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Should I Still Be Hoping My Missing Cat Will Come Home?
- Thread starter Norachan
- Start Date
Yes, @BellaB, we're still here. Floppy never came home; my husband thinks she found a new home, I think a coyote got her. I no longer expect her to come crying at a window in the middle of the night.
However, that doesn't mean your cat won't come home. It's much too soon for you to give up on her(?) yet. Is your cat chipped? If so, please call the chip company and let them know that your cat is missing. Jasmine has a HomeAgain chip, and almost every day I'll get an email from the chip company about lost pets near me, which I keep an eye out for. I've never found one of these missing pets, but frequently when I go to the link in the email it will say that the pet has been found, so this works.
It's also worth visiting local shelters to look for your cat. Many of them will allow you to email or take a picture of your cat to them so they can be on the lookout for her.
If you have pictures it is well worth printing a whole lot of "Lost Cat" posters with her picture and your phone number, and post them on light poles and phone posts in your neighborhood. Also, go around and ask all your neighbors whether they've seen her.
Another place to put posters is on bulletin boards in local grocery stores; these posters should have your phone number on little pull-off slips along the bottom of the poster.
It's also worthwhile to put your cat's favorite food out and keep it refreshed, and some folks have had some luck with renting a trail camera (I think that's what it's called -- the kind that takes pictures when it detects motion) and focus it on the food bowl or any other place you think your cat might be visiting.
And remember, there are quite a few stories about pets being found or making their way home years after they were lost. The fact that Floppy was an elderly, previously indoor-only cat is the primary reason I've concluded that she's dead -- she had very little chance out on her own, and if she could have come home I know she would have.
Oh, yes. You may also want to check out this article: http://www.thecatsite.com/a/help-my-cat-is-lost (@Columbine, thanks for pointing this out to me.)
Also, you are very welcome here. We'll do whatever we can to help you through this, we all know what it's like to lose a pet.
Margret
However, that doesn't mean your cat won't come home. It's much too soon for you to give up on her(?) yet. Is your cat chipped? If so, please call the chip company and let them know that your cat is missing. Jasmine has a HomeAgain chip, and almost every day I'll get an email from the chip company about lost pets near me, which I keep an eye out for. I've never found one of these missing pets, but frequently when I go to the link in the email it will say that the pet has been found, so this works.
It's also worth visiting local shelters to look for your cat. Many of them will allow you to email or take a picture of your cat to them so they can be on the lookout for her.
If you have pictures it is well worth printing a whole lot of "Lost Cat" posters with her picture and your phone number, and post them on light poles and phone posts in your neighborhood. Also, go around and ask all your neighbors whether they've seen her.
Another place to put posters is on bulletin boards in local grocery stores; these posters should have your phone number on little pull-off slips along the bottom of the poster.
It's also worthwhile to put your cat's favorite food out and keep it refreshed, and some folks have had some luck with renting a trail camera (I think that's what it's called -- the kind that takes pictures when it detects motion) and focus it on the food bowl or any other place you think your cat might be visiting.
And remember, there are quite a few stories about pets being found or making their way home years after they were lost. The fact that Floppy was an elderly, previously indoor-only cat is the primary reason I've concluded that she's dead -- she had very little chance out on her own, and if she could have come home I know she would have.
Oh, yes. You may also want to check out this article: http://www.thecatsite.com/a/help-my-cat-is-lost (@Columbine, thanks for pointing this out to me.)
Also, you are very welcome here. We'll do whatever we can to help you through this, we all know what it's like to lose a pet.
Margret
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- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #663
Yes, we're still all here @BellaB You can tell us what happened on this thread or start a new thread of your own, whichever you prefer. We're here to listen and help if we can.
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- Jun 21, 2016
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I second that, what a sad thing to happen. Yes its nice to think positive but sadly sometimes you have to think realistic to. There is a very good chance he may come back , you hear of cats turning up months even years later after they disappeared. Its probably worth ringing the shelters if you haven't done so already. From my own experience the people on the forum are all very kind and Im sure they,like me, are thinking of you at this time and hoping for the best outcome
I am still here too. My Patches never came home. I do not believe that he is still alive. Yet in his absence, 3 more cats found me. Two were quite ill and needed some care before their time to cross the bridge came. The 3rd one is still with me today. He reminds me of Patches in many ways.
This thread was a support to many. I always found that Hope was stronger than Fear.
This thread was a support to many. I always found that Hope was stronger than Fear.
- Joined
- Dec 13, 2014
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I just wanted to add some support to all of this. In the winter of 2014, Cleopatra found a way to sneak out. She was gone for three days, and I was petrified. She was about five years old, weighed about 5 pounds, and had never spent even five minutes outdoors by herself, alone. It was a record-breaking cold winter, with snow piling up three to four feet in early November. With temps reaching, maximum, 0 degrees. So, naturally, I thought she wouldn't make it past the first HOUR! I was so so SO scared and worried. I put up some signs, spent HOURS searching for her every day, left food out, a warm kennel, anything I could think of. Three days later, in the middle of the night, my dad heard meowing, and she was under our porch. I came out and called her and she ran to me. That was one of the happiest nights of my life, and we both collapsed in exhaustion in the bed.
I understand some people may say that it was only for three days, but if my frail little kitty could survive those odds FOR three days, healthier, and more... 'robust' cats should survive much longer with warm temps.
I still have no idea where she stayed in that horrible cold weather, but I am nearly certain she had no water or food for those three days.
I understand some people may say that it was only for three days, but if my frail little kitty could survive those odds FOR three days, healthier, and more... 'robust' cats should survive much longer with warm temps.
I still have no idea where she stayed in that horrible cold weather, but I am nearly certain she had no water or food for those three days.
I would go ahead and start a new post about your own fur baby. More people will have the chance to see it. You will get more support and advice in a new post then tied into the end of an old one.
By the way welcome to TCS and I hope you get some answers and support about any issues you may be having.
By the way welcome to TCS and I hope you get some answers and support about any issues you may be having.
Thank you for welcoming me and willing to help and give support I really do appreciate it. I'm new so I'm figuring out how to do stuff here.
Norachan
and
shadowsrescue
when i started reading this recently i read every single page and comment. I was already sad cause of mine but I was sad for you and your cats and hoping that by the time i got to the end I would read some good news. I'm sorry about your kitties. I love what you do for others too. More People need to be that caring and loving to animals. I wish I can take care of all the ones around here like you and other people do. I try my best. It's sad when they're sick and you know what happens next. I've had my own pets, friends pets and it's so emotional for me. I'm a big animal lover. I thought patches came back at one point? Or did I misread? I see everyone here so far are so nice. Thank you.
Norachan
and
shadowsrescue
when i started reading this recently i read every single page and comment. I was already sad cause of mine but I was sad for you and your cats and hoping that by the time i got to the end I would read some good news. I'm sorry about your kitties. I love what you do for others too. More People need to be that caring and loving to animals. I wish I can take care of all the ones around here like you and other people do. I try my best. It's sad when they're sick and you know what happens next. I've had my own pets, friends pets and it's so emotional for me. I'm a big animal lover. I thought patches came back at one point? Or did I misread? I see everyone here so far are so nice. Thank you.
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Anyone who is good to animals is nice, they can't help themselves. We all wish we could help every animal that is lost, sick, mistreated or whatever but we can only do so much. We need to encourage people to neuter their animals so that there won't be so many homeless ones.
catlover73
thank you. I think maybe I want/need to vent. Well not really vent just talk it out/through. I wasn't sure if I should start a new post or keep it here. As long as a few people can see that I can talk to. And i love fur baby. That's so cute 
cleopatras mom
aw. I'm happy she didn't get to far and came back. I worry about cats being outside in the winter. Being so cold and the snow. Even if it's too hot in the summer. And thank you Mine would be more robust i think but it's been longer.
segelkatt
that's true. I saw things on the news a few times over the years about an animal being found somewhere I'm guessing because they didn't want it. A dog or cat gets thrown out of a car, or in a microwave and out of a window. Or just people/kids just being mean to them outside.
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You are doing the right thing and indeed the best that you can in this sad situation of which none of this is your fault. Sadly things like do this happen. It will be of no comfort I guess , but cats are very resilient and Im not trying to give you false hope but he could safe and warm either in someone elses home, if so his finder should make attempts at trying to the rightful owner but sadly in life people dont always do the right thing they no doubt mean well and are kind people but they just dont think practical. He maybe in a shelter , who knows? But what you do know is that youre doing all you can in this situation. Keep posting on here if it helps. Uf it helps to talk then feel free to do so and I and no doubt the other forum members will be only to pleased to offer suupport and comfort. Keep strong. Youre doing great
@BellaB, in my experience, the world is full of kind people; that's why it's news when someone does something nasty. I'm always surprised when I meet a sociopath (and, yes, I have met a couple, both women, which is even more surprising to me), because sociopaths are so unusual. So if your cat is the kind who would go up to a stranger and try to make friends, chances are she's safe with someone. In that case, posters and shelter visits are probably your best bet for finding her. If you think your cat has probably gone into hiding, or is simply lost through not knowing the neighborhood, then creating scent trails to help her find you is probably your best bet. But the reality is, you don't really know what she would do -- cats all seem to possess "cattitude," part of which is a propensity for being unpredictable. Make the best call you can, based on your knowledge of your own cat, and divide your time accordingly. And it really is too soon for you to give up on finding her.
We're all rooting for you, and wish there were more we could do to help. And however it comes out, we're here for you, and will continue to be for as long as you need us.
Margret
We're all rooting for you, and wish there were more we could do to help. And however it comes out, we're here for you, and will continue to be for as long as you need us.
Margret
If the editor is set to RTF (Rich Text Format), you'll see nine boxes in the top row, all of which contain various symbols or words. If you hover the cursor over a symbol you'll get an explanation of the meaning. The last symbol in the eighth box is a smiley face. If you click on the smiley face a whole selection of cute emoticons will pop up. You can scroll down through them, and click on the one you want to insert. After a while you'll start remembering where your favorites are. I count seven page-downs of emoticons, so it can take a while to search out the specific one you're looking for.
Margret
