RSPCA said it's our fault our cat went missing

[Changebagsandgladrags]

Our cat went missing in May. We've decided that now is the time to get a kitten.

Jess was very used to the outdoors. Loved roaming in the fields and she came and went as she pleased. We didn't have a cat flap but we'd here her calling if the door was closed. If she was out at night she'd just call at the bedroom window to get in.

RSPCA lady just said she probably went missing because we don't have a cat flap.

Are cat flaps now essential? Have us human door openers been replaced by a flap?

[HirplesWithHaggis]

I've had cats, off and on, for over 30 years. Never had a cat flap, never had one go missing (though two moved out). Have three cats atm, no catflaps. RSPCA lady is mistaken.

[PosiePootlePerkins]

Well firstly that was unfair of the RSPCA lady, I'm sure plenty of cat owners manage fine without a cat flap. And it sounds as if you had it sorted in terms of letting her in again. If she was a wanderer then it's perfectly possible that she wandered too far one day - this happened to us last Summer.
Having said that, could you get a cat flap fitted? It would make life easier with a new kitten or cat and maybe the rescue centres would view you more favourably. Ours is a microchip flap and you can lock it one or both ways, it works well for us as we keep them in at night.

[Floralnomad]

I don't think a cat flap is a necessity but lots of rescues would expect you to keep a cat in over night as that is when they are most likely to come to harm .

[Changebagsandgladrags]

Reluctant to get a cat flap in this house because it's rented. But planning to move in 2018. Perhaps we'll just wait.

Bit annoying because they said this one was getting overlooked because it's black and white.

Jess used to come in for the night at about 1am...usually with a headless rabbit. That would be another reason not to get a cat flap...

[monkeywithacowface]

I think a lot of local RSPCA branches are run by well meaning and caring people who aren't actually that knowledgeable about animals or their knowledge is often quite outdated.

I would say most of the advice we were given by the RSPCA adoption manager and home checker about our rescue pup would be considered poor by a lot of people.

Anyhoo cats go missing for lots of reason but I doubt very much your cat took umbrage that she didn't have her own door

[Changebagsandgladrags]

Plus we had her for four years...

[reallyanotherone]

So have they said no cat flap no cat then?

My mum never had a flap and hers lasted 14 years before dying of old age. I had a flap and all three cats had traffic accidents- usually in the early hours. My new house doesn’t have a flap which means i can restrict his movements more and he’s leed likely to be out in the night.

[Changebagsandgladrags]

Pretty much, yes. They said email us when you've asked your landlord about the cat flap.

LL said we could have a pet when we moved in. RSPCA said we needed it in writing. Fine, we did that. Now they want us to get it writing to have a flap.

Have decided we definitely don't want a cat flap. Jess used to try to bring in all sorts of stuff - dead and alive.

[reallyanotherone]

Rescues sometimes make it impossible to adopt don’t they.

Poor cat still in rescue. Can you ask on their fb or twitter what official policy is? Maybe embarass them into changing their minds? It really is ridiculous. Like i said, mine were safer without as they couldn’y just wander in and out at all hours.

[ProfYaffle]

Try a local independent rescue instead. Different rescues have different rules.

[CruzRamirez]

I posted on another thread the other day where someone else was finding it impossible to be accepted by the big cat rescues. Ridiculous. Agree just go to a smaller rescue.

[Indigo90]

Well I have a cat flap and neither of my cats have ever used it! They prefer a human door opener.

[Gottalovesummer]

Firstly, I hope jess comes

Secondly, it is definitely notnecessary to have a cat flap. I've had cats all my life, not one has had a cat flap. I always know if they're in or out and after final night patrol can keep them safely inside.

[Gottalovesummer]

Meant to say, hope jess comes home.

[Wolfiefan]

We have had cats for years but never had a cat flap. Our cats ALWAYS come in at night. They are much more likely to get injured at night.

[4yoniD]

Local rescue said we couldn't have a cat because we live near water, and the cat would fall in and drown. We managed to get hold of a different person and asked them to reconsider. Also asked if we couldn't have a cat intelligent enough to not jump into the water, or to swim out if it did. Luckily they agreed. Years later, cat has yet to attempt to drown itself :)

[Changebagsandgladrags]

She might come back. She's very independent.

Just that the RSPCA said these kittens were hard to place, so we offered. Now we know why they are so hard to place...they won't let them be adopted.

[QuackDuckQuack]

Perhaps you could try a different rehoming centre - like Blue Cross or Cats Protection.

I find it odd that they are willing to rule out possible homes for fairly trivial reasons and would prefer instead to have cats waiting for so long in a less than ideal environment.

[Allergictoironing]

I had a sort of similar problem but in the opposite way - I wanted indoor only cats and the moment I mentioned that many rescues immediately told me they didn't approve of indoor cats. Didn't give me the chance to say I'd be happy to rehome FIV cats, or similar!

Cats I was sitting last Xmas have a cat flap. One will only use the flap if there isn't anybody in to let her in the window, the other vanished the day before I took over sitting them & didn't come back for a month. He would definitely have let himself out via the cat flap, just got a bit lost (exacerbated by an epileptic fit we think) & couldn't find his way home.

[Beamur]

That's a horrible thing to have said to you.
I've had a cat for most of my life and I've only had a cat flap for maybe the last 5 years - I had no idea it was considered essential!
My cats go out a lot at night as next doors cats are shut in - they don't get on. If I lock the flap my cats have discovered they can simply take it apart. One of my cats is from a local,rescue, they didn't ask if we had a flap.

[thecatneuterer]

It's essential for very timid/semi feral cats. For other cats it's desirable but we wouldn't insist on it.

[Wolfiefan]

@thecatneuterer
I don't work. I'm a full time cat slave! They have no need of a cat flap.

[thecatneuterer]

Wolfie - that's fine. I only said it's essential for semi ferals (as the only way they feel relaxed enough to come inside is if they know they always have an escape route).

[Wolfiefan]

Totally understandable! We haven't ever taken on cats like that. With kids in the house and quite urban we wouldn't be the right home! We have two terrible torties. They rule me, DH and the wolfhound too!