Missing Cat

[mruffruff]

If you trap him and release him in your yard, he'll still hang around. I've done this with more than 20 cats over the last 2 years and they always come back.

As an example, there is Louise. She is a calico that I trapped in late February. I had her spayed, shots done and released her back into my front yard. There were several others that I did around the same time. None have left yet.

I have a pen on the side of the house that opens into the cat's room. My seven have been inside for 3 years and not one has escaped. But Louise has been brought into the house (twice) and found a way out of the pen. Last night she ate dinner in the cat room.

Guess who was on my front porch for breakfast this morning?

I feed them all at the same time every morning and night and slowly reach out to touch them. I can pet them all while they eat now. But I still can't pick them up. Louise spends her days on the porch and loves a tail scritching.

I worry every time one of them mises a mealtime. It's the price you pay for having outside cats. And why I'm moving as many as I can inside.


They now come running when I shake the Temptations bag.

[MommaCat]

Thank you so much for your helpful hints.
I think Barn Cat had suggested that I use hay in his house instead of blankets... Can I use Straw instead of hay? Does it make any difference?

Thanks,
deb

[Dallas1pd]

Straw or hay is fine. It's really just for insulation - it will keep him warm as the weather turns cold. Change it when it gets dirty - that just depends on the cat.

What I did with all my ferals was trap them, take them to the shelter for spay/neuter. The shelter keeps them for a week, to ensure they are ok. Once home - they get a huge dog crate for another week inside the house. Then I take the crate outside and let them go. They take off for the hills - but are back by next morning for breakfast.