Cat help please

[MillyMoo]

So let me start by saying I'm quite experienced with cats, always had them and I know how to look after them etc, but this one has absolutely flummoxed me so I'm looking for help or advice please!

When my cat was about 2 she ran away because somebody else was feeding her, I thought she was local as I'd seen her a couple of times- literally a couple of times. Fastforward 11ish years and up pops a post on Facebook does anybody recognise this cat - instantly recognised her as mine so I went round to get her. Stood in their garden and realised its directly opposite my house across a park.
Brought her home, treated her for fleas and worms etc, let her out after 3wks and she disappeared straight back over there. Now the lady who was feeding her moved away and just left her, she didn't give her a name or anything but the cat still sees thay area as hers.

She regularly disappears for a few days and comes back with sores on her, a big absess which cost not far off of £200 to treat. After being home for almost a month (kept in) I let her out and she went straight back, the new people have promised me they arent feeding her or letting her in and I trust that they arent. They phoned me today as she'd been missing for 5 days to say she was there and so I went to get her.
Shes not in good shape, she looks bedraggled, old, thin and she has sores from over licking.

I just dont know what to do with her. I obviously want to keep her but not if she's not happy here, I dont want her living rough either just so that I can see her once a week or so, but she doesn't want to be stuck in either! I dont know if rehoming her to a new area would be better for her, but then if she doesnt want a home environment that wouldn't work either!

I know nobody has the answer really, I just wondered what you'd all do 😔

[Welsh_Dragon]

If the cat has been living a semi feral life for 11 years, it isn’t going to change ways now. The most you can do is continue to collect it and offer food, in the hope that it will stay near your home. Also, with feral/semi feral cats you need to harden your heart, use salted water for bathing wounds and set a limit on how much you are willing to pay in vet fees, before euthanasia is an option.

[Mqt]

What’s a difficult situation. I think I’d keep her indoors now-especially as she looks bedraggled and see if she settles down after a couple of weeks. You never know, she might adapt to being an indoor cat once she’s become accustomed to it.

Without going into details, to our surprise, one of my cats has adapted similarly after perseverance.

[ScoopsAhoy]

I’m kind of having a similar problem although I can’t get my cat back yet.
He went missing in June and was seen around our old house a few times so we always went straight round and no sign.
Then 6 months passed and our friends / old neighbours spotted him back at our old address and he’s absolutely huge now, like really fat so someone has obviously taken him in which is really frustrating as he still has his collar on and he’s microchipped.
I’m relieved that he’s atleast being fed and of course that he’s alive as after 6 months we just weren’t sure.
Not seen him since then and my husband was literally straight out the door as soon as our friend called.
My poor dd has been heartbroken since June and even wrote to Father Christmas to ask him to bring him home which broke my heart and now it seems someone had just claimed him as their own and is now putting his health at risk by severely over feeding him.
Have constantly posted on fb and put up posters and still nothing.
Sorry for the mega long post but if we finally get him back then he will be an indoor cat like his brother as I can’t go through this again.
Best of luck.

[MillyMoo]

Originally Posted by Welsh_Dragon

If the cat has been living a semi feral life for 11 years, it isn’t going to change ways now. The most you can do is continue to collect it and offer food, in the hope that it will stay near your home. Also, with feral/semi feral cats you need to harden your heart, use salted water for bathing wounds and set a limit on how much you are willing to pay in vet fees, before euthanasia is an option.

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She hasn't been living a feral life or even a semi feral life, somebody started feeding her and decided she was her cat then moved away and left her! She disappears for days at a time and then makes an appearance or I collect her.
Shes getting on a bit now and the weather over the last few days has been hard on her but I wouldn't ever consider euthanasia over time and caring for her!

I have some stuff for her sores aswell, she just took herself off again before I had a chance to use it, but she definitely made them worse since she was away

[MillyMoo]

Originally Posted by ScoopsAhoy

I’m kind of having a similar problem although I can’t get my cat back yet.
He went missing in June and was seen around our old house a few times so we always went straight round and no sign.
Then 6 months passed and our friends / old neighbours spotted him back at our old address and he’s absolutely huge now, like really fat so someone has obviously taken him in which is really frustrating as he still has his collar on and he’s microchipped.
I’m relieved that he’s atleast being fed and of course that he’s alive as after 6 months we just weren’t sure.
Not seen him since then and my husband was literally straight out the door as soon as our friend called.
My poor dd has been heartbroken since June and even wrote to Father Christmas to ask him to bring him home which broke my heart and now it seems someone had just claimed him as their own and is now putting his health at risk by severely over feeding him.
Have constantly posted on fb and put up posters and still nothing.
Sorry for the mega long post but if we finally get him back then he will be an indoor cat like his brother as I can’t go through this again.
Best of luck.

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Isnt it hard! I wouldn't ever just start feeding a cat, especially not if it had a collar on.

Hope you do manage to get him home again x

[ScoopsAhoy]

Originally Posted by MillyMoo

Isnt it hard! I wouldn't ever just start feeding a cat, especially not if it had a collar on.

Hope you do manage to get him home again x

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Really is.
I hope you can find a solution and she realises that home is the best place for her 🤞🏼

[Mpet]

Sad to say, you may be fighting a losing battle. We've had several cats over the years and never had any bother with them when we moved... except one.

It didn't matter how long we kept him in at the new house, he kept going back 'home'. We kept going back to get him (as a neighbour called to let us know he was 'back'). No-one was feeding him, but it just seemed he had it hardwired in his brain that he had to go 'home'.

In the end one of our old neighbours took pity on us (and him) and let him live with her.

[Morty]

MillyMoo, what is she like when you keep her in for a couple of weeks? If it is bearable, maybe a longer stay in may help her think of home as home again. So sorry you are going through this. I hope she readjusts and settles down.

[MillyMoo]

Originally Posted by Mpet

Sad to say, you may be fighting a losing battle. We've had several cats over the years and never had any bother with them when we moved... except one.

It didn't matter how long we kept him in at the new house, he kept going back 'home'. We kept going back to get him (as a neighbour called to let us know he was 'back'). No-one was feeding him, but it just seemed he had it hardwired in his brain that he had to go 'home'.

In the end one of our old neighbours took pity on us (and him) and let him live with her.

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I did think about asking the new people if they felt like taking her on, but I dont know what the children would be like if they saw her again, a clean break would probably be better for everyone