My Cat Doesn't Want To Come Home

[tikva]

A stray cat adopted us about 1.5 years ago. She started sleeping on our terrace, so we started feeding her. Since then, she always waited by the door for food in the morning and in the evening. After a few months, she started spending most of her time in our terrace.

Three weeks ago, we had a closet installed in the room, which is right next to the terrace. After the installation, she was gone. Last summer, she disappeared a few times, but she always came back. About a week ago, she came back to this area but not to our terrace. She now stays on top of the fence under our terrace most of the time. Whenever she sees our face, she meows asking for food. But she doesn't want to come up. Instead, she wants us to drop the food to the ground (we live on the 2nd floor). In the beginning, we thought she might be injured, but she easily climbs up and down the fence. So, it shouldn't be hard for her to come up to our terrace (she used to come up from the fence to the roof and to our terrace). Last fall, when the upstairs neighbor renovated their apartment, they made a big noise for a few weeks, and she was on our terrace most of the time. So, we don't think the noise of the closet installation made her scared.

Our neighborhood has a lot of stray cats. A couple, who lives in the building in front of our terrace, throws food to stray cats from their 3rd-floor apartment every night. A few cats always wait downstairs. The couple started giving food to the cats since the end of last year, and our cat saw them feeding every night from our terrace. The fence she now stays is between their building and our building. Whenever a noise comes out from their window, she looks up at their window. Now, I have no choice but to throw her chicken in the morning and in the evening because she refuses to come up. I've been seeing her on top of the fence most of the time for the past 1 week. Two families with 4 little kids live downstairs. They ride bikes and play balls where our cat hangs around. Each time they come out, she runs away. We really don't understand why she chooses to stay in the area where she cannot rest and to choose to wait for food that she has to fight for with other cats. She used to chase out any cats came into our terrace. Now, she joined them.

We cannot go downstairs to grab her because she has never let us touch her. We notice that she's scared of people. How can we make her come back?

 

[darg]

We've had outdoor strays and ferals hang out and come for food every day (minus a day or two here and there) for months or even a couple of years. Then all of a sudden they only show up once in a blue moon or sometimes, never again. And often enough we'll later see them up the street hanging out in front of a neighbors house. I can only speak for myself but my experience is that outdoor only strays and ferals are never really "our" cats.

 

[FeebysOwner]

The noise from the neighbors construction was not on 'her' terrace, so she tolerated it. When the construction noise from your closet was happening, that was likely too close for her comfort. Now, she has found somewhere else to get her food. And, while she likes that she gets even more food as well from you, she apparently doesn't feel compelled to come back to your terrace to get it.

Long time strays, and ferals, are primarily food driven and, if they don't like being near humans, their loyalty goes entirely to the food that they can get from whom/where ever.

You can try to put some tuna or other strong smelling fish on your terrace again - and be sure she sees you do it, then go back inside and wait to see if that might entice her to come back on your terrace. If it does, it does. If it doesn't, it doesn't. You can try several times as it might take that long to convince her she needs to check it out.

 

[4theloveofcats]

I've had ferals hang out for years on patio or deck, but suddenly leave.
Only to see them months and even years later chowing down on food I've put outside for current regulars.
But they never put down roots again.
IMHO, they've found a better deal and just stop by when they need to nosh on something.
Hope this is the situation with your kitteh.

 

[tikva]

It seems like she lost her survival skill, though. Over a year, she didn't need to hunt for food. I tried to throw her a piece of chicken this morning. I saw another cat on the fence, and "our cat" was right under our terrace waiting for food. I threw the food close to her, but the other cat dashed to the food and took it. I threw her another one, but again a different cat came out from somewhere and took it. Later on, I thought she was the only cat downstairs, so I threw her a piece of chicken. Right after she start eating, another cat came out and moved towards her. She gave up her food and let the other cat ate it. It seems like other stray cats start noticing that I give food, and they are much quicker or stronger than her.

We thought of putting tuna or something on the terrace to lure her to come, but we are afraid that other cats will come and take over her spot. I guess we have to accept that she's a stray cat after all. If she wants, she'll come back.

 

[FeebysOwner]

It sounds like she might be aging/ill/injured - and if so, she will lose out to the other cats every time. If any of those are true, watch her for weight loss and a change in agility - but, unfortunately, once those things start they might be hard to reverse unless you can find a way to catch her and have her looked at. Now, I am bit concerned for her welfare. You said she used to fight off other cats, now she is letting other cats take over. That sounds like there is something wrong.

You could try the tuna on your terrace and if another cat comes along before she gets to it, try spraying them with water and chase them away. Perhaps, if she is watching and they run, she will come. I don't normally suggest spraying a cat with water, but any other sort of noise you make would scare her as well. The water is just going to affect the one that comes there to try to eat what you want for her.

 

[walli]

Will she let you go down there and feed her?
maybe you can coax her back up somehow, I hope you get her back up there!

 

[tikva]

She doesn't look injured. I see her jumping up and down the fence easily. I don't know if she's ill. She seems to have an appetite as she asks for food. She might be aging. I don't know how old she is, but I believe at least 4-year old. When we moved in here 3 years ago, she was already a grown cat. Compared to other cats in this block, she's older.

Yesterday I went down to give her food after seeing other cats took over. But she ran away and didn't want to come near me. I didn't want to leave the food as other cats were around. Also, residents downstairs probably wouldn't like to see cat food in front of their windows. This morning I managed to throw her food. No other cats were around, so she was able to eat peacefully.

She's always on the fence from early morning, and it seems like there's less cat movement during that time. So, I'll put tuna on our terrace every early morning. I just have to make sure that other cats won't come up. Hopefully, she'll come back eventually.

 

[walli]

She will probably come back, It's hard to figure them out sometimes!
I think putting the tuna on your terrace is a good idea, make sure the other cats don't get it, if they don't get it they will stop trying.