Expert: Tina - 12/16/2008

Question
I have 3 cats and live in the country in Oregon.  2 males and 1 female, all fixed.  Just before Thanksgiving one of my cats (Bobby) left and did not return.  I hung up posters re my missing cat and someone called me with a possible siting.  I then located him a mile down the road.  It took me 5 evenings of going out there before I finally was able to get him and bring him home.  He was gone from the house approximately 2 weeks. Since he has returned I am not letting anybody outside until Bobby gets more comfortable again.  My problem is that Bobby's personality appears to have changed.  He hisses at my other male (Joey) and won't let him get near him.  Its as though he doesn't know him - yet they have lived together for more than a year.  This morning he "sang" quite a long cat growl at Joey when Joey was walking close to him.  Joey appears to want to get close to him but because of Bobby's attitude he is keeping a distance and Joey looks like he is always on the alert and tense.  I can't get Joey to relax much when Bobby is close by.  As for the female, Maggie, she is always unsociable and keeps to herself so although there are some issues there, they are not my biggest concern.  Bobby and Joey often used to sleep together, play with each other, and there have not been any problems between the 2 since Bobby joined the house more than a year ago.  I'm hoping this is something that will pass but each day that it continues I get more concerned.  Joey is a little more than 3 years old and has lived with me his whole life.  Bobby was a stray/feral that I took in and his approximate age is 2. Can you please help me with options, ideas or something to look forward to?  Thanks for any help you can offer me.

Answer
HI Sheila,

It sounds like Bobby probably has a few traumatic experiences during his "adventure" and he's on high alert. Since he was not very far away but didn't come home or come to you right away, I would bet that he was chased away by another cat, a dog or a wild animal and had a big scare. Are you certain he is not injured?

I would recommend re-introducing the cats as if they were new to eachother, give Bobby some time to settle back in and feel safe. You can help restore harmony by taking a towel and running it on Bobby's cheek, then rub the towel all over the other cats. Cats have scent glands in their cheeks and this will help make the groomed cats smell like home again. You can also use old bedding - if the cats have regular places to sleep, take their used bedding and rub it on each cat.

You can also get some Feliway at the pet store, it is excellent for these situations.

Finally, I wonder if you would consider keeping your cats indoors only or cat-proofing your yard, or building an enclosure for them? Bobby's reaction indicates to me that he may have had a close call. Cats allowed to roam loose are in a lot of danger from cars, dogs, wild animals and cruel people. You can keep them much safer by confining them to your property. Here are some ideas for everything from a cheap and easy solution to more elaborate enclosures:

http://catnet.stanford.edu/articles/enclosures.html

Good luck!