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Original poster

Have I lost my cat or is there hope?

31 replies

cece · 15/10/2012 14:51

Got a rescue cat last month. Kept him in for whole month as advised. He is 8-10 years old. Yesterday we let him out. We haven't seen him since. So far he has missed his evening meal (Sun) and his breakfast today.

Will he come back or has he gone?

He has been a bit nervous and has a tendency to hide away sometimes.

OP posts:
HappyTurquoise · 15/10/2012 14:59

We don't know! Hope he comes back to you. We've always put butter on cat's paws when they first go out. (A bit late for that now, but try it next time!)

Is he microchipped? If so (or even if he isnt) let the rescue place you got him from one (he might be trying to make his way back to previous home, it is amazing how many do that) and the vet (they might hear something).

Ask the neighbours to check their sheds and garages, in case he has got shut in. Make some laminated posters (take them down after a week or so, you can reuse them).

SummerRain · 15/10/2012 15:02

A cat of that age is very likely to have headed towards his old home.

However I wouldn't rule out the possibility he's just thoroughly exploring his new territory and may still come back.

Good luck!

Original poster
cece · 15/10/2012 15:43

I will ask the neighbours. I'm gutted he was lovely.

OP posts:
bureni · 15/10/2012 15:51

I have had a couple of rescue cats who upon their first taste of freedom stayed away for over a week, they came back when they were hungry but continued to disappear every now and then for a few days so dont give up yet, was the cat neutered?

Fluffycloudland77 · 15/10/2012 16:10

He's found a mouse nest and is up to his shoulder in mud dragging them out one at a time.

Phone the local vets, put a card up in the local shop/postoffice if they have a notice board, ring the local shelters and alert the microchipping provider who can mark him as lost.

I'm sure he's ok and just having fun somewhere.

safflower · 15/10/2012 16:13

I also am wondering if he is making his way toward his former home. Is it far?
Or the old sod is hanging around watching you from a bush and allowing you to keep calling and looking like mine do from time to time, then just as I am going frantic, they saunter out without a care in the world.

piratecat · 15/10/2012 16:14

there's hope. i'd ring local vets to see if anyone has found him. was he chipped?
Did you go out with him? In the past i have gone out with them on a harness at first, little and often so they get the lay of the land.

call and call and shake dry cat food box?

check surrounding streets, paths, alleys hedges.

piratecat · 15/10/2012 16:14

safflower--lol. i get you.

i went spare once and this is exactly what happened. just cos they can hear you doesn't mean they will come.

HappyTurquoise · 15/10/2012 16:20

We took our cats on holiday last year, to a (pet friendly) rented flat in the sticks. Both cats got out one night...the girly woke me up at 3am mewing to come in (little princess couldt hack it in the wild) and the tom was missing for 3 nights. We thought we'd lost him. He came back and was just sitting by the door one morning as if nothing was odd. He spent the next 2 days/nights hiding in a wardrobe with his paws over his eyes. (Yes, he was 'fixed').

Boy cats like to explore their territory. I do worry about busy roads in towns, though.

Fluffycloudland77 · 15/10/2012 16:30

Ours hid under the bushes in the back garden when we had pet sitters and refused to come out, even for ham.

They offered wafer thin ham, fluffycat is more of a hand carved ham cat.

We once couldnt find one of our cats when I was little and she was in a drawer in my bedroom festooned with thongs. (they were not my thongs)

Original poster
cece · 15/10/2012 18:57

I feel heartened by your stories of cats turning up eventually. He is from a rescue place so will phone there tomorrow. But he still is not home Sad

On the plus side I have met a lot of my neighbours for the first tome and got to nose around their gardens. Over the hedge has a lovely swimming pool. Smile

OP posts:
cozietoesie · 15/10/2012 19:06

There's always hope.

Thinking for you.

Smile
glitch · 15/10/2012 19:19

There is hope. My cat vanished for about 2 months when I moved and then just appeared again one day.

out2lunch · 15/10/2012 19:25

you are not down south are you cece? - i saw one tonight that looked a little lost

Original poster
cece · 15/10/2012 20:37

He's a big brown tabby tom cat if that is any help. Smile

OP posts:
safflower · 16/10/2012 11:58

Any news on your lad?

I know it sounds daft but on www.doglost.co.uk people do list missing cats and they very often get found. Just a thought if he doesn't appear today.

Mabelface · 16/10/2012 12:09

We'd had Brian for 2 weeks when he got out. Thought he'd gone for good, but he turned up 2 days later starving hungry. :)

HappyTurquoise · 16/10/2012 19:09

Any news?

Original poster
cece · 16/10/2012 20:02

No sign of him today either. Sad

Will try to advertise online and with some posters tomorrow. DH phoned the local vets today so they will be looking out for him. I think I'll phone the cat rescue places tomorrow.

OP posts:
Fluffycloudland77 · 16/10/2012 20:08

Keep calling him, they don't go that far iirc it's a couple of miles at most

Original poster
cece · 26/10/2012 18:12

Just to update. Our cat came home yesterday after 11 days away. He is looking very chubby, although he was pretty hungry yesterday.It was a bit of a job to get him to come into the house so we could shut the door. However, DD rigged up a piece of string to pull the door shut and I lured him in with a can of tuna. Grin

OP posts:
Fluffycloudland77 · 26/10/2012 18:16

You must be so happy!

I wonder where he went to.

bureni · 26/10/2012 18:22

Great news, get him chipped asap and get him a collar with your adress and maybe phone number written in the inside, this will let others know he already has an owner. Also be careful with flea and worm treatments as someone else may have already treated him without your knowledge, get him registered with a local vet and make sure they include a picture in his file. Again great news but remember cats can have several families and will go walkabout when it suits them.

bamboobutton · 26/10/2012 18:29

Yay, was just coming on to offer glimmer of hope by saying my cat was gone for 2 weeks, came home covered in ticks.

Lol at the crystal mazeish task of getting him in the houseGrin

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