Our beloved cat is missing, Any advice? Options

[Maizie]

Our cat has never gone missing though she's a terror and I wouldn't be surprised if she did one day. She has succeeded in getting herself shut in the cloakroom, the cupboard under the stairs and our garage. She nips in at just under the speed of light and so you don't know she's there. The first realisation is either that you haven't seen her in a while, or an odd sound of door scratching!

Of actually missing cats, I know of one who turned up several days later having been locked in a neighbour's shed. We've also had posters up in our area, asking us to check sheds/garages/etc when a cat was missing. I went home and checked our garage immediately, despite the fact it gets opened twice a day anyway (to get my car out, and to put it back away again) - I couldn't handle the fact that it might be me inadvertantly keeping this cat from home (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

My brother's cat, now she went missing for ages - three weeks, I think it was. Lots of searching, very upset children, really hard. My brother put posters up locally, and leaflets in shops, and even was brave enough to call the council to see if the street cleaners responsible for roadkill removal had picked up any cats. After giving up hope, a leaflet from a far distant newsagent resulted in a phonecall of "I think we've got your cat..." My brother lives in a city and these people were some distance away, so he wasn't hopeful - but they came round, cat sat on the lap of the person in the passenger seat, and it was indeed the missing one! So everybody was delightfully reuinted. The people who had dropped her off...well, they were slightly sheepish university students. The theory was that the cat had wandered to the extent of getting herself a bit lost, and ended up reasonably near her old house...where some students had delighted in taking in the 'stray', and kept her well until they finally saw the missing cat leaflet.

I hope Harry is back with you soon.

[scotliz]

Just a thought - have you checked cupboards, wardrobes etc. One of our cats loved them and we used to spend hours looking for him.

[Aquarelle]

I am sending you a big hug because I have been through this several times and I know exactly how ghastly it is. I do hope that Harry has returned or will do so very soon. It sounds to me as if you have done everything you could. Two of mine went missing at an interval of a year and never came back. We never found out what had happened and that is discouraging I know. However, one other who went missing when we lived somewhere else was eventually found a good five miles away and returned to us because he had a collar with his identification - ours are now chipped but that was before the days when chipping was done.

Several other of our cats have gone missing for a few days and then turned up - I imagine they got shut in a barn or garage or something. We live in a rural area where this kind of thing can happen.

I think the independant nature of cats - and some are more independant than others - and their natural curioslity - is something over the years cat lovers have to learn to live with. Our three have a cat flap which is put on "in only" as soon as one of them has come in for their evening meal. If we let them out after they have eaten they don't come back until the early hours of the morning.

Please let us know what happens. All the cat lovers on the forum will be thinking of you. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/grouphug.gif)

[a mum]

This is so hard, isn't it? I go from being completely depressed and disheartened to being resolutely optimistic every few minutes. My other half is trying hard to distract himself with work and chores, while I can't think of anything else.

I printed out more fliers earlier today and we both went around in different directions, knocked on some more houses and also handed a few to various postmen and to a pre-school/nursery as well as our local pet shop who said that they would put it up.

I did (with a very heavy heart) chase up our local council and got the number of the organisation that deals with any run-over cats and dogs in our area, and they said that they hadn't had any reports in the last week or so. But then while driving around looking for Harry, I saw a fox that had been run-over on the main road near our house, and so it made me wonder whether Harry had an encounter with the fox sometime during the night. It breaks my heart not to know where he might be, and whether he's scared, injured or hungry. We keep thinking that he's such a gutsy little fella that he would've given the fox a good fight. But, then an aggressive wild tomcat has been reported by several neighbours in our area and we also wonder if Harry got into a fight with him and whether he's lying injured somewhere.

He 's still not here and we are both at home today with our front door wide open in case he ventures back.

If any of you live in South Cheshire/North Staffordshire area, please let me know, and I could send you some details to look out for Harry.

All your wishes mean so much to us.

[Crotchetymum]

Fingers crossed that he returns safely, and a hug (IMG:style_emoticons/default/grouphug.gif) to keep you going in the meantime.

Edit - completely forgot to add that one of our much-loved cats went off once and was gone for 3 months. When he came back he was fit and well and well-fed. He strolled in as though nothing had happened, and never did it again!

[staccato]

Don't give up hope - my childhood cat went missing for a week and eventually turned up smelling of oil so he'd obviously got trapped somewhere.

Can you ask all your neighbours to check in their shed and garages? And perhaps go with them calling your cats name? Another cat of mine was trapped in a neighbours garage but wouldn't come out until hearing a familiar voice.

Fingers crossed for you.

[Claudia's Mum]

So sorry to hear about Harry going missing.

Our beloved cat went missing twice, once for 2 days on an adventure and another time for a week when he just decided that the food tasted better at the lady down the road's. Despite having a phone number on his collar she only phoned a week later to ask if we wanted our cat back. I guess she had been feeding him while we were out at work and he had probably been sleeping outdoors, being a very outdoors kind of cat so maybe she hadn't realised immediately that he had moved in with her either!

I know quite a few people who have acquired cats that they fed once and then never returned to their own homes so maybe Harry has gone to live with someone else and is quite happy?

[jazzycat]

So sorry to hear that Harry is missing. Our neighbour's cat got 'lost' once and was absent for some days, and then they went out calling for her one evening and heard her calling back from another neighbour's garage. Don't give up hope.

Sending you a hug.
jazzycat

[pianophrase]

Seems like you have done everything you possibly can, hope you find him very soon

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[a mum]

No sign yet.

I've contacted local animal rescue centres and also tried to expand our search area a little bit. It's so difficult though to access every part of our neighbouring fields with thick bushes and undergrowth.

It's becoming more and more difficult to hold on to the hope that he's alive and will return (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

[scotliz]

Sorry to hear Harry isn't back home yet.

[tonedeafmum]

No sign yet.

I've contacted local animal rescue centres and also tried to expand our search area a little bit. It's so difficult though to access every part of our neighbouring fields with thick bushes and undergrowth.

It's becoming more and more difficult to hold on to the hope that he's alive and will return (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

Very sorry, a mum. I feel for you all. Keep trying - and praying. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/thereThere.gif)

[jod]

Plato was missing for a fortnight, and just as I thought he was gone for ever neighbours spotted him settling in to a feral colony. He was the same age then as harry is now. Plato is still with us and is approximately 14.

Is Harry a complete male as they are more likely to roam particularly as there are likely to be many queen cats in season at this time of year?

Local vets and animal shelters will tell you if is bad news, but as he is male complete or neutered, up until you know he is dead do not give up hope.

I do feel for you. We were very sad when Plato was missing.

[Tortellini]

I hope you get him back! We once got our cat back after two months! She had strayed a lot further than we thought possible and had been taken in by members of the Cats Protection League - actually I think she preferred it to our house.

[Hardying]

Sorry to post this in the music forum but I wondered if any of you forumites might have some advice for us.

Our 3 year old tabby is now missing for 2 days. He's white with black/grey markings. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

He has never been away for so long from home. We last saw him at 5 pm on Monday evening when he went out after having his food. Usually he comes back late at night or first thing next morning but he didn't. I went to work thinking that he's probably just around but then when he hadn't been back all day, we started to get a little worried. We have combed the entire neighbourhood, calling out for him and looked in the bushes. We have informed the vets, put up posters and asked around with the neighbours. I have also posted his details on a couple of missing animal websites. I have also called the local council in case he has been run over and also the RSPCA. He's often seen out with another cat from the neighbourhood, but I have gone and checked and this cat is still at home and he has been hanging around our house.

We have just been out again looking for him. Usually he just comes when we call out for him but he's nowhere to be seen. Not sure what has happened to him, and this is so worrying.

We're all just devastated. It's surprising how hard this has hit us. There is this very intense feeling of loss and helplessness. Our daughter is extremely attached to him and she boards during the week, so we haven't even told her yet as we are worried how she would react and cope without us at school.

So sorry to hear this, but having had a similar experience I can understand how you feel. Fortunately our cat was found in a neighbour's shed about 5 days after she went missing, & apart from being dehydrated she was OK. I hope your returns fit & well.

Any advice/ suggestions? Is there still any hope for us considering it has been more than 48 hours now? This is just not his usual pattern.

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