# Cat leaving home!



## TheresaW (23 March 2014)

I have had Rio since he was 8 weeks old, and he has just turned 14.  We have lived in our current house with him for almost 7 years now, but about 4 months ago, I had a call from the RSPCA to say he had been picked up as a stray.  Long story short, he was not noticeably missing, but during the day, was always hanging around a garden on the other side of our estate.  The garden belongs to a guy who works for the RSPCA.  He did door knock to try and find out who owns him, but we weren't at home when he knocked at ours.  I did ask why he didn't put notes through doors.

Anyway, Rio has always been a bit of a wanderer, not completely unusual not to see him for a day or two, but since we lost Salem about 8 weeks ago, he has taken to being missing for days at a time.  Tonight, after not seeing him since last Sunday, I knocked at the RSPCA mans house, and Rio was in his garden.  He has said he won't let Rio in the house (he has cats of his own), but has been feeding him, and there is shelter in his garden.  He said he disappears from there garden all day, but turns up daily.

How can I stop this?  As long as I know he is ok, I suppose I can live with it, but have had him a long time.  He also has a thyroid problem, and is on daily medication.  I have left some tablets with Peter, but obviously we can't both give him a tablet.  Rio is home at the moment, and the cat flap is locked, but even if we set up a litter tray, it's not fair on our other cats, plus Rio has smashed it open in the past. He is due a blood test for his thyroid, so will be booking it this week, and at least I know where I can find him to take him to the vet.


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## Moomin1 (23 March 2014)

Tell him to stop feeding him full stop.


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## TheresaW (23 March 2014)

I think that's what I will have to do, but he takes in foster cats as well, and has cat pens in his garden, so there is food outside.


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## Moomin1 (23 March 2014)

TheresaW said:



			I think that's what I will have to do, but he takes in foster cats as well, and has cat pens in his garden, so there is food outside.
		
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Mm slightly more tricky then.  :-(


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## TheresaW (23 March 2014)

Am keeping him in tonight, he's sound asleep on the rug at the moment. Will have to let him out in the morning though, but we will set up a litter tray for him and see what happens.  If we can keep him in for a couple of weeks, maybe he'll settle down again.


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## Amymay (23 March 2014)

One of mine left home, Toby. No rhyme nor reason for it. He'd pop in ocassionaly - but obviously decided somewhere else was better.....


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## heebiejeebies (23 March 2014)

If he works for the RSPCA then he should really know better


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## Fides (24 March 2014)

l'd be reporting him to his superiors. lf the cat is on medication and he knows this and is still feeding him he is out of order. 

l was in the same position with my cat a few years ago - he had a collar on saying 'do not feed - on medication' but neighbour still kept feeding him. After ending up in the vets for the 3rd time and a 3rd £4OO bill l posted the bill through her door and told her l would be taking her to the small claims court and reporting her to the RSPCA if it continued. lf she wanted to 'steal' my cat she could also pay for all the other responsibilities that comes with it.

l wouldn't be giving the guy some of the tablets - that's basically going him an open invitation to feed your cat  Does your cat have free access to food at your house? l fitted a magnet cat flap to a big dog kennel and put food in that - means he has no excuse for going elsewhere and he also has somewhere to shelter if the weather is rubbish and l'm not at home...


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## TheresaW (24 March 2014)

There is dry food down all the time indoors, and they are given meat in the evenings, so he has access to food all the time.

I don't know what to do.  I thought if I gave the guy some pills, at least Rio will be getting them.  I don't want him leaving home.


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## TheresaW (24 March 2014)

Let him out about 15 minutes ago to do his business, and he just come back in again.  Will definitely help that there's a thick frost outside this morning.

The RSPCA guy is the chief exec of the area branch, so who would I report him to if I wanted to go down that route?


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## touchstone (24 March 2014)

I think the best approach would be to ask him to stop feeding the cat and to even chase him off if he is hanging about.  I have one that will wander into houses and make himself comfortable and a family 'adopted' him and began feeding him - cue setting his IBS off and me left with awful litter trays to clean!  I locked him in for a while, we had to make an additional lockable flap to go over the cat flap as he smashes his way out too, and he is now happy to wander along and come back more or less straight away.  If he does disappear for any length of time he gets locked in again and it seems to work for us.


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## TheresaW (24 March 2014)

That's what I will try. If he gets grounded for a bit, he may stop wandering off. Thankyou


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## Fransurrey (24 March 2014)

If there are cat pens in his garden, then surely the feed is enclosed with those cats? This sounds like a very shoddy operation and I, too, would be reporting it to his superiors. Go to the national office if necessary. Feeding a cat on medication or not is not on when you know he's being fed elsewhere, for weight control if nothing else! I would also be taking the tablets back. Too much chance of double/under dosing.


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## MerrySherryRider (24 March 2014)

The problem is only with being able to give medication, not that he's going to visit someone else. Cats like to spread their affections, there's no harm in it. The RSPCA man leaves food in his garden for stray cats, again, not a problem. My cats were always fed outside as they were outdoor cats who only chose to live in doors in winter.
 Your cat has made his choice to go visiting, unless you keep him as a house cat in summer, which is a bit miserable, he'll just have to have his meds when he's at home. Obviously, if he becomes unwell, you might have to keep him in the house, but otherwise, it's finding a balance between freedom, quality of life and health.


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## LittleMonster (25 March 2014)

We had a cat that moved to London with us but the next door neighbor was locking her in her house (denied it but we kept seeing her sitting on their window-sil!) We let her keep the her as i was young and so was my sister so we assumed she didn't like being around kids.

but get him to stop feeding him and maybe chase him away then he will think hold on i get fed there too... and return?


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## ILuvCowparsely (26 March 2014)

TheresaW said:



			I have had Rio since he was 8 weeks old, and he has just turned 14.  We have lived in our current house with him for almost 7 years now, but about 4 months ago, I had a call from the RSPCA to say he had been picked up as a stray.  Long story short, he was not noticeably missing, but during the day, was always hanging around a garden on the other side of our estate.  The garden belongs to a guy who works for the RSPCA.  He did door knock to try and find out who owns him, but we weren't at home when he knocked at ours.  I did ask why he didn't put notes through doors.

Anyway, Rio has always been a bit of a wanderer, not completely unusual not to see him for a day or two, but since we lost Salem about 8 weeks ago, he has taken to being missing for days at a time.  Tonight, after not seeing him since last Sunday, I knocked at the RSPCA mans house, and Rio was in his garden.  He has said he won't let Rio in the house (he has cats of his own), but has been feeding him, and there is shelter in his garden.  He said he disappears from there garden all day, but turns up daily.

How can I stop this?  As long as I know he is ok, I suppose I can live with it, but have had him a long time.  He also has a thyroid problem, and is on daily medication.  I have left some tablets with Peter, but obviously we can't both give him a tablet.  Rio is home at the moment, and the cat flap is locked, but even if we set up a litter tray, it's not fair on our other cats, plus Rio has smashed it open in the past. He is due a blood test for his thyroid, so will be booking it this week, and at least I know where I can find him to take him to the vet.
		
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 Say you thank him for caring but he is a loved family pet who has owners and a home.
  Tell him please don't feed him as you are very worried and upset when he disappears as you think the worst has happened and its causing you a great deal of stress to you and the family.



 if her fails to stop then go to the local bran and report what he is doing and let them deal with him.


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## thewonderhorse (26 March 2014)

Moomin1 said:



			Tell him to stop feeding him full stop.
		
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This ^^ Tell the neighbour to stop feeding him and guaranteed he wont keep going to his garden.

Edited to say I've just read the bit about the food being out....Hmm does make it more difficult!


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## TheresaW (26 March 2014)

Thankyou for all the replies.  I am going to go and speak to him again and ask him not to feed him, and shoo him away if necessary.  I don't like him not coming home, and it is upsetting me.  I fully understand the whole cats choose their owner thing, but I would have thought it would have happened a long time ago if that was how Rio really felt.  He has just strolled in as we speak, having not been home since yesterday morning.


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