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Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

Anyone got any missing cat stories with a happy ending? Cat gone missing...

35 replies

DrHarleenQuinzel · 09/06/2013 17:03

Our Brown tabby went out yesterday afternoon and hasn't come back yet. He's a proper Homeboy and doesn't go out very often so stay out this long is completely out of character for him. He's missed two meals and isn't much of a hunter.
We've had the door open all day for him to come back in and looked in all the out buildings (we live on a farm). We live really really rurally and I'm starting to worry that either a fox has got him or he's stuck somewhere. I thought I heard him meowing about 8pm last night but no cat has appeared yet.
Getting to the point now where I think he might not come back at all, can anyone reassure me all is not lost yet?

OP posts:
cozietoesie · 09/06/2013 17:07

I think about 7 or 8 owners have posted here in recent months - and if I recall, all but one of those cats came back. So yes - of course all is not lost yet.

Is he chipped?

SchroSawMargeryDaw · 09/06/2013 17:10

I posted not long ago as mines went missing, it turned out she had been trapped behind some old bed bits (and a bed and some other things) in one of the bedrooms! I also had been convinced I had heard meowing, maybe try looking inside the house at places you would never think he could get in to? She had been very quiet for some reason and even spent the night in there.

Good luck I hope he comes back.

Original poster
DrHarleenQuinzel · 09/06/2013 17:10

He's not,we've had him since he was kitten and never got it done. Kicking myself now Sad
That's positive about all the other cats, I'm hoping he's just got involved with something. Landlord suggested he might have found himself a girlfriend but has he's been neutered I wouldn't have thought so.

OP posts:
out2lunch · 09/06/2013 17:11

Good luck.its worrying but they do usually come home.

out2lunch · 09/06/2013 17:13

One of mine got picked up outside by someone who thought he was lost.we got him home two weeks later from a shelter via an ad in local paper.

Catbert4pm · 09/06/2013 17:23

In this good weather our little boy cat - Derek - "goes on his holidays" as we call it. He is neutered, but still seems to thinks he packs a punch with the laydeeeez.

He usually comes home 3 - 5 days later, mewling like a git, before going out sparko on the bed for a solid 24 hours.

Derek loves his holidays.

Try not to worry yet, it's early days in cat world. I hope your cat comes home x

interalia · 09/06/2013 17:26

Yes! Our kitten disappeared about 2 months after we got her. She was gone about a month and we gave up hope. Then one day she just walked through the back door! She had clearly been sponging off a neighbour, she looked in perfect health. We've still got her

interalia · 09/06/2013 17:28

It would be very rare for a fox to get a cat. Maybe if it was a little kitten but not a grown cat. Ime foxes are wary of cats.

elfycat · 09/06/2013 17:35

We had a cat who dissappeared twice, both times for 2 weeks while the army unit DH was with went on block leave. My guess is she went into a house/garage and didn't get let out while they went away.

First time she was young and was a bit thinner when she got back. Second time she was older and looked like a bag of bones and we took her off to the vet. She was eating and drinking so he just did a general health check and she recovered.

Another cat would wander off for 2-3 days, he was neutered and gay but that a whole 'nother story so we have no idea who he was chasing. He seems to be settling down now. Famous last words

Original poster
DrHarleenQuinzel · 09/06/2013 17:39

Thanks everyone! Starting to feel a bit more positive now.

SchrowSaw He definitely went out unfortunately, I was in the conservatory with him and he darted out as DS1 opened the door to come in from the garden. I'll have another look up stairs though, really wouldn't hurt to be sure. I keep thinking I see him at the top of our stairs staring disapprovingly down at me.

interalia Wow! you must have been so relieved to see her again after all that time. Puss is coming up for three years old so not a kitten but a bit smaller than your average cat, he can be a bit territorial when he does go out too (have seen him take on a couple of bigger cats and landlord's springer spaniel) so would have probably put up a fight if attacked anyway. Think my imagination might be running away with me Smile

catbert4pm That made me smile, Derek sounds Awsome!

Will be getting him microchiped if he does return, not worth the worry for him not to have one.

OP posts:
Catbert4pm · 09/06/2013 17:47

Keep us posted!

MuseumOfHam · 09/06/2013 17:53

Ours disappeared for 2 weeks one January, usually doesn't wander far. Some nights were below freezing, I was frantic and sure he was dead. He wasn't chipped either. I did a poster campaign, phoned all local vets and shelters, spent hours wandering the streets with a flashlight and a bag of cat biscuits, but what eventually worked was the owners of the (rather luxury) outbuildings where he'd been hanging out coming back k from their holidays and phoning us (he has collar tag with our no on it).

Hope yours is home soon.

Tillylils · 09/06/2013 18:01

Mine went missing for about 10 days once. I'd given up on her, but one day I heard her crying at the back door and there she was. We had put flyers up and through people's doors asking them to check their sheds and garages. My theory is that she was stuck in someone's shed while they were on holiday and they let her out when they saw my flyer. She was ravenously hungry and had scuffed claws but was fine otherwise. I really hope yours comes home safe, I'm sure he will x

SherbertStraws · 09/06/2013 18:01

Both my cats have gone missing a number of times, one for 5 days and the other for at least 2 weeks. One camer back on her own and the other was fund thanks to our posters. Do leaflets through doors and ask as many neighbours as possible to check sheds and garages, good luck

snakeinthebrantub · 09/06/2013 18:09

Our oldest boy was missing for 18 days once, I did all the ringing round, leaflets through doors. We were sat having our tea one night and there was a furious miaowing at the back door and there he was. Very skinny though so we think he had been shut in a shed or garage. Hope your furry one is home again soon.

Original poster
DrHarleenQuinzel · 09/06/2013 19:12

Big sigh of relief, landlord's just popped round to say he's been found in one of the tractors down by the sheep pens! God knows how long he's been there, we checked this morning!

Thanks everyone for all your positive stories it really helped Smile

OP posts:
Toughasoldboots · 09/06/2013 19:13

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

interalia · 09/06/2013 19:16

Hurrah. Cats are such naughties.

Yes we were very relieved to see her again but it was v surreal has had assumed she was gone for good. I have also seen her take on a fox but she is kind of a badass

Catbert4pm · 09/06/2013 19:28

So pleased all OK! Smile

cozietoesie · 09/06/2013 19:32

Excellent.

Smile
MuseumOfHam · 09/06/2013 19:34

So pleased for you. When mine was found DH phoned me at work and I burst into uncontrollable loud sobs in the open plan office Blush

out2lunch · 09/06/2013 19:35

:)

NeopreneMermaid · 09/06/2013 19:39

Hurrah! I'm also very pleased to hear of a cat called Derek. And that he goes in holidays.

I used to see a cat most days on my walk to work and would stop to stroke him. I hadn't seen him for a while and then 'Lost cat' posters appeared. Months later, he reappeared! A local told me he was adopted by someone a few streets away when he wandered off (no collar). Not sure whether they saw the signs or if he just wandered back but I was very pleased to see him. I work somewhere else now and miss him (damn DH's allergies).

patienceisvirtuous · 09/06/2013 19:40

Ah good :-)

CharlieUniformNovemberTango · 09/06/2013 19:42

Our cat has dissapeared for a few days every summer for the last 3 years.

We now joke it's his little jolly but I still panic until he saunters back in.