Our cat, Jones, has a cat flap and has always come and gone as he pleases. I noticed that he hadn't eaten his food last Thursday and then he didn't come home for a few days. I started posting on social media that he was missing and a neighbour got in touch to say that she had been caring for a cat since September who had been ill and injured and could it be Jones. I assumed not since our cat had been fine, been to the vet in Sept and to the cattery in October and had no problems, but I went round just to rule it out. It was Jones!
The lady had been feeding him 6-7 sachets of wet cat food a day (which explains the vomiting at home). Jones isn't allowed wet cat food because of his gingivitis and eats a special dental care cat food. So, I knew why he was going to the lady's house. She went on to say that he had been very ill in October and she had given him antibiotics from her vet and had been giving him worming meds as well. I give him Advocate every month so I'm concerned that this double dosing has been bad for him. She also said that he was badly injured and she had been caring for his wounds. Jones is a scrappy cat, almost feral, and often has scratches on his ears. We watch them and take him to the vet if they're not healing but he has certainly been fine for the last three months so I'm not sure what she's talking about.
The lady said she tried to get him into a carrier to take him to a vet but it was impossible (as I said he's very temperamental) so she hadn't been able to have him checked for a chip (he is chipped). She also said that they were on the verge of having him put down over Christmas because he was in such a bad way! He was still coming home at Christmas and he was fine. She also suggested that Jones was traumatised and had perhaps been used for cat fights by 'unsavoury people'. All completely mad but I have never felt so judged in my life.
I've got Jones at home and bought a litter box so we can keep him inside for a couple of weeks and hopefully break the habit of going to the other house. I have no doubt that he'll be back there because he loves wet cat food. The lady has said she won't give him any more wet food but will let him have dry food with her other cats, which isn't very helpful.
I wouldn't be concerned if the lady was happy to have him round but her talk of putting down a healthy cat worries me. Undoubtedly Jones is a rangy, grumpy, slightly scraggy animal but he's been that way since he was a kitten. He's now 8 years old.
Not sure what else I can do. Any advice?