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Original poster

Cat has gone missing - am distraught :-(

48 replies

SadCatlady · 22/08/2009 22:29

My cat's gone missing, I am devastated. She went out yesterday and hasn't come back which is totally unlike her, she is always bobbing about somewhere and she would be hungry by now so wouldn't just be sunning herself somewhere or asleep, she's been gone too long for that.

Please can someone cheer me up and say how their cat came back after a few days or so? I can't bear the thought of her being gone forever, or lying injured somewhere. she's my little pal. I feel sick about it. I can't go out and look for her tonight as I have DCs, although I managed a bit of a look earlier when my brother came round to babysit - but nothing. I have asked around some of the neighbours who were in but nobody's seen her, it's like she's vanished.

Any kind words much appreciated

OP posts:
southeastastra · 22/08/2009 22:35

aw sure she'll be back

Original poster
SadCatlady · 22/08/2009 22:39

Thanks

She's not exactly blessed in the brains department, she's too friendly by half and very pretty. All in all a great recipe for getting hurt/lost/picked up.

I actually looked at her going out the door yesterday and thought for the thousandth time how lovely she is. Wish I could turn the clock back and keep her in

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princessmel · 22/08/2009 22:41

I have heard of cats wandering off and then turning up days later. There is hope...

Dumbledoresgirl · 22/08/2009 22:44

One of our cats went missing for about 48 hours a few weeks ago. Mind you, ours are very much outdoor cats and we live next to unbuilt on land so they have quite extensive territories. It took me some time to realise he was missing

Anyway, we put out posters with photos of him on, and ds2 called round all the neighbours. I really thought he was gone for good, but he turned up unexpectedly one evening. I have no idea where he was but he hasn't been missing for so long since.

Have you considered your cat might be locked in someone's garage? Have you thought about putting up some notices? I found just doing something practical helped me.

I hope she is back soon.

Ewe · 22/08/2009 22:46

My in-laws cat has gone 'missing' for up to 5 days before and returned, he has just done it France (where they spend summers) and as it was unfamiliar territory we thought he was gone for good but he turned up four days later.

hellymelly · 22/08/2009 22:55

We found a cat recently,as it turned out she had been missing for 24hrs when my dh found her,meowing anxiously,and brought her home.We took her to both our local vets in case they knew her and to check for a microchip,no luck but then a day later the owner called the vet to see if she had been brought in,and so she went home.She only lived a few minutes drive away,but had wandered too far we think.So check with all local vets and put leaflets around,as cats get shut into sheds a lot at this time of year.Ask anyone you see,put a notice in your local pet shop,post office etc and hopefully she will be found soon.In the very worst case scenario that she has been killed on the road then the refuse collectors are the people to ask as they pick the body up (sorry to mention it but it is best to know,if only to be reassured that they haven't seen anything) Wishing her a safe and speedy return x

Original poster
SadCatlady · 22/08/2009 22:55

Thanks

I am going to do notices and go round everyone and everywhere I can think of. I am worried that she is stuck in a garage and worst case that someone has gone off on holiday with her trapped in, god I have to stop thinking like that.

She's been out thousands of times and is always knocking around somewhere - doesn't go very far and she's 5 now so knows her way around. Which makes me "hopeful" that she's trapped rather than gone for good.

I'm so sad I just collected some fur from her basket, I don't know why but I miss her so much already I just want to see her little face at the window.

In my heart I feel she's gone. I keep telling myself of other awful situations that I would rather have this than those- but it doesn't stop the tears

thanks though

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confuseddoiordonti · 22/08/2009 22:57

Oh your poor love, I really know how you feel!
One of ours has gone AWOL for 48 hours and me and DH were really worried (we also see so many Cat Lost posters where we are) but she came back, eventually. The relief was incredible.
Lastly, a friend had a cat who went out one day and she didn't see him again for 6 months so don't loose hope (friend said it was after the night she thought he was gone forever and got drunk and maudly about it.)

Is your cat chipped? If the worst happened (I hope not!) at least you will find out via a phone call. Untill then, hold out and keep your fingers crossed!

cupcakesinthesnow · 22/08/2009 22:57

Years ago my cat went missing for 4 weeks. Gave up hope until one night she turned up all skin and bones and starving hungry.....and pregnant as it transpired!

wilkos · 22/08/2009 22:57

shes probably being fed by a friendly old lady somewhere.

try not to worry too much she hasnt been gone long

Original poster
SadCatlady · 22/08/2009 23:04

Thanks hellymelly

She is microchipped but won't wear a collar (hence tag) of any kind so at first glance there's no contact details. She's quite distinctive though so that might help. I will create a note for the local shop windows too. I'm going to put leaflets through every door in the surrounding street (no kidding) even if for someone to say they saw a cat get knocked over. I won't give up.

Good advice about ringing the refuse collectors. I have already looked in some bins as I know that if someone found a dead cat on the road they'd probably put it in the nearest bin. Hadn't thought about refuse collectors though, that's a good tip. I would rather know than not.

It's times like this it's so painful to be a pet owner, especially cats as they do go out by themselves and are so curious they can get in all kinds of scrapes.

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hellymelly · 22/08/2009 23:05

Oh and a friends cat was missing for two weeks and was found,thin and stuck,on someone's windowsill (an upstairs one with no obvious access)They had got a leaflet throught the door that my friend had done and so were able to re-unite them.Calling her late at night when it is quiet and you would hear her is good if she could be stuck in a shed/garage locally.She has probably just gone too far,maybe chased by a dog or something.The cat I mentioned earlier is the second lost cat we have found in the last few months,and the first one we were luckily able to reunite because quite by chance a woman had mentioned in passing as we were casually chatting that her cat wasn't around that morning,and then a day later said cat was spotted near our house,the other side of the village so we were able to run round and tell her and she came to catch her very nervous and elderly cat who had never been further than next doors garden before.So don't give up hope,and keep putting the word about and going out looking for her and calling.Best of luck.

Original poster
SadCatlady · 22/08/2009 23:20

Thanks confused, cupcakes and wilkos.

I am wavering between despair and tears; and hoping she'll just appear. I know she's not been gone long but she's a creature of habit and has never been missing so long before, in fact she's never been missing. She loves her food and her basket too much.

She has a habit of going where she shouldn't (like cupboards and other people's houses) so hopefully, hopefully, she's just stuck somewhere and she'll do her lightening bolt streak when she's released... and come back to me. Bless her, I hope she's not in pain somewhere. Perhaps I'll never know. If wishing could bring her back she'd be sat on the doorstep now (I keep checking).

OP posts:
blithedance · 22/08/2009 23:22

Have you got a photograph? We lost a (distinctive pedigree) cat for four weeks. We called around all the area, asked neighbours, put up posters on lamp posts, then after a while heard a rumour he had been seen across a main road, so started postering further afield. Eventually got another phone call - he had travelled nearly a mile and was living behind someone's shed. he did have a collar but wouldn't let anyone near enough to look at it. Thin but OK - I think the home owner had been leaving a bit of food out.

It's hard because you never know but good luck, I'm sure they usually turn up.

dooit · 22/08/2009 23:23

I have a bit of a mixed message for you. My lovely cat Buddy went missing for a whole 3 months once. I had long since given up hope of ever seeing him again when I got a call from someone a few miles away who had been feeding him but unable to get close enough to read the info on his tag.

He was thin and bedraggled [as he had long hair] when he came home. I spent ages grooming him and feeding him lovely treats to fatten him up. About a month later he was run over and killed.

I do hope you find her soon. Don't give up hope. My cats are now kept indoors 24/7.

PlumpRumpSoggyBaps · 22/08/2009 23:25

My (now very elderly) cat went missing some years ago. Like yours she never went far from home and never stayed away very long.

Then one summer she didn't come in at night. I didn't worry too much, thinking she'd be back in the morning.

She was gone for five days, I had notices up all over the place, when I had a phone call from the lady vicar who lived abbout a hundred yards down the road. My cat had been sunning herself in her garden all that time and the vicar had been feeding her, thinking she might be a stray because she had no collar on.

Then last year, while we were on holiday and my PILs were feeding the cats/visiting them etc she went missing again, this time for two weeks. We'd given up hope when there was a knock on the door and guess what.....

Yup. Another neighbour this time though.

My cat, incidentally, is now 21 years old.

So don't give up hope!!

Original poster
SadCatlady · 22/08/2009 23:25

Thanks again hellymelly. I stopped people in the street to ask today even though they looked at me like I was mad for asking, and I rattled her biscuits and shouted her without caring who saw even though I'm usually quite shy.

By tomorrow I'll be bellowing all over the place for her with the baby in tow too.

OP posts:
catinthehat2 · 22/08/2009 23:26

Also, phone round all the vets in your yellow pages. They generally have a lost & found register and will most probably take your details so that if someone does take her in "off territory", she will have some contcat details.

chickchickchickee · 22/08/2009 23:28

Is she spayed?

Original poster
SadCatlady · 22/08/2009 23:40

Thanks all, I am feeling a bit better and it's nice to share with people who understand how much you can love a cat and how much a part of the family they become and how much you worry about them, instead of "just" a cat.

Incidentally, has anyone heard of "spiral collars"? which have no snap or buckle fastening, and are flexible? I think these might be more suitable, I've heard of them but not seen them. My cat bucks and fights against a normal collar every time. Once she came in with her mouth wide open with the collar fixed tightly over her lower jaw (she'd obviously tried to bite it off and got her bottom fangs caught); the snap ones she has off in seconds and another time a neighbour brought her new collar back seperately as my cat had got her paw through it so was wearing it as a very tight sash round her neck and front leg so neighbour had taken it off.

I have got lots of very clear photos fortunately blithedance, in fact I some in the awful event that one day they might go missing and I'd have to do posters and leaflets. It's awful I'm now having to use them.

Such a sad story doit, what an awful thing to happen especially after finding him all that time later. I think that if she does come back she'll only be allowed out at certain times from now on.

plumprump, I can sort of imagine my cat doing the same ie going on holiday because she's found a bit of food and a nice spot to sit in for a while . Maybe I'll be as lucky as you, I hope so.

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Original poster
SadCatlady · 22/08/2009 23:46

She is spayed chickchick, also chipped and insured. The only thing she hasn't got is a collar because she hates them so much and will try anything to get them off, there was more potential to harm than protect her. I always felt uncomfortable with her not having one because if she was fatally injured, someone might just quickly ring the number on the collar than bother taking to the vets for scanning.

That's a great idea catinthehat. Because she's chipped I thought no point in contacting the vet's as they would scan straight away and ring me, however I forgot that perhaps someone might ring to say they'd found a pet but maybe not be able to take it in for scanning. I will ring round. Thanks.

She is chi

OP posts:
Original poster
SadCatlady · 22/08/2009 23:47

Don't know where the spare "she is chi" came from!!

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aJumpedUpPantryBoy · 22/08/2009 23:54

SadCatLady, one of my cats used to go missing for several days at a time. He would then turn up hungry, but unpeturbed. Everytime it happened DH & I would tell each other that next time we wouldn't worry, but we still ended up scouring the fields and calling his name. Now he is an old cat so he doesn't go far.

A freind's cat went missing and after 6 weeks they had given up hope (and given her food and bowl away to a local rescue) when the cat came home. She was very thin and scared - possibly she had been shut in a shed or garage.

I hope your cat turns up.

RumourOfAHurricane · 22/08/2009 23:57

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

PrincessLayer · 22/08/2009 23:58

My Ex boyfriends cat once went missing and turned up 2 weeks later. It had been stuck in an old womans house over the back. She had been feeding the cat and locked him in her house, then fell and hurt herself outside. It was only after a couple of weeks she remembered and told someone who went round to let him out.

A mate had a young cat (between kitten and cat), and her boyfriend lived about 50 miles away so when she went to stay at weekends she took the cat with her. One day he disappeared. 13 months later he came back to the boyfriends house.

Maybe you can photocopy a few leaflets, put them through doors and in shop windows?

Hope she turns up soon.

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