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The litter tray

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12 replies

givemushypeasachance · 27/09/2014 22:25

I'm cat-sitting for my friends who have left this morning for two weeks in America. Done it loads of times before, whether the odd weekend or two weeks when they went on honeymoon, and never had any troubles. But today their most homebody cat is nowhere to be found. Sad

L is about seven years old and an incredibly sweet but daft thing who almost never leaves their small garden, unless it's to pop into nextdoor's. She just likes sunbathing on their garden table or sitting on a windowsill inside. If you call her then she meows and comes running, and doubly quick if she hears you rattling a food packet or dentabite pot. Tried that several times this evening but no response.

Apparently she wasn't around when my friends left at about 11am, though both their cats are shut in overnight so she'd been around as normal first thing. One of them was sick but that's not hugely unusual and they didn't report her being off-colour otherwise. She's never not made an appearance when I visit to check on them and shut them in for a night; and their other cat was around and seemed fine.

L has been shut in places by accident before but I checked the closed-to-cats bedrooms and the one big cupboard, and called her loads but heard no meowing coming from anywhere. I left the cat-flap on entry only and fingers crossed she'll be there in the morning, but if not this is going to put a major downer on my friend's holiday since L is particularly special to her. I text every time I visit so already had to send her a message saying L wasn't around, which she'll probably get soon after they land in NY. Sad

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thecatneuterer · 27/09/2014 22:51

I'm sure it will be fine. Cats seem to have a habit of doing this. I fed my neighbours cats while they were away for over a month, and one of them didn't make an appearance once! The minute they came home he appeared again. It was very nerve-wracking.

Try not to worry.

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givemushypeasachance · 27/09/2014 23:02

Thanks - I'm really hoping that the packing and bustle this morning just made her want to have a bit of a huff and sulk somewhere for a bit. I have dinner at their house once a week and both cats know me and come for attention so she shouldn't be particularly stand-offish. If she's not back tomorrow at least in daylight I can have a proper search and check with their neighbours in case she's shut in a shed or something...

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wantacatplease · 28/09/2014 08:09

Any luck?

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UnrelatedToElephants · 28/09/2014 08:11

Is she back in?

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givemushypeasachance · 28/09/2014 08:45

Unfortunately no sign of her this morning. Checked everywhere in the house, the garden really isn't that big and not there either, peered over into neighbours and nothing. Will go and knock on their doors at a more reasonable hour. Left the doors of the closed bedrooms open just in case but opened every drawer and cupboard and never heard any meowing. She's never been missing for 24 hours before. Feel really bad for my friends at the start of their holiday and not able to do anything...

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givemushypeasachance · 28/09/2014 10:43

I've put up a few posters in their front window and on telephone poles in the street, and spoke to immediate neighbours on the sides and at the back or put copies of the posters through their door.

I can't imagine she would wander off, she's a rescue cat but been with them for five years and she's coped fine with them going on holiday before. To their knowledge never gone further than two gardens over. Worried that she's either stuck somewhere or ill/injured and hiding. Sad

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givemushypeasachance · 28/09/2014 18:07

Been back down there for the third time today. A neighbour opposite says she thinks she saw L in her front garden late last night - there's a lookalike cat further down the street that's often out, but she knows that cat so didn't think she'd get them mixed up. It's not definitive but it's better than nothing.

My friends live in the middle of a terraced street and don't let their cats out the front because it's just a through road with parked cars down either side and postage stamp sized front gardens with wheel bins, recycle boxes and the odd tub of flowers in. If the cats ever dash out when you open the door they usually only venture a house or two down and then get herded back inside. It's possible she escaped when they were packing the car for their holiday and they didn't notice - but if so then it's unlikely she'd be able to figure out a way to get back to her rear garden via the end houses and across about ten strange gardens she hasn't been in before.

I've gone up and down the street checking behind wheelie bins and calling but no sign and heard no meowing - so I've left a cat box and pillow in their front garden along with food and water to try to tempt her back and offer some comfort if she is out there and returns. I'll go back and try calling again when it's dark and quiet, in case she's holed up somewhere now but more likely to venture out when there's less activity in the street.

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RubbishMantra · 29/09/2014 01:06

Blimey, this must be so worrying for you.

I live in the same kind of set-up and don't let my cats out the front. The one time MCat got out the front, I reckon he must have wandered into our cat hating neighbour's house who has now thankfully moved out . I found him crying on a big wall opposite my house, after much shaking of Dreamies.

I recall other posters on here have emptied the contents of the vacuum cleaner, so cats can smell their way home. Perhaps you could try that in the front garden? Also a bit of used cat litter spread about?

Wishing your friend's cat comes home Peas

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givemushypeasachance · 29/09/2014 12:00

I've taken their other cat on a supervised trip through the front gardens, and left her used litter outside to try to leave familiar scents in case she is out there and wanders back trying to find her way home, along with another cat blanket. Sadly still no sign of her this morning.

A bit of the problem is it's only be a suspected sighting - we don't know for sure she's got out the front and this is what's happened. But there's been no sign or sound of her anywhere in the house or back garden since Saturday morning, immediate neighbours have all checked their houses and gardens, so it's looking like the only potential lead we can follow. But the front gardens are all postage stamp sized and just used for storage - I would have thought if she was hiding in one of them she would have responded to me calling up and down the street. So part of me suspects she's gone a bit further, or has snuck in somewhere more out of the way. If not then it's recycling day today so she's likely to be disturbed out of hiding...

My gumtree ad was picked up by a local missing pet facebook group who have been very helpful, and they've already flagged a found cat and a sighting of another cat with similar colouring - though it's not her, it's nice to know people are keeping their eyes peeled. I've printed a whole bunch more posters to distribute first thing tomorrow since I won't be back till very late today. Keeping my fingers crossed for good news in the meantime.

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wantacatplease · 29/09/2014 12:10

Poor you, you're doing all you can. Thanks Are her owners aware of the situation? Are they ok?

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givemushypeasachance · 29/09/2014 13:55

Yeah I had to tell them - L wasn't there to say goodbye to them when they left late on Saturday morning, so I'd already been asked to particularly look out for her. We don't know if she'd already escaped or gone off somewhere by that point; she may have done. I visit twice a day and usually send photos by whatsap so even if I'd wanted to not worry them I think they would have noticed I kept just taking pictures of the one cat! No, I would have wanted to know what was happening if it was mine. They're obviously worried but I hope I've got across I'm doing everything possible and anything more that they'd want to be doing I'm happy to try - but it's definitely put a bit of an unavoidable downer on their holiday.

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wantacatplease · 29/09/2014 14:11

Aww, well I hope she just wanders back and is sat waiting for you, soon!

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