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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

One of our boys is missing - is there anything else I should be doing?

78 replies

oddfodd · 25/05/2015 19:50

We went away overnight on Saturday - gone less than 24 hours. One of our cats (brothers, 18m old) has not been seen since. He's a rather skittish homeboy, neutered and not out for more than 2 hours at a time generally.

I've walked the streets calling him at random times, made signs and put fliers through doors asking people to check their sheds/garages. I've also posted on our town's facebook page

I'm going to call the vets tomorrow just to let them know he's missing (he's chipped).

Is there anything else I should do? I'm just so sad - my DS and the cat's brother are bereft :(

OP posts:
thecatneuterer · 25/05/2015 19:59

I think you've done it all really. Do you have a cat flap? If not leave food outside.

timtam23 · 25/05/2015 20:14

Really sorry to hear this. My boycat did this last year, for 3 days, very fortunately he came back. It is very hard not knowing what has happened.
Other things you could try - leave the contents of the vacuum cleaner outside, leave used litter outside, hang his blanket on the washing line (all for the scent of home). Ask postman/milkman to keep an eye out. Phone chip company to register the chip as "missing". If you have any builders etc locally ask them to check excavations etc. Also check with your council's environmental health as a lot of them do now keep a record of animals picked up from roadsides & many do try to scan for a chip (it was awful ringing the council but the man was so kind & in fact when he said there was no record of any cats being run over near my road it gave me hope that mine was still alive somewhere).

Chances are good that he's just gone for a wander somewhere - my cat still takes umbrage if we leave him overnight (this happens rarely & a neighbour feeds him but cat likes " his" routine).

Good luck & keep us posted

Original poster
oddfodd · 25/05/2015 20:22

Yes, we have a microchip catflap

Thanks for suggestions. I hadn't thought about ringing the chip company or the council.

There are a couple of houses being renovated near here (no residents) so I'm really hoping he's just got stuck in one of those and will get out tomorrow after the bank holiday).

TCN - you're a vet I think. He jumped down from very nearly the top of the steps to the attic when I was trying to get him not to come up (cats are obsessed with it but they usually go down step by step) so I'm worried he hurt himself. Would he have a bad enough injury not to be able to come home? It was probably about a 6 ft jump onto carpeted wooden boards

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thecatneuterer · 25/05/2015 20:42

I'm not a vet, but I'm with a vet clinic and see/hear a lot. I think though that if he'd injured himself you would have noticed straight away. He wouldn't have gone out and then suddenly decided he was injured.

And cats jump much higher distances all the time and are fine (unless they're obese when they don't fair so well and land with much more of a thud).

Houses being renovated are a problem for trapping cats. If he's not home tomorrow go round and make sure there are people there and that everything has been opened up.

Original poster
oddfodd · 25/05/2015 21:00

He's not obese - he's not skinny and could do with losing .5kg the vet told me (he had a health check on Wednesday) but he did just run down the stairs after his leap. Thank you for putting my mind at rest.

I'll check round the building/renovation sites tomorrow. Fingers crossed

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timtam23 · 26/05/2015 09:12

Good luck with checking building sites. I will never be sure where my cat was holed up but an unoccupied house near us was having its cellars excavated & I think he could have been in there somewhere as he was dry & musty-smelling when he came home. My DH also went out v late at night (midnight-ish) shaking a tub of food, it was a lot easier to listen for miaows at night. He attracted a lot of the local cats & a few urban foxes but not our cat!

FatherReboolaConundrum · 26/05/2015 11:39

Please, please keep calling for him, even if you don't think he can hear you. Someone gave me that advice when our cat went missing a few months ago and it saved his life - he'd fallen into a dead space between two high walls and couldn't get out. DP and I went out several times a day calling his name and eventually he called back. We kept calling and he kept answering and that was how we were able to pinpoint where we was. If we hadn't done that he would be dead now, no question.

Original poster
oddfodd · 26/05/2015 17:12

So far nothing but I'm not giving up hope. I'll go out calling again tonight but late. I had a massive project on today so needed an early night so still lots of TVs on when I went calling and I need it dead quiet. He's got a really pathetic little miaow which isn't very helpful.

Thanks for giving me some hope FatherR.

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chockbic · 26/05/2015 18:17

Fingers crossed he comes back soon Flowers

tangledzebra · 26/05/2015 21:35

Any news?

CtrlAltDelicious · 26/05/2015 21:39

Please, please keep calling for him, even if you don't think he can hear you. Someone gave me that advice when our cat went missing a few months ago and it saved his life - he'd fallen into a dead space between two high walls and couldn't get out. DP and I went out several times a day calling his name and eventually he called back. We kept calling and he kept answering and that was how we were able to pinpoint where we was. If we hadn't done that he would be dead now, no question.
What an amazing story!!
OP I hope you find your baby x

Original poster
oddfodd · 26/05/2015 23:39

Went out for shake and call this evening and nothing :(

His brother came with me so I had company. I have a ball of ache inside. It's horrible not knowing

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timtam23 · 26/05/2015 23:51

Was thinking about you today. So sorry no sign of him yet oddfodd. Try to stay positive, it is still early days. Keep going with the food shaking, calling, leaflets etc. It is hard to know what else to do really but if you can keep people looking out for him it can only help.

tangledzebra · 27/05/2015 06:46

So sorry. Wish there was something I could do to help. I agree with timtam - don't give up.

code · 27/05/2015 08:10

Sorry to hear that, it's everyone's worst nightmare. Cats are resourceful so I agree don't give up. Keep reminding neighbours to check everywhere. Next doors cat hid under my bed for a couple of days when she was young, we didn't have a clue she was there!

hiddenhome · 27/05/2015 23:38

I put smelly food out overnight. Whiskers pouches are pretty good. You need to do it every night. Don't lose hope, they can and do return.

chockbic · 28/05/2015 19:41

Have you tried going out looking with a torch?

Their eyes light up. Might be worth a try.

timtam23 · 28/05/2015 21:13

Hope you are all OK oddfodd, try to stay positive Flowers

Original poster
oddfodd · 28/05/2015 23:48

Thanks all. Not been posting as didn't want to get people's hopes up. I'm still optimistic he's out there somewhere. Torch is a good idea and I could leave some food out although there are loads of cats round here so it'll get eaten - just not necessarily by him! He loves dry biscuits so that's what I'm doing.

I will take a torch tonight on my shake'n'walk (hopefully bringing the kitty if not the freshness back)

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thecatneuterer · 29/05/2015 00:06

Good luck. I just picked up a cat today who was reported as stray. She was chipped and had been missing for three weeks and no one knows how she ended up where she did. So chips do work.

Original poster
oddfodd · 29/05/2015 00:30

Thanks! I've become a inveterate collector of long-lost-hope stories already so good to have another to add to the list. I think he's out there somewhere.

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BettyCatKitten · 29/05/2015 00:57

Keeping fingers x your boy returns soon. Two of my cats were missing for 5 and 3 days respectively and returned safe and sound.

givemushypeasachance · 29/05/2015 12:26

My heart goes out to you and sending positive vibes for a happy ending. My friends cat was handed in to a vets last week after being missing for nine months - it was so horrible not knowing what had happened to her, and we're still baffled about it all but friends are overjoyed to have her back. Wishing you all the luck.

Original poster
oddfodd · 29/05/2015 18:40

Nine months?! Shock I've decided I'm going to ring the council on Monday if he doesn't turn up over the weekend. I've been putting it off because I can't bear to hear that he's dead but I've got to the point finally that I would rather know that there's no hope than not know.

I've posted on all the lost cat sites/databases, called all the local vets and rescues and spammed shared on twitter and local facebook sites so that's the only thing left to do.

None of my other cats have ever done this. He is my 9th cat and was supposed to keep me company in my dotage along with his brother. I might have to get another one if he's been run over or something - one cat feels a bit odd and lopsided to me.

Here is he playing in the bath - he loves it (without water) for some reason. Such a lovely, lovely cat :(

One of our boys is missing - is there anything else I should be doing?
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Original poster
oddfodd · 29/05/2015 18:41

And thank you all for your kind messages - they mean an awful lot

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