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Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

My cat smells of another woman's perfume

43 replies

BerylStreep · 29/07/2014 15:21

One of our burmese cats has recently become more and more distant from us. She used to purr constantly, and always be round your feet wanting to know what we were up to.

Having decided quite sometime ago that they weren't indoor cats (they made the decision, not us), she has started staying out at night, and now we rarely see her even during the day. I had started to suspect she was getting a bed and food elsewhere.

The other day, she came in, and my DH noticed that she smelt of perfume!

I feel utterly betrayed.

Neither of my 2 cats wear collars, so I am wondering if someone thinks she is an exceptionally good looking stray. I went out and bought collars for both of them today, but she hasn't even turned up today for me to put the collar on.

I suppose I am deluded to think that we own her, aren't I?

OP posts:
JamForTea · 29/07/2014 15:27

Hmm. I wouldn't take this lying down tbh. I would put the collar on her when she comes back with a 'do not feed' note on it. The person who is appropriating your cat would have to be stupid not to realise a beautiful, well fed pedigree cat wasn't a stray.

RubbishMantra · 29/07/2014 15:42

Yes, the "Do not feed" collar is a good idea.

Have you considered letting them out only during the day to prevent her overnighters elsewhere?

Original poster
BerylStreep · 29/07/2014 15:47

If she comes in during the evening, she will have a quick bite to eat, then demands to be let out again.

I think I will get some metal tabs made for the collar.

The other cat (grown up kitten of the mummy) has now got her collar on. Having never worn a collar before, it is proving amusing as she tries to bite the bell, with no success!

OP posts:
cozietoesie · 29/07/2014 15:58

Little hussy.

Are they both chipped, Beryl?

chockbic · 29/07/2014 16:06

Where are all these sociable cats coming from?

Ours would run a mile from strangers.

Feeding someone else's cat is wrong too. They might be on a special diet, for example.

Original poster
BerylStreep · 29/07/2014 16:15

Yes, they are both chipped.

Have just ordered some pet tags for them.

Burmese are renowned for being sociable. The fact they are so friendly and have no fear of strangers is why a lot of people have them as indoor cats only, as they tend to get stolen.

She has just come in for something to eat, and has got her new collar on. She Is Not Happy.

My cat smells of another woman's perfume
OP posts:
cozietoesie · 29/07/2014 16:34

Well at least she's tolerating it? Any of my boys would be upside down somewhere trying to get it off if I attempted to put a collar on them.

msrisotto · 29/07/2014 16:55

She'll get used to it Wink.

I do kind of think though, that cats are free spirits and if they choose their own home, there isn't much you can do about it!

msrisotto · 29/07/2014 16:55

She is gorgeous by the way!

Original poster
BerylStreep · 29/07/2014 17:29

Smile I think so.

OP posts:
JamForTea · 29/07/2014 18:04

What a beauty! I thought Burmese were long haired though? There is the most beautiful l

JamForTea · 29/07/2014 18:06

Oops! There's the most beautiful long haired Burmese around my neighbourhood who is incredibly friendly and nosy. I do worry someone might nab him.

Longdistance · 29/07/2014 18:09

She's beautiful.

Do they not do a 'do not feed, get your own fucking cat' collar?

BirdhouseInYourSoul · 29/07/2014 18:10

My cat comes home smelling of perfume too.

And once he came home smelling of fried food - like a chip pan or something. We don't have anything fried so it was very noticeable.

I'm not sure what I can do about it. He is a collar escapist but is chipped luckily.

Mostlyjustaluker · 29/07/2014 18:14

Does she go far?

My cat (the greedy fatty) used to come home smelled of smoked salmon! I put a note through the neighbours door with a picture of him saying hi my name is lurker at and I have been put on a special diet my vet because I keep getting poorly. If you see me pleas feel free to stroke me but don't let me break my diet.

Philoslothy · 29/07/2014 18:14

Leave the bastard.

ThatBloodyWoman · 29/07/2014 18:16

Ha, you beat me too it Phil Grin

Honsandrevels · 29/07/2014 18:25

What a beautiful cat!

Our cat used to do this at our old house. He used to come home smelling of unfamiliar perfumes, cooked brassicas , and sometimes cigars. We traced the cigar smoke to a chap up the road who said that if he left his back door opens our cat would appear on his bed or next to his fridge.

He started to get rather fat so I asked people not to feed him and left a note on his collar to say he was on medication. He wasn't but we thought 'don't feed' might be ignored.

Fluffycloudland77 · 29/07/2014 20:27

She's gorgeous, she doesn't look like a stray at all.

Original poster
BerylStreep · 29/07/2014 21:03

Jam Are you sure the cat near you isn't a persian or a rag doll?

I forgot to mention that she turned up with a brand new cat toy last week, which suggests that she has either stolen it, or someone is buying her toys. Hmm It was a little sparkly pink fish filled with catnip.

I want to get one of those apple tile things when they come out in the Autumn. I could track her to see where she goes.

OP posts:
JustSquirted · 29/07/2014 21:14

The apple tile will only track up to 150 feet away. You'd be able to see her!

Beautiful cat Beryl.

LaVolcan · 29/07/2014 21:17

It sounds like a lost cause.

We were on the other end of this 20 years ago when a neighbour's kitten kept coming in and stealing our own cat's food. We kept trying to take him back to his owners, but as soon as they let him out again, he jumped over the fence back into our own garden. The neighbours got a bit arsy about us 'enticing' their cat away - but we most definitely tried to discourage him. They moved away in the end, leaving the cat behind - who moved in permanently and lived happily with us until he died at about 18, and as far as we know never bothered to visit any other houses during all that time.

Meanwhile, our other cat took umbridge and moved out.

crazynanna · 29/07/2014 21:18

This reminds me of when I took Poppy for her booster last year and the new vet insisted on holding her to " bond for future meetings" and he snuggled his nose into Poppy's head and said "mmmmm Chloe Love"
I just snatched my girl back and said " we'll it's better than smelling of cat litter and Sheba salmon flakes!"

BertieBotts · 29/07/2014 21:21

You need to stick a webcam on her collar Grin

I do quite often stop and stroke and talk to cats I see roaming around though. I don't feed them and wouldn't let them into the house (not that they'd come near as our downstairs neighbour has a dog) but if I was wearing perfume it could conceivably transfer to a cat. I really miss having cats and it really makes my day when I come across a friendly one.

GerundTheBehemoth · 30/07/2014 07:56

Jam, Burmese cats are short-haired. You may be thinking of Birman cats, which are long-haired, with Siamese-type markings and white paws. Beryl, I hope you can get to the bottom of where your girl is off to - it must be upsetting that she's not around much at the moment.

My neighbour's beautiful white cat used to call round at mine. I never fed her but (once I'd checked the neighbour was OK with it) would sometimes let her in briefly for a cuddle, until I took on a cat of my own. The neighbour said that his cat visited quite a few different homes each day, just because she was a friendly/nosy sort of cat, but she still spent most of her time at her own home.