I have a cat behavior question for all the experts here: about 6 weeks ago, a semi-feral cat showed up in our yard. She stayed for a number of days, and finally, when a big snowstorm was on the way, we trapped her and brought her inside. When we took her to the vet, it turns out that she had a chip. She belongs to a neighbor (we live in a rural area) a couple of miles away, and was a 'working cat' in their barn until she went missing about 3 months prior. I contacted the owner and she seemed happy to have her cat back -- she thought she had been eaten by wild animals, of which there are many around here. So -- then a few days later the owner called and asked if we had possibly seen her cat. Apparently, she immediately ran away as they got out of the car, and that was the last the owner saw of her. We had not seen her.
Last week, this very same cat showed up once again. This is at least a couple of miles from her home, across rural land. She got back here again somehow, and she's now once again under our deck. I am going to ask the owner if we can keep her this time, as she has earned a spot in our house (and we have 4 other cats, believe it or not.) Anyway, what in the world would cause a cat to do this? Make a long trip like this-- twice?? Do you think she is just randomly wandering? It seems so unlikely that she'd end up under our porch again.... it's just crazy. I'd appreciate your insights, as this seems just beyond amazing to me, especially given the dangers of coyotes, mountain lions, owls, bobcats, and who knows what else around here. Thanks for your thoughts!
Last week, this very same cat showed up once again. This is at least a couple of miles from her home, across rural land. She got back here again somehow, and she's now once again under our deck. I am going to ask the owner if we can keep her this time, as she has earned a spot in our house (and we have 4 other cats, believe it or not.) Anyway, what in the world would cause a cat to do this? Make a long trip like this-- twice?? Do you think she is just randomly wandering? It seems so unlikely that she'd end up under our porch again.... it's just crazy. I'd appreciate your insights, as this seems just beyond amazing to me, especially given the dangers of coyotes, mountain lions, owls, bobcats, and who knows what else around here. Thanks for your thoughts!