Why Do Cats Leave Home for Days?

Part of a cat’s nature is being independent. They can handle being on their own and likely to wander with themselves alone. Not all the time they prefer indoors, there is also a time where they go outdoors and roam around to find something to feed their curiosity.

Sometimes they go out in the morning and go back at night, which is normal for every cat owner not to worry about. But what gives concern to every purr parent is that they can be gone for several days or months without a trace, and then reappear with a little change in their appearance and behavior.

Their sudden disappearance is quite a mystery to some owners, but there is actually plenty of reasons behind that. Below are the most common reasons why cats leave home for days.

1. Mating

When a cat hits puberty, that is the season where they started to feel in heat, which means that they are ready to mate with other cats for reproduction. So, this is a common thing for un-neutered male cats. They can travel miles and miles following a female cat scent.

Moreover, when they finally find a molly they desire, they stay and wait for days until the male cats get their chance. They can be gone for a week or two, but sometimes they find comfort in a new environment with the presence of their mate, so they linger to stay than to return home.

For female unspayed cats, they go further away if they are unable to find their tom-cats to mate with, and it could be the possibility that she is about to give birth. Queening cats usually choose a place where they can assure that their babies are safe. Sometimes they surprisingly come back home with their kittens after their successful isolation.

2. Other people feeding your feline

It can be frustrating for some owners to find out that their cats are having loyalty issues with them. Cats can show loyalty to those people who feed them. If someone fed them even once while venturing around far from home, they will remember it and keep coming back casually.

Cats will remember to return home in this case. If this situation bothers you, think of something on how to minimize your cat’s routine about coming into someone else house.

Make sure that you will feed them at certain times in the day. It will help bring back their loyalty to you. Putting collars or id tag on your cats is a great idea also, especially for outdoor cats. In such a way, those who are feeding them will be aware that they have an owner and prevent them from being mistaken as a stray cat.

3. They are seriously ill

Cats tend to hide when they are seriously ill. It’s their means of self-medication to speed-up their recovery. Part of cats’ instinctive behavior is how they are going to protect themselves from possible attackers who are trying to take advantage while they are weak.

They find a comfortable place to hide where they feel safe and warm at the same time. Be observant about your cat’s health because they are unlikely to tell you that they are sick. If you notice your feline is vomiting, having diarrhea, or losing appetite, it may be signs that they are seriously ill. So, it is better to consult your vet.

4. New pets

Just like humans, cats can perceive jealousy. They feel envious when you divert your attention to other things, and they suddenly feel excluded. New pets can trigger their jealousy, mainly because you use to be so close to each other when the time that he/she is your only pet.

You can tell that your feline is jealous if he/she shows behaviors like growling, hissing, or swatting at your new pet. While your cat and new pet can learn to get along, it’s a whole different story if your tomcat decides to leave because of jealousy.

To avoid this from happening, make sure that you’re giving them more time and attention. You can play with them using interactive toys like laser pointers or puzzles.

5. Hunting

Cats are a natural-born hunter, and it’s in their genetic traits to have this kind of inherited instinct from their domesticated predecessors. From time to time, cats needed to hunt to meet their prey drive needs.

It’s likely for the felines to travel further away if they didn’t find any prey around their area. While hunting is in their nature, and you can’t stop them from doing it. The only best thing you can do is to put a GPS tracker on them. This way, you are feeling assured because you always know where to find them.

6. Territorial Fight

Just as you know, cats are also territorial. They may view their entire surroundings as their territory. By this, they will be more than willing to fight and defend their area from outsider felines even if it cost them severe injuries or worst, their life.

However, territorial fighting is not always the case. It is also possible that felines are just lost while venturing to their boundless territories.

How Do I Prevent My Cats from Leaving?

While it’s almost impossible to stop your feline from going outside, there are things you can do to prevent them from disappearing for days.

Neuter/Spay your cat

The best and most effective way to prevent cats from leaving home is to neuter (male cat) or spay (female cat) them. Neutered and spayed cats are likely to stay at home because they are not in heat anymore. Meaning they don’t have the will-power anymore to go outside or travel further away to look for a possible mate.

Another advantage of neutering and spaying cats is you’ll get rid of the weird noises they’re making every time they are in heat. Which quite annoying and can cause a disturbance.

Use technologies

Since we’re living in an era where technology is advancing, you can take advantage of pet gadgets and even apps being offered on the market right now.

Investing in tracking devices like microchips, GPS trackers, or smart collars will ease your worries every time your cat wander outside. You can also install apps like cat finder on your cellphone to make sure that you always know where to find your beloved feline.

Introduce them to your neighbors

By introducing your feline to your neighbors, they will be alerted and can help you find your cat if he/she goes missing. Also, if your furry happens to wander in your neighbor’s backyard, they will not mistakenly identify your feline as a strayed cat since they already know who’s the owner.

Use Social Media

We all know how powerful social media can be. If you’re one of the 3.81 billion people who are active in social media, then why not take advantage of it by posting a lot of photos or pictures of your cat on your friend’s timeline. So that whenever your cat went missing, all your social media friends will be alerted, and they may help you find your kitty.

Identification

You can also put an identification tag on your cat with some information on it. By doing this, it will make you more comfortable and less worry every time your cat goes outside.

Moving house?

While relocating to another house can be exciting for you, it can be so stressful for your feline. To prevent them from escaping and getting lost on the day of moving. Here are things you can do:

• Prepare your cat crates or carriers
• Plan ahead
• Keep your cat inside your house
• Put an identification tag on your cat
• Prepare your GPS tracker or smart collar

Conclusion

Cats are not just our pets, but they are also part of our families. So, it’s normal for us to feel uneasy and worried every time our feline wander outside. We always hope that they will come back later.

Although cats are independent, it doesn’t mean that they can take care of themselves all the time. Because there are a lot of things that they can’t do that a human can. Just like other animals, cats can also be fragile, and they only have one life. As a pet owner, it is our responsibility to take care of them and fill in those things that they are not capable of.