cat -when to start worrying

Firehorse

Firehorse

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i'm looking after a friend's cat at the mo and i havent seen him since sunday and he hasnt been in for his food. when should i start to worry? the owners arent back for almost a fortnight and i dont want to phone them and spoil their holiday.
 
i think so. he was there the first 2 days i went in. my friend asked me to close the cat flap at night to keep him in, so i've been going twice a day. sunday morning i brushed him and played with him for a while and since then, his food has been untouched. i called out in the garden but nothing :(
 
If I was in your situation I would be in a state of panic! I really feel for you.

Our elderly siamese that hadn't been outside for four years went missing for three days in April. She just got it into her head that she wanted to go exploring. I was sure that she was dead, eaten by a fox/badger/buzzard or had 'gone off to die'. When she came back, she looked at me (I was streaming with tears) and said the cat equivalent of 'stop making all that fuss... where's my tea?'

Cats.

I hope this cat comes back soon. Can it get in the house when you aren't there? If it can, leave the food inside and it may wait for you to go before it eats it. You will know that it's been because the bowl will be empty.

It might be worth checking the local vets incase an unknown cat has been dropped off injured.
 
thx faracat. i'll pop round the neighbours tomorrow too and ask. it was my friends worst nightmare to loose him on the road outside her house. altho not busy, people drive way too fast. she'd lost 2 before this way :(

altho, i went away not long after letting my rescue cat out for the first time. she was no where to be seen when i got back. then she turned up the next day, no prob. maybe my friends cat got bored being by himself and went next door searching for company.
 
My cat went missing and shes moved into someone elses house.Theyre keeping her now as she wouldnt stay here.
Call the local vets to see if hes been handed in and RSPCA. Maybe hes out roaming.His he neutered?
 
yes he's neutered. they hadnt had him long, a few months. the house backs onto the hill where i ride so i will call out for him when i go up tomorrow. altho i think he might be somewhere snug as the weather's been horrid today.
 
If he went AWOL on a Sunday I'd be worried he was kipping in a shed and got shut in with the lawnmower/garden chairs/fork and spade. Perhaps ask along the nearest houses or stick a leaflet through asking to check outhouses. No point worrying your friend just yet.
 
Just a thought, sorry if its so obvious you've already checked, but is it a multi-way cat flap, and if so, is it set so the cat can come in? I only mention as we left a neighbour with the same instructions you had, but somehow he got the locking system wrong, and they were locked in during the day (if they were in already) but locked out otherwise. Luckily we only went for a weekend! Hope kitty comes home soon. :(
 
hi, thx for your suggestions. he was in yesterday when i went round, but hadnt touched his meat. so i'm wondering if he'd been there all along but just not eating. cheeky monkey. so all's well, panic over! altho he was really clingy this morning and when i got up to leave he was mewing like mad :(
 
glad to hear he has come back but it's worrying that he isn't eating and from what you say possibly hasn't eaten since Sunday. He may be pining for his owners,believe it or not cats do this as well as dogs. Also I'm sure you are putting down fresh food and not just leaving the same food from sunday down as cats are very fussy and won't touch food that has been down too long.
 
Glad to hear that he has come back safe and sound - I have 5 cats, and one of them is a real wanderer - she will go off for several days when the mood takes her - and I always worry every time she does it!

Agree with spike123 about changing the food - if it hasn't been eaten within a couple of hours of being put down, I would throw it and put fresh out later on. My cats will never eat food if its been left out for any length of time - they are far too fussy, and TBH cat food never smells that great when its first put out - never mind when its been out for a while!!

If he doesn't appear to be eating, but is still drinking / looking (sounding?? knowing cats...) ok, I wouldn't worry too much - cats will not let themselves go short - he is probably conning a neighbour to feed him, or found himself a good supply of mice! xx
 
oh he's eating now ok. i jst wonder if he didnt like the particular flavour of food. he gets half a sachet twice a day, so if he didnt like it, he wudnt hve wanted it twice over. thanks again, all is well. fingers crossed he continues to stay around for another week!
 
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