Thank you anonymous, for your advice. I got to the point where I phoned the CPL to rehome him. But I took your advice and persevered with strokes, special home cooked fish, lots of play with my daughter's hair band (which is now a firm favourite!) The first time I let him out I was a bag of nervies, wondering if he would return. - he did, after about 15 mins. And we now have a good bond. My other cat, now nearly 18, still takes a dim view of this intruder, but at least they are now civil to each other!! It is the last time my heart will rule my head, and now there will definitely be no more cats added to this family!!!! Thank you anonymous, for your support.

If you let him out he will likely try to find where he came from. There is a reason it is advisable to keep them in for 21 days. Most people say a month. It takes the cat this long to learn where he is, so when he goes out he can find his way back home. If he isn't settling, he is even more likely to run away if you let him out now. Try to distract him instead and just stick it out. I rehomed a cat because I was living away for a year and the new owners let her out after a fortnight and she never came back.