Someone has stolen our cat!

[Bakingtins]

Timing is crap. We lost our Ddog and Dcat1 3 weeks ago (both elderly, once had acute pancreatitis, the other a bone tumour) which is obviously v upsetting for the whole family. Dcat2 took it upon himself to bugger off for days. After 3 days we leafleted over 100 houses in the area and had several responses from near neighbours - one caught him and we went round and collected him. He has physically had the all clear. We shut him in for a few days then started letting him out again - he gets very upset if he is shut in - he was from CPL 6 yrs ago and spent a long time in a cage so he is unhappy about being confined. Cue him disappearing again.
He is coming in at dead of night and eating a little bit of food, but nothing like he normally would - obviously someone else is feeding him. He's always been very sociable and I'm aware of several people he visits, but normally he "does his rounds" a few times a day and the rest of the time is asleep on one of the beds, purring.
He's been on zylkene, there is a feliway diffuser plugged in. I wouldn't have said he was close to either of the other two, they all tolerated each other but that's as far as it went. We are badly missing our furry friends and it is his duty to be here to give us a cuddle after we rescued him from a life of captivity! Ungrateful beast.
He has a collar with a tally and he's chipped. He is in beautiful nick and by no stretch of anyone's imagination could you think he was a stray.

Any suggestions how to proceed with operation "give my cat back"?

[thecatneuterer]

So he's coming in at night through the cat flap? Well I would start by putting the cat flap on 'in only'. Then, when you've trapped him inside, put a paper collar on him with a message saying 'please do not feed me - I have a home' or similar. That's all I can think of really.

[Bakingtins]

He's wise to that - he can flip the cat flap inwards with his paw and escape
We have a "don't feed me I'm on a prescription diet" tally from our other cat so if I can get hold of him I'll put it on.
Thanks.

[Bakingtins]

DH is planning to set up a webcam to make sure it is him eating the food and not some other cat (but I've been down and seen him a couple of times when the banging of the catflap has wakened me)
I need one of those GPS trackers so I can follow where he is going! I know he's visiting a smoker because he stinks of cigarettes and will they pay the bill when he has lung disease, no, thought not

[Methe]

We've been stolen by a cat! It's not ours, we don't feed it and I don't really like cats but this cat likes us and it has decided it wants to move in! We literally can't get rid of it.

Someone might not have stolen your cat intentionally. I hope he decides to come home soon!

P.s if you live in the West Midlands and your cat is a slightly Bengal looking tabby is it a boy or a girl so I don't have to call it it anymore!

[Bakingtins]

Nope, sorry. Bristol, and a big ginger (neutered) tom.