No point looking for cat lost for 24 hours now is there?

[KittyGone]

Indoor cat got out last night. Have looked everywhere for her. Put posts out on the local fb group, nobody has seen her, she was on my ring doorbell this morning and has now disappeared. There’s no point continuing to look any more is there as she’s obviously gone. 😢. She’s got out a couple of times before and always found her way back but this time I just know she’s gone. You know when you know that kind of thing?

24 hours is absolutely nothing - two of mine have buggered off for almost a week and both times they were found within about 10m of our back door.

Our 6 month old kitten disappeared for 3 days in May. They weren’t indoor cats but had only been let outside for a short while so she wasn’t an experienced outdoor cat by any means. We didn’t see hide nor hair of her until DH heard her meowing from the top of an outbuilding at the bottom of a garden at 9pm on day 3 and initiated a rescue.

When we had indoor cats and one got out - the only way we could find the lost cat is if we took the not most cat outside with us and when that cat meowed the lost cat would meow back. They were too scared otherwise. Worth a try good luck.

My indoor cat many years ago disappeared for 3 weeks, i didn't stop searching and got her back. She'd got lost just a couple of streets away and was hiding and very scared.

24 hrs is nothing and tbh you don't sound as though you care that much. It really is very early to give up.

The first time our cat went outside he was gone for a day and a half, then just sauntered back in. He’s never been gone for more than a couple or hours since then.

Was out every single night for three weeks. 24 hours is nothing. Get off ur phone get out there keep looking. There’s loads of advice online what to do. Go in the dead of night. Poor thing will be petrified. And if ur happy to give up on her/him so quickly maybe think about rehoming when u do get her/him back.

My cat, who'd shown no interest in the outside world for the first year of her life, decided to escape when I was on holiday, and was away for at least a week. I eventually found her in a neighbour's garden. So, she may well be pretty close but well hidden. Don't give up! If you don't have any luck it might also be worth checking if you've got any groups near you who specialise in finding/trapping lost cats and strays? Finally, presumably she is chipped so if she has been knocked down by a car there's a good chance that you'll find out? Even if the car doesn't stop, kind people quite often take deceased cats to vets for them to be scanned, and at least you'll then have closure.

Cats tend to hide if they're scared which an indoor cat in an unfamiliar environment will be. As an indoor cats she's not learned to navigate home so anything you can do, scent items outside, calling etc may help her find her way back. If she's been hit by a car she could be hiding injured somewhere. I would not give up on my cat so easily.

The feeling is understandable but not valid. Keep looking.

Lots you still have not done. Put her bedding outside your front door. Cats have good smell and cat might smell it and return home. Go outside at 4-5am and call cats name. It's quiet then so cat may hear you and work way back to you. Call every few minutes.

Mine went missing for a week this summer. Turned out he was stuck in neighbours garden. I thought he’d gone forever, but things I did, some of which you have already done.
Walked round neighbourhood at dusk and dawn when traffic noise quieter.
Posters on lampposts.
Posters in local vets, shops and newsagents who still has paper delivery people.
Spoke to any workers I saw on surrounding streets, eg posties, mechanics, even traffic wardens!
Spoke to parents with puchairs/small children.
Put up poster in my own window.
Posted on all local lost cat pages on Facebook (there are loads!)
Informed my pet insurance
Phoned local cat rescue, PDSA and animal rehoming centres
Posted on Next Door.co.uk

When I got him back, remembering to tell everyone was the most time consuming!

I also posted on here and was comforted by all the cat returned stories.

I hope your cat is found.

She could be in someone’s shed.

My neighbors cat used to climb up onto my parents flat roof and get stuck there

We had a cat missing for 3+ weeks. We put up oosters everyday and then finally a 12 year old told her mum she had spotted a cat and they came round and told us where. Found the cat straight away. Vet said she was probably living of caught mouse and drinking rain water. Lost lots of weight and you have to very slowly introduce back to food. Speak to a vet if the same happens to you.

My friends cat was missing for well over a year and she found him. Never give up x

A lady on our local Facebook group kept looking for a month. He eventually turned up living wild in a village four miles away.

He was spotted by someone who had seen her Facebook posts. Don’t give up.

I had a cat go on a 9 month adventure then returned.
Its very early days just yet.

My cat was missing for just under two days. We found her quite a few streets away. We also had a stray in our garden which we managed to get someone to scan and she was missing from about 5 mins up the road and had been for 3 years!!

Your responses are quite weird OP.

found mine after 8 days of searching. can’t believe you’d give up after 1

I had to unsubscribe from Nextdoor because very five minutes there was a found safe or home safe notification for a lost cat. Most seem to take between 24 and 72 hours to be located. Some take a couple of weeks.

it seems about 2/3 are found.

@KittyGone 24 hours! That's nothing, honestly nothing for a cat. Make sure you check any sheds or similar in yours and your neighbours gardens. Look up at trees and under bushes. Search late at night or very early in the morning, cats feel safer then as it's quieter. Use a torch to pick up eye reflection. Put his unwashed litter tray out and an item of your clothing along with food and water. Keep calling. Put a physical poster with his photo on in local shops. Also look at any local "pets lost and found" Facebook groups. There's usually several in each town/district and check local RSPCA listings. Contact local cat rescues or the cats and dogs home if you have one. If you do see him, don't rush towards him. Stay calm, stand still and call gently.

My indoor cat got out and we got her back about 6 weeks later - keep asking on social media.

I hate to say it but check bins, some psychopath put our cat in a bin once

Giving up that early, despite all the knowledgeable cat people on here saying give loads more time, almost feels like you don't want the cat to come home! Either that, or you don't value the cat enough to keep putting in the effort.

My friend made every effort she could for a week, and was rewarded by the cat coming home at the end of that time. If she's given up, not gone out every night looking and not re-leafletted the area, then she may well still not have her cat home. But she really loves her cat so it was more than worth it to her - do you love yours?

My cousins cat turned up after 2 years, seriously. Don’t stop looking.