New cat hasn't come home tonight

[TheDonald]

We've had her 6 weeks. She's been going outside for about 3 weeks and has always been great at coming back fairly quickly. Today I let her out this morning around 9.30 but then got called into work at 10 and she didn't come in so I left her and thought she'd come in at 3.30 when DD got home but she didn't.

Still no sign of her now. She hasn't been in for food or anything and I've been calling her for hours.

Can anyone suggest anything? It's a bit late to knock on neighbours' doors. She is chipped but no collar as she kept biting it off.

Thanks all. I'm off out leafleting and knocking on doors again today. Just had to spend the morning catching up on all the things I haven't done since Thursday so that we can eat and wear clean clothes all week.

A question for the cat experts - how long after a move can cats still find their way home?

I had a message yesterday saying someone thought they'd seen her about a mile away. I went straight there but no sign. I've now had another message saying someone thinks they've seen her approx 1.5 miles away. The thing is the two locations are in an exact straight line towards where she was rescued from (6.5 miles away as the crow flies but with a motorway in between).

What do you think? I've just been reading about how cats can find their way back if they move house, but she's been here 6 weeks and has been coming and going from our house quite happily for 2.5 weeks.

Would she really still be able to find her way back to her old house / territory if she was lost? Or am I clutching at straws?

Personally I don't believe the thing about cats finding their way back to their old home - unless it's extremely close. I know there are stories about it but I just don't believe them.

Good luck finding her soon I really hope you do

I'm not a cat expert but its not impossible she was trying to find her way back to her old house as she was shut out, especially if was the first time she was shut out.

The one I know about the houses were both in the same town so maybe a mile apart and the cat was found in the street by it. Cat was around 6 months old when rescued and it was maybe 2 months later (guessing here on the 2 months). It's not impossible she's trying to find her old home though at 6.5 miles plus one motorway she's not going to make it. It's difficult as quite a few cats look similar if you don't know them well, but I would aim in that direction with the posters. Hope she comes home.

I think you said the cat is chipped, this looks like you maybe able to register a lost cat and what to do. Might be worth registering her lost if not already as searching 6.5 miles is pretty much impossible especially as the cat may get lost.

www.pettrac.co.uk/pet-owners/lost-pets/

"Can anyone suggest anything?"

Get a cat flap!

I never understand why people don't get cat flaps. Seems essential to me for allowing cats to come and go. You can lock them if necessary and even get microchip ones to stop other cats coming in.

I hope your cat turns up but please get a cat flap if and when she does!

The cat I knew that got lost and found his way back to his old house did have a cat flap but he would only use it one way, out. But good idea to fit one.

Just checking in, hoping for some good news.

No news.

I've had some possible sightings but it's so hard to know if it really was her.

I still rush over and try but no luck.

Oh I'm sorry :(

It's been a week today.

I still haven't heard any news. Tonight's the first night I haven't been out looking. I'm full of a cold and it all feels pointless. She could be anywhere by now.

It's hard to know when to call off the search. I've decided to have one more go on Saturday. I'm going to put up 30 posters, post 50 flyers and put it on every Facebook group I can find. Then I think I'll stop. It's making me more upset and keeping it all fresh for dd.

I just hope she's happily living with some other family somewhere.

Don't give up hope OP. I've had a couple of cats who periodically left home. One turned up, a couple of months later, trotting down our street, wearing a new collar. I can only think that someone thought he was a stray and adopted him. Then he escaped from them.
Pet Patroller is another pet search site that might be worth registering with.
Huge sympathies. It's a horrible place to be in.

A tip I read about is to hang something - not washed- that smells of you and/or your daughter) outside. The sense of smell (as with the cat litter tip) is really keen and apparently cats can detect familiar scents from a couple of miles away.

Any news or updates OP?

x

No

We've been out putting posters up today but we got rained off.

I've put it all over Facebook and Twitter and on our local radio station.

I just can't think of anything else to do.

Buggerit

You've done all you can OP. Just keep going out and calling for her daily. I know it's the worst feeling in the world, but don't give up yet. Cats often turn up completely unexpectidely.

We had a little girl cat who we stupidly let out one afternoon in early November a few years ago..stupidly forgot about all the ruddy fireworks that would be going off all evening/night, and by the time I remembered she was outside it was really noisy and she was nowhere to be seen.

I was so upset and fucked off with myself for being such a twat. She was gone for a few days and I was convinced something awful had happened. Went out calling her one day and she just suddenly appeared from nowhere..it was wonderful.

Sorry for the ramble..what i'm trying to say is, it's very possible your cat will come back too. Have you tried leaving her litter tray (if she has one) outside the back door? The smell is meant to help guide them home.

I am so so sorry Donald. How horrible

Mine disappeared 6 months ago :( she was micro chipped and had a collar and she was timid so not likely to go and move in with anyone else, it's just horrible not knowing where she is and I feel I cant get another incase she comes home but the house is empty without her. I keep thinking she'll just wander in one day

So sorry to hear she's not come home yet. I think you've done everything you can.

ReddA sorry to hear about your cat too. I think after 6 months maybe I would get another cat, maybe a rescue cat, you can always have two cats if she does turn up, and there's lots of rescue cats needing good homes like yours. There was someone asking for kitten fosterers on here as well if you don't feel ready for a permanent cat yet.

Thanks Lily, i used to foster pregnant Mums so had a houseful of kittens often but the rescue I worked for were awful, no support, pretty much dumped cats on you relying on your love of cats etc. it was really tough and others went through the same difficulties helping this 'rescue' out. I'm thinking a dog may suit me better now as I won't 'lose' it - but i'm taking time to decide first, still hoping my gorgeous girl will hop over the wall one day :)

I just thought someone should invent a cat tracker googled it and it appears they have including this one:

www.gpcats.com/shop/

Good luck on getting a cat to wear it though.

Not sure if dogs are less easy to lose than cats but I heard of someone who lost a dog for days and got it back with a sausage BBQ after about a week.

Did your cat ever show up, OP?