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Original poster

friend has lost her cat - where to look?

25 replies

ThatVikRinA22 · 26/02/2010 12:34

friend has lost her beloved moggie - hasnt been seen since yesterday morning.

she is distraught. ive phoned all the vets, the RSPCA and the council in case he turns up anywhere. a neighbour says he saw him looking dishevelled last night and she is worried that he has been hurt in some way.

where do they go if they are hurt? its peeing it down here so all the hedgerows are flooded, she has checked around the vicinity but no sign of him. she has knocked on all the doors locally.

one vet said they do try to get home if they are hurt but also said if they know their time has come they just go off somewhere to die this cat is so loved and its heartbreaking to hear my friend crying for him. the other thing is he is a devil for getting into cars. but he is chipped so if he gets taken to a vet theyll find out where his home is.

she is leaving her shed open in case he cant make it back through the cat flap.

i have moggies and id be devestated if it were mine. where can i help her look? i really feel for her.

OP posts:

frogetyfrog · 26/02/2010 12:42

Other peoples sheds and garages in case he has been accidently locked in. Also curled up under bushes if he wanted to die quietly. Sorry, cant think of anything else. Good luck - it is devastating when an animal goes missing.

Chinwag · 26/02/2010 13:14

It is quite common for them to go walk about for a few days.

Mine went for 3 days once, so I got my DD's and their friend to write notes saying how much they loved their cat and please could people check their garages & sheds, along with a description and a phone number.

We posted to our neighbours and he turned up about an hour later, all thin & lovey-dovey!

If some one has already seen him, some notes through doors might be worth a try?

Granny23 · 26/02/2010 13:51

We lost one cat for two days. He had climbed into the loft when the hatch was open. Eventually heard him howling.
Recently my daughter's elderly cat disappeared. They did all the posters, fliers thing, searched everywhere, chapped doors with no success. Two weeks later - a strange smell in the broomcupboard - dead cat curled up in the furthest corner. If this missing cat is elderly or ill most likely place is a quiet, dark corner INDOORS in own home.

Original poster

ThatVikRinA22 · 26/02/2010 14:36

no he is only 2 years old, he was last seen outdoors.

still no word to say she has found him.

OP posts:

MrsL123 · 26/02/2010 17:05

I know it seems like he's been gone for a long time, but it's not uncommon for cats to wander off for a few days - if a neighbour saw him last night it suggests he's not stuck anywhere, so that means he's either having a whale of a time chasing mice that have been flooded out of their nests by the rain (like mine have been doing!), which also means he's not likely to come home for food; or he's hurt somewhere and can't get home - but again, if the neighbour saw him he must be close, so if your friend has been out shouting for him I'm sure he'd have made himself known. Has she been out shaking some cat food and shouting him? If he is hurt, he might not be able to make it home but he could still be nearby.

If he is sick or dying (which hopefully he's not) then he's most likely to find a quiet spot to drift away. We've found a few dead cats under the hedge in our garden over the years, all of them in the same little corner and all just looking as though they were curled up sleeping, without a mark on them We always gave them a proper burial at DH's gran's farm, where all our own animals are buried. And I always cried, I don't think it matters whether it's your own or not, it's still heartbreaking. The worst thing was not knowing whether someone was looking for them. Thankfully since we've got the dogs we haven't had any more, as obviously the garden doesn't seem so safe. But it's definitely true that they know when it's their time to go and will just curl up and slip away.

Hope she finds him

Original poster

ThatVikRinA22 · 26/02/2010 17:55

she has just phoned to say her DH and DS have found him up a tree.

he has got himself stuck. no details but at least he is alive

OP posts:

MrsL123 · 26/02/2010 18:08

Awww the poor wee mite, he might have been chased up by a dog, going up is a lot easier than coming down unfortunately! But I'm glad he's been found, it's bad enough when they disappear at any time, without it being in this weather. Bet he's starving!

BigMomma3 · 26/02/2010 18:50

My kitten has also gone missing (last seen last night at around 6pm). He is only 6 and a half months old and usually stays close by and comes in within 2/3 hours.

DCs are devastated and it has been pouring down ever since. Will be putting fliers through doors tomorrow. Some neighbours further along the street have said that he often visits them and comes into their kitchen for a stroke so we are worried he may have been a bit too friendly for his own good .

Original poster

ThatVikRinA22 · 26/02/2010 18:54

aw bigmomma - hope you find him.

my friend rang back to say he was frozen, wet through and limping - must have been stuck up tree for ages, but he is warming up now and eating, she has locked the catflap for tonight!

OP posts:

Bella32 · 26/02/2010 18:57

Aw - lots of TLC and gently warmed food is required!

Hope he's back on top form soon x

Bella32 · 26/02/2010 18:58

Best of luck - BigMomma.

Do keep us posted x

Vallhala · 26/02/2010 23:25

Silly blooming cat! Thank goodness he is alive - I hope that he's none the worse for his ordeal, sending him gentle hugs from the Val family.

Vallhala · 26/02/2010 23:40

Sorry Bigmomma, didn't spot your post. As you have seen, often your fears are unfounded (my own cats do daft things like get stuck up trees leaving me to panic). You're very wise to put posters up everywhere, urging people to check sheds, outhouses and garages. Also ask if local schools will let you do the same, post on Freecycle if your Mod is a kind one and will let the message through, Freecycle Cafe if you have such a group, and on your or family/friends Facebook, asking them to spread the word far and wide. Likewise posters in your local pet shop and wherever they take small ads in your area.

Come morning, phone local vets and rescues and on Monday, if, heaven forbid, he hasn't turned up, the council animal warden (yep, they often call themselves dog wardens but generally they are responsible for all animals). Also see if you can find an animal sanctuary and/or even dog rescue online forum local to you and post there. No-one will mind even if it's a dog rescue, pets are pets come what may, and the people on these forums are often like me, with many like-minded contacts and will be willing and able to email your post to others and spread the word that way.

Good luck and please keep us posted. If you feel able to tell us your town/area, maybe others here can pass on the word if they are in the area or know others who are.

EightiesChick · 26/02/2010 23:53

Check sheds locally. Put flyers through doors asking people to check theirs. My cat of a few years ago now was missing for 12 days and eventually found having got accidentally locked in a shed. He was filthy and had got much thinner but recovered and lived years longer very happily. Hope your kitten turns up Bigmomma [fingers crossed emoticon]. Great that yours is home, vicar!

BigMomma3 · 28/02/2010 21:34

Poor kitten still not home . So upset that he may be laying injured somewhere or have been run over and dumped somewhere. Will call the council tomorrow as apparently they would have 'disposed' of him if that happened.

Got a call last night from someone who thought they'd seen him and went up there witha tin of pilchards open and some dry catfood, hung round for an hour (was sure we could hear some mewing but could'nt find where it coming from) and left a trail of catfood to home but none of it was eaten . Also spread a trail of cat litter from his tray (that he'd used) and the contents of my hoover bag to our house today as apparently they will pick up the scent of home and find their way back - thank god no one saw me or I'd have been done for littering!

Have leafletted 200 houses, put up 10 big posters, put a poster near the catfood in Tesco (thought if someone found him and went to buy food that might be logical!)and will call vets, RSPCA and cats protection AGAIN tomorrow. Gaaaaahhhhh wish I'd never got a bloody cat now, can't believe how worried I am about him!!

Bella32 · 28/02/2010 22:02

Aw, BigMomma

Go back to where you heard the miaowing. One of mine was locked in a shed once and the miaowing was very very faint.

Gad - I really hope you find him x

BigMomma3 · 28/02/2010 22:30

Thanks Bella. DH is planning to go out at around 1am tonight as apparently that is the best time to hunt for cats .

I was hoping that he was'nt locked in anywhere as then the person who rang yesterday would'nt have seen him and that has given me some hope at least!!

BigMomma3 · 28/02/2010 22:30

Thanks Bella. DH is planning to go out at around 1am tonight as apparently that is the best time to hunt for cats .

I was hoping that he was'nt locked in anywhere as then the person who rang yesterday would'nt have seen him and that has given me some hope at least!!

RedbinDippers · 28/02/2010 22:33

Hope this all works out well. One of ours (not a tom) goes walk about for days on end and we always worry. Good luck.

Bella32 · 01/03/2010 07:03

Any news, BigMomma?

BigMomma3 · 01/03/2010 13:06

Hi Bella, thanks for asking. No sign when DH did his walk around at 1.00am this morning. Rang council street cleaning dept and they have not picked him up. They have some crews tidying up the hedgerows in our area so stopped and asked them to look as well. Called vets, RSPCA, cats protection (who were very unhelpful!) and local sanctuary AGAIN. Dropped more leaflets to houses a bit further away as well.

No more I can do for now so will give it a rest for a few days and hope that now the weather's better, people may get outside more and notice him about.

Bella32 · 01/03/2010 16:03

I suppose no news is good news at this stage.

Will continue to keep it all crossed x

TulipsInTheRain · 01/03/2010 16:12

One of ours went out one night and didn't come back.

I tramped the fields looking for him, rooted around peoples sheds, lurked around a badger set looking for signs of blood/struggle, searched the drains and ditches with a torch, everything.

He barely left our garden normally so when he wasn't back in a few days we pretty much gave up hope.

10 days later he reappeared, half starved to death but fluffy and shiney looking and desperate for attention... we still have no idea where he got to!

Don't give up hope

BigMomma3 · 01/03/2010 16:46

Tulips - it great to hear stories like yours - thanks. He is a pretty clever cat IMO (had just worked out how to jump up at door handles to open them!) so I am not going to give up on him. It's just hard to dehumanise him and think of him as a cat with all the survival instincts they have!!

BigMomma3 · 01/03/2010 16:47

Bella - thanks for keeping fingers crossed.

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