Lost dcat during house move

[tt2]

And devastated. I can't enjoy my new house as I'm so upset.

2 cats, missing dcat is 3. Other dcat is 1 and very calm personality, walks straight into a carrier no issues.

Plan was to take them to my friends house the day before the move, so that they weren't in the way or distressed. Both are house cats.

Missing dcat wouldn't go in a carrier, kept running away. I managed to bundle her up into a towel, but as I put her in the car she dashed off and hasn't been seen since.

I feel so guilty, I should have put her in a carrier.

I've left note for the new owner, spoke to my neighbours and left notes for the neighbours that weren't home.

The thought of dcat coming back home and us not being there is breaking my heart. I think if she comes back "home" and there is someone else there she will be scared and run off anyway.

Just needed to get it out as I'm so upset and feel incredibly guilty. I wish I never moved.

I think an indoor cat would find its way back. When you move to a new home you’re meant to keep them indoors for a couple of months and then they’ll find their way back. That’s what we were advised 15 years ago, I don’t know if the advice has changed. I dont expect cats’ natural instincts to have changed in a few years!

Sorry this happened to you, it sent a shiver down my spine just reading it..
Don't blame yourself, things happen.
A bit of reassurance for you.
Years ago my aunt stupidly..in my opinion decide to take her cat on holiday to a caravan 100 miles away from home.
We all questioned it.
Anyway the first day she escaped out of a window and disappeared.She spent the whole holiday looking for the cat but no joy.
She returned every weekend to search put posters up etc.
6 months later in the depths of winter she had a phone call, the cat was there.We dropped everything and rushed there.The cat was happily sitting in the camp shop being looked after by a security guard .
Take care.I hope you are reunited very soon

Oh for godsake, it's the other side of town just go over and look for her.

go & explain to new owners.

keep going over, you can stand on the pavement calling her if they don't want to let you in the house/garden. If it annoys them, tough!

it's a harsh lesson, but hopefully something you won't repeat!

'neighbours' is great for reuniting cats.

Something I won't repeat?! Like I meant for this to happen?...

I was trying to avoid this very thing happening, that's why I was trying to get my cats to a friends house where I knew they would be safe and out of the way.

I was out there for hours on the evening of and the day of the move calling for her and shaking her treats. I obviously had to still move out of my house as well because it completed and it was no longer my house and the new owners were moving in.

Driving away to pick up the keys to my new house so the Removalists could start getting the stuff in, without my cat, was the worst feeling in the world.

She doesn't like the carrier and I've previously successfully bundled her into the car in a towel, I was trying my best.

I'm going over today to call for her again with the kids, I'm back at work tomorrow but I will be going over as much as I can, I will find out how I can acquire a trap to put in the neighbours garden.

Good luck, OP. Persevere and she’ll turn up.

So sorry to hear this, a friend's cat hid so effectively they had to move without her but she went back in the evening and her cat was sitting on the stairs in the empty house, feeling very sorry for herself (plaintive meows). The estate agents were brutal, saying it was no longer her house so she couldn't go back but fortunately the new owners were more sympathetic and agreed she could go and look (they didn't move in on the day of completion).
Just wanted to say, there can be a good outcome and I really hope this happens to you and your little cat 💐

Any luck yet @tt2 ?

My old cat who was mainly an indoor cat due to injury escaped out the front door one night and didn't come back. Searched and asked neighbours and no sign of him.

We found him 2 days later right inside a bush which was near the front door as he was meowing as we walked passed after getting home late one night.

Apparently it's common for them to hide nearby.

Good luck

No luck yet :( I've been every evening, went after work last night and called her for around an hour up and down the street.
The thought of her being out in this weather since last week is killing me, I'm hoping someone has taken her in that's the best I can hope for right now.

So sorry @tt2 and it sounds like you have your hands full as a single parent managing a house move already. Some of the replies have been a tad unsympathetic so just sending support. A nightmare situation for you.

Have you spoken to the new neighbours? Put flyers through doors? Join Facebook and post on all the local groups. There are usually general ones as well as animal specific.

Have you actually spoken to the new house owners? I know you said you'd left a note, but in the madness of moving that may have been overlooked/forgotten.

Your cat is very likely to try coming back to its own home, and any decent person would want to see it reunited with its owner. I'm sure they'd keep an eye out for you or let you put a trap in your old garden. I'd be asking them to help as much as possible.

Have you actually knocked at your old house and asked if you can set up a cat trap there? Most charities will loan you one for a small donation or even for free.

This is such a stressful situation for you. If you haven't already, print out some flyers with a picture of her on and your contact details. Put them through the doors of all the houses on your street and the neighbouring streets. I also recommended speaking to the new owners of the house and asking if they could keep an eye out for her, I am sure they will understand that this is a really unusual situation.

One of our cats (practically a house cat at the time) disappeared for a week once. We thought we would never see her again but she turned up a week later extremely hungry. She is a very timid cat but she came straight in and let us fuss her and fell asleep in the middle of the floor because she was exhausted, so I wouldn't totally rule out that she would go back into your house if she is tired and hungry enough.

I really hope you find her soon.

I just wanted to update that thankfully our cat turned up 2 weeks later, we were really starting to loose hope!

Thank you all for the support.

Wonderful news.

HOORAY!🥳😻
What happened? Are you willing to share details once you have finished making a huge fuss of your little furry heartbreaking overlord? (Or: overlady!)

Fantastic! I'm so glad you're reunited!

Ah that's fantastic news.. We are currently trying to keep our 2 in at the new address....

Oh that’s amazing news, so pleased for you😻

Fantastic news I'm so happy for you

So basically she turned up at the back door of the old house crying late last night, and made herself at home snuggling the new owners in bed until they let us know this morning!

She's in good condition, no idea where she has spent the past 2 weeks!

We've been going back as much as we can, but no one had seen sight or hair of her.

I was only having a proper, big cry about it yesterday as I felt with the weather and no one having seen her for 2 weeks it was likely she was gone for good.

That's a lovely update. Glad she's safe.

So pleased and relieved for you!

That's lovely news OP, I'm so happy for you. Now you can have an extra-nice Xmas season,

Ahh wonderful wonderful news!! I'm so pleased for you. It's so easily done. I wish you all happiness in your new home xx