My cat keeps going to another home!

[nano]

Originally Posted by elizwithcat

Where are you located? Are you requited to register your cats? There is no registration fee here that I know of. All the vet tells me thaf if I don't use rabies vaccine, they could report me. But even then I suppose I could always tell the vet I don't have the cat anymore.

Regarding my registration/license comments, please check out this thread for more information:

http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=47836

I wasn't trying to knock the thread off-topic. I was just trying to make some points about how easy it is to lose ownership of your cats -- with or without the cat's cooperation -- if you leave them outside and other people mistake them for being unattended. Feel free to ignore me if such things don't happen in your area.

 

[tracey65]

I live in Wales in the UK and there are no laws here with regard to cats. However, the elderly couple must have stopt feeding her and letting her into their house as she's home alot of the time the last few days. She's not too happy about it though but hope she comes around again as she's the youngest out of my three cats and we also share the same birthday so I've got a real soft spot for her.
Thanks again to everybody who took the time to post a thread - very much appreciated.

 

[gilly]

I read this yesterday but didn't reply!

Firstly, I am sorry that your cat is going to someone elses house. It must be difficult to understand.

Secondly, I shall speak from the "other side". I have a cat flap fitted and up until a few months ago and for about 8 months previously, my neighbours cat, Pebbles seemed to have adopted my flat and Guinness as his own. My neighbour said that during the daytimes, mainly weekdays, Pebbles could never be found!

I used to come home from work and find him asleep in the hallway or next to Guinness. He also used to eat the dry food that I left out for Guin. Pebbles has a loving home downstairs with two brothers and a constant supply of food from Lyn so why he chose to come and sleep in my flat I will never know!

I didn't encourage him, and I must admit it was cute to see him with Guinness. But I had to stop him coming in as he was spraying in a few locations in my hallway (all the other doors to the rooms are shut during the daytime, luckily). I know this won't help you, but I got a magnetic cat flap for Guinness. Since then there has been no sign of Pebbles in my flat

I suppose my point is, you can't control where your cat go's. I would ask that they don't feed her or encourage her as suggested above. Good luck and let us know how you get along.

 

[darcey6]

My cats doing exactly the same. She disappeared in June for three months and last week I received a call from the vets. A lady handed her in to get scanned to see if she had an owner. I went to collect her kept her in for two weeks, she then escaped through an upstairs window and returns to this ladies house with animals. I have other cats and dogs as does this lady. I keep going to get her back and it's just repetitive.... What do u do????

 

[kitty kisser]

I can relate my dog Nala loves to sleep at my dads house ( next door). We live on 120 acres surrounded by government land. Nala isn't allowed in my house because she is destructive an ate a huge hole in my old couch. I still feed her and am responsible for her vet care. Sometimes I don't see her for a whole day while she's hiding in his house. I feel bad because she destroyed his office eating his stuffed pheasants , tore a picture off the wall , scratched up the carpets but he left her in there and let's her in. Just saying your not the only one. My cats are less destructive and are indoor only.

 

[c0urtneyk]

I do agree; it's hard to control where cats go once they venture outside. My mom has actually claimed a cat she saw in her complex as her own now - it started with the cat just being friendly then it turned into feeding then it turned into sleeping there then more cats came along and began reaping the benefits! Now the one she's claimed, we're pretty sure at this point that she was potentially abandoned and became a complex cat that people tend to feed. But as for the other cats, they definitely had owners - some even had collars! Maybe some cats are just super friendly and when offered, take opportunities (I swear they can be so human like sometimes). When someone's offering food and the chance to mark up a new unexplored territory, some cats will just take it. Maybe just keeping her from going outside will help, or putting new things in the house for your cat to explore will help. They like marking things, so give the cat something new to mark and maybe it'll feel inspired to stick to your home. Good luck!

 

[kellie2494]

I have a similar problem with my male cat. He comes home for his meals (although i generally have to get him for his tea cos I think he should be fed) and sleeps at home 99% of the time (although i do sometimes have to go and pick him up. His 'other home' is my next door neighbours house! My mum thinks i should let him live at my neighbours house, but he loves me and comes home most of the time. He doesnt go as much now, as he is on a diet so my neighbours supposedly watch him for eating food, as they free feed. Also, my neighbours only take their cats to the vets when they are ill and dont care if their animals are overweight, so i am glad he is my cat. The daft part is he just goes and sleeps on peoples beds, he doesnt seek attention. I originally thought he did it cos my housemate was too loud and he preferred the piece and quiet, i can only assume he does it now to get away from the fosters!! I would love him to be more of a stay at home cat, but it is just not him, he lived on the streets for 3 years so cannot cope with being indoor only (had to try it for 10 days when he had an op last year, and he got depressed). On the other hand though, my neighbours cat always comes to my house and will eat food at my house that she wont touch at home!! The reason she loves me so much though is cos she is tempremental and i dont care, i always give her a fuss and a kiss and play with her, which her owner wont cos he is scared of her.

Glad I found this blog. The past few months my cat (4 yr old male that was ferral at 9 weeks old when he showed up and I took him in) has been now going into my neighbors house who lives right next door. He always roams around there (we have nothing separating the properties) and sits atop their deck as if it was his. I or my neighbors never minded that and she has given him treats on and off the past year or so. Recently she nearly fainted when he meowed at her door to go in. He went in and ran upstairs to sleep on her bed. He had ventured in twice before that just to check out their house (once with me in it with him). I never minded that he was curious, and now it's a daily habbit for him to sleep there for up to 6 hours then ask to leave around dinner time to come home. He is extremely skittish (and a one person cat with me, that's why I am amazed he took to my neighbor so well). I still feel jilted now and again, but he comes home to us and gives me love and affection every night. Its nice to know though that he has a warm place to sleep while it's cold out. My husband and son are home most days but he still gets skittish with them and it seems like during most days he does not want to be in with them while I am at work full time. Sometimes it bothers me and I feel like he is uncomfortable in his own home which makes me sad. He comes home though, every night, all lovey dovey to me. When I have to get him from my neighbor on occasion around dinner time he sometimes puts up a fuss though. He gets over it lol. I just don't know why after all this time he decided to start this habit. It baffles me. But he is loved at both houses and that's what counts I suppose. And he still loves me, so that's what really matters too [emoji]128522[/emoji]

 

[BettyinNC]

A cat sheltered in my crawl space during a 5 day winter storm (I saw tracks in snow on deck) so I left out food and thawed water. After the storm I met him (a beautiful dark tabby, very sociable, and neutered, looked well cared for but no collar). I finally located owners on the street back of me. They said he (Momo) loved to roam but they quit collaring him as he always lost them. They also have a female cat and a new puppy. I told them I had been feeding him as he kept showing up and I didn't know to whom he belonged. They asked me to stop feeding him as he was on a prescription diet and meds and he would return home. They both work but are back home early evening. I cut the food (not water) but I can't tell if he's returned home at all as he is here night and day, meowing on porch, in crawl space if cold or raining. The one time I met them, they stressed how worried they were when he went missing, but I think they have blocked (or ignore) my emails asking them to come get him. I'm concerned he's not getting his special food or any food at all unless he's catching mice or birds. My 21-yr-old tabby passed away 2 yrs ago and I don't want another pet (I'm 86). Any suggestions, please? Oh, the guy owner said "normally" Momo is usually inside by 11 pm and let out at 5 am.

 

[tabbysia]

I have two other cats and not a very big house so could not cope with all 3 of them being indoors.

Why can't you cope with all three of them being indoors? Do they not along? Are they destructive? Cats can do fine in a small space, if you increase their vertical space--i.e. cat trees, shelves, plenty of perches, etc.
Personally, I think it would be much safer to keep all of the cats inside (animal attacks, cars,etc.), and you wouldn't have to worry about Millie going to your elderly neighbors or being taken in permanently by another well-meaning person that doesn't know Millie is your cat. My cats are perfectly content being inside 24/7. They get their outdoor fix and plenty of sunlight by having a big cat tree in front of the window.

 

[Prodigirl]

Hi,
For the past month my cat, Millie, has been visiting a neighbour's house about 200 yards from mine. I only realised this last night when I had a phone call and went there to find Millie quite happily asleep on their sofa! She was not happy to be escorted back home and is looking quite miserable. Apparently she visits there on a daily basis for the past month. I've requested that they stop feeding her and see if that helps. However, it looks like she's gone there again today and I'm distraught! Why has she gone like this and is there anything I can do to stop her?
Any answers would be very much appreciated.
Tracey

I agree with one of the responses below that also agrees with what the cat rescue center told us when we adopted a new cat into our family; a cat will choose their humans, so let the cat you desire to adopt choose you, not the other way around. If the cat doesn’t necessarily come to you or show interest, they have not chosen you. Cats are sensitive and will pickup a vibe or sense of their humans and so in turn, a cat will choose to leave a home and adopt someone else’s if they feel the treatment or ‘vibe’ ‘aura’ or spirit of the place meets their need.

Samson, my neighbors cat , a half block away, will not stop visiting us yowling at our bedroom slider begging to come in. It’s beem like this for a couple weeks now and even though I shush him home he always returns. Cats will also leave their home if they are abused, young kids mistreating, teasing or mishandling them. They will find a happier home that suits them. You cannot choose your cat necessarily, they will choose you, or not.