missing cat - 6 days now...

[weeonion]

Our 10 month old tom has been missing for 6 days now. He has been going outside for a while but this the longest he has been away. Previously it was about 4/5 hours. We live in a busy residential area with communal gardens.

DD is distraught. We've made the posters, been round the doors, out calling and checking. Nothing.

I know cats can come back after a while - any reassurances??

[cozietoesie]

Is he neutered and chipped, wee ?

[weeonion]

Hi cozie - yep. We have let local vet know that he's gone. SSPCA and cat protection league etc have been told as well. He has a collar with name tag / contacts on it.

DD has to go and stay with relatives for part of her summer hols and is breaking her heart at having to leave with him not back.

[cozietoesie]

A chip is more than half the battle. The only other things I can think of are letting your postie know (they see lots on their rounds) and maybe making contact with your local council environmental health (?) department in case they've come across him following an RTA. Other posters may have other suggestions.

It's very hard and it never improves, I'm afraid. Even with an older, experienced, cat, you still become edgy when they vary significantly from their routine. Some posters here have had cats return after a lengthy period though.

Poor DD.

[Migsy1]

I have a cat that was missing for 2 months. He was found 8 miles away fine and well. I assume that he got into someone's car.

Unfortunately, cats go missing and find new lives elsewhere. The cat sanctuaries are full of such cats. Hopefully, he will be traced back to you though as he has a chip.

I hope he turns up - it is awful when they disappear. x

[timtam23]

sorry to hear this

Mine came back after 3 days but it was a long & very horrible 3 days (mine was also a young male cat - 8 months)

You have done just about everything I did

Definitely ask your postman to keep an eye out & also the local milkman if you have one. I did phone the environmental health department at the council, they were really sympathetic (I cried down the phone at them) & had a list of all sorts of incidents on the local roads, they were able to look through them and there was no sign of any dead animals of any description. They also said they try their hardest to find identification on cats (collar or by scanning for a chip) & they do let the owner know. This was the same response from the 2 local councils near me so they did seem to be understanding of how hard it is to lose an animal.

also maybe double check that people are looking in their sheds/garages in case he has been shut in

I posted on here when my cat went missing & had lots & lots of stories about cats who came back after a long long time. One of my other cats once disappeared years ago for nearly 2 weeks & I truly thought he had died, but he did come back.

Good luck

[forago]

our CATV went missing a couple of mobths ago for 4 days, then turned up very dishevelled and put of sorts. Then she disappeared again the week before last for 5 days. we were getting very worried and feared the worse. DP was down at the bottom of the garden looking for her and heard a faint yelping. Turns out she was stuck in the diagonal neighbours garden shed, just metres from our back hedge. we presume that is what had happened the previous time too - she's always getting stuck in places, locked in rooms and cupboards when you didn't even see her go in.

could something similar have happened? could you ask the neighbours to check their sheds?

[weeonion]

Thanks folks. Some good suggestions. Will try council in morning. Our area is all old tenement flats with communal back gardens and no sheds / garages but DP did a flyer / note and put it through doors asking folks to look for him. I have also went to local park and spoke with staff and put up posters.

Poor DD has gone for 2 weeks to Ireland sobbing. He sleeps onher bed every night.

[weeonion]

hi folks - an update.

got news tonight from SSPCA of a cat matching description of ours killed on local road last week. got to speak to person who found it and it looks like it is ours.

cleansing dpt from council collected it from her house. they dont check for chips but apparently do hold bodies for 5 / 6 days in case anyone comes looking. we may have missed that time frame but will see if we can identify it / him tomorrow.

havent told dd - she is away on hols and this would just upset her too much.

[cozietoesie]

I'm so sorry.

How old is DD ?

[forago]

so sorry to hear that. Why don't the councils have chip readers!

really sorry to hear this x

[weeonion]

Cozie - she is 7 and still hoping he will be back.

Apparently body has been incinerated so might never know.

[cozietoesie]

Was he of distinctive colouring? It sounds awfully likely, I'm afraid.

[weeonion]

He was black with 4 white feet and white tip to tail. Matches the description from local woman so sadly, yep - i think it is him.

[cozietoesie]

Poor lad - and poor you and DD.

[cozietoesie]

You might find \link{https://www.bluecross.org.uk/files/childrens%20leaflet.pdf\this leaflet} useful also. (Originally posted by timtam.) Apparently their support line (details in leaflet) is also very good although I've not used it myself.

[fackinell]

Oh I'm so sorry to hear your sad news. Your poor Dcat and DD.

[Fluffycloudland77]

Poor cat, they ought to have chip scanners.

[timtam23]

What very sad news, I'm so sorry. Also really sorry that the council weren't able to make more of an effort to reunite you.

for you all & I would also recommend that Blue Cross pet bereavement leaflet.

[weeonion]

oh thank you folks for your kind words. Thanks for the leaflet too cozie. I have downloaded it and will save it for when she returns from hols.

it breaks my heart when speaking to her on phone and she is asking for him and self - reassuring that maybe a nice family is just looking after him and when he is ready he will make journey home.

Harsh harsh life lesson.

[LadyCelia]

Oh I'm so so sorry for your loss, and I hope your DD will be OK.