My cat was chased by a stray. Will he come home if the stray is gone?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I am so very sorry to hear that he is lost. It is not unusual for a cat to come back home and they are good tracing back their way home. If he has a microchip you can check if he has been found at any of the local shelters. I am hopeful that he will come back. I will keep praying for his return. Good luck!

If she grew up as a stray, then I think she'll have a good chance of surviving. Cats do have a good sense of direction, so she might return. It's not uncommon that cats go for a walkabout for a day or two, then return. However, she also may be trying to get back to her alley home. If that is somewhat nearby, then I'd check for her there. It's also good to start hanging flyers in the neighborhood and check with local shelters. People tend to pick these kittens up when they see them. I hope that helps and your kitty returns soon.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Golu. He probably roams because he is not neutered or altered. Male cats will roam extensively if they are not neutered. The testosterone drives them to seek out mates and reproduce. Neutering him would make him a lot less likely to roam. Pets have been lost for extended periods of time, even longer than this. It's possible that he could return home. It's also possible that he has been taken in by another family who is feeding him now. I hope he returns. Good luck

I hope he's ok! I'd say chances are still good at this point - I recommend keeping food out for him, and set his litterbox outside so he can recognize his familiar scent if he's become a bit disoriented. I hope he finds his way home!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I am so sorry about Moli! Outdoor cats, especially not spayed or neutered will wander. The fact she did return after 11 days makes be think that her being gone 2 days is too soon to say something bad happened. The risk to outdoor cats are: injuries from vehicles, other animals and finding her homes. The inured back leg could be from a fight, being hit by a car or falling from something. You can ask around and post fliers and see if anyone has seen her or know what might have happened. The only thing to do if she comes back is to have her spayed and keep her 100% indoors to prevent wandering off. I hope she returns soon!

If Billy is not neutered yet, he is now old enough to be interested in mating females. This also makes him more prone to fighting with other male cats and may cause him to roam more. This roaming and fighting can lead to injuries from cars or other animals, FIV infections (which suppressed the immune system) and abscesses. Neutering him can help to decrease these behaviors which may end up saving his life. I recommend you speak with your veterinarian about the procedure. Most cats do very well and you should not expect to see any change in personality. I hope you find him quickly! Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

It's possible he is being skittish, just enjoys being outdoors, or has been injured and so won't approach you. It may be a good idea to contact your local animal shelter for a humane trap (one that doesn't hurt them when they enter it). You can then place it in his usual hangout spot with some smelly food (heated chicken or canned food) to entice him to enter. Once he's safely captured, bringing him to your vet to make sure he's OK after being out so long is best, and from there you can get him settled back in indoors.