Would you want "news" about your missing cat

[OneEpisode]

A decade ago a pair of cats used to sunbathe on our lawn every afternoon. We knew them well, could describe their looks and habits well. One day one didn't get up when nap time was over. Cat had just died mid nap. I tried really hard to find their home family. I thought they'd want to know, see where we buried their lovely pet. I didn't succeed.

Now this week, another dead cat. This time we were away for a week. We hadn't been in that particular area for longer. We don't recognise the cat. We don't think it had visited before.
We had to bury quickly. I couldn't describe very well.
I have seen a missing cat notice. Same area. Has been missing a while. Could be the same cat. I can't be certain though, and I can't give a positive story.
If you are the cat owner would you want to know what I do know, now, when perhaps you have made peace with your pet having made other plans? When it might not be your cat?
I have a text message ready to go. DH says not to sent it.
help!

You never make peace with your cat going missing. so I'd want to know, but if wonder why you buried it, Tbh. Was it a decomposition thing?

This sounds odd. Why did you need to bury it quickly?

The best thing to do would be take it to the vets to be scanned for a microchip. Or done a search for missing pets first, then they could bury their pet in their own garden.

I would want to know, but I'd also want to know it was definitely my cat.

2nd time yes. 1st time seemed respectful rather than leaving sunbathing cat out as a permanent feature of the garden.
Sorry, clueless about etiquette here..

Don't send the text unless you're sure it's their cat. They might stop looking even though it could still be alive and not their cat.

Why on earth would you bury a cat that wasn't yours?

Take it to a vet to be scanned for a microchip, as MissClarke said. If it doesn't have a microchip I guess the vet might be able to er... keep it in the morgue (vets must have them for animals in the same way that hospitals do for people?) at least for a few days while you try and find the owner.

If someone found one of my cats dead and buried it I would be really upset actually, I would want to see my cat and organise burial or cremation myself.

I feel bad I didn't ask before. I didn't think about a microchip in the first case. We did put a note in the post office window & etc. Was probably more than a decade ago actually. 1999?
The recent cat couldn't have been transported to a vet, really couldn't.

Had to bury it quickly, couldn't take it to a vet... Why, had it been dead for a while and started decomposing?

I'd appreciate a text that you'd found and buried a cat of the same colour as the missing one. They will probably be imagining the poor thing trapped and starving in a shed and it may put their mind at rest.

I'm sorry I didn't want to spell it out.

Ah OK

Well in that case I think you should contact them to let them know you found a cat that could have been theirs and had to bury it before you could find the owner. I think if I was in their position and it could have been my cat I would want to know so I could grieve and move on instead of fruitlessly looking and worrying.

Very sad to think of it though, I hope it never happens to my cats

Thank you. I will try and send a message as tactfully worded as I can.
Best wishes to all & your cats
Retreats from pets thread gratefully

slightly late to 'party' here - but having had two dead other people's cats in two different gardens, believe me you do have to bury quickly if it is summer and there has been a road collision. The first lot were able to ID before burial and in fact asked us to do it.

the second lot- I asked around but no joy, and had to wait until the posters went up. I did take a photo before the last offices so they could do an ID.

I have to say that it didn't occur to me to put a dead cat in my car and go find a vet for a scan. Sorry.

if you do ever have to do this - put a heavy rock on top for a month or two. The foxes/badgers have no respect.

My cat has been missing since the end of November. Yes, I would want to know.
Some bastard locally is picking cats up in their car and dropping them off miles away from home