Injured cat

[Palinurus]

So he stayed in a couple of days, then went out and didn't return for three days. Seems he's changed his habits, he used to go out for several hours at a time but was pretty predictable and would return at certain times- depending on the temperature.

I don't think he's found someone else to feed him because he eats really enthusiastically when he returns.

Yesterday we put a cheap collar on him, wrote his name and a contact number on it (we thought about one of those engraved discs but I suspect he'll find a way to lose the collars). It's got a little bell. He's already learned to ring it more or less continuously and wake me up in the early hours.

[Palinurus]

He stays indoors now. He did go out a few times but I think he got scared and hid (which made it somewhat difficult to get him back until he got hungry enough to brave the return trip).

He doesn't ask to go out now. Instead he wakes us up at 5 am demanding food and attention.

[TimO]

I'm glad to hear that he's not disappearing off too much any more.

I'm still letting Talisker out in the day, and locking him in when I get home.  He's not overly keen on being kept in overnight, but too greedy when I offer him some snack in the evenings, so is easily trapped!

[Jaded]

He doesn't ask to go out now. Instead he wakes us up at 5 am demanding food and attention.

Ah, a late riser. 

[Palinurus]

Well whatever happened to him he hasn't asked to go outside since. This is a bit of a problem since he can be very active at night, and I often find myself waggling around a bit of string on a stick at 3 am to try and tire him out a bit so I can go back to sleep.

We took him to the allotment last Sunday in his cat box, and now we have a harness for him and are trying to get him used to going outside a bit- he seems like he might be taking to it. Plus he was pretty quiet at night afterwards.

Just now he surprised me by leaping in from the bedroom window- he'd obviously gone for a wander over the rooftops.

[TimO]

It sounds like he's got quite nervous about the outside world.

Talisker seems to be quite happy with going outside, and returning for food.  He normally sleeps inside the house at night, although his cat flap is open around the clock now.  Generally he'll wait for me to give him his breakfast (and pre-breakfast Hyperthyroid pill!), and then depending on weather conditions disappear off outside.  My road is basically a cul-de-sac, so there's little traffic to trouble him if he goes out front, so possibly a bit of a calmer environment than yours.

Today he went out after breakfast, and I haven't seen him since, although it's likely he's found a sunny spot in the garden to snooze, and guard his territory.

My sister takes her cats out on their harness and leads.  They're indoors cats, so don't go outside unescorted.  She particularly likes taking them to places with No Dogs signs, and pointedly walking past ignoring them.

[Palinurus]

possibly a bit of a calmer environment than yours.

We are pretty much in the town centre, and adjacent to an A-road. Having said that there are plenty of quiet places for cats to go out the back- car parks attached to businesses that are closed during prowling hours, fire escapes, gardens etc. I haven't seen Boushti since his leap through the window- but that's because I got the Dyson out earlier. He'll be hiding in the roofspace until it's time for fish.

[Palinurus]

Well, after a few forays outside on the harness he asked to go out earlier this week and again tonight. He is staying within the communal garden area out the back, sniffing stuff.

[Feline]

Well, after a few forays outside on the harness he asked to go out earlier this week and again tonight. He is staying within the communal garden area out the back, sniffing stuff.

 
Hopefully he will continue to gain confidence the more he ventures out.

[matthew]

sounds to me that while he was injured / on restricted outdoor time another cat has usurped his place in the pecking order or pinched his patch and he was getting isolated from home til hunger gave the required motivation to cross enemy lines for home.

[Palinurus]

Possibly, I hadn't considered it that way.

[matthew]

we had it in the house, our two (sisters) go on fine until after their first litters, one was then spayed but the other was too quick to get pregnant again and my sisters then were unwilling to get her spayed. This lead to a change of the in-house pecking order and the cat who only had one litter became very shy and very nervous around her sister. The language became very blue between them. If you have never heard a cat growl 

[TimO]

Cats seem to have a complex social structure, that I don't think we really fully understand.  In a lot of species, females with young are often considered superior, since they have a proven track record in procreation, which is obviously important from a survival of the species point-of-view.

[Palinurus]

Whoa! he was out all of last night, I slept right through to 6 am, when I woke up and thought I'd better check on him.

He came at a run when I jangled my keys out the window (which, back before last August, was the standard call for breakfast).

We may be moving to a small Maisonette in the next few months- it's got a catflap!