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Cat now living elsewhere

(67 Posts)
Gill33 Wed 13-Jan-21 15:59:38

I wrote on here a few weeks ago about my daughter’s cat disappearing for days or even weeks at a time. Her cat had kittens so for a while she stayed home with them but when they grew a little older they disappeared as well! I managed to find out where she had been going as one of the people whose door I knocked on in my search rang my daughter to say they were on a neighbour’s conservatory roof. I had already been to this house and told by the occupant that he hadn’t seen them.
We went round to see the man who reported seeing them on this roof and lo and behold they were my daughter’s cat with 3 kittens. We managed to get them down with the occupants help.
My daughter decided not to let the kittens out with the mum as she didn’t want them going with her again.
The discussion my daughter had with this man was rather strange. He claimed she just came round as they kept their doors and windows open. My daughter asked if he fed her when he said no but his son may have done. Whenever the cat returned home she was always well fed.
He occasionally text her to say she was there and then when my daughter picked her up he said ‘ By the way she doesn’t like being picked up like that.’ My daughters thoughts were ‘Well she is my cat!’
Over time the cat very rarely came by home and when she did she tried to attack the kittens ( my daughter was keeping two). She also seemed to sneer at the daughter before going off again.
We haven’t seen her for a few weeks now as she obviously doesn’t want to live with my daughter . However she came into the garden the other day and totally ignored us when we tried to call her. We noticed that she was now very overweight.
We feel now she’s not my daughter’s cat any more as she’s chosen to live elsewhere but it’s sad to see her so big now.

Paperbackwriter Thu 14-Jan-21 13:01:00

A lot of these stories remind me of a lovely book called Six Dinner Sid...

Nanof3 Thu 14-Jan-21 13:03:50

We had a cat who would sneak into next door and eat the dogs food even though she hated the dogs and the neighbour would chase her away so when we relocated abroad and were worried about quarantine and if she would settle we agreed with next door that we would stop feeding her and they would let her eat there and we left her behind and she was very happy.
4 years later we returned for a quick visit and as soon as we arrived she turned up to say hello. Lived until she was 18, we still talk about her.

Laughterlines Thu 14-Jan-21 13:06:32

We got a kitten once. One time at it got out and wandered to a neighbours house. As they didn’t have a cat themselves they opened a tin of red salmon. I didn’t see kitten again for a few days. Finally it decided it liked red salmon best of all and left us for good. They loved dear little thing so was happy to leave it there. It’s a devils job to get a kitten these days I find.

fluttERBY123 Thu 14-Jan-21 14:07:08

We had a cat years ago who.decided to.get adopted elsewhere. We think it was because we were all out all.day and the house he chose was full of people. We did all.we could to.entice him back but nothing doing. Cats, as any fule kno, have a mind of their own. So.we got two replacement cats so.they could keep.each other company, same litter obviously. We are on.our second pair now, they are 86.

Happyme Thu 14-Jan-21 14:27:25

Came back to say that we were happy to "share" our cat with her adopted "owners". Both were elderly widowed ladies who enjoyed her company, one was convinced the cat was a reincarnation of her dear deperted hubby as she would make a beeline for his favourite chair!

Aepgirl Thu 14-Jan-21 15:21:40

The very reason I wouldn’t have a cat - like having a stroppy teenager, just coming and going as they please.

4allweknow Thu 14-Jan-21 15:25:32

My area of approx 100 houses has a cat that visits just about everyone. Very tempting to feed him but I don't as I think if everyone did that he would be massive. If your DD hasn't had the cat spayed since the litter of kittens and has been wandering could be it is pregnant again. Capture it, get it spayed and it will be more inclined to stay home at least that's the theory. Apparently the UK is polluted with cats. And that's from a cat lover.

GagaJo Thu 14-Jan-21 15:36:16

Gill33

She’s definitely not pregnant as my daughter managed to get her spayed after the kittens were born ! It just seems a bit sad she’s so overweight but there’s nothing we can do about it.

Cat has already been spayed.

ALANaV Thu 14-Jan-21 16:08:30

Ha ha ...dont you just love cats ........we had three over the years arrive at our house and decide to stay ....no chips on them ....one had three kittens just after she came in through the cat flap ...found her asleep on a chair in the consevatory ......we had her spayed and she stayed ............one other was a kitten from the cat who lived opposite ....every day she used to bring herself and two kittens over the road to ours for food and a sleep on a comfy chair (the neighbour was lovely, but she had three small children, so we think the cat was escaping ! She never tried to stay, but the kitten did .......then we acquired one from the vet when we took one of the others ....it was sitting in a cage on the counter looking for a home ......that was alongside the cat my late husband transported years ago, when his first wife died, from London to Menorca, then twice when we moved areas in France. He lived till he was around 23 ............its like 'Six Dinner Sid' (a children's book about a cat who went visiting six people in the road each giving him dinner ! grin

cassandra264 Thu 14-Jan-21 16:31:55

We had a neighbour's cat adopt us. It was most embarrassing having to take him back all the time. We weren't feeding him; but if the weather was fine and the windows open, he would come over and pinch our existing cat's food if it had been left out unfinished. Eventually, all the humans involved decided to let him make up his own mind where he wanted to be.
It has not ruined a good friendship.

f77ms Thu 14-Jan-21 16:36:11

I am a cat person and alsovwork for a animal rescue. Cats will not stay with you if they are not happy or are stressed. I found your post a bit strange, and couldn't quite understand the bit about the cats being on the roof! Also cats are not capable of sneering, they have very few facial muscles so give the impression wrongly of being aloof. They are actually very loving and loyal and far more intelligent than dogs. I love dogs too btw. I thinkvyour daughter will have to accept that this cat does not want to live with her for reasons only known to the cat ?

Unigran4 Thu 14-Jan-21 16:37:50

I had a young (neutered) male cat to keep my dog company who was pining her puppies. Dog and cat got on really well, cat always grooming the dog.

A year later we got a kitten, and my original cat made it his business to teach her all he knew. Pouncing, stalking, grooming, play-fighting. It was lovely to watch.

However, kitten became a young adult and finally spurned his attention.

Then he went missing!

Long story, short (or is it too late to say that now?!) I finally located him at a neighbours - where he was teaching her two kittens how to behave!

He never came back to me, but the two kittens, even as adults, treated him more kindly than my she-cat.

Neighbours asked if they could adopt him, and some years later took him with them when they retired to the coast.

He was obviously born to be a nanny!

Mollyplop Thu 14-Jan-21 17:30:37

I totally understand how frustrated some cat owners are when other people feed them. In on the other hand am on the other side of the fence. Our neighbours have 3 young children and go through "fads". First it was guinea pigs, which lasted 2 weeks before they escaped never to be seen again. Then it was chickens. The first two died of lice infestation, the next two were killed by the foxes they couldn't be bothered to shut them away at night. Then they had a fig from the RSPCA which is NEVER walked, and left for up to 9 hours a day on it's own (before cov7d). Finally they had a kitten which was apparently going to be a house cat. That lasted 2 weeks before she was turned out. She is semi long haired and so full of knots it was pulling her skin tight. They asked me to feed her when they went away for 3 weeks, (didn't leave any food) and then she wouldn't go back . I've tried to ignore her but she sits outside the patio door crying. They are vile people who dont treat their children any better. I no longer doesk to them , so this lastyear when they went away they left a bowl of biscuits on their yard for her.. Nowhere to shelter . She now lives in my summer house, but occasionally they catch her and keep her on fir a day or two. It's horrible, I wish they would just look after her .

Absgran Thu 14-Jan-21 17:35:32

I’m a dog person! However have also had 3 beautiful cats in my life. First one Sammy arrived at our house when I was very young. A large ginger tabby. He just stayed until he was very old and moved house with us. Second one also ginger but half Siamese when I was in a flat in London. We had mice! He was a real ‘gentleman’ used to catch them but let them go. Very loving and was the most amazing cat ever. Used to travel home with me on the train and in car and moved house several times. Saw the birth of of two children with no problems apart from a bit of jealousy and was the best cat ever. Third one unfortunately was a beautiful tortoiseshell cat who wasn’t with us very long she disappeared while young.

Catterygirl Thu 14-Jan-21 18:04:19

Cats like to be ignored. Suits their feelings of royalty. If they want something, they will come to you. A quiet voice does wonders.

Saetana Thu 14-Jan-21 22:27:23

You do not own a cat - the cat owns you - I speak from experience as the sister of a dedicated cat owner. If your cat does not want to stay with you then there is nothing you can - or should - do. Cats are independent creatures and choose where they want to live. You cannot force a cat to stay with you - ownership be damned! I do wonder why people who are out at work all day long bother getting a pet - cats and dogs both need socialisation and if you cannot provide this then don't bother bringing a pet into your household. I hear a lot of entitlement - ooh so and so shouldn't let my cat in, feed my cat etc etc. If your cat was totally happy at home then it would not be going elsewhere for companionship and food.