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The litter tray

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

Original poster

How long does your cat have to be missing before you worry?

120 replies

RobotMenu · 26/02/2016 11:53

She may or may not be being fed by someone else...

She Normally hangs around the garden, but today she was desperate to get out and hasn't been seen since...

She may also have been run over... Or eaten... Or doesn't want to live with us anymore...

Or be having the time of her life and perfectly happy Blush

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Daftaboutthecat · 26/02/2016 22:13

Hope your cat makes an appearance soon robot

gamerchick · 26/02/2016 22:18

I may have missed the question but is she neutered?

Pipbin · 26/02/2016 22:24

Sending positive thoughts. Flowers

ladybird69 · 26/02/2016 22:28

my family cat went missing years and years ago. 12 years later I moved back into area and low and behold I found her sitting on my new houses boundary fence!!!! turned out she had moved into the house 2 roads along all those years ago and family had thought she was a stray!!!! a friends tom cat had 3 homes and would pop in at 2am in the morning to say hello(thru cat flap) then disappear for another 3 months!!!
disappearance doesn't always mean that your cat has died stay positive Flowers

Original poster
RobotMenu · 26/02/2016 22:38

Yes, she's been neutered - we got her from the CPL and she was neutered and microchipped by them. I would be really Angry if she's at someone else's house.

I just feel so helpless.

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Original poster
RobotMenu · 26/02/2016 22:39

She has been hanging around with some of the friendly Tom cats - I had worried she had followed one of them and got lost, but I don't know whether cats do that.

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Original poster
RobotMenu · 26/02/2016 22:41

I have just had a long walk around calling her name (didn't dare go into the allotments in the dark, but went round the perimeter). I'll go through them tomorrow.

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gamerchick · 26/02/2016 22:46

When she comes home go on the assumption that she hasn't been and get her checked over by the vet. They'll be able to tell you.

I'd want the scar or the hangy belly as proof she has been fixed.

Try not to stress out too much, they're whily buggers and usually fine somewhere warm to hang out in.

Cirsium · 26/02/2016 22:49

Boy cat disappeared for three nights, just before Christmas, when he was about 18 months old. I put up posters and he came trotting back, yowling his head off, on the third morning. No idea where he'd been.

He's 12 now and more of a homebody in the winter, although he will still vanish for hours in the summer. I've tried to keep him in at night but he is so loud and destructive I have just given up. We are lucky to live very rurally so very few cars at night and foxes, etc have plenty of space and prey. I am still relieved every time he comes home safely though.

Hope your Dcat comes home safely soon.

Waxlyrically · 26/02/2016 22:51

Hope she turns up I know how worrying it is. Every cat I've ever had does this from time to time. Funnily enough my boy has been really restless and difficult to get in the last couple of nights. I wonder if it's a time of year when there are lots of baby mice around they can't resist.

Original poster
RobotMenu · 26/02/2016 22:52

She still had the shaved patch on her side and the healed scar. I was actually googling the other day, though as I was surprised at how inter shed the Tom cats were in her (three have been hanging around - admittedly they in the houses nearby, but I have never seen them as much as since we got her) I was wondering whether something had been left behind that was causing hormones still. I think she was neutered in November.

OP posts:
Original poster
RobotMenu · 26/02/2016 22:53

Interested not inter shed

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Original poster
RobotMenu · 26/02/2016 22:54

Thank you for understanding all of you!

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timtam23 · 26/02/2016 22:58

Mine went missing for 3 days a couple of years ago, I was beside myself and also walked around the neighbourhood crying & calling him. There is a whole thread on here about it somewhere, everyone was so helpful. He turned up out of the blue in the middle of the night, I think he could have been shut in somewhere. He was 7 months old at the time and that kind of age does seem a really common one for cats to go off for a wander. I hope you find her, I know how awful it is to be waiting & not knowing.

EllieJayJay · 26/02/2016 23:05

I don't know what to say to help, apart from standing out calling for her xx

My puddings are indoor puddings mostly but I hope to goodness you find her xx

Please do post updates

Lurkedforever1 · 26/02/2016 23:07

Try going out in an hour or so when it's quiet and calling her. One of mine had a minor injury once and was hiding under the neighbours bushes, presumably because she felt a bit exposed limping home, and earlier on I hadn't been able to hear her answering me.

Don't start fretting yet though, once cats start going out some suddenly find their independence and randomly decide 12 hours or more is fine to be out for. And this early on you can't be sure what her habits are. Plus spring is in the air. Over winter neither of mine have been gone more than an hour at a time, but mostly it's been 20 minutes and in view. But this week they've both upped it, ones just strolled in after going out at 6am, the other has been out since 6pm with frequent calls home. However I used to have one that I only worried about if it was more than a month.

Hopefully she'll turn up soon, or if not will be at the door in the morning.

GlitteryFluff · 26/02/2016 23:11

Hope she comes back op X

Original poster
RobotMenu · 26/02/2016 23:23

Thank you. The positive stories help. So far the roads are clear, so that helps. To be fair she has spent most of the last days outdoors, but she has stayed mostly on the garden. Maybe she got brave (I was worried she had got lost).

This is all too stressful!

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Original poster
RobotMenu · 27/02/2016 00:35

I'm going to bed now with no purring cat Sad

I'm consoling myself knowing that the outdoor cats are running round happily outside. My cat is hopefully just being the rebellious teenager! ;don't know how I'll cope when the dcs are teens!

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Floralnomad · 27/02/2016 07:18

Any news this morning robot

Original poster
RobotMenu · 27/02/2016 09:18

No Sad

I've driven round as many roads as I can. I've walked through the allotments. I'm making a poster now and am going to knock on doors in about 1/2 an hour. The children are devastated.

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Wolfiefan · 27/02/2016 09:21

Put some of her cat litter outside. They can smell it apparently.
Hoping she makes an appearance soon.

Floralnomad · 27/02/2016 09:47

Have you rung some local vets and also get them to put signs up , hopefully she will be home soon .

Waxlyrically · 27/02/2016 10:24

Hope she puts in an appearance today. Be prepared for her strolling in as if nothing unusual has happened and totally ignoring your enthusiastic welcome home!

Original poster
RobotMenu · 27/02/2016 10:25

No answer from the vets and they close early.

I put the litter tray outside over night. I have sprinkled some round the hedges, but don't want to waste it.

Have registered her missing with the microchip company.

We are posting leaflets through letter boxes and are putting some signs.

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