Can anyone with cats help?

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Bens_Mum

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We took in an old stray tom cat about 4 months ago. He has a lovely temperament but is moth-eared to put it mildly! We had him neutered and he has an ongoing 'wheeze' for which he has anti-biotic injections every month. He always hangs around the house (we have about 2 acres) and back on to fields so no neighbours. On Monday he totally disappeared I was so worried, phoned all vets and had a fairly sleepless night. Then come morning there he was like normal. I bought him into the house and then went to work and came back to find him missing again. OH got up in the night and thinks he saw him in the kitchen but this morning nothing again.
Has anyone got any experience of cats suddenly starting to wonder off? The other cat is still about as usual. He won't stay inside at night so its very hard to keep hold of him, could it be dementia? He doesn't seem to hear well either and although he was supposed to be keeping rats down and living outside we have become really attached to him so don't know what to do for the best. He has got various health complaints and I do worry about him not coming for food/ warmth now the weather is turning. OH just says leave him be im probably winding myself up but just wondered why he would so suddenly change his habbits?
 
If he's an older stray cat he will more than likely be used to being outside in all weather's...they find place's to hide and get away from elements, maybe if he don't want to stay indoors where its all nice and cosy, is there somewhere in a shed/stable/barn or anything like that where you can make him a nice warm cosy bed up and place the food out there for him?
Tom cats like to wander off, they often circle around their area.

Don't be worrying too much, even though I would be too....I'm too much of a softy..lol
 
I, too, agree. If he was a stray, he is used to this way of life. If you want him to change his ways, you could try having him neutered but at his age it will not necessarily alter his habits.
 
Tom cats always wonder off, my mums regulary goes off for a week and come's back, although he's now neutered as it was done so late he'll be stuck in his old ways and wont change them.
 
Thanks everyone! We did have him neutered which as suggested has done nothing! He has got stables and a cat house by the back door with lots of blankets in it. Im probably being stupid its just the sudden change in behavior that was bothering me he has got that many ailments I suppose maybe I should accept one day he is lightly to take himself off. OH is having a mental as now the other cat has an eye abssess so after I persuaded him into having them as 'vermin control' they are costing a fortune down the vets and in emotional trauma with disappearing acts! - did I mention they have only caught one mouse in months!!!!
 
Bens_Mum said:
Thanks everyone! We did have him neutered which as suggested has done nothing! He has got stables and a cat house by the back door with lots of blankets in it. Im probably being stupid its just the sudden change in behavior that was bothering me he has got that many ailments I suppose maybe I should accept one day he is lightly to take himself off. OH is having a mental as now the other cat has an eye abssess so after I persuaded him into having them as 'vermin control' they are costing a fortune down the vets and in emotional trauma with disappearing acts! - did I mention they have only caught one mouse in months!!!!
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Oh dear, that plan didn't go down well:D
But i have heared of a place that has feral/semi feral cats and is looking for homes on stable's and these do keep vermin under control, just thought i'd mention it, in case you were intrested.
 
As the others have said, I'm afraid they do just decide to take themselves off on adventures, even if they have been neutered. He knows where he can find warmth and shelter and will be keeping himself warm and dry - and fed! One of ours used disappear off and only come home when he'd got himself into a scrape and needed vet attention and then as soon as he was better off he'd go again.
 
Oh yes, Iive had two neutered toms who would catch a rabbit and eat the whole thing and then disappear for up to five days while they slept it off. They would come back looking motheaten and still with a huge bellyful of rabbit :) One wasn't even a strays, though the stray was worse.
 
I have 3 young female cats who I have had since birth. They were born in my house and have been there ever since 2 of them rarely stray from the house, but 1 will disappear too. My house is surrounded by fields and very few neighbours so I don't have to worry about roads as such, but Pickle will sometimes disappear for as long as a week. She comes back hungry, thirsty and tired, stays at home for a couple of days to sleep and eat and will then go off again. Sometimes she is only gone for 1 night, sometimes a whole week. I've got used to it now but the first time it really worried me.

If your's was a stray then he is perfectly capable of looking after himself and will just come and go as he pleases.

ETA: mine turned up this morning after 2 days away....found her in the kitchen with a big dead rat in her mouth :eek::eek: I made her take that back outside lol!!
 
I must have the world's laziest cats then....they are both 6 brother and sister i've had them since they were 6wks....(weren't aware at time)....all they ever do is sleep...on my bed come down at lunchtime for quick feed, then back to bed or will sit in window's....bugger off to sleep again and then maybe they might want out for 10mins max.....come in and 5pm.....no later they want their tea....then outside again for stretch......they are not gone for long at all.....too scared to bring anything back...they are scared of their own shadow's.....daft stoopid cats...lol
 
Mine do exactly that - 12 of mine were feral toms - all rejects that turned up, got neutered and moved in:D! They often disappear for a few days totally out of the blue after being in every night for months, even my toothless deaf 20 something year old went missing for 3 weeks this summer, we searched everywhere for her and thought she's snuffed it, but she came back!!:D
We did have one cat called Bob who I'd spent 8 weeks taming and he was such a sweet cat, then he went missing a few months later, a couple of days after he went I found a tabby and white cat smushed on the road - I was gutted - so we had a funeral for Bob and buried him with his favorite toy mouse. 4 days later Bob jumped up at the window - nearly s**t myself - turned out we'd buried an identical feral cat - what are the chances!!!! - poor cat - but at least it wasn't Bob, they seem to live to make us worry, why do we have pets!!!:D
 
another reason why i dislike cats, they just cannot be trusted!

He was a stray, and i dont completely believe you can take the stray out of a cat, especially an older one. it was awfully nice of you to take care of him, but in his eyes, you are most likely just a restarant he can frequent. i wouldnt be surprised if he has several people who think he is ''theirs''. he'll come and go, but he is a wanderer and thats his way.

when i moved house with my cat (who had from a kitten and was always mine) a week later the village was covered in ''have you seen my cat?'' posters, we had to do alot of ringing around saying 'we are very sorry but my cat has just been using you for food and occasional cuddles'. the amount of people who take in a cat and assume its a stray and that they are rescuing it, lol.
 
Bens_mum: Seems as if the old Tom is following his instincts, but knows where you are, and comes back when he's ready. Nerve-wracking, and who knows maybe he's catching mice on the QT! You've done all you can, guess it's a case of keep on doing the same. They dont change overnight.

newtothis said:
another reason why i dislike cats, they just cannot be trusted!

Hmm, cats are so not like humans........yes they follow their very strong instincts to hunt, being carnivores, and for self-preservation (as do dogs, whose way is to fall in with us a bit more presumably as they are pack animals and 'hunt' with us, where as a cat isnt), but my experience is that they do eventually come home (and I always make a big fuss of them; despite the 'rabbit bulge' and accompanying fleas!!). Though I never get used to this.

For me, to bond with a cat is quite special - they choose to be with you (when their at home of course), seek out your company-not always welcome at 3 in the morning-and have great senses of humour, well some do.
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