Please hold my hand - he's been gone 36 hours

[JonSnowKnowsNothing]

My beloved Scabbers. I know 36 hours isn't that long in the scheme of things, but it's unheard of for him - he comes home for tea every evening. I have a really, really bad feeling.
I sent him out yesterday morning as usual and he didn't once pop his head in all day, not entirely surprising as I was using a noisy power tool in the garden all arvo....then he just didn't come home. I didn't get a wink of sleep and I'm pretty certain something has happened to him. Neighbour hasn't seen him. Farmer hasn't seen him. I've rung the local cattery who will ring me back if he's handed in. I've walked up and down the road and the woodland track he goes down but nothing. Checked my sheds.
I have a ton of work to do this evening and cannot relax. Don't know what to do.
Thanks for listening x

[Fluffycloudland77]

Oh no, if something had happened to him you'd have found him.

Maybe he went hunting and he's found a full nest.

[cozietoesie]

Oh Dear. Have you asked the farmer to check the farm buildings? They often have prey inside them and if it's a working farm, doors can sometimes be opened and shut more than in a domestic environment.

Horrible for you.

[JonSnowKnowsNothing]

Yes, have asked him Cozie, tho he wasn't the most helpful. (He shoots injured cats!) It's just SHIT. I know I'm being "worst case scenario" but it's just so soon after Millie for this to happen. He hasn't even been back during the day as I put a bowlful of meat outside the catflap and it was untouched.

Fluffy I hope you're right. I don't know where else to look. It's just so entirely out of character.

[RubbishMantra]

Oh no! I'd be frantic too...

Maybe he's hiding out somewhere, because of the noisy power tool? Mine once got scared away because of the same thing when the builder was fitting the cat flap in the wall.

Try looking for him when it gets dark, using a torch to reflect his eyes?

Does he have any addictions, like Dreamies? You could try shaking them whilst searching. Always works on my cat.

Fingers crossed for Scabbers.

[goshhhhhh]

Hope you get good news. Mine have turned up when I had given up hope - hope Scanners does too.

[goshhhhhh]

Scabbers, sorry.

[SecretWitch]

I would be frantic too. I'm sending good thoughts that your kitty boy will turn up safe and sound [ flowers]

[JonSnowKnowsNothing]

Thank you all. I've been shaking his box of food outside the back door at regular intervals but nothing. I think an illogical part of me started this thread in the hope he'd come waltzing back in a la Sod's Law....I don't think that's going to happen though.
Going to have some tea then go for another walk.

[CMOTDibbler]

When one of ours went missing, it was our postie who found her - she kept an eye out, put the word round, and a day later let us know where she was. Which was being fed by an old lady two streets over.

Hope Scabbers rocks up soon

[Fasterkillpussycat]

Never give up hope - one of mine has just been returned to me after four years away... I hope your cat comes back soon.

[JonSnowKnowsNothing]

Just got hopes massively up. Knocked on house further down's door - they'd seen him disappearing round the back of their garden 5 minutes ago. I tore round and came face to face with some other ginger cat. This is just not fair.

Amazing to have yours returned after FOUR years though, Faster!!

[JonSnowKnowsNothing]

Also, new neighbours have a gorgeous grey cat who I encountered on the woody track while searching earlier. Do you think the arrival of new cat could be causing some "turf wars" or something? (Clutching at straws)

[cozietoesie]

Huge vibes for you. I remember Scabbers as a kitten.

[Fluffycloudland77]

Possibly, mines still falling out with cats after being here 9 months

[JonSnowKnowsNothing]

Thanks all. My friend from school came over and walked down the wooded track for a good look (it seems less silly calling out "Scabbers!" when you're with someone else.) But absolutely no sign. I just cannot work it out.
Anyway, as I didn't sleep a wink last night, I'm heading up to bed. Cat flap is set to "in only" and kitchen door wide open so if he comes in he can get straight upstairs. It would be the best thing in the world if he jumped on me in the night. Can't shake the bad feeling though.
Night everyone and thanks

[timtam23]

Oh JonSnow. I'm so sorry. Don't give up hope, keep looking for him, keep shaking the food box. Was the weather good where you are over the weekend? Maybe he has gone out for an explore somewhere?

My young cat went missing a few months ago, it was an awful time. It had been fine but then turned cold & very wet, I was frantic thinking he could be lying injured somewhere. He turned up out of the blue on the 3rd night, jumping on me at 4am (after I had spent that evening crying and putting "lost cat" leaflets through doors). There had been absolutely no sign of him anywhere and I still don't know where he could have been.

We had asked our postman and milkman if they could keep an eye out, I was also going to hang some of his bedding out on the washing line as I'd heard they can pick up the scent from quite some distance away

Fingers crossed for him coming home

[aJumpedUpPantryBoy]

Oh Jon, I hope he comes home soon.

One of the PantryCats has been missing for 2.5 weeks and we're still hoping he'll return.

Fingers crossed that the lovely Scabbers is back where he belongs soon.

[JonSnowKnowsNothing]

Not home yet.
I do appreciate these stories of cats returning though, thanks.
Pantry - I do hope yours turns up soon too. It's just so unfair not knowing. I genuinely don't know why someone hasn't made a fortune inventing cat GPS tracking systems. I'd buy one in a shot.

The meat I left out is gone, but it was most likely. Hedgehog or one of the feral farm cats. Will leave some more out today thoug just in case.

[Fluffycloudland77]

You can get cat GPS but its still fairly bulky and I'd worry about mine losing it.

I suppose with a tracker on it you could locate the collar and go looking for it.

[aJumpedUpPantryBoy]

Thanks Jon.

Fingers crossed Scabbers comes home soon.

[Cuddleswithcats]

Try scattering the contents of your vacuum cleaner around the garden, he may pick up the scent and follow it if he is lost relatively nearby. Hope he comes home soon.

[goshhhhhh]

How you doing? Any news?

[JonSnowKnowsNothing]

Thanks again.
No, he's not back and he definitely hasn't been back during the day as the meat i left by the catflap is untouched. I am quite certain of the worst now. He's come trotting home for his tea every evening for a year - it's just not him to suddenly disappear for three days. I cannot bear this not knowing, though. He's my baby, he's only 22 months old or so, and Ive had him since he was 8 weeks.

Do appreciate your all support.

[Fluffycloudland77]

Do you have any rabbit warrens nearby? He might have gone down there.

I'd ring his chip company and report it.

[timtam23]

So sorry Jon. Don't give up hope yet. I did post on here about my missing cat and throughout the 3 days he was missing, loads of people were saying it was still early days and to keep positive (although I was in despair & thought the worst must have happened - by day 3 I could think of nothing else to do and felt so helpless).

I did ring the local council (and cried down the phone at a very kind man in the environments department) to ask if they had had any reports near me of cats found dead or hit by a car. They hadn't, and this gave me hope that he was around somewhere. Maybe worth doing if you can bear it?

Keep us posted & I hope you can get a bit of sleep tonight