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The litter tray

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

Original poster

PLEASE help me

30 replies

buttercrinkle · 22/02/2022 23:38

I very recently adopted a Bengal female. She hasn't been neutered yet (I intend to asap), she is meant to be a house cat and doesn't go out, but is honestly a Houdini. She's on heat.

My 3 year old let her out at about 5pm today. I have "found" her in the vicinity twice since then but she has quite badly attacked me both times and is hissing and extremely aggressive - very out of character for her. And she is with a local Tom cat. She keeps running away.

When she has escaped before, she comes back. Or at least comes outside the house and lets me pick her up. This time she is just gone, I can't find her anywhere.

It's like she hates me. She is also gorgeous so I'm scared she will get stolen.

I am so tired and DS is asleep in bed. My dad came round to help but he's just had to leave as he has work in the morning.

What the hell do I do? Im going out of my mind!!! I feel like she's gone forever.

OP posts:
Original poster
buttercrinkle · 22/02/2022 23:39

Both times I found her, I tried to entice her with her favourite wet food but she was not interested at all and was just being really aggressive.

OP posts:
BIWI · 22/02/2022 23:40

Well, looks like you're having kittens now Grin

AwkwardPaws27 · 22/02/2022 23:42

Is she microchipped? Contact the chip company, check your contact details are correct and get them to flag her as missing.

If she's come home before that's a good sign she has some awareness of where home is and will hopefully find her way back - but it's really important you get her spayed ASAP, especially as this isn't the first time she has got out.

She may already be pregnant, but she is also at risk of contracting an illness such as FIV if she is being mated by local tom cats.

AwkwardPaws27 · 22/02/2022 23:43

(The vets can still spay her in pregnancy too, if she only escaped recently)

Original poster
buttercrinkle · 22/02/2022 23:45

I will be getting her spayed asap. I wanted her to settle in first before traumatising her even further.

I feel like she doesn't want to come home. It was honestly like she was feral, multiple neighbours came out to see what was going on because she was making such a noise.

She's made me bleed, so unlike her. Hissing too, so unlike her.

I don't know what else to do?! Should I stay up all night?

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AwkwardPaws27 · 22/02/2022 23:49

I feel like she doesn't want to come home

That's because she's in heat - the hormones drive them potty and they are desperate to get out and mate.

Female cats will keep cycling in and out of heat so the solution really is to get her spayed.

Pixiedust1234 · 22/02/2022 23:58

Instinct takes over when she's in heat. She's not thinking about food or warmth, just breeding. There is nothing you can do to "calm" her until she stops being in heat.

Original poster
buttercrinkle · 23/02/2022 00:11

So there's nothing I can do to get her home until she's out of heat?

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Original poster
buttercrinkle · 23/02/2022 00:20

God I'm so stressed

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AwkwardPaws27 · 23/02/2022 00:25

She's obviously stressed tonight.
Go out with food in the morning; there's no point staying up all night when she's not letting you near her.
Get her in the morning, hopefully she'll be outside waiting to be fed. She needs to be shut in a room or the doors locked so 3yo can't help her escape again Wink
Then call vets and book for spay ASAP.

Also make sure she has plenty of high spaces to get away from your young child if needed; she's shown that she may lash out when stressed (all cats may but bengals can be a tricky breed) so ensure she can get out of the way if she's had enough attention.

Original poster
buttercrinkle · 23/02/2022 00:28

I hope you are right. I just have a bad feeling

Thank you so much

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Original poster
buttercrinkle · 23/02/2022 07:43

Still no sign

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TurkeyRoastvBubbleandSqueek · 23/02/2022 07:58

I have no advice I am afraid @buttercrinkle (but what a lovely name), except to reiterate what a previous poster said about their hormones changing their characters for a while - I am sure she won't hate you when she is not on heat! I really hope she is home safe and sound soon, even if that does mean she has a few tiny embryos with her! I'm sure that when you get her back you will ask the vet for advice, as a pp said, they might be able to spay her even if she is pregnant, if that is what you want. Please keep us updated buttercrinkle 💐

AwkwardPaws27 · 23/02/2022 09:03

There's good advice here:

www.catchat.org/index.php/cat-missing-lost-found

Have you contacted the microchip database to check your contact details are correct?

Happenchance · 23/02/2022 09:44

I very recently adopted a Bengal female Did you get her from a rescue or was she a private re-home? The rescue you got her from (or a rescue, if she was privately re-homed) may be able to help you catch her by loaning you a cat trap and gauntlets.

If she was a private re-home, have you contacted her previous owner? She may be making her way back to them.

Want2beme · 23/02/2022 11:14

If you can get close enough, throw a big towel over her, (I know many will disagree with doing this), and grab her really tight, and rush in doors with her. If you've got a big travel box to put her in, then do that instead. She'll be back, but get her neutered as soon as.

RockstarDotCom · 23/02/2022 11:24

Once she’s home, I would take her to the vet to get spayed straight away.

Toddlerteaplease · 23/02/2022 12:01

Definitely straight to the vet for a spay. Though she's probably already pregnant.

thecatneuterer · 23/02/2022 12:11

Yes once she's back straight to the vet for spaying. It doesn't matter if she's been impregnated, she almost certainly will have been, that's why she must be done straight away.

thecatneuterer · 23/02/2022 12:12

@Happenchance No way will a rescue have homed an unspayed bengal.

RockstarDotCom · 23/02/2022 12:15

Definitely straight to the vet for a spay. Though she's probably already pregnant.

It will be early and they’ll end the pregnancy and spay.

thecatneuterer · 23/02/2022 12:19

It's really hard to try to catch cats on heat. It will be over in a couple of days and hopefully she'll be back then for food. Keep leaving food outside.

Caaarrrl · 23/02/2022 12:28

She will probably be home even she's out of heat. Get her spayed immediately. It's so worrying, isn't it, when they go missing.

GoodVibesHere · 23/02/2022 13:20

Is she back yet?

Original poster
buttercrinkle · 23/02/2022 14:20

She's back!! She came through the back doors with three other cats behind her - if she's not pregnant then it's a miracle.

I've phone the vets and they're calling me back later this afternoon.

Thank you so much everyone. She's very upset/unsettled so she's having some treats and lots of cuddles for the rest of the day.

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