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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

what if she leaves home!?

41 replies

catsrus · 02/10/2014 12:18

so my dd2 will never speak to me again. I have so offended her precious little princess (aka Killer Queen) that I think she's left home. PLP/KQ is the only cat I have ever lived with - in 25+ yrs of being owned by them - who specializes in one particular bird species as her regular prey of choice. We have had frequent mouse killers and the odd bird - but PLP/KQ has been bringing in one species of bird, on a regular basis. Some alive (oh what fun).

so I got her a collar with a bell. It's pink and lovely with Bling. but it's got a bell. I put it on her and she took off round the house like a demented bat out of hell trying to run away from it then shot out the cat flap. she has not returned. Admittedly she stays out a lot - but I have visions of her running forever trying to escape the torment of the sounds following her..... Sad

dd2 is coming home from uni this weekend. I am so doomed aren't I?

OP posts:
cozietoesie · 02/10/2014 12:50

I've never had any luck with cats and collars - all of mine have regarded them as inventions of the devil - so I've been reduced to physical ways of reducing bird kills. There's some guidance here but for me it's boiled down to keeping them inside from dusk to dawn (low light conditions are the best for hunting birds), ensuring that I was careful about plantings and where I put bird food - and thanking the powers that be that I had acquired a Watch Blackbird. (Blackbirds often act as Watchbirds for the entire neighbourhood for some reason.)

I'm prepared to bet you that she'll have removed it by this evening anyway! She'll likely come in all bubbly and sans collar. Just wait and see.

Original poster
catsrus · 02/10/2014 13:17

fingers crossed

OP posts:
Original poster
catsrus · 02/10/2014 16:46

ok 4,40pm and I heard her characteristic meow. She was back, without the lovely expensive collar and bell and with a dead bird of the same species. Deposited on the living room floor with definite look of triumph Sad. She wins doesn't she?.

OP posts:
cozietoesie · 02/10/2014 16:57

Yes - she wins. Grin

Out of interest, what type of bird is she fixated with?

Fluffycloudland77 · 02/10/2014 17:13

She wins. She's got the bird & you've lost money on the pretty collar.

Like my cat and worktops.

Original poster
catsrus · 02/10/2014 17:32

chiffchaffs Sad

This is the precious little flower who didn't venture out for the first year of her life - i had to teach her how to use the catflap, I was sure she was special needs - hah! she was just building her strength and biding her time.

OP posts:
cozietoesie · 02/10/2014 19:16

Ah Well - not under threat but still......

They're ground nesting and low feeding if I recall? Have you got a large mature garden with lots of shrubs and ground plants? (Although, of course, she might be hunting in a neighbour's garden or in nearby woodland for example.)

Original poster
catsrus · 19/10/2014 18:58

Can I have some MN vibes please - plp has not been seen for 48hrs - think she's locked in somewhere, this has happened before - just as i begin to rehearse the phone call to dd at Uni she has appeared .... The other 3 are straying staying strangely close to home ... What do they know ? Confused. She doesn't really vocalise much so can easily get shut in and not noticed - I've checked every room and cupboard in the house, suspect its a garage please cross fingers and toes.....

OP posts:
ThisFenceIsComfy · 19/10/2014 19:04

Oh dear, hoping you find her nice and soon. It's bloody awful when they go missing

Original poster
catsrus · 19/10/2014 22:20

Thanks thisfence - went out for a meal with friends and came back to find her home. She was very affectionate and happy to be back - then promptly went back out again - I'm just going to have to learn not to worry about this one - which would be a hell of a lot easier if she wasn't dd2's special cat!

OP posts:
Fluffycloudland77 · 19/10/2014 22:28

I'm glad she's back.

ThisFenceIsComfy · 19/10/2014 23:07

Thank goodness! They are right mares aren't they? I once kept myself up til 4am by my patio doors waiting for my then kitten to come home. I nodded off and woke up to find her sitting by my head looking at me! I think that's when she realised that I was just her puppet on a string Grin

Original poster
catsrus · 20/10/2014 14:35

after two of my original 'set' of cats went missing for 5 days (tuned up under a neighbours bed in their spare room) I have become a bit less anxious - in almost 30 yrs of cat ownership I have never actually lost one... it's just that this one is dd's particularly special cat so I feel a bit like the child minder looking after someone else's child while she's away at Uni Confused

OP posts:
Original poster
catsrus · 19/11/2014 19:42

bloody creature is missing again - not been seen since the weekend. I'm posting on here again because last time she then appeared like magic.... I'm being very cagey in texts to dd at Uni Blush

Come on MN work your magic and send the precious one home......

OP posts:
Fluffycloudland77 · 19/11/2014 20:47

Oh no, have you done posters etc?.

ThisFenceIsComfy · 19/11/2014 20:49

Dreamies rattling at midnight for you then

Dinglethdragon · 19/11/2014 22:31

And sure enough the little madam showed up when I went through to feed the others Confused goodness only knows where she's been.

New mantra
I will not worry about her I will not worry about her I will not worry about her.
and even if I do worry the mumsnet magic will work agin the minute I post on here

ThisFenceIsComfy · 19/11/2014 22:40

Hey Fluffy me and you should start up a missing cat woo business.

This time next year we'll be millionaires!

Glad the little madam is home again catsrus

Original poster
Catsrus · 27/02/2015 02:47

Yep she's done it again - I've been away for work for two days, she wasn't here when I got home, my housesitter says she's not been seen. I've checked all the rooms in the house (she tends to get shut in). So I need the MN vibes and magic please as dd is coming home at the weekend! I'm now worrying that she went exploring the delivery van that delivered the new washing machine on Tuesday and is now miles away... I can't remember if I saw her after that too busy playing with the new toy and washing everything in sight I'm wide awake hoping / expecting her to saunter in - but she hasn't Sad. The other cats don't seem that bothered of course.

OP posts:
cozietoesie · 27/02/2015 08:32

It sounds as if she's playing you a treat.

Any sign yet?

Original poster
Catsrus · 27/02/2015 09:15

No sign Sad one of the problems is that she's jet black, small and has no voice - well I've heard the odd squeak when she's caught something - so she can disappear into dark spaces very effectively and can't signal the fact she's in there.

I'm not going to worry, I'm not going to worry .....

OP posts:
Fluffycloudland77 · 27/02/2015 09:25

You need a torch. Their eyes reflect well in the dark.

Unless she shuts her eyes. We nicknamed our big torch the fluffycat finder.

Original poster
catsrus · 27/02/2015 20:47

shes back - phew.very subdued though, but at least i can now have a guilt free conversation with dd Grin

OP posts:
cozietoesie · 27/02/2015 21:19

......very subdued though......

Must have been one heck of a party! You need to be more sensitive to her hangover. Wink

thecatneuterer · 27/02/2015 21:24

Is she chipped? If not it would be a good idea considering her track record!

Also you might perhaps consider a Loc8ator tag on her collar. There is a very recent thread about them on this board.

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