a cat lives by its own wits for any period of time, its primal instincts go on overdrive because, being both predator and prey, it needs to always keep one eye on the horizon in case something or somebody comes after him. It'll take some time before the adrenaline fades.

You know that your cat is still there, none the worse for the wear. Now, it's time to lure him back home to safety.

Start off by treating him like any other stray or feral.

Leave some food out for him.
(But make sure to bring the leftovers in at night so as not to attract scavengers like raccoons or opossum... or worse... Coyotes!)

Leave him some kind of shelter.
You don't have to spend a lot of time or money on this. You don't need any special kind of pet shelter unless you want one. You can just as easily use his cat carrier with the door taken off or even just a cardboard box with a sheet of plastic draped over to keep out the weather.

Maybe you could leave out a couple of his toys or, maybe, some catnip.

When he comes around again, just talk to him and put out some food but don't try to grab him. That will only scare him off.

Feed him. Maybe toss a toy for him. Pet him if he'll let you but, again, don't try to catch him.

When he decides that he wants to come inside again, open the door and let him in.

If you make him comfortable and let him be happy, he'll eventually decide that he'd rather be home instead of living outside in the cold and the damp.

The key is to let him tell you when he's ready to come inside.

 

[skrumtuoscatlayd]

I'm sure that he recognizes you but, after being outdoors for all this time, I think he's deciding whether its safe to come in.

When a cat lives by its own wits for any period of time, its primal instincts go on overdrive because, being both predator and prey, it needs to always keep one eye on the horizon in case something or somebody comes after him. It'll take some time before the adrenaline fades.

You know that your cat is still there, none the worse for the wear. Now, it's time to lure him back home to safety.

Start off by treating him like any other stray or feral.

Leave some food out for him.
(But make sure to bring the leftovers in at night so as not to attract scavengers like raccoons or opossum... or worse... Coyotes!)

Leave him some kind of shelter.
You don't have to spend a lot of time or money on this. You don't need any special kind of pet shelter unless you want one. You can just as easily use his cat carrier with the door taken off or even just a cardboard box with a sheet of plastic draped over to keep out the weather.

Maybe you could leave out a couple of his toys or, maybe, some catnip.

When he comes around again, just talk to him and put out some food but don't try to grab him. That will only scare him off.

Feed him. Maybe toss a toy for him. Pet him if he'll let you but, again, don't try to catch him.

When he decides that he wants to come inside again, open the door and let him in.

If you make him comfortable and let him be happy, he'll eventually decide that he'd rather be home instead of living outside in the cold and the damp.

The key is to let him tell you when he's ready to come inside.

Thanks for your reply. I already put out a cardboard house he used to love sleeping in when he was with me and put dried catnips around it as well as dryfood, water last night but he didn't come back. I haven't seen any sign of him today..
Not sure if he'll come back again
He looked the same to me when I looked at him for a fraction of seconds and didn't seemed to lose weight at all or got injured as I've been worrying
Do you think he's been fed elsewhere and doesn't want to come back to my house again? Also if he was around, I don't know why he didn't come back for 5 months

 

[Caspers Human]

It's a big world, out there. There's a lot for a curious cat to see and do.

The cat gets out for one day and gets distracted by all the interesting things he sees. Then one day turns into two. Two days turns into a week. A week turns into a month and being out in the big world seems like fun.

I'm sure that somebody's been feeding him. It's human nature to feed strays and it's a cat's nature to eat.
If somebody else has been feeding your cat, he might feel torn between two humans and, if he likes his freedom, it might take a while to lure him back inside.

Our cat, Casper, was a rescued cat. He had been abandoned, outdoors, and had been living on his own for up to two years before he was brought in by a cat rescue group. We adopted him from there.

We brought him home and kept him inside. He would only occasionally try to sneak through the door but he did get out, once.

It was a snowy, winter day. Casper's Girl-Human opened the door and Casper slipped out. She was beside herself in fear of losing her cat! Funny thing was, Casper hit the front stoop, took one look around at the snow and the cold then turned to head back inside where it was warm.

That was the last time Casper ever tried to sneak outside when there wasn't another cat teasing him from outdoors.

With that, I'd say that the secret is to make it abundantly clear that your house is warmer and comfier than being outside, even if there is another human feeding him.

With a little luck, he should decide to come inside on his own.

 

[furmonster mom]

I can understand how excited you must be to have seen him again after all this time! However, when you see him again, try to remain calm; don’t shout or run towards him. Keep you movement slow and easy, and talk to him casually and calmly as if he’d never left.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. There is a possibility somebody 'absconded' him and he got away to return to what he knew as his home. That doesn't mean he isn't somewhat hesitant. You might try placing a worn, unwashed piece of your clothing either in or near the cardboard house.

Does he have some favorite treats or human foods that you used to feed him? I would try those as well. A trail of food from the railing where you saw him to the cardboard house and some to your door might help too. Keep an eye out for him and if you see him you could try quietly opening the door just a bit, but mostly stay behind the door. If he follows the food trail, he might just come inside.

 

[danteshuman]

Besides the above I would put lost cat fliers on every door within a mile radius.... maybe put extra fliers up in a 10 mile radius. I also think you need to be calm and maybe rent a catch them alive trap. My mom’s cat Nick (neutered) is indoor/outdoor. Once he was spotted 5 miles away but after he established his turf and male cat friends, he stays within 1/2 mile or less of his house. So your cat is probably nearby. I would even offer money for any picture of him that leads you to catching him! Put his picture/story up on every local list pet sight you can (like your local pound’s page, next door neighbor etc.) This will also let people know he isn’t a friendly stray they are feeding, he has a home and is loved. We swore Nick had a second home (he is chipped & distinctive with his half tail) until he was forced to get used to/start wearing collars.


My cat is an escape artist when it comes to his harness (when I’m letting him hang out, not walking him.) When my cat escapes his harness I stay calm, talk to him softly, I walk slowly after him..... if he speeds up a little.... I slow down, make sure you feel calm and loving because your cat knows how you truly feel..... try picturing your cat almost asleep on your lap as you pet them, I then pet him and tell him that I love him for at least half a minute of a couple minutes (almost laughing as he rolls around in the dirt), then I calmly pick him up..... while still telling him I love him. In your case if you get close to pet him, after a few seconds you might try tossing a blanket over him. However I like the calm pick up better. Your cat might spook at the sight of a blanket. If you spook your cat & they escape... he will be much harder to catch.

If you have no other cats I would leave your back door open with food in the room, so you can calmly shut the door after he comes in a few times.

Try wet food or the canned mackerel food they use to catch feral cats.

I hope your kitty will be caught soon and then stay home for the rest of his life!

 

[skrumtuoscatlayd]

Thanks guys for your replies but this morning I saw a cat that looks almost like the male cat that went missing. I think its female because its body is smaller. But she had exactly the same mackerel tabby pattern. Do you think perhaps it was this cat I've mistaken as my male cat that day? It was so short amount of time I had thought it was him but seeing no sign of him for days and finding this female cat lingering around my house makes me think it was just an illusion.. But the ultimate thing that made me think it was him was the way the cat was balancing on the railing of the balcony that day because he used to always walk on the narrow railing of the balcony. Also why would a stray cat be walking on a strangers balcony railing?
What do you guys think?

 

[FeebysOwner]

Just pursue this cat as if it were your lost one. Smaller may just mean less fat/stature due to a lack of adequate food. The similarities don't mean it is the same cat, but it sure points in that direction. What can it hurt?

 

[skrumtuoscatlayd]

Just pursue this cat as if it were your lost one. Smaller may just mean less fat/stature due to a lack of adequate food. The similarities don't mean it is the same cat, but it sure points in that direction. What can it hurt?

I don't understand. You mean you want me to adopt this one in place of my lost cat? I'm not sure but I saw her couple of times in the neighbourhood and she didn't look that skinny or malnourished so she might have a home already? She is actually quite stout but is just shorter than male cats ought to be. She might be friend of the male cat I lost because I saw her couple of times when my male cat was here

 

[Furballsmom]

But the ultimate thing that made me think it was him was the way the cat was balancing on the railing of the balcony that day because he used to always walk on the narrow railing of the balcony.

FeebysOwner was replying to you based on this.

 

[FeebysOwner]

FeebysOwner was replying to you based on this. "But the ultimate thing that made me think it was him was the way the cat was balancing on the railing of the balcony that day because he used to always walk on the narrow railing of the balcony."

Yes, that!

I don't understand. You mean you want me to adopt this one in place of my lost cat? I'm not sure but I saw her couple of times in the neighbourhood and she didn't look that skinny or malnourished so she might have a home already? She is actually quite stout but is just shorter than male cats ought to be. She might be friend of the male cat I lost because I saw her couple of times when my male cat was here

If you don't think for a moment that is your cat, then don't pursue it, I thought you were in doubt about it.