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Original poster

Lost cat- I'm heartbroken

21 replies

emma1977 · 25/07/2008 23:36

I'm just looking for a bit of sympathy.

My beautiful, cuddly Cleo has been missing for 11 days now.

We recently moved house, and I was allowing her out for short wanders around the garden and car park. After 5 weeks of living here, I let her out for a quick evening stroll whilst I tidied the kitchen... and she hasn't come back.

We have had no sign of her since then and the lack of knowledge is tearing me apart. She isn't a 'streetwise' cat and has been indoors for much of the past 4 years. I have posted fliers and posters all over the estate in the hope that someone may be feeding her and offering her a bed to sleep on, to no avail.

I really miss her, as does my 7 month old ds.

OP posts:

BBBee · 25/07/2008 23:42

oh no poor you. It is very sad and difficult - I have been through the same thing and I kept thinking I saw him or heard him in the house and then I remembered

I hope Cleo comes home safely.

Lovesdogsandcats · 26/07/2008 19:02

oh I hope she comes back-any news?

Original poster

emma1977 · 26/07/2008 22:23

Not a sausage.

We've been leaving the garage open each night with her bedding, biscuits and water. The biscuits have been eaten each night and sometimes the bedding moved around. We also leave biscuits by the front door and tuna by the back gate, which are being ravaged each night. We hope by her, but are sceptical. Short of sitting in the garage all night, how could I tell if it's her coming back for food?

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Shitehawk · 26/07/2008 22:27

Have you tried going back to where you used to live, in case she's made her way back there? Cats do that, sometimes.

Is she microchipped, or does she wear a collar? Anything which would mean someone could identify her and get her returned to you?

Hope you find her soon.

Original poster

emma1977 · 26/07/2008 22:46

She's microchipped but no collar. I'm hoping that the fact that I haven't been contacted means that the worst hasn't happened.

We have contacted the lady living at our old place but she hasn't seen her. It's 15 miles away and I think its unlikely she'd head back there as she never used to go out (we lived in a flat).

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Lastyearsmodel · 26/07/2008 23:13

Hello emma,
Huge sympathies - our daft tom cat went missing one December and we were besides ourselves (pre-dc, so cats got lots of attention then ). He was eventually returned to us after nearly 5 months (he had a collar tag). He'd strayed in a direction we just hadn't thought of; we went looking round roads, but he'd gone along a lane and under a road via an underpass, so was only about half a mile away but not where we'd thought to look. I guess my point is expect the unusual and don't give up hope.

Can you borrow a cat-trap from anywhere? The kind you tempt them into with food then the door shuts behind them. Then you'd know if it's your cat coming into the garage.
For peace of mind, contact the local rescue places and the council. Fingers crossed...

Lastyearsmodel · 28/07/2008 20:17

Any news?

Original poster

emma1977 · 28/07/2008 21:22

Still nothing.

Have put ads in local papers for this week and am going to replace all of the posters which have been taken down.

I found out where all of the food was going. Unfortunately not Cleo. I caught a ginger cat and a hedgehog red-handed wolfing down tuna. Boo......

Its so hard to remain hopeful. I just hope that if she is with someone else, that they are giving her a happy life.

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youcannotbeserious · 28/07/2008 21:24

i'm sosorry.

i hope she's with someone and is happy

Lovesdogsandcats · 28/07/2008 21:25

Aw am sorry, hope she comes home safe soon.

mamabea · 28/07/2008 21:37

sorry to hear Cleo hasn't returned to you yet, she may still do though.

you are doing all the right things but I know that when a pet goes missing they leave a very big gap.

hope she comes home safely soon.

curlysmum · 30/07/2008 10:23

sorry to hear but my old cat did this years ago after we moved , had moved twice in the past no probs then this time he disapeared.
He was found with a lady after about 4 months about 5 miles away, whose daughter just happenned to see a note I had put in a shop window when she was visiting someone in the area , so it was just by chance. don't give up hope, have you contacted the Cats protection league they have local people in most places and if you send them a description they are usually pretty good and also the RSPCA have a missing pets line which you can register details with. As I said local shop windows might be an idea as quite a few people read them and they stay up , unlike the posters.

BettySpaghetti · 30/07/2008 10:30

Have you tried phoning round local vets -I know you said shes microchipped but just in case the vets have been contacted by someone who has "adopted" her whilst they try and track down where shes from, or in case shes been brought in.

We had a lovely young ginger and white cat who went missing. We never did find out what happened to him or where he went but we liked to think that he found someone who needed his company more than us, IYSWIM, and fed him fresh fish and luxury cat food, a little old lady for example.

Original poster

emma1977 · 30/07/2008 14:09

Thanks all, you are helping me to remain positive.

I've tried the RSPCA and Cats Protection, who weren't that helpful to be honest. The local vets haven't had her brought in nor have the binmen picked up a dead cat by her description (sad, but I had to check).

A new batch of posters are being dispersed tonight along the lamposts and shop windows.

I'm just hoping that if someone has got her and they are feeding her normal cat food or posh fish, that she will soon develop her kidney stones and they may have to take her to the vet, and then I may get her back!

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Lovesdogsandcats · 31/07/2008 22:59

Look here which has info on where to look online for lost cats, and a checklist for doing all you can to help find your cat :

www.catchat.org/lost.html

FluffyMummy123 · 31/07/2008 23:00

Message withdrawn

Original poster

emma1977 · 31/07/2008 23:11

Still no Cleo.

Ads in the local papers tonight. I've had 1 phonecall from a blatant nutjob, but nothing else.

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surreylady · 31/07/2008 23:38

Hello so sorry - we had a cat who did a runner when at my parents while we were on a last minute break - he was gone for days - we found him hiding in a garden very close - he basically got lost and waited - we put notes through doors and they called to say they thought they had heard a cat and allowed us in - might be worth a try to do some printed notes and put them through letterboxes. I hope you are reunited very soon

mousemole · 01/08/2008 19:54

dont give up. Cats go missing and then re appear after months. She is probably safe with someone who doesn't realise she is micro-chipped but I am sure if that is the case someeone will suggest that she is scanned. Our cat went wandering when we moved and an old lady was looking after her and enjoying the cuddles ! She came back after 8 days.

mousemole · 01/08/2008 19:55

Ps- sorry to hear about the nutjob. Not what you need at the moment.

Original poster

emma1977 · 29/08/2008 14:56

An update.... not happy I'm afraid.

Well, there have been lots of false sightings of lookalikes over the past 6 weeks but none that were definitely Cleo.

Today, a couple of boys from the estate across the main road from where I live knocked on my door to say that thye had seen our posters of Cleo and that they had seen a dead cat matching her desription near where they live 6 weeks ago. They also said that the body was still there, and would I like to see it (and can they still have the reward if it is her!)- they had been watching it decompose slowly! It looks as though the cat was hit by a car on the main road and crawled under a nearby hedge to die.

I'm not absolutely sure whather it is her or not. Its very difficult to tell as there's not much left (sorry....gruesome, I know), but the shape of the face, whiskers and tail fur look the same. The local vet sent a nurse over to scan it and couldn't find a chip (Cleo was chipped) so were confident that it isn't her.

Now, I've been thinking all afternoon and it seems too coincidental not be her (correct timeframe, location from home, lack of sightings, appearance).

My question is- can microchips go missing or decompose? Also, would the vet think I'm an oddball if I ask to see the body again (she took it away)? I really need to know.

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