Minding neighbour's cat, haven't seen it in five days

[Idabelle]

Hi all,

I'm currently minding a neighbour's cat as she is on holidays for ten days. This means popping in to feed it twice a day.

The first few days the cat was there in the morning/ evening and was very friendly. It wasn't there Thursday morning, but I didn't think much of it as it is an outdoor cat.

However, it is now Monday and no sign of the cat since Wednesday evening. I've been leaving food and it is being eaten, but I have now confirmed that a different neighbour's cat has been coming in and eating it.

The cat I am minding is quite timid with other cats apparently and I have a feeling she may have been bullied out by the other cat.

I feel sick with worry, and don't know whether to text my neighbour to let her know/ ask for any tips on hiding spots or not spoil her holiday and keep trying to find the cat for a few more days.

So, first I'm wondering if anyone has any tips for finding the cat? We live rurally so it is farmland on all sides, I walked the roads yesterday evening calling for her but no sign. Have other neighbour's keeping an eye out for her too.

Second, if it was your cat would you want to know? Or wait until you're back from holidays?

Do you have a camera? I have used one in my utility before I had trackers to see them coming and going? Got an old baby cam you could set up?

Use a hoover and just give the carpet a little run a round (strange I know your looking for a cat ) but then empty the contents of the hoover outside - if she’s lost she will smell home

She's been spotted! DW had no luck finding her earlier, but I went out again about an hour ago and there she was sitting in a field a couple of hundred metres away from home. She ran away when I walked towards her but stayed where I could see her but not get to her. I left some food out there for her but she looked quite unbothered (unlike me!).

Her owner thinks she's probably just a bit spooked by the other cat, he's now locked in for the night so hopefully she will go back to her house soon.

This is why we ended up getting wee cameras so we could track the cats when we were away and using a cat sitter.

The same happened to me.
I spent whole of my week off A/Leave trying to find neighbours cat. I posted leaflets through doors. I did inform the owners , they didn't appear too worried at first, but were deeply upset come the end of the week and still no sign. Their children were crying, l felt so bad.
What had happened was a nearby house was being renovated, cat had gone in, builder was unaware and left, cat was stuck inside as builder had not returned. He turned up later on same day the cats owners returned, but it put years on me. I
Good luck.

Phew! Good news.

I’m sure they do it on purpose to stress us out!

Great news. She’s absolutely doing this on purpose. Just make sure she food and water and she'll be fine

do you think she'll come if you shake Dreamies? The international cat code for get in here now

No doubt she's doing it on purpose, once she saw me she stayed where I could see her but not reach her, she's sending a message!

Tried cat food, dreamies, those cat yogurt things but she is not coming near me.

We're not too worried now we know she is not trapped anywhere/ hit by a car/ lost.

She absolutely knows her way home from there, and has a steady supply of mice and access to water and I'll put some more of her food there too.

I think she will probably come home when her owner does.

'I think she will probably come home when her owner does.'

Or hopefully when it eventually rains again??

glad you've seen her and she's put your mind at ease.

Hope they are bringing you back a good pressie for all this stress