Hi all, apologies if I've placed this post in the wrong area.
A quick history of our cat's life:
We got our cat when he was just over a year old from a rescue centre. He had never been outside before, (a house cat), and after about 2 weeks he started slowly but surely venturing outside until he was outside more than inisde. He loved it at our old house and had several cat "friends" he used to hang with. So a very contented and sociable cat, 100% friendly. We also have 3 kids who love him to bits and he loves their company too.
Eight weeks ago we moved house. The new house is in a much more rural area with a huge back garden, (yard), and therefore more wildlife. We kept him inside for a week then let him loose and he loved it. Again he was more outside than inside. We installed catflaps so he comes and goes as he pleases day and night. One thing that kept happening were catfights. We'd hear them quite often outside at night.
After 3 weeks our cat dissapeared! After a few days we made up some leaflets and posted them through all the local doors. Two weeks later someone phoned us and told us she'd seen our cat at the bottom of her garden, so we went there and found our cat. He was very skinny and looked unwell. He was found about 8 houses away so he was very close. After lots of care and attention he was back to normal and off out he went again. Almost immediately he went missing again and we found him in the same place. We coaxed him back for a bowl of food then he didn't come back again! Same place.
He's not being fed by anyone as he always devours his food when we get him back here. There are a few foxes about but there were just as many at our old house which wasn't an issue. However there is a big scrawny old cat who uses our garden to sleep in during the day and we are getting the feeling this old "bruiser" of a cat is basically scaring our cat away. When I walk down the garden I can smell that this other cat has been spraying recently, so it's obviously the other cat's territory. Speaking to the neighbours it appears this other cat is not owned by anyone locally and has no collar. Maybe it's nothing to do with this other cat at all?
Is there anything we can do to stop our cat running away to an obviously "safe" garden?
ANY advice on this matter is welcome.
A quick history of our cat's life:
We got our cat when he was just over a year old from a rescue centre. He had never been outside before, (a house cat), and after about 2 weeks he started slowly but surely venturing outside until he was outside more than inisde. He loved it at our old house and had several cat "friends" he used to hang with. So a very contented and sociable cat, 100% friendly. We also have 3 kids who love him to bits and he loves their company too.
Eight weeks ago we moved house. The new house is in a much more rural area with a huge back garden, (yard), and therefore more wildlife. We kept him inside for a week then let him loose and he loved it. Again he was more outside than inside. We installed catflaps so he comes and goes as he pleases day and night. One thing that kept happening were catfights. We'd hear them quite often outside at night.
After 3 weeks our cat dissapeared! After a few days we made up some leaflets and posted them through all the local doors. Two weeks later someone phoned us and told us she'd seen our cat at the bottom of her garden, so we went there and found our cat. He was very skinny and looked unwell. He was found about 8 houses away so he was very close. After lots of care and attention he was back to normal and off out he went again. Almost immediately he went missing again and we found him in the same place. We coaxed him back for a bowl of food then he didn't come back again! Same place.
He's not being fed by anyone as he always devours his food when we get him back here. There are a few foxes about but there were just as many at our old house which wasn't an issue. However there is a big scrawny old cat who uses our garden to sleep in during the day and we are getting the feeling this old "bruiser" of a cat is basically scaring our cat away. When I walk down the garden I can smell that this other cat has been spraying recently, so it's obviously the other cat's territory. Speaking to the neighbours it appears this other cat is not owned by anyone locally and has no collar. Maybe it's nothing to do with this other cat at all?
Is there anything we can do to stop our cat running away to an obviously "safe" garden?
ANY advice on this matter is welcome.