Rehoming mature cats - He's back again

Forget liners and newspaper in the tray.

The best way to make sure that clumps don't stick to the bottom is to ensure that there is lots of litter in there so the litter will work properly. Ideally you need nice deep trays so when they wee it soaks into the litter and forms a good clump! (sorry if this is too much information for some people!)

So long as you remove all solids and clumps regularly and top up as necessary you do not need to chuck it all away. When you wash the tray out weekly with hot soapy water (not necessary to use disinfectant as the strong smell can put them off the tray!) simply empty litter into bin liner and replace it in clean tray. This way you retain enough of their scent so they will keep using it.

Good way to remove cat fur from clothes/soft furnishings is with damp rubber gloves! Just put them on, run them under the tap and shake excess off then wipe over furry area in one direction....magic!

Have they never had a cat flap before?

Heather
 
Hi Heather,

No neither have had a cat flap before. The young one could let herself in and out by leaping on the dustbin round Mums then coming in through the kitchen window. the old geezer cant jump much higher than knee height so he had to be let in and out via the door.

I do already put the litter in fairly deep and yes it does clump into a sort of thick disc shape as you say. Yesterday though, even though I thought both litter trays were fully emptied there was still a strong whiff from somewhere. :gag:
 
If they are not taking to the cat flap then a good way to hold it open is to clip a clothes peg to it (on the flap bit, not the frame bit).

We use the wood pellet cat litter from Asda - it works way better than catsan and is cheaper too. Liners are a waste of time with all the scrapping / clawing that goes on and if you put newspaper in the bottom you might find the cats scrape the cat litter to the side and pee on the paper. That smells way worse than the cat litter ever will!!

I would not recommend the wood cat litter from Pets at Home though - turns to sawdust way too easily.
 
DorsetDude said:
Hi Heather,

No neither have had a cat flap before. The young one could let herself in and out by leaping on the dustbin round Mums then coming in through the kitchen window. the old geezer cant jump much higher than knee height so he had to be let in and out via the door.

I do already put the litter in fairly deep and yes it does clump into a sort of thick disc shape as you say. Yesterday though, even though I thought both litter trays were fully emptied there was still a strong whiff from somewhere. :gag:
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Yes, well it is really hot which doesn't help! :gag:

You may need to empty/clean but put some of the old litter back in with the new, maybe 20%.

It may also be that the old boy has strong wee!

The girlie should not have too much trouble learning to use the flap but the old boy may be more resistant! Make sure they are hungry and entice them with ham/cooked chicken or another treat from the other side, opening the flap gently if necessary. If you are home and all is quiet outside you could allow them out with you, making sure that they know where the door is! Better if they are hungry as then you can call them in and feed them after their taste of the wild!

Be prepared for them to leg it and return 5 hours later, strolling in as though there is no problem. :D

Heather
 
Ive just let the old one out. About 20 minutes ago out the back door. I didnt think he'd go far. Started with a circuit of the back garden. Then found the driveway. Last time I saw him was about 4 houses up the road.
Why did I do that?! :bang: Gawd. Of course Im stuck at home now until he comes back. Assuming he does come back!
 
If he can get back in via the cat flap and there is food visible through it then there's added incentive to learn how to use the flap :) If you let yourself be cat butler then you'll spend your days letting them in and out endlessly...
 
Sorry thought Id updated this yesterday.
Yes he came back after about an hour. I wandered the streets looking and on my way back saw him going in my front gate.
Sister let hers out for 1st time today at 7am and at 12 he still hadnt reappeared.

If plans work, will let my both out tonight about 7, an hour or so before evening feed

Havent unveiled the catflap yet.
 
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Mine are often skulking in the garden during the day in the warmer weather and often go out after breakfast and don't reappear for hours.

If you let them out shortly before it is likely to rain then they usually return in double quick time :)
 
Second "letting out" last night about 7.30pm so they'd come back for feeding at 8.30-9ish. First night for the younger one (7). Older one never came back. Young one came out once, had a mooch, came back in sat on my lap, then went out again for longer. Came back ok though.
Had to leave garden room door open last night and seal lounge/garden room door. Left food and water in garden room. No sign of his bed out there being slept on. Saw a siamese in there this morning so I bet that ate the food.
My sister let hers out at 7am yesterday morning and he never came back either.

Id best print out some missing cat posters I think. :(

Mother expected to leave us any day now, if she asks if cats are settled in best to lie i think. Sister did bedside vigil at Macmillan yesterday, I went down for a while too. Expecting 'that' phone call any time.
 
Firstly, sorry about your mum it's not nice and I still miss mine a great deal.
When we had a cat it did from time to time stay out overnight so I wouldn't worry too much about that - we did have at least one occasion where the cat wondered off back to the old home after a move so if it's gone a while mum's home might be worth a check.
 
Thanks to you both. I will try mums old house later today. Ive emailed local cats protection league also.
I cant believe the cats could make a 4 or 5 mile trip back to their previous place, how would they know the direction. Fingers crosed if they did, they make it ok.

Still no sign of either cat yet. I dont think we'll ever see either of them again. :(

Meanwhile I am going to keep the last one indoors now for another week at least. Frightened to let her out now.
 
DorsetDude said:
Thanks to you both. I will try mums old house later today. Ive emailed local cats protection league also.
I cant believe the cats could make a 4 or 5 mile trip back to their previous place, how would they know the direction. Fingers crosed if they did, they make it ok.

Still no sign of either cat yet. I dont think we'll ever see either of them again. :(

Meanwhile I am going to keep the last one indoors now for another week at least. Frightened to let her out now.
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Really sorry to hear about your mum, Keith.

Don't give up looking locally for the old boy. Someone may think he is a stray as he is new to the area and be feeding him.

When I first let one of my old cats out, I think he had gone to sleep and when he woke up it was dark and he didn't know where home was. I called and rattled biscuits for about 3 hours walking around and then I heard him calling, he was only 3 gardens away! Very pleased to see me though!

Might be worth getting them chipped if they aren't already.

When you let them out, you need to be around to keep an eye on them and call them back several times so they recognise where their home is. Use treats as bribery and don't feed them before you let them out.

Mind you, I did all this with my current rescue boy, was around all day, took him back in 3 times and then he vanished for 5 1/2 hours! I had kept him indoors for 3 weeks before I let him out, too!

Good luck!

Heather
 
Definitely get some posters up, they are more likely to be lost than heading 'home' - I think Yves Geza mentioned much earlier in this thread that one of ours was gone for 13 weeks... she was less than a mile away and just simply lost, being fed by an old lady. They may be at mums and worth popping down and asking the neighbours round there to keep an eye out for a few days/weeks.

However cats are VERY resourceful, don't panic too much yet, spend time with mum that is most important at the moment :hug:
 
My neighbour took a stray off another friend who had it turn up on their doorstep out of the blue. After the 3rd time it walked the 2.5 miles back to their doorstep they decided it was a pointless effort trying to move it. You'd be amazed at a lot of animal's sense of direction!
 
Thanks all.
Mother passed yesterday.:(

Still nothing on the cat front. :(

What a bloody week.

(Is that Haiku?!)
 
DorsetDude said:
Thanks all.
Mother passed yesterday.:(

Still nothing on the cat front. :(

What a bloody week.

(Is that Haiku?!)
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Sorry to hear about your mum.

Check neighbour's sheds and garages again. My first cat disappeared for a couple of days when he was young. Silly sod had got into someone's coal shed.
 
DorsetDude said:
Thanks all.
Mother passed yesterday.:(

Still nothing on the cat front. :(

What a bloody week.

(Is that Haiku?!)
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That's one hell of a Haiku!! :eek:

Sorry to hear all that, Keith. :(

Every best wish to you and your sister too!
 
sorry to hear about your mum dude.
 
Well Knock me down with a feather. Phone call whilst at work today on my mobile. "Hello this is Karen from the RSPCA, have you lost a black and white cat...?"
Cut a long story short it was him and hes now back home after a brief pit stop at sisters whilst I drove from work to get him.
Some good news at last.
He was found in a ladies garden roughly a mile North and across one busy main road. Totally different direction to where he used to live. :thinking:

Think 2 more weeks at least kept in and then a harness on for first few nights out.

Moggies, who'd have em!
 
Really sorry to hear about your mum Keith, hope things are settling as well as they can be at this time.

Good news on the moggy front though, told you.... more likely to get lost than try and make it home, useless things they are :lol: :thumbs:
 
Thanks Yv

I think the one who's had the house/me to herself for a week is a bit miffed now. :)

They both just had half a packet of sheba each so hopefully he'll start feeling better now. A good kip will help him too I expect.
 
Sooo glad he has been found. :)

It may make him a bit warier about wandering off (or not!) He may have fallen asleep and not known where (new) home was when he woke up.

I should think that Missy is well miffed, but will get over it :lol:

Things should hopefully start looking up soon as they become used to you and new home, cats usually know where they are cosy and fed well and can twist people around their paws.

Sheba!!!! now you have done it, they won't want the cheap stuff any more! :D

Heather
 
Cheers all,

polished off his third meal since he got home this morning. He needs fattening back up again. (Tesco senior, not sheba as well!)

Need to ring the cats protection people in a mo to let them know he's been found too.
 
I kept the little b****r in for nigh on 6 weeks after the last incident. Then began putting a harness on him and taking him round the garden after 4 weeks. Did that for a week. I then began letting him out, with a collar and bell and id tag on, and then rattling the food bowls as soon as he tried to jump next doors, getting him in, feeding him and then not letting him out til next day.
Did that for a week.
One day he went over next doors, I gave it 10 minutes and went looking and found him 2 houses down in the opposite direction, in a driveway. Soon as he saw me he came charging out and followed me back.
A day or 2 later he did it again, I was due to be going out in about an hours time and the little sod never came back this time.
That was last Thursday and Ive not seen him since.
Im beginning to think that the house move with him is just not going to work. Whether he's too old at 18 to adjust or what I do not know. As soon as he goes out of my sight he just gets lost and doesnt come back. :bang:
If he ever reappears again this time I will never want to let him out again and thats not right really but what can you do.
The other cat meanwhile is good as gold. Ive propped the cat flap open whilst the older one is missing and she lets herself in and out as she wants.
Of course, now if the old one does come back, I'll have to lock the cat flap again for fear of him disappearing and then thats not fair on her anymore.

<sigh>
 
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When you see him again I'd take him to the vets to be checked out as kidney issues can make older cats confused.

One of those magnetic collar thingy cat flaps is one solution as the other cat can have the collar on and he will have to be supervised!
 
srichards said:
When you see him again I'd take him to the vets to be checked out as kidney issues can make older cats confused.
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Thats highly possible. He drinks loads of water. Didnt know it made them confused though. If he ever returns I will do that. Poor sod.

One of those magnetic collar thingy cat flaps is one solution as the other cat can have the collar on and he will have to be supervised!
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Cunning!

Thanks Suz
 
I didn't know about the confusion thing until recently either. It's the uric acid. It goes into their brains so they can be a bit funny. Diabetes can also make them drink more.
 
Latecomer to this thread.

Keith, very sorry to hear about your Mum's passing.

We had a similar situation with Dad - he was in a Hospicecare hospice rather than a MacMillan one but they're all the same behind the signs. When he realised he was unlikely to leave, he was going to put his cat up for adoption through the CPL. We had always avoided having a cat since we have nowhere to put a flap, but decided that Maisie was so dear to us that we would give her a try and see how we got on - if we couldn't cope, the CPL (or the couple who used to cat sit her when Dad had to spend a few days in hospital in the early stages of his cancer) could take her on.

She's always been extremely affectionate but we did plan on keeping her in for a while before letting her out on her own. However, as the Scottish poet said, plans ganged agly and she managed to creep out through a gap I swear a mouse couldn't get through! She did a tour of the garden, performed her ablutions in a corner (where she still gos) and came back in, looking for more food. From time to time, she faiuls to come in on first calling but always reappears after an hour or so. Strangely, she's most likely to do her short vanishing act when we need to go out (or just want to) but manages to come in just before we make the decision to lock her out while we're not there! I suppose I should build her a little cat house...

Food? She has a constantly replenished supply of Iams (a mixture of fat cat and hairball control) and gets a dollop of Aldi pouch on demand (and boy, is she demanding!). Always got fresh water beside her food but prefers the water from the ground level bird bath - I suppose it tastes of bird! She has a litter enclosure, checked regularly and filled with petsathome wood pellet litter. She doesn't use it that often and mainly for wees rather than big stinkies, although when she does a big stinky, you can tell! She has the full run of the house (apart from the computer room, where piles of paper and camera kit boxes currently make it a bit hazardous for her.) including our bedroom day and night. We used to shut her downstairs but the carpet inside the sitting room door suffered rather a lot, so we let her go wherever she pleases now.

As seems to be the way of cats, she always wants to be the other side of a closed door, so we keep the patio doors open just wide enough for her to get through - it lets some heat out but I'm well insulated (read fat!) and happy to wear an extra layer if necessary, just to keep her happy. Thinking about a conservatory next year, in which case we'll make sure there can be provision for cat flaps from main house to conservatory and conservatory to garden - she understands the concept of the flaps (she's used them well in the past) but always used a plaintive meow in preference to the effort of using them!

We administer the flea/tick/insect drops at the recommended intervals and have found drops for worming too - we can't get tablets down her without needing sutures - and get her boosted for the usual diseases at the same time as she gets her MOT. She wails all the way whenever she's in the car but once out of the car, she quiets down and is her usual happy self. She has a nice hotel for when we go to our nice hotels and always comes home slightly fatter and reeking of perfume (I told you she was affectionate!) from all the cuddles she gets.

The biggest problem we have with her is that people want to steal her! A quote from a recent visitor (who has posted in this thread about his (and her) menagerie of 5 cats and 2 dogs) goes something like this... Her "Have we got everything?" Him "No, we haven't got the cat!" (I'm sure she sends her love, J&Y!)

Apart from anything else, she's a living reminder of Mum and Dad, both of whom passed away in the past 4 or 5 years. A constant joy? No, not constant - she has a tendency to bolt her food and sometimes it bounces straight back up. Not pleasant at 04:30. Oh, and she scratches the carpet (laminated flooring will cure that in the sitting room) and the furniture (party my fault - the chair she mainly claws used to be where Mum sat when the chair was in their house and she (Maisie) used to claw it then). That reminds me, must wrap her in a towel and clip her claws soon. Would we be without her? NO! Although at some point, it's almost inevitable that we'll outlive her but that's many years in the future - she's been told she's not allowed to die but not sure she understood.
 
Update:

He's back again. Found yesterday by someone, again about half a mile away, this time in a westerly direction. (last time he went North, Mothers old house is south-east)
Time to get him to the vets for an MOT and check those kidneys out and get him chipped I think.

There are mutterings about him now going to live with my sister because 'we' think he may be missing the other male cat that is with her. I would in theory by ok with this except for she lives in a tiny top floor one bed flat and its quite near to a busy main road as well. There's no way I would want that cat with me 2 is plenty, 3 would be too much.
My ideal would be just to have Phoebe because she is now safe to come and go as she pleases via the cat flap but with Squirt back I now have to lock it so once Phoebe comes in she cannot get out again.

Bleedin' animals! ;)

Ho hum.
 
I'd let Squirt go and live with his friend. A one bedroomed flat means he'll be an indoor cat and at his age it probably won't be an issue. If he's already wobbly then it is probably for the best that he is kept in more. You can buy cat grass in window ledge sized tubs so he wouldn't be missing out on much.

Or just have all 3 as if he's already a bit wobbly and confused he may not be with you that long anyway.
 
DorsetDude said:
Update:

He's back again. Found yesterday by someone, again about half a mile away, this time in a westerly direction. (last time he went North, Mothers old house is south-east)
Time to get him to the vets for an MOT and check those kidneys out and get him chipped I think.

There are mutterings about him now going to live with my sister because 'we' think he may be missing the other male cat that is with her. I would in theory by ok with this except for she lives in a tiny top floor one bed flat and its quite near to a busy main road as well. There's no way I would want that cat with me 2 is plenty, 3 would be too much.
My ideal would be just to have Phoebe because she is now safe to come and go as she pleases via the cat flap but with Squirt back I now have to lock it so once Phoebe comes in she cannot get out again.

Bleedin' animals! ;)

Ho hum.
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Glad he's home.

It's a hard one. I noticed a huge difference between 1 cat and 2. Mine are indoor cats (Sphynx) so they don't get out at all apart from the summer when I sit in the garden with them. The litter tray just seems to constantly need done.
 
srichards said:
I'd let Squirt go and live with his friend.
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Thing is they didnt outwardly appear to get on that well. always hissing and fighting each other at meal times etc, but maybe thats cats being friendly! :thinking:

A one bedroomed flat means he'll be an indoor cat and at his age it probably won't be an issue. If he's already wobbly then it is probably for the best that he is kept in more. You can buy cat grass in window ledge sized tubs so he wouldn't be missing out on much.
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Yes maybe you are right. If my sister doesnt mind the extra litter duties it might work out better for all concerned, moggys and humans!

Thanks
 
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