My cat has gone missing...

[ziggiestardust]

She is 13 and we’ve had her 4 years. She’s rescue cat and in good overall shape. On Friday night she slipped out; no one saw her leave but I opened the door to my sister about 10pm as she came to stay and I wouldn’t have noticed if she’d have left. There weren’t fireworks in our area as they were cancelled due to rain.

Well, she hasn’t returned home since and I’m beside myself. I’m convinced something has happened; she never EVER does this. We’ve done all the usual; knocked on neighbours doors and asked them to check sheds and outbuildings, shared on Facebook and local sites, we’ve got posters in the local shops and attached to telegraph poles, we’ve posted out 200 flyers today and will do more tomorrow, we’ve walked around the local area, tipped her used litter at the bottom of the garden, notified the council, rescue centres, local vets and microchip company...

I’m convinced something terrible has happened. Please, just hold my hand and tell me your happy stories. I need some hope because I don’t think this will end well. My MIL keeps saying ‘ah well, it’s just a cat after all!’ And ‘at least it’s not the DC...’ which I’m not finding helpful in all honesty. I’m hopeful one minute, and despondent the next.

Offering a hand hold. Mine has never gone for that long but I know how awful it is. Im keeping everything crossed she's home soon.

Oh dear OP. It's horrible when this happens.

It's very likely she will come back. Mine was gone 8 days last year, and I'm sure others will be along to tell you their stories of cats coming come after days and even weeks!

But it's the worst feeling ever and I hugely sympathise.

My precious 10 year old cat was gone for 3 days last week. I was beside myself with worry as this was so out of character (I have had cats before who would go missing for days all the time, but not this one). Last Friday, I came home and she was asleep in a chair, very hungry and very clingy. I found out on our local Facebook page, where I had posted about her, that she was stuck up in a tree about half a mile from our house, and someone had called the RSPCA, who told them to call the fire service. So my cat was rescued by a lovely fire fighter.

I never thought she would be up a tree: she was 10, used to trees, and never been stuck before. I think she must have been chased and gone too far up.

I am keeping my fingers crossed for you. It is such an awful feeling to wait for a missing cat. I really hope she comes home safely very soon.

I feel for you, it’s awful the not knowing. Hope she’s back soon. 💐

@claraschu My cat had to be saved from a tree by fire brigade too!

Is she microchipped? If not, phone local vets, animal shelters and give them your telephone number.

I know you've already done it, but knock on neighbours doors again and ask them to check flower borders. If she's scared, she may be hiding. Assuming she normally goes out, how far does she tend to travel - I'd knock on every door within that radius.

Hope she returns home soon.

I agree with ifonly4. I would ask your neighbours if they mind you having a look around their gardens yourself.

One of our cats went missing for over the summer. We leafleted the streets that comprise her "patch" and went out looking at dusk each day.

10 days later, someone a mile away posted on facebook that they'd been visited by a cat on 3 consecutive evenings, and was anyone missing her. The facebook post was spotted by someone who had kept a leaflet, positively IDed as my cat, and this person passed on my number. The lovely lady then kept my cat in the next time she visited and I collected her.

So sorry your cat is missing Ziggie.

Re-post her photo on Facebook every few days to keep her in people's minds.

Along with the cat litter, put some of your dirty washing/cat bedding in the garden as the familiar smells will help her find her way home.

I'd also keep widening the search with your leaflets. Do you know where she lived before you got her? If it is within a few miles of your house then put posters up between your house and her old area as she may get disorientated and follow old familiar scents.

Go out in the evening when it's dark to call her as cats are more likely to travel or come out of hiding in the dark.

Many cats go wandering for a few days/weeks and turn up hungry but otherwise unharmed. Good luck with your search and I hope you are updating on here very soon that she's back home.

Her old house was about 15-20 miles away from here, and whilst that could happen I’m thinking likely not.

The council haven’t picked any cats up off the road which is a relief in one way... but in the other I’m just left here not knowing what’s gone on. I leafleted more today. By tomorrow, around 1000 will have been hand delivered by me and DH.

I’ll try the dirty laundry as well; especially if it rains I’m thinking the smell will wash out of the litter??

A lady called me today and said she thinks she saw her about 5 streets away from me. We went over but of course... nothing. We leafleted that street and the one behind it though just in case. The lady was telling me how she has 4 cats of her own so she always notices new cats and this one she had never seen before. BUT my girl is a tabby; not unusual looking in any way.

I just want her back

This is my beautiful, silly floof. Her name is Beyoncé.

Oh she is so lovely. I am very sorry she is still missing. Don't give up hope- so many cats come back after being gone for much longer times.

She's really beautiful Ziggie. You're working so hard to find her.

Have you put a line on your leaflet asking people to take a photo on their phone if they think they see her? This will help you to rule out false sightings.

Our cat was missing for almost 3.5 weeks in the summer (escaped from a cattery) and it was hard to know which sightings were good ones but I felt cat owners were more likely to be right.

Keeping everything crossed that she's back soon.

Still nothing... I’ve done 1000 leaflets as of today. I get home from work and go out looking and handing out leaflets.

My friend texted me and said maybe some old lady is keeping her in or something, but sooner or later she’d clamour to get out because Beyoncé is just that way! You can’t keep that girl in.

Gosh I miss her so much.

Great idea about the line on the posters!! I’ll do refresh posters in a few weeks and I’ll add that line in.

Our old cat went missing for over a week. She turned up at a shelter. A neighbour a few streets down thought she was a stray and took her to the shelter. She saw the posters we had put up and called us. She didn’t have a microchip as this was years before. Don’t give up hope! Cats often turn up weeks, months even years after going missing.

One of ours went missing recently for 8 days. Like you, I was beside myself with worry as it was so out of character for her. I searched day and night for her and, to be quite honest, I'd almost given up hope of a happy outcome and just wanted to find her to lay her to rest in the garden so she wouldn't be alone.
Anyway, home she trots without a care in the world! She was skinny, dehydrated, flea ridden and sported a tick but, other than that, she was fine. Goodness knows where she'd been!
I really hope that your Beyonce is home soon. Don't give up hope

Oh that’s a point... if she did come home with fleas; how would I make sure she didn’t infest the entire house?? Straight to the vet I’d imagine?

Still nothing.

When she does come home then yes, take her to her vet for a check up, just to be on the safe side.
We applied a flea and tick spot-on as soon as our girl came home and I felt the tick, took her to the vet to remove the tick and give her the once-over and then had to keep her in our enclosed veranda for 2 days to give the flea drops time to work. I felt so sad for her though, she'd finally come home and was bundled off to the vet and stuck outside but it had to be done. I think she's forgiven us now though

Any news yet ziggie? I do hope she's home now.

P. S.
I love your user name Mine is Bowie related too

Keep searching op!! I have had 2 go missing. 1 came back after an rta with a broken leg, vet said us shouting came him incentive to make it back home!! Tortie cat went missing for 6 months!! Found at the local shops - been living rough a neighbour said, eating birds and sleeping in a shed!
Don't give up!

Our car has been missing since Friday afternoon. Hope Beyonce comes home soon. We've taken leaflets and posters or this morning. Hoping she shut in a shed or garage and that she'll reappear very soon.

Cat!!! Blooming auto correct 😖

Still nothing 😢 it’s like she never existed.

I know it's difficult but try not to be too downhearted as there's every chance she could come home, at any time.
Mine has gone walkabout again (same one that was missing before), I let her out at 5am Monday morning and she hasn't been seen since

I’m so sorry. I still have my fingers crossed for u.