kitten wont come home

Question
Hello,

we have a 4 month old kitten that we began letting out into our garden from a very young age. At first it was only for short periods and then he gradually started taking longer and longer journeys away. We went on holiday last weekend for 3 days and our neighbors came over to feed/play with him, but he didn't get to go out. since we returned, he's left home and won't come back except occasionally to eat (but no one sees him), but as we can't leave the door open and don't have a flap yet, he does not have access to food all the time. we already did a neighborhood knock to get him back after the first 48 hours, so we can't keep having our neighbors track him down. what can we do to win him back over again so that he'll come home to us now and again?


Thanks in advance,
Reese

Answer
Reese,

You probably will not like my answer, but here goes.

Cats are very territorial and tend to stay very close to home.  Cats are also very good at hiding in plain site, so you could be walking right by him and not know it.

At 4 months, the outdoors is a very dangerous place for the kitten.  If he stays close to home and comes back all the time, there may not be a problem.  However, at 4 months your kitten is still very nocturnal and when he comes back, you may be asleep, so all he knows is that he cannot get back indoors.

So, your kitten is doing whatever he needs to do to survive out there and may be going feral.

The cat flap would have given your kitten some options that, right now, are denied him.

I am not sure he feels attached to your house anymore, so it will not be easy winning your kitten back.  The longer he has to fend for himself, the more feral he will become, and the less likely he will consider your house his house.

You need to give your kitten a way into your house at any time of day or night and hope he takes advantage of it.  If you do see him and bring him back in, you must lavish extra treats and attention on him.  I am not sure you can win this kitten back!

Best regards... Norm.