This may be wishful thinking, so please bear with me.
We have a few cats, a mixture of ages, who generally get along fine.
I had an accident which has caused a temporary loss of mobility, so a big change in the household as I'm the cats' primary feeder and caregiver. Unfortunately, our youngest bolted and ran away when I was kept overnight in hospital following an operation (I have a different thread about this). He's still not home, almost a month later, though as we've not had bad news, I still have hope.
Immediately following this, our other Tuxedo became suddenly incredibly fussy towards me. He won't leave me alone when he's indoors. I assume he's missing his best friend.
A couple of days ago, two of the other cats woke me up, one pooed on my bed (he's known as "revenge cat" so thus isn't unusual, but he hasn't done it since my accident, as though he knows I'm vulnerable). The other was biting, fussing and determined to get my attention. Way way more than she usually would.
Tuxedo had been outside, so I opened the door to let him in, and the other cats wouldn't let him! Then they all went outside, sniffing around the doorstep and garden, on high alert.
I really wondered if missing cat could have been nearby, and if so, perhaps other cats were blocking his return?
Ever since, the other cats don't make it easy for Tuxedo to come back on. Also, Tuxedo is spending much longer outside, especially at night. I wonder if he's visiting missing kitty, his best friend, and smells of him, hence older cats reaction?
Has anyone else experienced anything like this to offer advice?