"Zythophile" wrote in message
...
My 5 year old moggie has just developed wanderlust. I moved house about a
year ago and expected problems then. But she's been fine until about 6
weeks ago. Now she's gone missing twice in 6 weeks for about 12 days each.

She's been found and returned both times, after a poster campaign by me &
the kids; the first time by someone about a kilometre away and the second
time by a neighbour about 50 m away. I live in a city centre, so a 1 km
radius gives lots of hiding spaces and lots of potential new homes. On
both occaisions she's returned in good condition and well fed - in fact a
bit too well fed. I suspect that she's found a second home somewhere.

I've had her microchipped mainly because she loses any collar I put on her
within a week. In hindsight, I think that was pointless - there are so
many alley cats around here that if everyone reported every potential
stray, the RSPCA would be snowed under.

Does anyone have any suggestions to discourage her wandering? She's too
old and to become a housecat, and to be honest, I've never had a housecat.
I find it difficult enough to keep the cats indoors for a couple of days
after they've been in the cattery. The fortnight I had to keep them
confined to barracks when I moved house was sheer hell for me and I don't
think they enjoyed it much either.

Any suggestions will be gratefully received.

Z

Oh well, the big day has come. I let her out today. I think it was a big
relief for both of us: I think she was starting to get cabin fever. Her
behaviour was getting more and more erratic. She was constantly mewing at
the door; spitting and hissing at her sister and, when I picked her up a
couple of days ago, she scratched me for the first time ever.

I let her out this morning, in a dusting of snow, and she was like a kitten
again. She was straight up the apple tree and scared the sh*t out of a
robin. She's come back inside now and is curled up on the settee with a
satisfied purr that is rattling the windows.

--
Z
51° 37' 23" N, 3° 56' 27" W