Expert: Tina - 12/3/2007

Question
Hi There, My male Tabby cat went missing for 2 months, I tried everything to find him put up posters and everything. Then on Friday morning at 4:30 he just came back. He let us know that he was back because he meowed the whole house down. Anyway I immediately shut the window so he could not get out again. He has been neutered and never went missing before.I have had him for two years, Anyway he loves his food,  always has had a good appetite, so I don't understand why he went away. My question is how long should I leave him locked inside for, I don't want him to go off again, as he is very thin and was so full of ticks, but I put frontline on him on Friday and in a matter of three days he is looking better.

Answer
HI Julie,

You are very lucky that your cat came back alive. There could be many reasons he went missing; a neighbor who got tired of him pooping in their garden may have driven him out to the countryside and dumped him, a dog may have chased him far enough that he got lost and took time to find his way home, he got closed in someone's car or the back of a truck and got taken for a ride, etc.

I recommend keeping cats indoors only for their health and safety. You may want to build a cat enclosure so he can enjoy some fresh air without the dangers. Here is some more info on making your cat an indoor pet and on cat enclosures:

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

http://catnet.stanford.edu/articles/infosheet_indoors.pdf