Cat has been missing for four days- when to give up hope?

[Usernamenotavailabletryanother]

He just went out as normal one morning and didn’t come back…

The kids are distraught.

I'm distraught.

His sister couldn’t give a shit and is enjoying the extra attention.

I’ve done all the looking, asking neighbours, local social media etc., but nothing. We’re due to go on holiday next week and it just all feels so sad. We love him so much.

Not sure what I’m asking for really, just thinking about when to stop hoping he’ll come through the cat flap 😞

One of mine goes off for days at a time every few months. It usually coincides with the farmer cutting the fields at the back - it must be an absolute mouse fest.

Mine has been gone 8 months now. I still live in hope that he has been 'adopted', he will need treatment at some point. Hopefully, vets will pick up his chip, which doesn't match the new 'owner' details.

Oh OP! He's absolutely gorgeous. My beautiful black cat has also been lost - for almost 4 months - but I'm not giving up hope.

He was with a Fosterer in a different area and escaped.

What has helped has been a LOST poster that I made (with a reward). I've stuck these up everywhere, whatsapped them to every person I've met: security guards, gardeners, tradesmen. I've had so many sightings but none are him, yet.

If he has a litter tray put it outside the house, they can smell their own scent. This worked when one of ours wandered off a few years ago.

Pace the streets, knock on doors, stop everyone you meet. I no longer give any shits about looking like a crazy cat lady.

I'm saying a huge prayer to the universe for both of us.

I had a cat that would disappear anywhere from 2 weeks to 9 months. Did it regularly year for the last 5 years. Then finally went missing for 6 months. Found her passed away in the back of the garage. 😔

This is exactly what happened with one of my cats! She used to be a mardy mare but now she's so affectionate! Took a couple of weeks to get her weight back up and now she's never far from the house 🤣

I had another that got locked in a shed for a week recently too.

A few years ago my big fat ginger cat disappeared and we gave up hope after a couple of weeks, he turned up 3 months later even fatter and had been neutered!! 🤷‍♀️

@abouttoturn50 ours never really wanted attention from me but she was all over me when she came home. So funny. She still gets very cross sometimes but genuinely very affectionate and knows if I am very upset, she jumps up on the chair behind me and grooms my hair.

@Apileofballyhoo oh that's adorable! 🥰

Previous posters have said this but do knock on your neighbour’s doors and beg them to check sheds, outhouses and garages.

If you walk around your area in the early morning when it’s quiet and call him you might be able to hear him answering.

One of ours managed to get herself shut into sheds twice, and our neighbours’ cat got shut into our shed for what we think must have been three days once. He shot out and devoured all our cats’ food before hopping over the fence to go home. He didn’t learn his lesson. The following year he got locked into another neighbour’s garage overnight.

One of my neighbour’s other cats disappeared for three months shortly after they moved in. It was firework season so they suspect he got spooked by bangs and then couldn’t find his way home.

He popped through a cat flap over a mile away and moved in - much to the resident cat’s disgust. Three months later his new human spotted one of my neighbour’s homemade posters on a telegraph pole and realised she had the missing moggy.

Fingers crossed for you.

Look who came back for breakfast at 3am…

Thank you so much to everyone who posted with hopeful stories- to say we are delighted is an understatement!

Oh yay! So happy for you 😊

Funnily enough mine came back at 3am the day she appeared 🤣

Wonderful news! What a handsome big boy he is!

That's lovely news - I'm so pleased for you!

Excellent news! 🐈‍⬛

This is brilliant! You must be so happy

Excellent news.

yippee that's such good news

Brilliant. So happy for you. What a gorgeous cat😻😻

Awwww what a gorgeous black cat!🐈‍⬛
They drive you demented. Glad he is home!

@Usernamenotavailabletryanother
I'm so pleased to hear your cat has come home.
He looks very like our boy cat except ours has a white 'bow tie'.

So relieved for you OP. ❤️ naughty but beautiful cat.

Delighted for you!!!

Well! The smug look on his face tells you all you need to know. Slave.

Amazing news, OP! So pleased for you 🥳.

Well I hope he knows he's grounded....