When To Give Up Hope Of Finding Your Cat?

[el1zabeth]

I came to this website while searching for 'hope' and how many cats eventually come home when they're lost, as my cat has gone missing. Although it's only been two whole days, it feels like he's been gone forever. I can't believe how bereft and useless I feel not knowing what to do about it, other than posting his photo on Facebook, putting flyers through neighbours doors, constantly calling him and, crazy as it seems, looking up spells to help locate a lost pet. I can't sleep nor eat, my work day is hazy as all I can think of is poor Doogle, and why did he decide to disappear. Reading on an older thread from a few years ago, the OP found her cat after 4 weeks, so I'm not giving up hope yet (it's very early days obviously) but the emptiness I feel upon arriving home from work and he's not on the doorstep is awful. I'm beside myself with worry, and although I do not want him dead, if I knew that that's what happened at least I could start to try and get over it. Not knowing is the worst thing ever.

Has anyone else experienced this recently and can give me something to cling to, please?

Mine has just returned after an 8 day adventure. She was absolutely fine although hungry. She had never done it before and I was really worried

My other cat went away for three days at the same time and I was dramatically proclaiming that everything's gone so crap that even my cats are abandoning me. However, they both came back and ate their body weight in food, slept a lot then wandered off for a prowl while I fretted again

Apart from Facebook and a few posters up on the area there isn't that much you can do. Check with vets, keep calling for him outside and if possible set up a temporary bed for him somewhere dry outside to crash out on so if he does come home he'll wait. A blanket with his scent on or your jumper will help him realise he's back home - I put one on the greenhouse

The other thing is rather than want to know if he's dead, I would work on hoping that if he doesn't come home, it's because some one has kept him safe. Not stolen him but that he's safe and warm and fed somewhere out there. I didn't want to think of my wee cat being hurt or dead so I came up with the "someone has offered her some food and a nice sofa" idea because in the scenario at least the cat was ok

Hope he's back waiting for you on the morning x

I really feel for you, so sorry you are going through this, it must be horrendous. Cats are a law unto themselves with any luck he has taken a shine to another house and is staying there for a while, cats do like other people’s houses! sounds like you are doing everything you can to find him, might be worth contacting your local rescue centre in case someone thought he was a stray. Really hope he comes home soon.

I'll take your 4 week example and raise you 10/11 weeks. Nigh on 3 months!

We loved her to bits and used to let her out in the garden in the evening as we felt it was safer than daytime. One night, her brother returned as usual to go to bed but she didn't. We did all you did. Posters, facebook, alert on her chip to signal as lost if she was scanned. Called door to roads in the neighbourhood.

After nearly 3 months, she sashayed in through the catflap. Total wagon, screeching for food. Haven't a clue where she was. She was quite skinny and had a cut to her nose. She is putting her weight back up nicely, now.

So, don't lose hope yet!

Mine was missing for 8 days. He's now curled up purring on the bed.

Repost of missing cat advice collated from previous posts:

Put their litter tray/bed/blanket/contents of your hoover outside so that they can follow their scent home.

Put stinky wet food around the boundary of your property.

Post on Facebook local pages, Petlog, community websites, gumtree etc with a photo, date last seen and location, and your contact details. Contacting social organisations for the elderly including church groups are often very helpful and kind.

Print posters with a photo, date last seen and location, and your contact details.

Put posters/flyers with above information through neighbours doors asking them to check sheds, garages and out buildings.

Contact all local vets, RSPCA and PDSA asking them to keep an eye out.

Go out at night when it is very quiet and still to call for them and listen. (this was what eventually brought my cat home).

Knock on doors with your flyers and put a human face to your missing cat. Neighbours are often more likely to check their sheds of help you look when you’ve spoken to them.

I have a friend who's cat disappeared over the summer but returned last week!!!

Our cat went missing for two weeks. He went out at 3 in the morning and turned up exactly 2 weeks later at the same time!
He was a bit thin and ravenous, but other than that, ok.

I think that he got into someone's house as they were going on holiday and stayed there till they come back. He's very nosey, our cat.

Don't give up hope.
😺

When I was a child our cat went missing for over 6 months. She sauntered back into the kitchen one day and resumed her usual position as though nothing had happened.

Our lovely little cat went missing for about 3 months. I fluster the neighbourhood, put leaflets up in shops etc but heard nothing. Repeated a few weeks later but put a £100 reward on and lo we got a call from a couple who had fed her and taken her in.

Her son used to go off on 2 week wanders every year or so but always made his own way back.

Keep your hopes up! And keep us posted x

Our cat just came back after a three week disappearance. To be honest, I thought he was dead and couldn’t believe it when he came home. He was fine, no injuries, and perhaps a bit fat so I think someone had taken him in. I put leaflets through the doors of everyone in the village (small village), offering a reward and explaining he was my DD’s cat and she really needs him as she’s in and out of hospital all the time this year. I assume he had been taken in by someone and the last bit of information made them let him go.

I hope your cat is back by now.

One of mine went missing for 4 days and a neighbour about 20 houses away found him
In her garden after we posted leaflets, my mum found a cat asleep in her flower box and he had been missing 8 months from a village a few miles away

Our cat run away when we moved to a new house and new town..I went out 3 times a day calling her name..asking new neighbors if they saw her..after a week of going around the streets people thought I'm mad as we just moved in the area so no one knew me..one day I went out calling her again and I said to my husband that this is the last time I'm going as I seriously believed a car must have run her over somewhere or she is far gone for her to hear me..did my round..as I was coming back home through garden gate I have called her name last time and I was shocked when I heard her back I knew it was her..I kept calling and she kept answering found her in one of neighbor garden cuddled in corner I saw her through their fence..run home got my husband to knock on their door explain what's going on and we got her back..she was fine just very hungry..unfortunately she passed away the following year..a car run her over front of our house..
Don't loose hope you might find yours it's just so hard not knowing what happened but it doesn't always ends bad..

Wish you the best of luck x

It's worth actually knocking on immediate neighbours doors and asking them to check their sheds, gardens. My neighbour was convinced my old boy wasn't in her shed, until her builders saw him peering out! Hope he turns up soon, it's the not knowing that kills you.

Whether microchipped or not, it's worth phoning local vets, animal shelters just to make sure they haven't come across him.

Great news, he came home! He showed up this morning at around 2am. I thought I was dreaming at first, but eventually realised I was hearing Doogle meowing verrry loud under our bedroom window. I jumped out of bed naked, with wobbly bits flapping everywhere (not a pretty sight) and I ran down to let him in - fortunately it was dark and no-one saw me. Once I'd put something on to cover my nudity I had to give 3 sachets of cat food to a very hungry cat, his appetite was insatiable. My relief was overwhelming and at around 2.30am I went back to bed and had the best sleep ever. I've kept him in today just to make sure he is fine which he seems to be. If only they could talk to say where they go to and why they decide to do this walkabout occasionally.
Thank you all for your kind words, they really did give me comfort x

I’m so so pleased for you what a massive relief! I would be keeping him under house arrest as well! So glad he is home where he belongs. X

Yay!! Grounded

Oh op I followed your thread and felt so sad.
My cat is a complete dick sometimes and we now have to shut him in whenever dusk is or he thinks he can just swan off until all hours as & when he likes without a care in the world, but If dh & I go out for a couple of hours in the evening he sulks, strops & whinges very vocally when we come back !
So glad to hear he returned.

I know that feeling of relief and utter contentment so well, you can relax now!! Enjoy your evening with your lovely cat

Yay! Yes keep him in for a few days!

Naughty boy.

Great news - so glad he's back!

My dcat went missing for over 3 weeks earlier this year. We think he got into a van that was parked over the road from us and they drove off without noticing him. After an agonising 3 weeks, a kind lady found him in her garden and to him to the local vet right on the other side of town. Fortunately he's microchipped and a joyous reunion followed

He's quite wary now and doesn't go far when he goes outside which is absolutely fine by me

I’m so glad he’s back, I bet he’s been trapped somewhere.

Hopefully he’s going to stick closer to home from now on.

Nearly a year, then wandered back with a collar. Problem was he was an ex stray kitten and we’d by then got a new cat. He terrorised it. He never came back in the house but guarded the garden.