Hi All

I wonder if anyone could help me fathom out how to solve/resolve my feline problem?

My dear old cat appears to have moved out and it’s causing problems! He’s 17 years old and healthy (also neutered). No change here at home or extra stress (in so far as I can tell!).

Sorry this is a bit long but wanted to give you enough information.

Up until recently, he’s been a real homebody, follows me around the house, never wanders far, just pops out to the loo and back in again (literally goes out, visits the garden and immediately scratches the door to come back in), sleeps on me (not next to me) every night and totally devoted and very content until 2 weeks ago.

Two weeks ago he went out to the loo late at night and didn’t come back in. Couldn’t find him anywhere and naturally worried, as it was unusual behaviour. We hunted high and low for him. Repeated the search during the following day too.

Then a neighbour from the next street knocked on our door to say they had a ginger cat sleeping in their garden (under a fir tree). The neighbour said he thought it might be our cat because he knew we had an old ginger cat (he’d seen him come to greet us at our door when we had been out).

We went to see and it was our Bertie so we brought him home and didn’t think too much about it. We installed a litter tray and kept him in for a week. He then accidentally escaped and we went straight to the neighbours and collected him (we knew where to find him!).

The problem we have is two-fold. Firstly, Bertie is accustomed to having some outside time and has found the confinement intolerable (toileting all over the house, restless, scratching at the door, hunting for escape routes etc.) and secondly the neighbour doesn’t want him in their garden. Apparently, they have a new and timid rescue cat that won’t go out when he sees Bertie in their garden.

The problem is that they feed their rescue cat in the garden and Bertie is eating all their food (he has wet and dry food here – constant access, we even bought their brand of food when we knew what he was doing). It looks very much as if on his travels he’s found their food and taken a liking to it and their garden.

Anyway, we’ve kept him in for another week (misery for all of us) and he definitely doesn’t want anything to do with us. He’s become very testy – not loving and devoted just bad tempered.

He escaped again tonight, shot through my sons legs as the front door opened. We went to get him back but he wouldn’t come to us or let us catch him. About an hour later the neighbour knocked on the door and handed Bertie back to us. He’s sulking now!

I don’t particularly want him pooping and peeing everywhere – despite giving him two litter boxes (but I can live with that!) but most importantly I don’t want him miserable for the rest of his life by having to keep him confined. Each time he escapes (or if I were to let him out) he goes straight to the neighbours and it’s upsetting their cat and their routine.

I’ve asked them not to feed their cat in their garden (in the hope that Bertie will give up) but I’m not sure if they’ve acted upon that. I’ve also asked that they don’t fuss or pet him (they seem unable to help themselves and he’s treating them as his owners now). He’s making a real nuisance of himself as he’s scratching and howling at their door during the night to be let into their house! They clearly don’t want him around (in the nicest possible sense) and I want him safe with me and not kipping out in the cold under a tree with no shelter from the elements.

Any suggestions about what I can do?

Wow - Bit of a problem there - I don't really know, but I would try to talk to the neighbours and maybe try to get them to frighten him out of their garden and make being there unpleasant for him. Get a feliway diffuser for your house. Treat him when he is in the house and play with him lots to make him feel welcome.

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please look at my website - www.finesthourcats.webs.com - for gorgeous GCCF registered RagaMuffins and Selkirk Rex

This is very strange indeed. I've had cats who frequented neighbours' houses for food but they always came home volunarily at a later stage! Are you absolutely sure nothing has changed recently at home? Might even be something you believe is totally unconnected.

Now I'm wondering if it may be a form of early stage dementia since it sounds as if he truly believes this is his home. However, I'd like to rule out a medical problem as well so I'd pop him along to the vets for a blood test-it's always a good idea with oldies to check organ function especially liver, kidneys etc.

Has he recently had a check over at the vets?
If he hasn't I think I would take him just to make sure everything is ok with his health.
Also you could cat proof your garden so he can go out but not out of your garden. If you have high fencing then it is quite easy to do and not expensive.

I think most elderly cats like to be in home in the warmth especially now the weather is getting colder.
Just wondering as he always liked to be in home if he has got bit of Altzimers. (sorry not sure how to spell it)
We have 17.6 year old cat and she has become more vocal and a bit deaf.

I would try and keep him in and although he might not like it for a few weeks i am sure he will get use to it.
Now the weather is getting colder he could catch a bad cold and is not good for an elderly puss.
Like spid says try a feliway plug in, it might help.

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Hi Spid, Ianthi & Jill3

Thanks for your comments, much appreciated.

Bertie has been checked over at the vets about a month ago and found to be healthy. Took him because he had a watery eye – no infection, apparently an age related thing. Will make another appointment for bloods as those were last done 6 months ago when he had his thyroid gland removed due to over activity.

He’s very much loved here and treated like our baby. Sleeps on me in bed and has cat treats on the bed every night before we settle down.

I think he might have Alzheimer’s, we’ve been discussing that recently as he’s been a little “peculiar” for a while now. So strange that he would swap the love of his life (me!), a warm house/bed and his cat treats for a fir tree in a neighbour’s garden.

Will also get a feliway, and see if that helps. With regard to things changing at home, the night he went out and didn’t come home was the night I wormed him. He doesn’t like being wormed, doesn’t make a fuss as such but definitely not keen! Strange though as he’s wormed regularly. Think the key was that he happened across the neighbours house and rather fancies the set up!

Our garden is secure with 8 ft fencing and no escape routes as such but he can climb the fencing so not sure how I can make it cat escape proof. He’s like a “man on a mission” with his escape plans now!

Toileting in the house continues unabated – he’s peeing here there and everywhere and pooping and he’s very vocal about being shut in.

Much as I want to keep him in 24/7 I don’t think that is going to be possible. He’s been in for nearly 3 weeks now (bar the brief escape) and is as miserable as sin about it. He has been a homebody all his life but has always gone out briefly to the toilet and I think he’s too set in his ways to become a 100% indoor cat (when he doesn’t want to be). I feel I’m going to have to let him out and then fetch him home again if he doesn’t return of his own volition.

Will speak to the neighbours again and ask them to shoo him out of their garden. They have been inadvertently encouraging him by fussing him and with their food supply he's clearly happy enough with the arrangements – strange boy!

there are ways to make 8ft fencing secure. The easiest is to put angled bracket along the top with netting attached so they have to climb out backwards/ upside-down (not possible) to get out.

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please look at my website - www.finesthourcats.webs.com - for gorgeous GCCF registered RagaMuffins and Selkirk Rex

Have you noticed this 'peculiarity' since the thyroidectomy op then? Any other symptoms. Increased drinking and urination? Appetite levesl? I wonder if a contributory factor is because he's seeking out a cooler environment?

Has he had a bloodtest post thyroidectomy to check the T4 levels? The reason I ask is because sometimes there's ectopic tissue which is still 'active' outside the surgery site. Sometimes for this reason the operation isn't always 100% successful. Also it's important now to keep an eye on kidney levels as well since untreated hyperthyroidism can mask pre-existing renal problems which are revealed when it's treated. Toxin build-up can sometimes cause 'confusion' and a bloodtest might help to pinpoint a problem.

Hope you get to the root of the problem soon but I'd certainly like to exclude a medical component first!

I agree with spid and we have done this and here are the pictures.
As for the weeing and pooing. Have you tried putting a few litter trays down?
Also you can get puppy traing pads that might help.
If you haven't got any proper cleaning stuff for cat urine then i would try that. I know they sell it at pets at home.
Also you could ask what your neighbours have been feeding him with and get some.
When they get old they can be quite challenging but so can us when we get old
Hopefully it's just a stage that he's going through and soon he will think that the warmth of the fire and a nice cuddle with you is far better.

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The catproofing is a great idea. I have had such peace of mind since I catproofed my garden.
Is is perhaps not a fascination with the neighbours' new rescue cat? Is she female? When I got my neutered boy, he developed a sort of "crush" on our neighbours' (spayed) female. She is very aloof and really played "hard to get". Nunu was mooning around the back door all the time, trying to see her and, when he got out, hung around their front gate for a glimpse of Snuki. Eventually she overcame her shyness with him and allowed him to approach her, at which point he immediately lost interest (typical male ). Nunu has not been much interested in Snuki since. Has Bertie had contact with the new kitty yet? It is possible that he will retain this "fascination" until the novelty wears off and the phase will pass.
Good luck.

He started to get a little "strange" before the thyroidectomy but settled down (was less “strange” if you know what I mean) after the operation. He hasn’t been blood tested since the op.

Like you I wondered about him wanting to be cooler just recently (but it has been hot here). Now the days and nights are cooler I was expecting him to be snuggled in against me.

He’s displaying none of the symptoms that lead me to take him to the vets for the thyroid problem. When that started two things were very obvious, one was the drinking (I suspected diabetes) and the other was that he started eating like a horse!

Will get them to check him over and test as appropriate but there are no obvious symptoms associated with the thyroid (unless the Alzheimer’s and wanting to sleep in cooler places are symptoms).