My cat keeps disappearing for a day or two - I am worried someone is feeding him

[Weetabixandwellies]

He's done it the last week. Not coming home for at least 24 hrs at a time. He's a really friendly and fearless cat so I have a horrible feeling someone else is feeding him/letting him in. I have bought a collar (he is microchipped) and I've ordered a tag saying please do not feed him and put our number on it. Is there anything else I can do? I am worried and upset and angry at the same time! He hasn't been seen since yesterday morning. Up until the last week he's always been around, sneaks up to sleep on the children's beds, loves cuddles etc. My dd will be beside herself if he doesn't come home.

He's a cat
This is what cats do!

Is he neutered?

Thank you, very helpful...not. I've had cats for 30 yrs This is not how this cat behaves, this is new behaviour.
He is neutered.

You dont say how old your cat is but I would try not to worry too much at the moment (as hard as it is!).

My cat does this, the first time he did it was this time last year when he was 15 months old.
I was out of my mind with worry as he was gone for 26 hours.
He dissappeared again a week later again for over 24 hours. My thought was that someone was feeding him or keeping him in but it turns out he was happily hunting over the fields at the end of our row of houses as he was seen coming back over the fence.

He still goes regularly, sometimes its an hour sometimes it's for over 24 hours. I know where he has been as there is usually a dead mouse at the back door. But he does always come back.

Is there anywhere your cat could be hunting as it is harvest time and lots of mice about?
Can you try a follow him from a distance to to see where he is going?

I would still put the collar and tag on him though just in case and if you suspect someone is feeding him then keep him in for a bit.

There could well be changes a foot you don't knows about in cat suburbia. There could be a new cat in the area, a lady could be on heat, a new empty house full of mice, a tasty birds nest.........

My boys usually come home and sleep through the day, but over the summer sometimes they stay out more. They feed themselves mostly, but we provide two square meals and unlimited biscuits too. As lo g as he's coming back I wouldn't worry. The weather atm is ideal for exploring further afield.

That would really upset me. I would think that he is going visiting, and someone is encouraging him. I bet you are so relieved when he comes back.

No sign of him yet

He's 2yrs old. Tbh nothing has changed hunting-wise, we've always lived in a rural area and get almost daily 'presents' of mice etc. Hope you're right though and that it is. I have a lovely shiny collar ready for when he comes back

My older boy was always quite home-y then changed at around five to being halfy-half and now lives in the shed, even in winter! Like I say, could be a new lady in the locale (boys territories can be miles and miles, I've found my boys in the next village coming home from the cinema on a nighttime before) or a new Tom that he needs to fight with lol.

Sometimes younger boy doesn't come home for 24hrs or so, he eats on the hoof. If you're rural its more likely he's found a nice tasty nest that's keeping him going on longer excursions tbh. One of my boys used to go away for three or four says at a time, come back and sleep for a week lol.

Thanks AnitaBlake - that's really reassuring

Glad to help, cats are wily creatures lol!

He's back! Waltzed in as if nothing happened, suspiciously it was just as it started raining. Thanks for the hand holding

Phew. Weetabix you are going to be a wreck if he carries on doing this.

He'll likely be a lot closer to home over the next few months, though. Winter is coming and the weather worsening.

Am so pleased he's back, mine tend to hang around more when there's a nip in the air ;) its funny how they know about rain. Hopefully he'll have worn himself out and sleep for a few days now

My neighbour's cat started to do this.
She happened to call in at a house in the next street and who should be stretched out by a roaring fire.......

Oh so glad he came back, it still doesn't stop the worry though!