what if she leaves home!?

[catsrus]

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.....

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

I've got Loca8tors on both my cats. (Quick release safety collars) Wouldn't be without them, even though they're chipped as well.

Why not remove the bell from her lovely new collar if it's bothering her? They learn to hunt with them anyway. They're just extra careful not to set the bell jingling.

yes she's chipped, always chipped my animals would have been helpful at times to be able to chip the dc

she removes any collar within hours. snap release are brilliant (once had a cat who got a serious 'underarm' injury when she got her leg caught in an old style collar and then couldn't get home) but the very thing that makes them brilliant is why they don't work for her. She's a rescue (RSPCA) and we've had her from a few months old but I suspect she comes from a farming background rather than being the illegitimate offspring of a pampered princess . DD wanted a pampered princess all for herself before buggering off to uni and leaving me to look after her but what she got was Ms independent "I go my own way and choose whose lap I sit on". The irony is we have one princess - Diva who barely moves from the spot and this one looks like a mini version of her (but in black!) but is worlds away in personality. Fascinating how they are all so different - even the siblings we've had.

I've locked the cat flap to keep her home for 24 hrs while I assess whether she's just exhausted / freaked out or ill, she's definitely not 'smiling' but is moving OK. she shows no signs of wanting to go out, she's had something to drink (I saw that) may have eaten (we have a constant supply of dry which she prefers) and is sleeping in the bath (her favourite spot)

so much for locking the little darlings in - don't know if it was a break out by mine or a break in by the big handsome feral tom cat! The precious one was on the outside and came over to help me investigate the damage. She's clearly fine

Ha ha. So were the broken bits on the outside or the inside? That should give you your answer to whodunit.

It's like csi isn't it?.

on the outside - so a breakout rather than a break in! I'm guessing the culprit was my own young male - a big boy! haven't seen him today, so he's off somewhere recovering from the trauma of being locked in. I've now fitted the microchip reading cart flap I bought ages ago - turned off until they get used to it. Hopefully that will keep the stray out. i don't mind feeding him, he's rather gorgeous to be honest, but he sprays

You can still put food out for him though?. Sounds like an un-neutered Tom.

Maybe you could neuter him and adopt him.....

Ha ha fluffy - just what I was thinking. Deffo try to get him neutered - for his own sake as well as to improve the fragrance of your surroundings.

I've been trying to catch him for 4 yrs! I know that because when I opened the box to take out the new catflap the invoice was 2011 - I bought it when he first started coming around and spraying .

He has spent a lot of winter nights sleeping on just this side of the cat flap - as soon as I come into the room he shoots out. I didn't have the heart to install the expensive new cat flap to keep him out. I've done long staring contests through the window, but as soon as I blink or look away he's gone. If I could catch him and get him neutered I would be more than happy for him to hang around but he is well and truly feral. Drop dead gorgeous too, in a testosterone fuelled way he's solid and cobby looking, blue tabby and white. I know when he's in because my cats basically come and get me, he's not a team player when it comes to sharing space .

He sounds dreamy. Stubborn though.

Maybe a trap?. I couldn't lock him out either.

I think a trap - CPL will often lend one. Once you have the new flap installed he won't be able to get in on bitter cold snowy nights....................

Yes you need to borrow a trap. CPL or even your local vet might be able to lend you one.

not sure how I will avoid trapping my own dozy lot though, I've run though various scenarios where I get him as he exits the cat flap but it involves a full set of helpers. He is dreamy, and I'm a little bit in love with his bad boy ways, I've even woken up to find him peering round my bedroom door! its the spraying that's the killer

Well ideally you want a manual trap rather than an automatic one. But if you can only get an automatic one then you'll need to shut your other cats away in another part of the house when it's set.

And then he can become a proper part of your household. And he will probably always be a bit wary and aloof ... until that day when he suddenly decides to rub round your legs ... and then before you know it his furry handsome bad=lad face will be rubbing your nose to wake you up of a morning ...