do cats always come back?

Question

i've never owned one so i don't get how it works. aren't you guys afraid if you let your cat explore in the yard it will leave and never return? my friend said as long as you care for it it will come back to you. but how do you know? do you just trust them?

Answer 1

Cats are slippery creatures. They can climb, slip through small cracks etc. Maybe they'll come back. But if your cat has been declawed, he/she cannot protect himself. Definitely declawed cats need to be indoor cats.

Outdoor cats that get around OTHER cats also can come down with diseases...ear mites and infections for one. My (now deceased) cat was bitten by another cat, the bite became infected and absessed, etc. Why risk it?

It isn't an issue of "trust" as to whether they will come back....it is an issue of what is the best thing for them and their health and well being.

Think about it, OK?

Answer 2

I have 3 indoor/outdoor cats and they always come bk. I would've actually preferred to have kept them all indoors but we have dogs and we leave a sliding window partially opened so the dogs can have access to the backyard.

I kept them all inside for about a month and slowly let them explore and eventually they would just go outside for a bit and come back home. Nowadays my cats spend about 90% of their time indoors and when they are outdoors they mostly nap somewhere in the yard. I guess they prefer being home more. I think the key is providing a happy and healthy home. The good thing about them going outdoors is that I don't even keep a litter box in the house. All 3 uses this mound of dirt in the backyard to do their business and after they are done they will dig and cover it up...just like a real litter box. The key is to keep them happy and healthy, with the occasional bath, vet checks, and shots.

Answer 3

I'm sorry your friend was wrong!!! I run a cat rescue rescue organization and believe me, they don't always come back. In fact, many cats get easily lost. Letting your cat outside without being in a confined area -like a cat fence or an enclosures- is irresponsible. Cats are easily drawn away by other cats, scared by dogs or are just curious. Nothing is worse than your cat not coming home one night and the next day you find them dead in the street from being hit by a car or a dog or other animal has killed them. I rescue feral cats (wild cats) and strays and you have no idea the horrible lives these babies live until someone takes them in and provides for them. The strays are usually scared out of their minds and all they want is to be loved and cared for. Tell your friend she ought to get involved in cat rescue with a local rescue group and learn how to really care for a cat and see the abuse that happens when they're not cared for.

Answer 4

It is best to keep your cat indoors. For outside enjoyment open a window or door with a screen enclosure. If you want it to do a little outside exploring walk it on a harness. Yes, they make harnesses for cats. See how the cat reacts.
As for cats who are use to outdoors be sure to spay or neuter. This makes then less likely to roam and you are saving lives. Have food and water and treat it with respect. An outdoor cat usually does not run from a place it knows is giving free love and food.

Answer 5

If your cat has been raised from a kitten inside let him stay there make or buy a nice cushion window seat so he can see out and as long as he gets some play time with someone he will mist likely be content
Your cat does need some stimulation though and its important you engae him in some play activity. try string
and try some paper on the floor you can rustle.As the lady wwho has barn cats said if they gone for a week or more
they got eaten or picked up u can microchip or tag him in some way

Bst of luck with your cat i am sure you will find him facsinating

Answer 6

I don't let my cats outside so I don't have to worry. Simple as that. And they won't get into fights with other strays or get hit by a car or whatever else. They are perfectly fine inside as long as they get lots of love & attention.

They might not always come back. What if they find some place better they like? I've known people that it's happened to.

Answer 7

If its an indoor cat, most likely, just because its instincts tell it to stay near that place. The worst thing that could happen though, is that if your cat gets out of your housing area to explore stuff, and gets picked up by a local resident. But if you have tags on it, you should be fine.

Answer 8

I believe others, feed your cat interior. The meals is indisputably attracting the opposite cat. Is your cat constant? If your cat is not constant, possibilities are the opposite one is coming round to mate, thus the screeching. It would even be a territorial skirmish. Other than that, a well spray from a hose must scare away the opposite cat... you can not preserve the opposite cat out with no trouble with out making your backyard disagreeable on your possess cat. (ie utilizing cat-repellent sprays, crops and so on).

Answer 9

My cats are barn cats, and so they are fairly wild, and barely tame.

I kept them secure in a single room inside the house to socialize them untill they had all their kitten shots. That made them friendly enough that I can treat them monthly for fleas and catch them annually for shots, and a few other times.

IMPORTANT:
feeding them keeps them coming back home to you

IMPORTANT:
neutering them at the age your vet recommends means LESS wandering and they come back home to you regularly.

Yes, you do have to trust them.
Yes, they usually come home...

When mine are gone more than a week, they've been eaten.

Answer 10

I'm very sorry to say that cats sometimes don't come back, even if you play with them and feed them... but If they're EXTREMELY spoiled (like our inside cat) I think it'll meow at the door when it wants in.