Hi everyone, I'm new here and need some advice...
I have a very strong connection with my two cats, male and female siblings, and we understand each other purrfectly.
I take them for walks, they watch for my signals or listen out for my instructions when on busy roads or if there's danger around...dogs for example.
One of them is more of an outdoor cat and I go and collect him every evening from several streets away, near my previous address, and clap my hands if I can't see him, he then comes running. His sister comes for the walk there and back and we often pop into see a friend at my old addeess.
About three months ago I went to his favourite fence and clapped my hands to call him, but from about 100 metres away another cat came running. I'd never seen this cat before, he's a very large beige tabby, but he seemed to know my call...maybe he'd been watching me for a while.
He followed me to my friends house where I fed my two, but refrained from feeding this new one, I know what cats are like, but he sits and waits for me at my friends house.
After a few days I realised he seemed to be losing a bit of weight, so I started to feed him, but I really don't know what this cat wants from me.
He will sit all day and all night on my friends doorstep just waiting for me, then try to follow me home. at one point I allowed him to stay in my front garden and fed him each morning and evening, but he just sits and waits for me all the time.
Every time I opened my door he was there, meeowing, even after just feeding him.
I had to stop him staying at mine because he was upsetting my other two cats, but still he sits and waits at my friends house. Other residents in the building feed him, everyone is good to him, but he doesn't want anyone but me, all the time.
I discovered from neighbours that they believe he has been homeless for a very long time, no one knows who he belongs to, so I tried homing him a few times. On each occasion, he is quite happy to go in to other peoples homes but only if I go with him. And when I leave he kicks up such a fuss that he's let out again.
Other people cannot pick him up but when I do, he pushes his head tight into my chest and closes his eyes, looking so content. He breaks my heart but I cannot keep him because my two feel threatened by him. I have really tried.
Several weeks ago I had to resort to giving him a very slight tap on the bum to discourage him from following me home, and he gave me such a pained look. I wouldn't hurt an animal at all, and there is no way he could have felt pain from such a slight tap, but I noticed since then that I need to be careful about hand movements as he tends to cower a little.
So I stopped that way of deterring him, and now again I have him sitting in my front garden, just waiting for me. He didn't even want to eat tonight, he just wanted me!
Most of the time when I feed him, he starts eating as if he's not eaten in a month, but the moment I walk away he stops and comes running after me, I have to stand next to him to ensure he eats.
I know from my experience with cats that when they behave so insistently in a common manner, they are trying to tell you something, I once had a feral mother staring at me all night while I sat on the PC, and when I went out to her, she had a dying kitten on the patio.
But what could this cat be telling me? I really am at a loss as to what to do with him, I cannot get him into a cat basket to check if he is chipped.
At one point I walked him up and down all the streets in my area to see if he recognised where he might live...but nothing.
My own cats know exactly what I mean with hand gestures or words, but this cat is even more understanding. He will do exactly as I say, he will follow me anywhere, the only thing he won't do is stop following me home.
Sorry for such a long post but this cat is tugging at my heartstrings...there's something he wants but I don't know what.
Can anyone please give me some suggestions?
Thanks.
I have a very strong connection with my two cats, male and female siblings, and we understand each other purrfectly.
I take them for walks, they watch for my signals or listen out for my instructions when on busy roads or if there's danger around...dogs for example.
One of them is more of an outdoor cat and I go and collect him every evening from several streets away, near my previous address, and clap my hands if I can't see him, he then comes running. His sister comes for the walk there and back and we often pop into see a friend at my old addeess.
About three months ago I went to his favourite fence and clapped my hands to call him, but from about 100 metres away another cat came running. I'd never seen this cat before, he's a very large beige tabby, but he seemed to know my call...maybe he'd been watching me for a while.
He followed me to my friends house where I fed my two, but refrained from feeding this new one, I know what cats are like, but he sits and waits for me at my friends house.
After a few days I realised he seemed to be losing a bit of weight, so I started to feed him, but I really don't know what this cat wants from me.
He will sit all day and all night on my friends doorstep just waiting for me, then try to follow me home. at one point I allowed him to stay in my front garden and fed him each morning and evening, but he just sits and waits for me all the time.
Every time I opened my door he was there, meeowing, even after just feeding him.
I had to stop him staying at mine because he was upsetting my other two cats, but still he sits and waits at my friends house. Other residents in the building feed him, everyone is good to him, but he doesn't want anyone but me, all the time.
I discovered from neighbours that they believe he has been homeless for a very long time, no one knows who he belongs to, so I tried homing him a few times. On each occasion, he is quite happy to go in to other peoples homes but only if I go with him. And when I leave he kicks up such a fuss that he's let out again.
Other people cannot pick him up but when I do, he pushes his head tight into my chest and closes his eyes, looking so content. He breaks my heart but I cannot keep him because my two feel threatened by him. I have really tried.
Several weeks ago I had to resort to giving him a very slight tap on the bum to discourage him from following me home, and he gave me such a pained look. I wouldn't hurt an animal at all, and there is no way he could have felt pain from such a slight tap, but I noticed since then that I need to be careful about hand movements as he tends to cower a little.
So I stopped that way of deterring him, and now again I have him sitting in my front garden, just waiting for me. He didn't even want to eat tonight, he just wanted me!
Most of the time when I feed him, he starts eating as if he's not eaten in a month, but the moment I walk away he stops and comes running after me, I have to stand next to him to ensure he eats.
I know from my experience with cats that when they behave so insistently in a common manner, they are trying to tell you something, I once had a feral mother staring at me all night while I sat on the PC, and when I went out to her, she had a dying kitten on the patio.
But what could this cat be telling me? I really am at a loss as to what to do with him, I cannot get him into a cat basket to check if he is chipped.
At one point I walked him up and down all the streets in my area to see if he recognised where he might live...but nothing.
My own cats know exactly what I mean with hand gestures or words, but this cat is even more understanding. He will do exactly as I say, he will follow me anywhere, the only thing he won't do is stop following me home.
Sorry for such a long post but this cat is tugging at my heartstrings...there's something he wants but I don't know what.
Can anyone please give me some suggestions?
Thanks.