Concern

[shanagarry]

Followers of this Forum may remember the issue we had when our Puppy was taken 18 months ago. Fortunately we got him back thanks to some very alert people on this forum and there has never been a recurrence.

We also have two cats (brother and sister) - they are British Shorthairs and are 9 years old. They don't wander far from our home and are not the most sociable of animals - preferring to avoid human contact until feeding time.

They are both chipped and wear collars with their names and our telephone number on the attached tags. When they came in this morning both their collars were missing - something that has never happened before. I read somewhere recently that there has been a number of thefts of domestic animals and wondered if it is a development we should be guarding against

[sunman]

we've had 2 cats on VDM for 8 or 9 years, the male regularly comes home with no collar, & sometimes doesn't come home at all! we think other people look after him sometimes, maybe they're on holiday, he comes home fit & healthy licking his lips , a couple of times he's been missing a couple of weeks & we suspect he's been locked in somewhere, maybe holidaymakers didn't notice him snuggled in a cupboard when they left?
the female hasn't been missing but has lost her collar a few times, maybe they get into holes & have to come out backwards?

so I don't think there's domestic pet theft, it's often the other way round, cats & dogs are found tied up near lixo bins as the locals don't want to go to the expense of vet bills, chips, vaccinations etc etc.,

maybe some cheapskate just wanted the collars?

[laserblazer]

We kept finding broken collars from one of our neighbour's cats on our front lawn. It had worked out how to remove it using the fire hydrant post. A different style collar seems to have done the trick.

[shanagarry]

Thanks Sunman - I take the good points you've made.

The cats don't usually go missing - the male would do frequently in the UK - but not here. Their anti-social tendencies would prelude them from getting close to holidaymakers (or anybody else for that matter). I have seen several notices, over time, hung on lamp posts in this area where somebody is looking for their lost cat - and we never know if they have been found. The fact that both collars came off at the same time is the concern.

I realise there are plenty of cats available if anybody wants to adopt one but these two look different. I would be surprised if they could be caught or stood still long enough to have the collars undone (without getting severely scratched) - who knows.

Thanks again

[sunman]

the other issue about 'missing cats' are the phenomenal amount that simply get run over, you see lots of those

I take your point and understand your concern, 2 collars at the same time is a bit of a coincidence, but then they both came home

hopefully they'll continue to come home & your anxieties will fade a bit in time, good luck

[EMM]

They have probably been scared by one of the many wandering dogs in the area.
Last night our " adopted" friend " was heading off for his evening walk when he was confronted by a neighbours dog , we have never seen a cat move so fast.
Only last week in the UK mother in law los one ofe her cast for 5 days, it was found high up in a tree where it too had been chased by a dog.

[steve]

I dont understand why you think that someone would take the collars off the cats. It doesnt make much sense to me unless you are suggesting that it was done to help mask their identity. Unlikely though if they dont let people near them. Probably it is just coincidence.

My cat comes home from time time time minus her collar. I use particularly stretchy nylon ones to make sure that if she is trapped the collar will come off. Sometimes I find them near the fence or on tree she climbs up. Others never turn up. The annoying loss is the identity disc so I now use the cheap plastic capsules which house a piece of paper for contact details and keep a couple spare in my desk drawer.

[James Faro]

Cats can easily take off their collars. Mine had three, and all were gone over a matter of days. They were just the cheap ones with a name tag. I was concerned if someone was trying to take her while she did her gallivanting soliciting her services!

Then one afternoon in the sitting room I saw the madame take it off herself with her claws.

Unfortunately or maybe fortunately, cats have a fierecely independent spirit and WILL wander off for days with not even leaving a note!

[shanagarry]

Thanks to all for your feedback - it's food for thought. I know cats are are resourceful - but this collar removal has not happened before. The coincidence being that both were removed at the same time.

Having had the dog taken 18 months ago - I guess I have developed a paranoia.

Hopefully, its nothing more sinister than that

[sam]

I suspect one has learnt how to remove it and shared that knowledge with the other.

[shanagarry]

Yes Sam - thank you for that profound observation - why didn't I think of that

[pato]

I've already posted on this subject but I must have been too controversial and I see it's not been accepted. My point was there are people who do not agree with cats being collared, cat's are by nature free roaming creatures and a collar can be a massive problem in their hunting habits.
People will cut collars for their safety, maybe there's one around your area?
I have seen a cat with it's paw caught in its collar and it couldn't be rescued, it's paw withered and the cat nearly died, just a thought.

[shanagarry]

Pato - that's an interesting thought - thank you.

cat's are by nature free roaming creatures and a collar can be a massive problem in their hunting habits.

Domesticated cats are for the most part fed and pampered and do not need to 'hunt'. I realise its in their nature but by fitting a collar with a little bell attached gives the little birds a fighting chance. In addition some are flea collars and are for the animal's own well-being.

People will cut collars for their safety, maybe there's one around your area?

One of the collars has turned up in the garden - intact but undone. While cats are cunning and divisive - I don't believe they can find a way to undo a small buckle. It was found a long way from the fence ruling out the possibility of it being thrown back from outside our property

[Michael Crane]

Are pets (cats and dogs) chipped in Portugal? It's one way of retrieving a 'missing' pet if it turns up at the vets.

[steve]

Dogs are certainly supposed to be chipped by law but I doubt that the take up rate is high outside of pedigree breeds. They are also supposed to have rabies injections and be licenced each year at the Junta de Freguesia . I believe that cats should also be licenced but I dont think that they are required to be chipped. My cat is chipped but she also has a collar with ID since this would be the quickest way of someone making contact if she was found. Not nice to think about but if she was run over and killed I don't think that anyone is going to get the corpse checked for a chip but they might look at the collar. If that unpleasant scenario happened I would rather know than be left in perpetual doubt.