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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

Dudley is missing

109 replies

timtam23 · 25/03/2014 07:19

My lovely kitten-under-the-bonnet hasn't come home since yesterday evening Sad I know there is always a first time for an all-nighter but it is really unlike him to be out so long & I can't help worrying. He's 8 months old now, a very large and very outdoorsy cat, and bashes the catflap to bits if he has an early curfew, but I always set it to "in only" in the evening so that he spends the night inside. There's been the odd occasion when he's stayed out until the early hours but he has always always come home before, even if it's raining (which it is!). I didn't sleep that well and came downstairs this morning hoping to see him asleep in his armchair - but no. I've even been out for a stroll around the local area - on the bright side, there are no signs he's been run over, but he is certainly nowhere nearby as he would have heard me and come out. The weather is rotten here today but I guess DH will go out later into the woods, which is the logical place for him to have headed for. Trying not to think about putting missing cat posters up - will give him 24 hours first, and hope he comes home in that time Sad

OP posts:
cozietoesie · 25/03/2014 17:33

I reckon he's hot himself shut in somewhere - most of the cats who've gone missing on this board have been stuck in sheds or garages or something. (One poster's cat was stuck in a building project where the workers had shut the door if I recall.)

Good luck.

Fluffycloudland77 · 25/03/2014 17:41

A cat near here went missing on a Saturday afternoon and the owner was putting flyers through everyone's door on the Sunday morning.

It can't hurt can it? The waiting is unbearable.

ChickyEgg · 25/03/2014 17:49

I once lost my cat Poppy for six weeks. She just upped and disappeared one day. I put posters up etc etc. One day I said to my other cat 'Please find her, Daisy' Sad and blow me! They both walked up the garden that evening!! Poppy was very thin but she was ok! There is hope, OP.

Original poster
timtam23 · 25/03/2014 17:54

DH went for a walk too, came back, no Dudley Sad

There are some builders around but they are mostly doing loft conversions, or some other things where the ground floors are left open.

Will sort some leaflets out tonight I think, although DH doesn't think they will do any good apart from to make me feel better!

OP posts:
Sparklingbrook · 25/03/2014 17:55

The leaflets will get people to check their garages and sheds. Smile

cozietoesie · 25/03/2014 18:00

Just me but I always take leaflets through doors very seriously, more so than those on lamp posts etc. Stick a photo of Dudley on it.

Oh - and might be a good idea to mention it to your postie if you're around when he comes. They're potentially doing (depending on deliveries) a mailbox by mailbox so will be in all sorts of places.

hellymelly · 25/03/2014 18:05

Leaflet, knock on all doors, the works. My friend's cat, who never went far, was missing for a week. friend was hugely pregnant and distraught, she combed the streets. Cat was found on the windowsill of a house a couple of streets away. no idea how she got there.
Oh and i had a cat to stay once, i lived in a shared house, all the others were in a band together and away touring ,they came back early, and left the door open, out went cat. Strange area, very very worrying, but he sauntered back in 36 hours later! Come home Dudley.

Wishyouwould · 25/03/2014 18:30

I would defo get the posters up and leaflets posted now. My girl went missing for 5 days and when she came home she was dehydrated, hungry and smelly and had obviously been locked in somewhere.

She has never roamed far and I think she was in a neighbour garage/shed sheltering from the rain - I'm convinced my leaflet got her out although no-one has ever come forward and told me this, just a gut feeling.

Fingers crossed that Dudley is home very soon, it's such a worry x

thecatneuterer · 25/03/2014 21:06

Oh no - not Dudley! I'm sure he'll be fine but, as everyone else has said, with Spring on the horizon this is a prime time for cats getting shut in sheds. So yes, the posters need to be put through the door now, with the request to check sheds and garages large and in bold.

Original poster
timtam23 · 25/03/2014 21:08

I have put together a flyer with a photo and will print some off, then put them through doors on the 3 or 4 streets immediately around mine - tomorrow evening

I also went round a few neighbours this evening and they have all been lovely, one has tweeted Dudley's pic to a local group and another has put it on a local facebook group. The dog walkers will keep an eye out for him (although we feel more & more sure he could be locked in somewhere, as you have all been saying)

Thank you for all the support & suggestions, I am really sad and absolutely shattered as I didn't sleep well last night. Have to pick myself up for work tomorrow, not looking forward to that. I have been told loads and loads of positive stories where cats found their way home after days/weeks/months - am so hoping Dudley will be one of them too and it will be days not months!

OP posts:
KittieCat · 25/03/2014 21:18

So sorry to hear about Dudley. I'm going to say something that I hate to even type and that's don't panic too much. I know, I KNOW it's so easy to say.

My gorgeous girl went missing for 6.5 weeks. She went the week before we moved from SE to central London. It was down to a poster that we got her back. We all flyered houses nearby, put up posters and walked literally miles looking for her but, purely by chance, I'd sent my last posters to all the vets I could find listings for and one of these was how we got her back.

I promise there is still hope. Don't give up!

Sending 'come home Dudley' vibes.

Original poster
timtam23 · 25/03/2014 21:52

Thank you Kittie and everyone else who has posted happy stories of cats finding their way home, it does help a bit, and you are right that there is no use in panicking, although I have cried on DH quite a bit today. Also the children are having a few wobbles which is more upsetting as they do love Dudley.
Will get some sleep tonight and hopefully my sleeping brain will relax & accept that Duds won't stroll in overnight - then will get flyers done tomorrow sometime

If I have anything to update, the litter tray will be the first to know Smile it's so great to have folk here who understand how dotty I can be about my cats

OP posts:
Sparklingbrook · 25/03/2014 22:00

It's very early days as missing cats go. Keep positive. Sleep well x

Wolfiefan · 25/03/2014 22:03

So sorry to hear this. We had a cat turn up after 3 weeks. Hoping he will soon turn up.
DUDLEY. COME HOME!!!!

cozietoesie · 25/03/2014 22:09

Sleep as well as you can, timtam. I know he's your cat but I think he's also a little bit of everyone's here since that day he was found in your car engine. There will be plenty of people here who are willing him home tonight.

Original poster
timtam23 · 25/03/2014 22:17

He is a Community Cat!

I think he's so special and it's lovely that folk on MN also remember him

Thanks again everyone Smile

OP posts:
Scarletohello · 25/03/2014 22:22

Was hoping to hear some good news about Dudley, remember reading about him when you first found him! I really hope he turns up soon, it's such a worry. Hugs to you and your family.

TamzinGrey · 25/03/2014 22:48

Another one here willing Dudley to come home and sending you a cyber hug Timtam. It was lovely following the story of how he "found" you. Let's hope that he's just having another adventure that turns out well in the end. As others have said - it's early days yet.

hellymelly · 25/03/2014 23:01

Sending come home vibes to Dudley. I agree it seems highly likely he is locked in somewhere. If he is a vocal chatty cat, then going out in the very early morning or late evening, when it is quiet, and calling him near garages, sheds etc, might mean you hear him mew back to you if he is trapped. A cousins cat was missing for a week, she had fallen down between hay bales in their barn and couldn't get out, they heard her pitiful weak mew. She was dehydrated but recovered.

MinkyWinky · 26/03/2014 00:14

Of course we remember Dudley! Hopefully he's just out having a mini adventure and will be back safe and well very soon.

Sparklingbrook · 26/03/2014 06:35

Right Dudley. You need to come home now.

Fluffycloudland77 · 26/03/2014 16:35

Does your area have a facebook spotted page? I see lost cats on ours.

Sparklingbrook · 26/03/2014 17:09

Good idea Fluffy, ours does too.

Scarletohello · 26/03/2014 20:49

Oh no still no news? I do hope he comes home safe and sound.

Purpleknickers · 26/03/2014 22:05

I hope Dudley is found safe soon. I know this sounds crazy but have you checked everywhere in your own home. I lost both my boys at the same time once and thought they had been cat napped, I made up flyers, cried lots and 24 hours later rang the pet log people to register them as missing.
The lovely lady on the phone said cats turn up in the most unlikely places like in wardrobes or the drawers under beds. I then vividly remembered putting the clean towels in the drawer under the bed in the spare room around the time I had last seen them. I rang home to get my son to check just in case and there they both were, hungry and very vocal at being shut in for so long. The towels had muffled their shouting as they had gone in the cavity behind the drawer the daft things.

Don't give up timtam I remember dudleys story... Fingers crossed for a happy post soon.