Where Do Your Cats Go When They Leave Your Home?
85Ronnie on the Hunt
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I can't help wondering where on earth cats go when they head "through the cat flap". Quite often they are gone for days at a time, and when they do return they are frequently not hungry and seem pretty content with life.
My cat "Ronnie", (see picture above), worries me sick every time he vanishes, yet when he comes back he has a bit of food and promptly crashes out for a day on our bed before vanishing again. I suspect he has a second home and is worrying both "owners" every time he goes missing!
On one occasion Ronnie was missing for several days, and we had all hunted high and low for him. Whilst dropping my Husband off at our fishing lake on the third day I spotted Ronnie crossing the lane behind me. The next half hour was spent with me crawling through brambles and undergrowth trying to catch him, whilst he miaowed at me pathetically from within the depths of the sharp spiky bushes I was attempting to retrieve him from. Eventually I caught him, placed the protesting moggie into my car, and drove him back the house, by which time I was covered in lacerations from both Ronnie and the brambles. The face of the people I drove past was a picture, as they must have seen me driving with a large black and white cat on my lap, complete with his paws on the steering wheel, protesting loudly at his "catnapping". I soon got him home and fed him, plus locking him in the house, but before 24 hours were over he was long gone again.
If your cat is missing right now you might find my article called How to Find Your Missing Cat useful.
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"Georgie"
I once had a cat in the UK when I lived in a very built up area in Bromley in Kent. Surrounded by high rise flats and main roads there were not many places you think a cat could hunt, yet my cat "Georgie", managed to bring a fully grown dead grey squirrel home and leave the corpse in our kitchen, and then at a later date brought home a 6-7 inch live goldfish that she could only have stolen from a garden pond. I only realised the fish was still alive when I went to pick it up with a view to disposing of it, and when it flipped in my hands I nearly jumped six foot in the air. Thinking quickly I placed the fish in a large tupperware container of water and phoned the local rescue centre. Before too long I was driving this rather damaged fish to be treated, although sadly I was later told it didn't make it due to the severity of the damage my moggie had inflicted. I still don't know where on earth "Georgie" caught the poor fish. What was really amazing was that we didn't even have a cat flap, Georgie had jumped up through our lounge window to bring her trophies home.
Reggie (nearest)
"Reggie"
Now we also have a jet black cat called "Reggie", and he is a real character with an appetite that is unbelievable for a pretty slender feline. Quite by chance one of our neighbours has a cat that is the exact double of Reggie, and neither of us can tell our cats apart.
Some months back our friend "Bartie", was sitting in his lounge when his cat came home and promptly scoffed the entire contents of the cat bowl before settling down on his lap for the evening. Bartie commented to his girlfriend what a huge appetite their cat had lately. It was only an hour or so later Bartie went into their bedroom and saw his actual black cat sitting on top of their wardrobe, and quickly realised that the cat that had been regularly eating all the cat food, and sitting on their laps, was actually our cat Reggie. To add further insult to injury, Reggie was also eating at least four or five bowls of food a day at home, so how on earth he isn't grossly obese I have no idea.
Squish
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"Squish"
Our third cat is a five month old kitten called "Squish", and she is a real little character. Already she brings us home "gifts" such as voles, mice etc. Introducing a new kitten to our existing cats was by no means easy, but somehow it all came together in the end.
We weren't keen to let her out until she was at least six months old, but she had her own ideas. Once she had bullied our existing cats into accepting her, (no easy task as they spent the first month hissing at her and swiping her every time she came near them), she promptly began following her new mentors everywhere, including outside and all over the neighbouring fields. I am guessing they have been "showing her the ropes", and when she has gone missing for a day at a time I have searched high and low for her thinking someone must have stolen her.
Squish very quickly convinced our cats that she was a part of the team, and even when they tried to hiss at her or attack her she would have none of it and really didn't "take the hint", instead she jumped on them, chased them all over the house, knocked their legs out from under them and generally forced them to love her. In our case her job was easy, and she soon treated me as her "Mum", and made a point of suckling virtually every jumper I was wearing and slept on my pillow.
Now the three of them all vanish at once, often not to be seen for the whole day. I would truly love to know where they go, or plant a hidden camera on one of them, as I imagine their adventures would be pretty enlightening.
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"Smudge"
In Tenerife I had a Siamese cat called "Smudge". He was a darling, but I really wonder where on earth he went each time he left the apartment I lived in with my friend "Bard of Ely".
Smudge went through a truly crazy phase of bringing home Barbie type dolls with no clothes on, and at one point even brought home a "My Little Pony" toy. He would play with these for hours, yet neither of us had any idea where these dolls had been stolen from. We just had visions of some poor child looking everywhere for their missing dolls.
Sadly on the day I left Tenerife and was returning to Guernsey, Steve (Bard) had been going to adopt both of my Tenerife cats, but Smudge was found dead on the same day. We were both really upset as he was such a character, but happily Steve still has my former cat "Tiggy" living with him in Tenerife to this day several years later.
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"Pixie"
Many years ago my family had a big butch cat called "Pixie" of all things. He was fabulous, and more like a small dog than a cat. He actually looked virtually identical to "Ronnie" my current cat featured at the beginning of this hub.
Pixie managed to escape outside of our vets surgery one day following a routine vaccination. The vets was a good few miles, (or 20 minute car ride) from where we lived, so needless to say we were worried sick about him having hunted high and low without success. After three days of being missing, and having only ever been taken to the vets in an enclosed cardboard box, Pixie turned up back at our house on top of the pig styes in our garden. To this day we have no idea of how he found his way home, and what's more he wasn't even hungry, just pleased to see us.
This same cat would happily travel in the car with my Mum and Step Dad down to their boat, and sail all over the English Channel between Guernsey, Jersey etc asleep on the bunks down below. Once he returned to land he would sit contentedly in the car for the journey back home again. His antics were so impressive that my Step Father, (a retired Fire Chief), nicknamed him "Black Dog", and this cat later became a character in one of the novels he has written since his retirement (" Rough Sea Justice " by James Cassaday).
The Mangy Tortoisehell
Some months back we found a very mangy looking tortoisehell cat up at our fishing lake. Feeling sorry for this bedraggled weak little kitty we brought her home and placed her on a blanket in front of our heater, along with food and water. Our other cats didn't bat an eyelid, and immediately accepted her.
I sent my Husband Richard on a tour of the neighbourhood asking if anyone had lost a cat. I even phoned up local rescue centres to see if one had been reported missing.
It turned out the cat did live locally and had hunted around our lake for years, often going missing for weeks at a time. She was now over 16 years old and a bit senile, hence why she had got lost up at the lake. We quickly returned her to her owners who were clearly great animal lovers, and they said she often does this, but usually turns up on her own. Apparently some habits do die hard!
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The Neighbour's Cat
Neighbours of ours adopted a cat that simply "moved in with them". The reason being that the children of the former owners used to chase the cat unmercifully, and even cut off her whiskers on one occasion, (which as you no doubt know is an essential tool for a cat if it isn't to get trapped in tight spaces).
Having had enough she found the people who lived opposite far more "cat friendly", and even the new children were good with animals. She now lives with them full time and runs a mile if she sees her former owners, even though they have tried putting food out to tempt her back.
This same cat turned up on our doorstep one night even before she "moved house". She had an empty can of cat food wedged on her head and was soaking wet from the downpour of rain we had experienced that evening. I quickly brought her indoors and removed the offending can, and then gently dried her off with a towel. She quickly left and we saw her around for some weeks before she changed owners. The former owners really didn't seem too bothered about her at all, and even when we told them on one occasion that we had heard a cat similar to theirs had been run over on the nearby road, the woman simply shrugged her shoulders and said, "well I haven't seen her today". We were quite shocked, and really couldn't get our heads around the lack of concern she showed. It was no surprise to find out a few weeks later the cat had moved to the neighbours house, and we quickly ended up adopting one of her next litter of kittens, (Squish). Being responsible owners they then got her spayed, and she is still happily living around the corner from us today.
Following my adivice the new owners got her microchipped to avoid the former owners laying claim to her, which would have been terrible for the cat's future.
Clearly she knew where to go once outside of her original home!
Ronnie and Reggie
When our original two were merely young cats, we walked to one of our local pubs with a couple of friends. It wasn't more than quarter of a mile before we heard mewing behind us. Shining our torches back down the country lane we found both the cats had followed us. All four of us tried in vain to catch the cats without success, and eventually they ran into a field where we were forced to leave them, (the cats, not the friends).
Some hours later and back at home the kitties had still not returned home. By now we were all getting worried, so my Husband Richard went out looking for them. He eventually headed back to the field we had last seen them in, and sure enough, they were both waiting there for one of us to collect them. Once Richard called them they happily followed him home again.
Reggie and Ronnie
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Ronnie and Reggie's Visit to the Pub.
One evening Richard decided to go to the local hotel bar for an evening drink. Having made it three quarters of the way, and now on the coast road, he arrived at the hotel only to realise the two cats were with him. The owner of the hotel invited Richard in, but Richard pointed out he had the two cats with him. The owner very kindly suggested Richard bring them into the hotel bar with him, and so he did.
Ronnie and Reggie comfortably curled up on one of the padded seats in the bar, and proceeded to be petted by all the guests for the next two hours. When Richard went to leave, he simply called the cats and they willingly followed him all the way back home again, stopping at kerbs and waiting for cars to invite them to cross the roads, at which point they followed Richard trustingly over. They all arrived home safely and were none the worse for their adventure.
Ronnie Lies in Wait.
Another night Richard went to the pub and Ronnie followed him as far as a nearby derelict greenhouse. Richard ran the rest of the way to the pub to avoid Ronnie following him. It was some hours later that Richard was walking back home in the dark when he passed the same derelict greenhouse. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Ronnie landed on his shoulder. Clearly Ronnie had been waiting all that time for Richard to return and hadn't left the site since.
Squish
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The Lake
We frequently go up to our fishing lake and find both Ronnie and Reggie sitting on the bench up there watching the scenery, or they choose to land on our shoulders whilst we are sitting relaxing on the bench, usually scaring the hell out of us in the process. We also get many "gifts" of dead, semi-alive or very alive rabbits left on our doorstep. The ones we can, we rescue and take to the local animal sanctuary for vet care, sadly many never make it, but we do our best. Our cats clearly live an amazing life full of adventure and mysteries we can only guess at for the most part, but truth be told we love them to death and would not be without them. I suspect it won't be too much longer before young "Squish" discovers the joys of our fishing lake and starts to explore rabbit hunting as a hobby too!
And So.....
Obviously caring for your cat or kitten isn't easy, as it is so hard to monitor them full time, and hence why I feel microchips are really important if you don't want to lose your cat altogether.
The adventures they must have would be amazing to follow, and yet impossible to achieve without attaching a camera to your pet, which I doubt would stay on long if your cats are anything like mine!
I would love to hear where you you think your cats go when they are out playing, or if you have found out their secret please post it below.
Other Relevant Articles by Mistyhorizon2003
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If your cat is currently missing, or you are worried your cat or cats may go missing, this is the article you need to read. It tells you how to find your missing cat and gives good advice to ensure your cat does not stay lost for long. - How to Care for your Cat or Kitten
It is always exciting when you first make the decision to get your own kitten or cat, but before you commit to your new pet and bring him or her home there are serious considerations you need to make. The first important decision is can you afford... - How to Introduce a New Cat or Kitten to your Existing Cats
Introducing a new kitten to your existing cats can be far more stressful than you ever imagined. This article explains how best to go about this process and avoid any potential problems with the new arrival. - How to get your cat or dog to swallow / take tablets or pills.
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In this article I hope to list most of the more common houseplants that are dangerous to cats so that you can either ensure you don't bring them into your home or at least you can keep them out of the reach of your pets.... - Lilies can kill your cat within hours!
It probably will come as a surprise to many cat owners that something as beautiful as a lily could potentially kill their beloved pet cat within hours, but this article explains how, and why it is so important that you make sure you never have lilies - Why Should I Buy Pet Insurance?
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Hi Brainstormer, I doubt we will find out either, but I would love to know.
The lake is lovely and I am sure you would find it as relaxing and theraputic as I do. If you want to see more of it you can visit our website www.lesrouvetslake.com and go to the "Gallery" section where you will find many photos of the lake throughout the seasons. If ever you visit our little island I shall show you around in person.
Wow cats are quite a character. They are very independent, maybe a little too independent on their own. My cats do a good job of knowing when to come home, but been having problem with one of my black cats. (yes I have two black cats and I can tell them apart) She likes to hang out on top of my neighbors roof for days. She'll eventually come down after days, or weeks of starving up there? What is she trying to prove to me? I have to lock her up in my room to make her gain back her normal weight and later go take a visit to the vet to cut her claws down. But anywayz, thanks for sharing your cute stories of your babies! I'll start posting mine about cats later on!
Thanks mayhmong, cats certainly are odd creatures and not at all like dogs. They are just so independent and don't seem to follow any logical patterns of behaviour. I have one black cat, one black and white and one white and black. All are completely barmy and know exactly how to get attention!!!
The elusive cat. Sometimes I have some under the bushes in my front yard and I don't even know they are there until they go "meoooowwww". I could be staring right at them and pow, they are right underfoot.
The place I hate to see them disappear into is the sewer. Gad, what else is in there with them???
Hi Cindy, thanks for commenting. It is very true that they can be right under your feet and yet stay invisible. I often fall over my three for this reason.
Gosh, I just love your stories. I know one of my little girls went out one night and got hit by a car. That seems strange becaue we live at the end of a dirt road and to hit a cat you really have to aim your car at it. It was Little Sheba. It was two weeks ago. It is amazing what her brothers did after that. I did look for her for days and never found her and the boys would follow me everywhere that I went in search of her. What happened was a neighbor of mine told me that someone hit a cat and then took it with them. I thought that odd, but I had to tell the boys that she wasn't coming back. Mikey-her double- was never he pick eup kind of cat, but since she left or died, he now wants picked up all the time. He rubs all over my legs and I cannot take a step without stepping or tripping over him. Oh and they don't leave the yard--at least during the daylight hours, anymore. Mikey is always at one of the doors in the morning. As soon as my feet hit the floor I see him come to the door and he tells me that he is hungry. Houdini, her other brother, isn't a snuggle kitty but will come up to eat and every so often he will talk to me and look at me. They do feel the loss becasue as I was looking for their sister, Houdini would look with me as well as Mikey, but Houdini would follow my steps and at each time that I stopped he would lok up at me.
Hi LG thanks so much for visiting and commenting. What a sad story you have to tell, and it certainly seems to prove that your other cats know something has happened to Sheba, and need your reassurance that they will be loved, protected and okay.
Most of the cats in my area seem to end up under my bedroom window. Usually around 2:00 AM, and always wailing. Next time I hear them out there, I'll have a peek and see if Ronnie is with them!
B.T. Get them and spay/neuter them and they won't sing anymore.
As fun as that sounds, I'm not spending that much money on someone else's cat! I may have to just buy that 16 foot python I've been eyeballing. Of course he would be an outdoor python...
Do you have a Spay Today in your area, they are really cheap in their prices. Tell the owners. Sorry I am a sticker for this type thing.
My darling Mr. Yossie was banished to another house at Christmas, because of his killing habits. He clearly didn't appreciate the lack of company, because he vanished. Then we found he'd wandered into the pub, bagged a chair next to the fire, and stayed a few days, with people telling him how wonderful he was, etc.
LOL, this is just so typical of cat behaviour, look after number 1 :)
I have a black and white cat named Baylin and he always goes outside and idk where to lol. My other cat Achillies is a house cat and never dares step outside.
It is true they are all individuals. Two of my three venture up to our fishing lake on a daily basis, the third never goes far from the immediate complex around our house. One of the first two will stay up at the lake for several days at a time, the other will always come home daily for as much food as he can physically stuff down himself. All three have unique personalities.
I know exactly where my cat goes: on the veranda of the kids' old cubby house. She lies in the sun, looks at the neighbour's cat trespassing on the lawn and wonders whether she should bother to show him who owns what.
LOL J Rosewater, sounds like she has a pretty easy life. Thanks for commenting :)
This hub made me smile -I love the names of the cats and there characters.
Thanks 2uesday, they are fab cats and true characters :)
It's been already 7 days since my two year old cat left home. I feel so drepressed. He was just a stray cat and I grew him up since he was a baby. He used to love me so much, be with me everytime. He's like my other half. Then I left for my studies abroad and my family still spoils him. It's been a year since I haven't seen him but I am counting down the days till I will be with him. He usually leaves for two days and comes back, but now it's been 7 days. Everyone in the neighbourhood is looking for him but in vain. :( I wish he comes back home..
Don't panic yet Amy, sometimes they leave for weeks and still return, (even if they don't have a history of such behaviour). Was he microchipped by the way, as this can help trace him easily if he is found away from home somewhere, injured or otherwise?
No he hasn't been microchipped. :( We've told everyone in the neighbourhood, sent pictures to PAWS, the organisation taking care of pets. Everyday my parents and a friend go searching for him, but in vain so far. Thanks, I still keep hope, and waits for the day he comes back ..
I know of people whose cats went missing for 6 months and still returned, so don't give up hope please. Once he does return I would strongly advise you get him microchipped though, just in case he goes missing again. Let me know if you get any news. You could get your parents to put posters up with his photo on in local shops, on lamp posts etc.
i have a white female cat thats spayed must be what around 4 years old and she vanishes for days on end sometimes she is gone for a week and then comes back stays in the house for a month puts some weight back on and then vanishes again but out of all the cats she is the most loving one that we have (we have a few)
They certainly are strange creatures aren't they MrQ! Thanks for commenting.
I'm scared my neighbor's cat chooses to live with me. Shes very respectful and sweet but i hope she goes home. I'd be too ashamed to let the owners know shes been staying at my place.
I suppose it depends on who your neighbours are and what they are like omg. My neighbours cat is always popping in to our place and has stayed the night several times. Thing is that this cat also goes into a number of the other flats and cottages on this complex, no doubt eating in all of their homes. He spends a load of time here because him and my littlest cat are best friends and play all day outside together. As at home he is an "only cat" and lives with an energetic 5 year old boy, I am guessing he enjoys time at our place for a rest and a play with another cat. His owner is sweet though and never gets cross. She knows where he is if he isn't at home, and he always comes when she calls him if he is outside or our door is open and he is in our house. She has even knocked on our door in her dressing gown very late at night when I have still been up, in order to collect Dexter (the cat) and take him home. Never once has she been annoyed though and fully understands that to this cat at least, the whole complex here is his territory, which includes her house, mine and most of the others.
my cat has just gone missing now for two days and i am really upset at having to wait and also mad at the same time as he wont come home please help me what should i do?
Can't really answer this stevie, you simply have to wait until he is ready to turn up. One of mine just came home after being missing for a day and a half during which time we had a terrible thunderstorm and some snow. I was really worried about her, then she just strolled in, hungry but fine all the same.
my cat is missing just last night. im depressed. i miss him so much! ;-(
Don't worry yet Marcuspoleern. Many cats go missing for weeks at a time but still come home in the end. I am sure he will be back before you know it.
This is a great hub and I can so relate to it. I have a black and white cat 'Ray'who also does disappearing acts, usually found at the farm yard just down the road, although he has been seen at 5.30am presumably on his way home a 1/2 mile away. My mother in laws cats used to follow us when we took the dog for a walk.
Thanks nasus loops, they are very good at wandering miles away I have to say. Fortunately ours have always come home (so far at least) :)
My boys used to roam a lot, but now they have hit their teens they are settling in. They love the garden and play with each other until it is time for a nap in the flower beds. Tiggy used to roam when he was younger but always back for food! My mum's cat ( rehomed when she was 7) wont go outside the garden walls and refuses point blank to go in the front garden!(she also has 8 toes on each foot)
Hi CASE1WORKER, my youngest cat 'Squish' seldom strays further than the immediate areas outside our house. My other cat Ronnie goes a good 1/4 of a mile or more away. Sadly my third cat went further than even we realised he would go, and as a result he got run over and killed on a road about half a mile from here this week. I now wish they all stayed around the house area and didn't venture quite so far.
By the way, I used to have a cat called Tiggy, but she now lives with my friend (and former lodger) in Tenerife. He is a hubber on here too, called Bardofely.
Your Mum's cat sounds like she is some kind of version of a Polydactyl cat, only they normal have 6 toes not 8. I have never heard of a cat with 8 toes on each foot, that is amazing.
Anyway, thanks for popping by and commenting :)
Hi - beautiful cat stories. Yes they have minds of their own. I once read a story about a new couple asking the neighbours to look in on their cat (who has just started to drop by so they adopted him). The neighbours then found out that it was their own cat who was comfortably living in two places at once.
What a truly funny story elnavann, who got to keep the cat in the end? A neighbour of ours has a cat that is the spitting image of our recently deceased cat Reggie. He wondered why their cat was suddenly eating so much more food than normal. He realised why when he put his cat off his lap on to the floor one evening, walked into the bedroom and saw his real cat asleep on top of the wardrobe. Our cat had been masquerading as his cat for weeks, but because only one of them at a time was in the room he hadn't twigged they were two different cats.
Fun cats and stories. I have always wondered what they do to. I had a couple of cats growing up. After our dog died, our cat Felix was depressed. One day when we opened the door to let him out he never came back. I often wondered what happened to him.
Hi Sandy,
How sad. It is worse not knowing where they ended up I always think. We just lost one of ours in a road accident, but fortunately he had a microchip so we were called the same day, even though our cat was sadly killed outright.
It is so unlike my cat to stay out very long, he always pops in just to make sure we are still there and he doesn`t appear to go very far but today he went out at 10.30 am and has not returned and it is now midnight, I am so worried something has happened to him, he has been spayed and chipped but has no collar on and I have looked round the streets for him but I`ve had no luck .
I really wouldn't worry yet Jackie, he may have got shut in somewhere, and will most likely be back in the morning. At least he is microchipped and if anything has happened to him you should soon get a call. You don't say how old he is, but I recall the first time my cat did this he was about a year old, and it worried me sick too, but he was back within a day or two. I avoid collars because they can be dangerous unless they have a 'quick release' mechanism built in, so I am glad your cat does not wear a collar.
He is 2 years old. He has still not returned but I have put posters up and asked neighbours to keep a look out. On the day he went missing we had a a really big downfall of heavy rain so i`m wondering whether he got scared and went for shelter and is maybe trapped. What are the odds of someone taking him in, he seemed very timid when people walked up our street so he would come running in the house, is it likely they can be easily lead in other peoples houses.
It is still early days yet Jackie. I would give it another 48 hours and then make some calls to local vets, police, rescue centres etc. 2 years old is a young cat, and they are more than capable of vanishing for days or even weeks at a time, even if they have no history of doing so, when they get to around that age (sometimes younger, sometimes older). It is still a good sign you have not heard anything bearing in mind he is microchipped. It is also good that you have put out posters as like you say, there is always a slight risk he is shut in somewhere. I advise any poster/advert to say 'Please check your sheds or garages'.
Please let me know when you get news. I am thinking of you sincerely.
Good Luck.
Thanks for your concern, I will keep you posted.
After my tuxedo kitty left for 5 nights I bought a tracking device that fits on her collar. It beeps on her collar and I have a hand held device that beeps louder and louder the closer she gets. So 3 months have gone by and she always comes running home when I "page" her so I decided to remove the collar. She has been gone for 3 nights now from the second I took that collar off! I'm never taking that thing off her again!
Hi Misty, its been 2 weeks today and he still hasnt returned.....think i`ve done everything I possibly can, leaflets through doors, posters etc, I cant seem to move on even my husbands feeling the strain of me being miserable, he was such a lovely, timid but friendly cat I just hope he hasnt ran into some sick cat hater....sorry to burden you with my misery but I need to talk to someone x
Hi Kristen, hope she comes back safe and sound x
Hi Kirsten, I too hope your kitty comes back safe and sound. I like the sound of the device you were using, they sound like a really good idea.
Hi Jackie,
I am so sorry to hear your kitty has not yet returned.It is always worse not knowing what has happened to them, even if the news was not going to be good news. Have you got a local radio station who would put out a request on your behalf maybe?
I admit it does not look promising now, but stranger things have happened, and some cats do go missing for weeks or even months at a time before suddenly returning. Try not to think the worst, our imagination can be a terrible thing.
Do let me know any updates. my prayers are with you.
Great hub Well done.You did very good job.
Thank you fashion, I appreciate the feedback :)
Loved all of the cat stories.
My Siamese Samantha loves stuffed animals. She only plays with them when we are gone though, so it's not unusual for us to come home to find them scattered all over the house. She also likes to steal jewelery so I'm pretty careful to keep everything picked up.
Thanks Karen,
Sadly Reggie (our black cat) got killed on Easter Saturday by a traffic accident. We are still broken hearted and were shocked when we found out how far he had ventured to get to the main road where he was hit.
Cats are amazing creatures and Siamese are very unique in their personalities, (seems like they love toys amongst other weird things). I couldn't imagine life without them though :)
I love cats and had several when I was younger, we used to let them go unleashed and unfortunately all of them ended up dead in a year. One shot, two died of disease and one never came back. So now we keep all of them on leashes in our back yard. And you know they are perfectly healthy and safe and happy. And so are we. I love your stories about your cats, they are such magnificent characters, and they are true explorers. Thanks for sharing your cat stories, rated Up and Awesome>
Thanks Carcro, I love my remaining two cats, but know they would go spare if I tried to keep them on a leash whenever they were outside. They love to wander, especially Ronnie, and he would be miserable if I restricted this ability. We are fortunate (for now) that where we are is mostly very safe (although our recently deceased cat was run over some way from our home, in a place he had ventured to which was further than we ever assumed he traveled). Unfortunately our landlord has proven to be a rogue, and is trying to put our rent up by £200 per month, so now we need to find a place where we can have cats that is safe for them, (we are unwilling to stay here now). I just hope we can find a good place to live, affordable and where we can have cats safely. Fingers crossed!!!
Some cats do have a second life. Many people say they have nine, but I think they sometimes live two at a time.
My Mom had a cat, probably a eunuch, who would disappear for a few days and come back again. She finally found out that a nearby neighbor had 'adopted' it part time.
Actually, it worked out well for all of them. They could leave for a few days without worrying about the cat, and everyone was very happy with each others company.
LOL Rochelle, that is like our neighbour's cat Dexter (we call him 'little grey thing'). He seems to be with us at least 40% of the time, but she knows and is cool with it. Our own cats even love him, although I don't know how we will cope when our unavoidable house move happens!
our cat is lost her name is gray. she was lost since 9/9/11 until no signs she will come back i placed posters already but no one called. We love her a lot and we need her.
It is still early days odytheal. Was she microchipped at all, as if she was she can be traced back to you easily, whether she has been in an accident or if someone has found her? If she is chipped and you have heard nothing there is a very good chance she is fine and just off on an adventure. You don't say how old she is, but often cats reach an age, (maybe a year or two old) when they decide to go off on adventures for days at a time, (this is always scary the first few times).
Try calling around to local vets and rescue centres too, just in case she has been found and either she didn't have a chip, or it had migrated to another part of her body and the scanner didn't pick it up.
I hope she comes back soon, Good Luck.
Hey Mistyhorizon2003, I hope everything works out for you and your cats, I would certainly hate to lose mine because of a move or anything! They are a big part of our family...
Thanks carcro, no luck in finding a new place yet. Rents here are crazy prices, and even small flats go for £1300 or more a month, which is too much for us right now. I will make sure we do not lose our cats though, as like you said 'They are a big part of our family'.
Great Hub btw!
I have been looking after my sisters cats whilst in Cuba, they are both housecats and have not been micro chipped. They are never out unless in Garden and one of them has went missing. I am very stressed and devastated, have no idea what to do. I have informed neighbours and I am constantly out with biscuits, looking for him. Its been nearly one day and my sister is back this weekend. Any advise, would be much appreciated.
x
Thanks Seamus. This is really difficult as they are not used to going outside of the garden. He may just have gone on a bit of an adventure as it is a novelty for him, but hopefully he knows his home well enough to find his way back again from following the scent. You could try leaving some food outside in the hope he comes back because the smell draws him in, but as he may be wary (due to not knowing you very well) try watching through the window rather than being outside in person.
Call various animal rescue centres to see if any cats fitting his description have been brought in, (injured or otherwise). Call local Vets surgeries for the same reason.
If he isn't back by tomorrow you might want to run up some fliers and post them on trees, lampposts, in shop windows etc locally along with a photo and a contact phone number.
Don't panic, missing for 'nearly one day' is no time at all for a cat, (one of mine has just returned after 3 days away). No doubt he will be back before you know it, possibly even before you next go to bed.
Thanks, that was great advise!
I left food on the back porch and woke up at 5.30am to the other cat crying at the window and there was his missing brother. Delighted to say the least, so thank you very, very much :-)! Have booked them into to get micro chipped on friday because that was a horrible feeling.
Thanks again
x
I am so pleased Seamus, what a relief, I could not be happier for you and am very glad you are getting them micro chipped as you just never know when something like that could happen again.
I really appreciate you letting me know as well :D
SADLY i lost my cat tommy now its been 2 months we put posters and everything we can do for him and still i keep wondering the streets day and night searching for him HOPE HE RETURNS BACK IM WORRIED ALLOT :)
I am sorry to hear that SABITH, I really hope he does stroll in one day and simply tuck into his food as if he had never been gone. I assume you will also have called local rescue centres and vets surgeries in case he was taken in there as a result of an accident or being injured in some way!
Good luck, don't give up pet, they can surprise you and turn up months later on occasion.
I have 2 cats, they were rescue kittens . Brothers ... They've both been 'done' . Yesterday, George (the slightly larger of the 2) went missing. They've never been missing before. We live really remotely. I'm a bit (ok extremely!) worried. Can't help thinking he's been attacked
Hi Ella, firstly don't panic yet. you don't say how old he is, but if he is still a young adult this could be his first time of venturing away from home. My male cat Ronnie, who has also been 'done' often vanishes for several days at a time, but always comes home happy and healthy as can be. Fingers crossed he will be back in a day or two. Do let me know if he comes back okay, and good luck.
I'm so glad to hear of the cats who have returned home safe and sound.
My 5 year old cat, Jinx, went missing 4 days ago now. He is chipped and we have placed posters on lamp posts and posted some through letter boxes, handing the rest to shops and the building sites to display for us. With us still going out twice a day and in the night when it's quiet and still.
As much as I try to stay positive and to keep everyone else hopeful with sayings like "there is no "IF" he comes home, only "WHEN" he returns" I can't help but worry with Halloween and Bonfire Night drawing closer. Especially with the terrible stories you hear of animals and those nights.
Jinx rarely goes far and he's very timid, I did put on he's "frightened not feral" to stress this to people who may (hopefully) find him.
Starting to really fret about him now though.
Hi Tilly, Oh I so understand your worry, especially with Bonfire Night approaching, but try not to worry too much. I am optimistic Jinx will return, oblivious to the worry he has caused you. Try putting some smelly food out e.g. Tuna, to attract him home again.
I really enjoyed reading your stories and feeling some comfort in hearing others that have had their little loved ones go missing. My handsome cat, Theory, has been away from home for about 30 hours now- he usually checks in and out of the house all throughout the day. I am very worried. We always try to keep him in at night because any time he has gotten out in the past he comes home with cuts, scrapes, and sometimes a very hefty vet bill follows. He is so smart, and such little darling, a true member of our family- but not very street smart. He is tattooed though, so I hope I hear something soon.
I will keep my fingers crossed for you worriedsick. At least he can be identified, so right now no news is good news. Hopefully he will just wander in unphased in the next day or so. Do let me know!
Good Luck
HI Misty!
I have been so relieved to read your funny stories about your cats. My husband and I have a cat 1 year and 7 months old who went outside like usual the night before last (just before bedtime) and we haven't seen her since.
I told him it could be that she is just now old enough to start staying away for longer than 1 night. What worries me most is we found that she had vomited her food 2 days before she left and the day before, but both times went right back to the bowl for more... I'm hoping she isn't sick somewhere. She isn't chipped, (pretty sure we will get her chipped when we find her).
Thanks for your heartwarming stories, you've lessened my worries a bit :) (I'm a dog person, so living with a cat has been a new experience for me)
Hi Charissa, I so hope she comes back soon. This is a normal age for them to start staying out for days at a time, and most likely she will be back in a day or so. You could try leaving out some food to attract her back. Above all else, do get her chipped when she returns :)
Re-the vomiting, don't panic, mine do this when they have gobbled their food too fast all the time'
Thank you so much! I will keep you posted :)
Please do, that would be great Charissa. Hopefully the news will be good :)
Nothing so far, tonight will be 1 week since she left. We put out food but the neighbor cat ate it.
We are putting up signs today. I hope she isn't trapped in a garage somewhere and hasn't been able to eat all week :(
I am sorry she isn't back yet Charissa. Have you tried calling the local vets surgeries and rescue shelters in case she has been injured and taken in?
My sweet, black Bombay cat Onyx left this morning around 9 something in our apartment complex. He's gotten out once but not for very long and we heard him scratching on the front door. We've looked all over today and haven't seen hide or hair of him.
I really hope he turns up Jennifer, it is early days yet so don't worry too much just yet. He is probably exploring and will soon be back. Please let me know if he comes back okay. Good Luck
Hello, Onyx still hasn't returned. I'm worried,especially since it rained last night and turned cold and windy. I even his food out on the front porch area of my apartment. Haven't seen hide or hair of him.
Don't worry yet Jennifer, honestly I have had my cats vanish for four or five days at a time and still turn up just fine. They are excellent at finding shelter and don't feel the cold like we do. Do let me know if/when he turns up okay.
My female cat went out yesterday and has been gone over 24 hrs. She has never been gone this long, she always roams just not this long, I am worried she hopped into someone's vehicle, or encountered a dangerous animal... wish she would just show up at the front door. My daughter and I are heartbroken and worried.
Hi tinkerbell64, I do hope she comes back soon. Is she a young cat, is she spayed and most importantly is she microchipped? If she is young she may just be reaching an age where she starts to wander for longer periods of time. If she isn't spayed she could be in season and looking for a male, and if she is microchipped at least you have not been contacted to say anything nasty has happened to her. 24 hours is not long really, so I would give it another few days before really worrying, and in the meantime leave out some food for her. You could also then start calling around some local vets and rescue centres just in case her microchip was missed on a scan, or if she didn't have one at all for some reason.
Good Luck :)
Hi, we live in a remote area. We have a few neighbors, lots of wild animals- coyotes, owls, wolves, etc. :( she is 1 and 1/2 yrs. old, she is spayed, she loves going outside, there is no way to keep her in for too long... she stays out all night sometimes, but always has showed back up by morning. She is not microchipped however. We have asked the neighbors, and I knew that it was a risk you take letting your cats out but I feel they are happier that way, especially some cats... you just couldn't keep her inside. My other female, 8 yrs., is happy just being inside or sitting outside on the porch for a few minutes, that is the extent of her wandering now that she is older. It has been two days now, I just keep praying she will show up. If I leave food out, my dog will get it :/ unless I find somewhere to put it up high. I was glad to find this thread, it helped me a lot to remember that cats do wander for long periods, I once had a neutered male gone for two months, finally I found him about a quarter mile away under an old broken down pickup, in a place where there were a lot of strays. So there is still hope! Thanks... I'll keep you posted.
Well I do wish you luck Tinkerbell, a year and a half is not old, and my female (spayed) cat is nearly four years old now and only started going out for long periods of time this Summer. I do however agree that clearly you have far greater predators that are a risk to cats, but at least a cat can run up a tree, so hopefully this is not why she is missing. It is not a bad thing you let your cats out, although a risk. Quality of life is always the most important thing. Hopefully she will be back within a day or two.
Thanks for talking me through this! I am so happy to report she came home tonight!! I'm so relieved. I couldn't stop looking for her. She seems a little dazed, but happy to be here and a little hungry... yet when she came in, she wasn't wet at all and there was snow on the ground... so strange, I do wish I had a camera attached to her so I could see where she's been. I guess it will be her little secret and I just hope she doesn't do that again! My heart can't take it. You are right, a good quality of life, their happiness, is most important.
Thanks again!
That is fabulous news Tinkerbell, I am so pleased for you. Cats are amazing creatures, and I am sure she has done an excellent job of looking after herself, and will do in the future. Truly I am delighted by your good news :)
The cat Pictures are so cute!
The 1st one looks kike my cat.
I am mad on cats
Meow
Thanks 'unknown' the pictures are all my cats, although sadly the all black one (Reggie) got run over and killed on Easter Saturday 2011. We still have Ronnie (the first picture) and Squish, (the one with more white on her) though. We love them dearly.
hey my neighbor admitted to taking our cat a mile away and leaving him at an apt complex. He told us the cat destroyed his plants and other things in his backyard. Will a cat know his way back home if he is a mile away? We cant find him at the apts.
A cat can find its way back from many miles away, although I would still suggest reporting your neighbour to the Police for this action. I hope you can trust him to be telling you the truth now, and for the life of me I cannot see how a cat would 'destroy his plants' or 'other things' in his yard, what is it a tiger?
Anyway, if he is telling the truth, then there is a very good chance your cat will turn up again in a few days. We have had a cat go missing about 4 miles from home before now (outside a vets surgery from a cardboard box). In spite of having traveled to the the vets by car in the box, and escaping outside the surgery on the way out, the cat still turned up at home a few days later, right as rain, not even hungry. They have a brilliant in built compass. Traffic and dogs would be my concern, not them finding their way back.
I hope he does return, and I hope your neighbour gets punished for this cruel act.
Hi Mistyhorizon, Thank you very much. Your site offers great comfort to cats owners like me. Our two year old DuoDuo has gone missing since Friday. Here is a photo of him: http://www.nationalpetregister.org/mp/35781.htm He wasn't chipped or wearing a collar.
After putting around posters, we had one phone call from a lady lives nearby. She said on Friday night, a couple outside her house found an injured cat and phoned an unknown organisation who turned up within 10 minutes and collected him. This evening, when we went to the local supermarket to replace our poster with more information, someone told us the same story.
When we rang a local out of hour service vet, we were told they had the body on Friday night of a cat with the same looking but the body was claimed by someone else on Saturday. My wife and I cried badly when we were told by the lady in the supermarket that our DuoDuo wasn't likely to make it from the injury he suffered. But it is even a bigger pain when someone told us that the body may have been claimed by someone else by mistake or it may have not been our cat?
My common sense telling me that the cat was killed on the road was ours as I have never seen a similar looking like ours with grey and white hairs. This leaves only four possible scenarios: 1.the cat claimed by someone else wasn't ours but with a similar looking.
2. the cat was ours but claimed by someone by mistake due to its similar looking. 3. some sick person like to collect cat body 4.the out of hour vet cremated my cat due to lack of resource for keeping a cat body that cannot be identified due to no chip or not wearing a collar?
My gut feeling is that it was my cat who got run over and got killed. I hope he rests in piece. But a definitive answer on what happened to his body would at least give us some comfort. I am waiting for an answer from the out of hour vet to confirm what exactly happened on Saturday when someone went to claimed the body.
How did you cope when you lost your Reggie? It is so painful. I wish I would have treated my DuoDuo with his favourite traits all the time. I wish I would spent more time playing with him. There are so many wishes, but it is too late. Bless my DuoDuo. We miss you.
I am so sorry to hear about DuoDuo, I know how terribly painful this must be, especially not knowing for sure if it was DuoDuo or not. I hope for your peace of mind you do find out one way or the other for certain.
To answer your question about my Reggie, well, I haven't totally got over it, and I am not sure you ever can. He is not the first pet I have lost, and no doubt he won't be the last. It always hurts. You might find my hub http://mistyhorizon2003.hubpages.com/hub/My-Belove helpful, especially as there are two wonderful verses at the end that are incredibly comforting to anyone who has lost either a dog or a cat.
By the way, your cat is the spitting image of our neighbours cat, only he is called Dexter and spends loads of his time with our cats.
I wish you well.
My microchipped cat was injured in a road accident two years ago. a vet was called to the scene and the next morning my vet called me to say she had picked up my cat. He had brain damage, broken spine, torn knee ligaments and basically had to be rebuilt at great cost. the front foreleg consequently then only had limited movement due to lack of nerve regeneration. He survived and his character changed. He never then ventured very far. In November this year he didn't return home and after seeing a dead cat in the road whos fur resembeled my cat presumed he had died and his lives ran out. My now five year old cat was replaced by a kitten and would you beleive after 20 days he turned up at my back door his leg haf hanging off which had gone gangrenous. He is recovering from his amputation as i write. It has been the most distressing episode and when he is much better some serious introductions of new kitten and cat will take place despite they both know eaach other exist. I still cant quite beleive the situation or where my cat could have gone to be so injured, but as my mother who grew up on a farm with lots of cats, would say 'never underestimate the powers of reoovery of a cat! physcholgically i hope he gets over it.
I am so pleased he came home alive Linda, and I am sure he will get on great with your new kitten in time. If you have any problems I did write an article on introducing a new kitten to your existing cats that you might also find helpful. A good start though is to buy a 'Feliway' plug in, and in fact this might help your cat recover from his recent ordeal as well. My other article can be found if you go to : http://mistyhorizon2003.hubpages.com/hub/Introduci
Hi Misty
thanks for your thoughts. We had phone call this morning from the out of hour vet. We were told that a couple came on Saturday claimed it was their cat then paid for cremation. I think it must have been the couple who reported the incident on Friday night. They cared him and even came next day to check how he was. I would like to thank them. DuoDuo should be happy as at his last hours he was taken care of by someone with big hearts.
That is comforting to know. At least he didn't die alone somewhere by the side of a road. They must have been very decent people and it is a shame there is no way for you to get in touch with them to say thank you, unless the vet can put them in touch with you.
i dont know where my cay matrix is but the last time he went out he got stuck in a tree so my dad got him out and i really want his soft fur on my knee again! xxx :(
Hi charlotte, I really hope Matrix comes home again quickly. You could read my other article on how to find your missing cat if he doesn't turn up again soon, (the link is in the text of this article).
Good Luck
my cat is half wild and we havent seen her for at least 6 days im really worried about her i have just put some food out for her and im hoipping she will smell it and come back in but so far no luck we keep calling her name my mum thinks its the fire works might of scared her and shes probley just ssleeping please i would love ur advise xxxx
Hi Kayleigh, did you try reading my other article:
http://mistyhorizon2003.hubpages.com/hub/How-to-fi
This should offer you the best advice.
I hope she comes back or you find her soon.
Good Luck
x
For Chrissakes people, KEEP. YOUR CAT. INDOORS.
Oh, you have a cat that you let roam for days at a time, spoiling up other people's yards (where do you think they're doing their "business?"), yowling at all hours of the night (because you didn't care about them to get them spayed/neutered), and then want to act all sad when poor dear kitty doesn't come home?! That's insanity!
And before anyone cries "But cats need to be outside! They need to roam! You're a cat hater!!" No, all of that is untrue. I love cats and have had cats live to the ripe old age of 22 years, as they were kept HAPPILY indoors, given regular vet care, and spayed and neutered. If you're idiotic and cruel enough to leave your cat outdoors, then you should be ready to accept the fact that your cat is going to be run over, stolen, poisoned, or taken to the friendly local kill shelter.
Wake up.
You can live a long time in prison too, but that doesn't mean you are truly fulfilled and happy. Cats still wander off, even when neutered, (my cats are always neutered and I agree they all should be). I am also a former vets employee, and whilst I wouldn't say indoor cats are unhappy, that does not mean they would not have been fitter, healthier and happier if allowed to follow their natural behaviour and roam free, bask in the sunshine, climb trees etc. After all, we don't keep our children locked indoors throughout their lives because we believe it is 'cruel' to let them out, yet they are at risk, of being run over, abducted, murdered, raped etc etc. Certainly where I live there is no such thing as a 'kill shelter', and in any case my cats are microchipped so they will always be returned to me.
Fair enough if you move house and take your cats to a place where you are by a major road, (and you know if you let them out they are at a high risk of being run over), then I can understand you might feel a need to convert them to being house cats. If you are thinking of getting a pet though, and your plan is to get a cat and keep it indoors all its life, I would strongly suggest changing your mind about having a cat and get a house rabbit instead, (they will still sit on your lap and enjoy being petted).
Hi, i recently had my father let out one of our kittens, well she was almost a year old outside around noon about 4 days ago.It has been really bad and nasty outside with rain/snow etc. If we would not let her out she would whine and cry a fit,ven attack you and claw you up.Well i now am having bumps form all over ym body and have no idea what this could be,doctors said common warts but i dont believe the morons because the doctor is a college grad area if you ask me and they know nothing yet.Im still trying to find out what this is but as for right now im worried sick what could have happened to my cat? She loved water and we have sewers close by and as i mentioned it did rain pretty bad to where you could hear the water gushing.Going on day 5 now still she has yet to come home.My guess is either a Hawk got ahold of her,or a dog but last time my neighbors dog got ahold of her and she escaped thankfully to me and my father running thourgh the yard yelling at the dog to drop her and she ran up a tree pissing on everything.Its got me so worried and sick i cant take it much anymore.My life is so miserable let alone to have one of my bestest animals to come up missing :(.She was such a awesome cat that knew how to swim,play fetch,play dead and so much more.She is a white and black female cat,really small for her size.Goes by the name of oreo.If anyone lives in columbus,ohio please return her home where she belongs.My phone number can be reached at 614 278-2444
Hi Chuckie, do try reading my other article on how to find your missing cat, as it may help you find her. The link is in the 'links section' at the end of this article.
Good luck, I hope you find her.
Hi,
the vet called me yesterday to let me know that my cat, lost 4 years ago, turned up in the vet surgery with an eye infection. She was found by one of the residents 4 years ago, and finally brought in after 4 years. She leaved as a stray for a year. I was two minutes away and popped in to see her. She was every so cute but poorly. I decided to go back home and prepare things for her. I called the woman today, but she will not give me the cat back. The cat is chipped. What do I do?
Regards
Hi Senka,
Well you need to weigh this up quite carefully first. Ask yourself a few key questions, e.g. if the cat is now settled with this lady, then would it be fair to take the cat back again, after all, you are just a distant memory to her if she even recalls you at all after 4 years? Is the lady giving the cat a good home? Is where she lives a better environment for the cat's safety etc?
If you are still determined you want her back then you need to speak to your local SPCA shelter and see if they can advise you on where you stand in terms of getting your cat back legally according to your local laws. You should have an advantage by the microchip being registered to you I would have thought.
Worst case scenario I would steal the cat back when she is outside and take her back home, and get her used to being indoors for a couple of weeks before risking letting her out again. Hopefully she will then stay put, and the woman can hardly get her back from you if she is registered to you via her chip.
Hi,
I saw my cat on Thursday. Brandy was poorly with an eye infection. This lady has a house full of animals. The cat has not seen vet for 4 years and apparently lived in a garden for a year!!! I crosses my mind that no person tried to call RSPCA and apprently they all thought that my cat was a stray. My cat did not want to go to a living person for a year, which makes me think that she was stolen. She recognised me and came to me for cuddles and strokes. She is poorly with the infection which she could have got from her cats and a dog and I am not sure that the conditions she lives in at the moment are clean. My cat cried when I left and this is a reason I want her back. I should have taken her straight away, because this lady does not want to give her back. I let her know that if she does not give her back I will have to call police and take her away. That is an advice I was given. I cannot believe she kept a chipped cat for such a long time without checking who her owner is and if the cat is chipped. This cat was stolen and I know that for sure. This is a warning to all the owners. There are people around who steal cats and then keep them thinking that they can do so. I will fight until I get her back. Sad owner
Hi your storys were great. I searched for some advice regarding our cat. When I moved in with my boyfriend who is a farmer I also brought my cat to join his cat that is a 8year old neutered Tom. My cat Kurt is very layed back but if pushed has to be the boss and Thomas(boyfriends cat)is very anti social and very timid. When Kurt came we locked him in and then one day introduced him to Thomas- this resulted in Thomas running away but popping back for food. Eventually however he vanished untill my boyfriend was working in the fields and found him, Thomas followed him home. He stayed for a while and we tried to coax him in but eventually went again. The next time we saw him several weeks later we caught him and locked him inside with a litter tray and bought a plug in that relaxes cats. Thomas slept on my head for over a week and would not leave us alone which was totally out of charactor but even though he was really happy and content as soon as we let him out he was off again. This happed several times untill the last time when Thomas and Kurt slept on the same bed together and seamed to be ok with each other. Thomas got out and even tried to come back in but Kurt thought he was after his food and chased him, that was 4 months ago and we have not seen him in all that time(even though we have looked everywhere and gone to all his usual hunting grounds) On Saturday evening we were travelling home and as we frequently did talked about Thomas and my boyfried said that he thought that Thomas probably had been killed or crawled under a bush to die- we were both very sad. Next day however we saw a black cat tail disapear into a garden and as I jumped out of the car I saw Thomas!! I shouted him and he meiowed back frantically but would not come over. Later that night we went to look for him on foot and shouted him and he came running over- my boyfriend picked him up carried him in fed him and last night he slept on my head. He has used his litter tray and slept all day and wanted us to cuddle up to all the time. He always hungry when he returns but very healthy and immaculate. Can anybody please shed some light on this and give me some advice on what to do to sort this out as it is heartbreaking when he goes(and I cant help feeling a little responsible as it was me that brought Kurt!!) My plan is(please advice) that I turn on the plug in again(done) and give him a couple of days to relax then lock up the cat flaps and keep both cats together untill they make friends(hopefully while they are under the influence of plugin-drugging my cats- Im so bad) then when they are friends let them out and then Thomas will have nothing to not come back to if you know what I mean?. He always trys to come back in after his house arrest but one little growl off Kurt and we dont see him again. Can anyone think of either reasons, success stories of similar or just some advice which doesnt involve rehoming one of them as not an issue
Thanks so much
Hi Senga,
Well in that case I would call the Police and see where you stand. In fact if they won't help I would go to her house and refuse to leave until she either hands the cat over, or calls the Police herself. They will then probably have a chat with her about the sense it makes to hand over the cat to the rightful owner.
When this incident happened to a lady at the Vets I used to work for we kept the cat until the rightful owner collected it. Have you tried contacting the Vet to see if the cat has any follow up appointments due and ask if he can keep the cat until you arrive to collect it if she has?
I really hope you get your cat back again. Do let me know how you get on. You could always steal the cat back again if you see it outside in the garden or on the street if all else fails.
Hi Susan, I assume you are using the Feliway Plug In diffuser, which is really great by the way. They also do a spray which you can use to spray on bedding, in baskets, around the home etc, which works well. By the way it isn't really 'drugging your cats' as all it does is mimic the pheromone given off by a mother cat which is why it relaxes them, because it is the same safe feeling they had as kittens under their mother's care. The best other advice I can give you is contained in another hub I wrote called How to Introduce a Cat/Kitten to your Existing Cats. I recommend you have a read of it as the ideas there may well solve your problem. The link is:
Dear Misty,
thank you for your help. I went to the Police, and they told me that the law is different for cats. They cannot just go into the house to 'retake' her, while they would be able to do it with the dog.
They gave me a phone number for RSPCA. I called them but they could not give any advice. They sent me to CAB (Citizens Advice Biro). I went there today. They sent me to the solicitor. The solicitor gave me the details of another solicitor. Another solicitor would not deal with this. They sent me to the court to collect a small claim court form, which is what I did. The women on Saturday mentioned the name of the road where she lives. I went around walking and knocking 150 doors with the cats photo in my hand. No person was able to help. My friend who is a trainee solicitor has a friend who is solicitor, who will draft a letter that will be forwarded to the woman, who has a cat. The letter will ask her kindly to return the cat, and if not, I will take legal proceedings. This cat was deprived from seeing a vet for 4 years and has a history of medical problems. The vet said that he did what he had to do, give me this womans phone number, but I do not have her address. The vet said that it is not his responsiblity to keep an animal in the vet's surgery. I personally do not know where she lives, but hey, I will take legal proceedings unless she returns the cat back. Thank you for your help.
Senka
Oh Senka, that sounds so frustrating all round. I would be after blood if I were in your shoes. Hopefully the legal letter will put the fear of God up her and she will hand your cat back. Meanwhile, try putting posters up all over that neighbourhood, saying "Stolen, My Cat, Have You Seen This Cat" and a photo if you have one. Sounds like a shite vet if he takes that attitude, the vet I worked for had no such qualms.
Try going to the library if you have her surname and a street. She is probably on the electorate role, and you can get her exact address this way.
Please do let me me know how things pan out for you.
Hi, my sleepless nights will not stop as I have not done anything yet. I took the letter into the vet surgery yesterday for a woman who has my cat but it was thrown away in the bin, because the vet surgery does not want to get involved!
I called their main manager this morning to tell her the whole story and to complain and she apologised. I told her that I was treated like a criminal while all what I want is what belongs to me-my cat. I may be able to send RSPCA through the Petlog, because they have been very helpful. The Petlog has woman's details and are willing to cooperate. Meantime, my friend, trainee solicitor is drafting a letter to be sent to that woman's address. She will need to return the cat or face the legal action. I hope my little cat will soon be with me. Thanks for your advice. I will have to draft a poster with my cat's details, put it through the letter boxes, on the park's gate and the trees. That may help.
Regards
Definitely get the RSPCA and PetLog's help, they could be a Godsend. Also getting a legal letter sent to her is a great move, and I for one would be pretty disgusted by the Vet's actions on this matter and would write to the local papers to say so. You never know, they might publish the letter and lose the surgery business as a result. They may even be interested in doing a story on you getting your cat back, and this all helps get things moving.
Definitely take this to court if you have to, and steal your cat back if you can.
Do let me know what happens, I so hope you get her back okay.
Edit: As you are in the UK you might try reporting the vet to the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons too, as they are the organisation who vets have to be a member of in order to legally practice. (MRCVS after a vet's name means, "Member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons").
poor cats I wish they don't go away like my cat he was a boy and he was not comeing back for a long time but I have one cat but not two
They do manage to worry us all sick don't they. We just have to hope that in most cases they will saunter back in as happy as ever without leaving us worrying for too long.
ive a cat namely Shadow, Artemio and Neelix. Shadow is the sweetest, she always stays at home with me and thoughful, sometimes she comes right to the door when she hears me coming, Artemio is the boring one, he goes out stays under our neighbor's car the whole day but comes back home at night to eat and sleep beside me. Neelix is the hunk one, always chasing other female cats and sometimes never comes home for days and sometimes comes home with scratch. i love my cats but i miss them, because i work overseas and i couldn't bring them. my husband takes cares of them though.
Hi Franciscafox, I am glad your cats have such a loving home. Clearly you miss them a lot when you are away, but I am sure your Hubby takes good care of them too :)
Now we have satellite tracking systems for our kittens and pups
Stay thirsty my friends
Dos Equis
Satellite Tracking for pets sounds like a great idea Porkshire. How much does it cost?
Please help!
I adopted a stray cat named smudge and fell in love with her the moment i saw her. I took her home and made sure she had everything she needed. She is a very playful and loving cat, she isn't supposed to venture outside until i got her spayed which is next week but unfortunately she escaped yesterday afternoon and i havent seen her since. She is on heat at the minute and we have only had her 2 days. Will she come back? i havent slept and both me and my partner have been searching and calling her since. i'm so uspet and worried about her, i just dont know what to do :(
This is more of a tricky one I am afraid Emma. Two days is a very short space of time and I usually recommend keeping them in for at least two weeks before letting them out, although obviously this was not your fault. That said, if she feels safe and secure with you she may well head back once she has mated, (you can still get her spayed if you are quick although some vets prefer to wait until 6 weeks after a season because the excess bleeding risk during surgery is higher before this time, but they may make an exception if she is likely to have become pregnant though). There is a chance she may head back to where she was originally found as a stray, or possibly even to the rescue centre. Right now I would look into both these possibilities and I would recommend you read my other hub on how to find your missing cat, (link is in this hub).
Good Luck, hopefully she will come back to you regardless of the short time you have had her.
i am just beside myself and should have been more careful, i wanted her to be an indoor cat in the first place. I got her from an animal shelter around the corner from me and i have informed them about the situation and will contact me if she turns up. Just spoke to my neighbor and she saw her sitting on my wall this morning with a male cat, so she did come back but has now ventured off again. very upset and worried about her being out there. ive read your post on how to find a missing cat and have done everything it says on there so now its just the waiting game. She is on heat at the minute so its possible thats why she is hanging around this male cat.
It is a good sign she was seen on your wall this morning as it shows she hasn't wondered too far. If she is is season she will probably mate with a number of males before she returns (a litter of kittens often have several Fathers hence why some look so very different from others).
Don't worry, just be patient for a few days and she will probably come back on her own or return to the shelter, (actually I am very surprised they re-homed a cat without spaying it first as this is fairly standard practice nowadays.)
Good luck with the 'keeping her as an indoor cat', I suspect you will struggle to keep her as a house cat when she has experienced the great outdoors before. Sometimes they adapt, but other times they just go stir crazy wanting to be outside in the sunshine, either sunbathing, hunting or whatever else comes naturally to them.
Let me know how you get on and if you get her back or not.
I have just seen her again with the male cat, but as soon as the other cat ran off she followed. The male cat is local so at least she isnt far. Hopefully she will come back when she loses interest in the tom cat. As soon as i have her back i am going to get her chipped and will then let her out once she has gotten more used to being with us as i dont want to deprive her from the great outdoors. Thank you for all the advice xx
You are very welcome Emma, I am sure you will give her an excellent home :)
Hiya
Smudge came back!!
I am so relieved :)
She was very hungry and came back for food bless her :)
Thank you so much for the great advice on how to find her, she found her way back home and she is absolutely fine and is now sleeping and dreaming of her adventure :) xxx
That is fabulous news Emma, thanks so much for letting me know. Now hurry up and get her spayed before you have half a dozen kittens to rehome ;) BTW, I don't think I mentioned it before, but I too used to have a cat called Smudge when I lived in Tenerife.
Any more problems let me know :)
Great hub Well done.You did very good job.
Thanks louromano, glad you liked this :)
Fabulous hub. I lOVE cats. One of my cats went missing for a week. I'd lost all hope - and then back he came, crying for mamma!!! He'd been locked in a shed by the looks of all the sawdust all over him!
I am so glad you had a happy ending sheilanewton. Thanks for commenting here :)
Thank you so much for creating this wonderful thread, so very reassuring and gives me some hope for our situation. Our gorgeous boy Tommy went missing on Sunday and we've not seen him since. We got into action right away, putting up posters everywhere and we've put notices through more than 200 doors in the local area. We've had a couple of calls from a housing estate about half a mile away that a "new" black cat matching Tom's description has recently been spotted - so we are hopeful and are patrolling the area - but its a very emotional experience - just feels like we are going through a bereavement.
Tom is almost 4 and is micro chipped, he is also neutered. We did notice he was quite perky for a day or two before he went off, so perhaps he was planning a little adventure.
Anyway, please keep him in your thoughts for us.
I am sure he will be back Ian, but if not check out my other article on how to find your missing cat. The link is in this hub and it is full of helpful advice to track down a missing feline. Do let us know how you get on and good luck.
Brainstormer 3 years ago
I'm with you, but I don't think we will really find out. Cats are the secret agents of the pet world and they never let the "cat out of the bag".
Hi Misty. Whenever I read a hub of yours and you mention the lake I want to go there. Sounds like my kinda place.