Aaaargh children!

So I think I've found out why Hercules has gone on his most recent walkabout - three pre-teen boys have taken to playing the bushes near where I believe he hangs out most of the time - this is a little ways a away from where I feed him but close enough to still hear them.    It is so frustrating!     I'm hoping hunger will bring him back eventually and it can work out .....why why WHY do parents let their kids run around unsupervised in apartment complexes???    It's bad feral cats and I'm sure it's not safe or good for the kids either.  

I feel your pain, there were LOTS of unsupervised children (and teens that should have been supervised) where I use to live.  They are unsupervised for many reasons:  lack of caring, lack of time (working two jobs), lack of knowledge (purposeful or ignorance).  It's even worse when school is out--nothing to do but make trouble.

There is little you can do about it, except complain to the property management company which, in my opinion and experience, is useless:  unless the behavior is egregious, PM can't evict/fine.  I suspect it was teenagers who stole two of my traps in the dead of night.  Cameras have since been installed.

Sometimes children would come by when I was feeding the cat colony and I always told them what I was doing and why.  Some children are very scared of cats (where does THAT come from!?)  I hope these are the ones that in five years won't think it's funny to shoot an arrow into a cat's neck ($8,000 reward offered) or to kill the family's puppy (search on line for these articles--both happened within 25 to 50 minutes of where I live in the past two weeks).

Ritz that's awful what's happening in your area - it seems these children just aren't being taught respect for animals or life.   Can't blame anyone but the adults in most cases.    I feel bad about it but the minute I see an unsupervised child anywhere near Hercules' stomping grounds I fear for him because the default kid behavior is usually not good.   He's still out on walkabout as of today, I try not to panic until a whole week as he's given me so many false scares up till now, still I hope he's okay out there.   I have a possible barn home lined up for him now, some finalizing still do, so he needs to get his furry self back here.

Did you never play outside when you were a kid? Hmm, I sure did. Hey, maybe we annoyed adults by playing in the bushes, who knows. If they aren't actively doing anything to harm him, I guess they have as much right to be there as anyone. I hope he comes back soon! I always worry about my ferals when they don't show up for a few days. . .in the summer they do it a lot. The trouble they put us thought. . .

Hi Willowy, yeah I did play outside as a kid and I remember neighbors yelling at me and my friends to get out of their yards.   Now I understand why - guess that means I'm old now      Hercules is still MIA - 7 days now, I'm beginning to worry though trying hard not to.  It's good to know that wandering a bit during the summer is normal, he was so regular in the winter.  Thanks for the vibes!  

Preteens unsupervised seems normal to me.  Lids under a few years I have issue with but we were always allowed freedom pretty early and an apartment complex is fairly safe.  We also knew where we could go(to that corner/no road crossing)  I think it is quite healthy for kids to be outside and playing as opposed to over protected and stuck in house playing video games/watching tv.

If the cat is feral and came from there it is used to the daily coming and goings.  Is this cat neutered?  The ferals due disappear more in summer as it is nice out and things to do/things to catch.  Unless they are hurting the cat that will not stop him from coming home as they are not out 24/7.  He would just learn when they are not around and show up then.
 

Those are some powerful vibes, Hercules showed up today on day 8!   He looks thin but okay, whew.    I guess I've just got to get more Zen about  this stuff or he'll give me (more) gray hairs.     

I have had issues with my later neutered males going off during summer.  Usually starting a fight with unneutered male and coming home banged up.  It has gotten better each year that goes by.  Think he is just getting lazier.
 

Bastfriend said:

Those are some powerful vibes, Hercules showed up today on day 8!   He looks thin but okay, whew.    I guess I've just got to get more Zen about  this stuff or he'll give me (more) gray hairs.     

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This was one of the reasons I built the enclosure for Schofield.  I was a nervous wreck every time he left my yard.  He's adjusted well and is now king of all he surveys.  The bonus is, his very presence has (so far) kept all other cats out of my yard.

We also put up a new fence and that has shielded the yard as well.  Before, the neighbors kids would see in (and felt free to walk across our yard to the lake).  That will hopefully stop now, although they can still get to the lake if they want to.  They just can't troop across my yard.

Another update for you all, so now he's just lolling around in the area I can see from my balcony with his feet up in the air under a bush looking happy as a clam.   I guess he had a better week than I did worried sick about him every day!   

Catsallaround, maybe like with yours it is the late neutering that is the problem - Herc was a year and a half at the time of neutering.   If other cats come around though he doesn't fight them or if he does it is just a yowl or two and then he runs off for a few days - oh and before he runs off he sprays where his food area is or one time my front door!

Ondine, that's great your Schofield is getting along well in his enclosure!   He must have a commanding presence to keep the other cats out - my poor Herc just runs off and doesn't seem to remember he's a huge cat.   I've got a lead on a barn home (still not a sure thing yet) where he would be the only cat - I'm sure hoping it works out for him.