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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU in asking you to help me find my cat

26 replies

Horriblewoman · 19/08/2021 18:55

Hopefully not, I am just incredibly desperate and looking for suggestions I might not have thought of.

I'm absolutely terrified she's been hit by a car and hidden to die so I'll never see her again so I'm really trying to find a positive spin which might mean she's ok.

Last time I saw her was yesterday night, she's never ever out overnight so when we went to call her in and got no response we spent two hours looking. When we didn't appear we hoped she might appear overnight.

Still nothing today.

So far I've:

  • put flyers in about 30 houses in the two surrounding roads (we're in London)
  • stuck posters on a few lampposts.
  • posted on nextdoor
  • posted on a local Facebook group
  • put some cat litter in the front and back gardens

I'm devastated, we don't have children and the cats are definitely our child equivalent.

If anyone has any bright ideas or stories of cats coming back please let me know.

OP posts:
Whenitsjustyourclockreading505 · 19/08/2021 19:00

DM’s cat went missing for 2 weeks. Someone 2 street over saw her FB post and, when they spotted him in the garden they captured him and brought him round.
Have you contacted local vets to see if any cats have been handed in? Is she microchipped?

I read another post on here ages ago, the owners of the missing cat went round the streets later on at night calling their cats name when it was quieter so they could be heard/could hear the cat. The cat did make it home.

I hope you find her soon Flowers

QueenBodicea · 19/08/2021 19:02

Ours was missing for 5 days once. I was told to keep going out at night when there is less traffic noise and keep calling their name as they will be able to hear from a further distance. It rocked for us

Nahhh · 19/08/2021 19:02

My cat went missing for 6 months once. She had found her way over a main road and couldn’t get back. Someone had been feeding her.

My male cats would often go missing for days on end doing goodness knows what but also always came home

EastWestWhosBest · 19/08/2021 19:03

Have you let local vets know? If she’s hurt she might have been taken in.

QueenBodicea · 19/08/2021 19:03

Sorry hit send too soon!
It worked for us. I do hope you find her.

EastWestWhosBest · 19/08/2021 19:05

Is she chipped?

One suggestion I have read is to empty the vacuum cleaner on the doorstep/in the garden. The idea is that the smell of the house will travel further and help the cat find their way home.

motherofcatsandbears · 19/08/2021 19:05

Try putting her litter tray and bed outside so she can smell something familiar and find her way home.
Try Critter Alert and local vets.
I hope she comes home soon 🐾🐾

LtJudyHopps · 19/08/2021 19:08

Hang bedsheets outside on the line so they can smell it and find their way back. Or just something that smells like you/the house.

Original poster
Horriblewoman · 19/08/2021 19:09

Oh yes should have also added

I've called local vets including ours and the microchip company

Litter tray is currently sat in the front garden (not affecting any parking before I get a Mumsnet thread about me Smile ).

It's just so so unlike her that the only conclusion I keep jumping too is the worst one.

OP posts:
raffle · 19/08/2021 19:10

Knock on the neighbors doors and ask them to look in their sheds. Our cat got shut in a shed for 3 days! She was fine. Good luck

Theunamedcat · 19/08/2021 19:11

Are they fed canned food? Mine would come home to me banging a can with a fork

helpfulperson · 19/08/2021 19:12

Go along the street and ask neighbours if they can check sheds and garages. Or any houses being done up as the builders if you can go inside and call.

Checking local bushes after dark with a torch is good. Eyes will reflect.

It's not uncommon for cats to wonder off and reappear a few days later like there is no problem. One near me appeared through her cat flat at 3.20am after being away for 3 weeks

LadyTiredWinterBottom2 · 19/08/2021 19:13

Keep shaking the treat bag outside and leave a scarf with your scent somewhere to see if kitty catches it on the wind.

junecat · 19/08/2021 19:16

Does she like on a blanket / towel / one of jumpers or anything? If she does hang it on your washing line.

I had a cat come home after 4 months once xx

Okbutnotgreat · 19/08/2021 19:16

My elderly cat once went missing for 3 weeks in winter. My DH found her when someone got our flyer through the door (we posted hundreds in the neighbourhood) and said they’d heard a cat miaowing. He got some fish from the chippie and went and sat in the area. She was starving and eventually hunger got the better of her.

violetbunny · 19/08/2021 19:20

OP, I'm sorry to hear about your cat. If it's missing then it is important you read this.

Don't rely on flyers, Facebook posts, etc. The sad fact is that most people won't notice a cat hanging around and if they do, they won't necessarily clock that it's missing or do anything about it. By all means do it, but don't focus your efforts on it.

I would highly recommend reading this, which is a summary of Kat Albrecht's study on missing cat behaviour: www.missinganimalresponse.com/lost-cat-behavior/

Then - go doorknocking in your neighbourhood and ask if you can do a search of your neighbours gardens. Your cat is statistically likely to be nearby, but if it's been spooked it's important to know that it may not come when called even if usually friendly.

This means you need to do a thorough physical search yourself, check under houses, decking bushes inside sheds, etc, it's important that you do it yourself, because no one else will do as thorough a job as you.

This is how I found my missing cat. He was gone for 2 weeks and gotten spooked, he was in walking distance of my house in someone's garden. I had even delivered a missing cat flyer to that house but the owners never noticed him.

Good luck.

Tiredmum100 · 19/08/2021 19:28

I lost my cat for 3 days. We sent out flyers etc. She was in the kitchen drawer. She jumped in as u was putting towels away and into the (luckily empty) drawer under neath without me noticing. Have you checked all cupboards etc in your house? Hope your cat comes home soon.

Original poster
Horriblewoman · 20/08/2021 10:12

She's home! It was actually a reply to my nextdoor post that led us to her.

I've never been this happy in all my days!

OP posts:
OhWhyNot · 20/08/2021 10:19

Aww that’s good news 🎉

My old cat went missing for six weeks someone decided to take her in (she was in and out of peoples homes)

I shut my cat in a drawer for a day and night we had searched everywhere I try to always make sure all drawers are closed now minus cat

Whenitsjustyourclockreading505 · 20/08/2021 19:11

So glad she is home safe.

felinelucky · 20/08/2021 19:14

Yesss! Fabulous news.

Now you owe us a picture (rules are rules y'know)

QueenBodicea · 20/08/2021 19:19

Great news! Its a wonderful feeling when they come home

Crazycatlady202020 · 20/08/2021 19:50

I am so happy that she is home!

WhenISnappedAndFarted · 20/08/2021 19:53

So glad she's home OP! My cat's 19 and has gone missing a few times over his lifetime and I've always thought the worst

croatia21 · 20/08/2021 20:12

Fantastic!!!

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