7 month kitten has not come home

[skrumtuoscatlayd]

My 7 months kitten is an indoor and outdoor cat. She usually goes in and out of home few times a day but she usually comes home before sunset but today she went out at dawn and has still not come home even though it is dark outside.. Do you think she's in trouble? I do not see any sign of her outside

 

[Kwik]

Oh dear,you must be worried sick...I want to be Encouraging and I'm so sorry your little one has not returned YET but who can say if she's okay,we hope she is . That's the thing about letting them out,you just never know what they might get into
Cats are very routine,they stick to their schedules as if they were wearing a little wrist watch and they certainly know the way home .I do hope she's spayed but if she is not she may be in heat and that will certainly throw their routine out the window.
I have no idea where you live and what kind of environment she is out in and I'm sure you've been searching for her-I do hope your next post will be "she's home".....
Be Blessed,I am praying for your kittens safe return

 

[mani]

S skrumtuoscatlayd is she spayed? If not, she's gone out on the town and you will have kittens to contend with.

This article is has all the ideas of what to do to find her:

Help! My Cat Is Lost! [Step By Step Guidance To Find Your Beloved Kitty] - TheCatSite

When your cat is lost, it's crucial to act quickly and calmly. Our comprehensive guide provides practical steps to locate your cat, whether inside or outside the home. From using familiar scents to enlisting neighborhood help, these tips can help reunite you with your beloved pet.

thecatsite.com

People can take to cute kittens and may have decided to take her in. Knocking on doors and putting up posters is a good way to let people know she has a home.

 

[skrumtuoscatlayd]

Thank you for your replies guys but I think my kitten is stolen.. She has medium long hair and is not very quick when it comes to running away. I met her outside few times and she came to me even though she was half in doubt if I was me or a stranger so I'm assuming she dud the same and was captured when someone lured her. This morning I went under my neighbours tree where she usually played around but there was no sign of her and her companion cat whom she normally hang around with outside also did not return home with her last night even though he came in and out a few times during the night. She never had heat yet so it is unlikely shes not returning because she is looking for males. I feel devastated as this is not the first time I lost a cat. I lost a male cat around year ago and now its her. I think there is catnapper around my house but I don't know what to do

 

[FeebysOwner]

There is such a thing as silent heat, so you may not have known she is going through it. Have you talked to these neighbors to see what they know? Are you looking into doing the things that are mentioned about a lost cat in the article provided above? Do you microchip your cats? If not, something to consider.

If you do, in fact, have a catnapper in the area, then your best bet is to no longer allow any cats/kittens you currently own, or will have in the future, be indoor/outdoor cats. There are such things as cat enclosures/catios that prevent cats from wandering off and getting catnapped.

 

[skrumtuoscatlayd]

I don't think anyone lives there because I haven't seen anyone in the backyard for almost a year but there is a big tree there and I have seen my cats climb the tree and play on top of the shed roof. I still don't think she was in heat as when my sister's male cat who was in heat tried to mate with her she resisted. I thought my sister's cat would try look for her outside and escort her home if she's lost but he doesn't seem to care about her absence..

 

[mani]

At seven months old, if your kitten isn't on heat, she will be very very soon.
Toms don't go on heat.. they're just ready for action whenever there's action to be had.
To be honest S skrumtuoscatlayd , I'm concerned that both you and your sister have intact cats that wander. It really isn't good for them, and brings a lot of unwanted cats into the world.

 

[skrumtuoscatlayd]

My sister's cat is now 9 months and he just started displaying tom cat behaviour like trying mate so she is planning to have him spayed soon. I was going to spay my missing cat when she is displays signs of heat but then she went missing. I think she most likely was stolen.. I dont understand why someone would steal other peoples cat

 

[mani]

Where do you live S skrumtuoscatlayd ?
Where I am (Brisbane, Australia) we must keep our cats in our own yards. Kittens are very cute and if people find one and would like a pet, they could well take it thinking it is a stray. Also here we must have our cats microchipped. If you did that then your kitten will be marked as your cat.

 

[Kwik]

S skrumtuoscatlayd
I'm so sorry you've not seen kitty yet.. please do put up signs ,knock on doors and follow all the above advice shared -dont give up

I don't want to sound harsh in any way and I hope beyond measure you get her back but this has to be the end of the indoor,/outdoor mindset-there are no benefits by allowing a cat to roam....nothing but danger out in the world

Kitties younger than 7months have litters,there's no reason to wait to spay for a first heat,typically spaying should be done before 5months old.... personally,after 8 weeks old I'm making the appt( for either spaying or nuetering) before the potential spraying can begun or any possible pregnancies can happen....just for future consideration

I do hope she is in heat rather that catnapped,they don't have to display signs and certainly don't have to seem receptive to get "caught" and impregnated....please please don't give up looking for her and if you find her don't ever let her out of your sight,I pray her safe return

 

[skrumtuoscatlayd]

I think someone's definitely taken her.. Now she's been outside more than 36 hours all without food so even if she's not taken she cannot survive as she can't hunt. She's not wild or feral type of cat so I don't think she can survive if she's stayed outside all this time in such cold weather too
I've lost all hope.. I never knew the last time I saw her would be the last I would ever see her

 

[mani]

Have you knocked on doors and put up posters in your neighbourhood? Advertised online saying she's lost? Contacted vets and rescues in case she's been taken in?

 

[Norachan]

S skrumtuoscatlayd All cats can hunt, even the ones who have never been outside before. It might take them a while to get the hang of it but, as you say you've been allowing your kitten to roam for a while now, I'm sure she's practiced hunting before. Cats are also fairly adapt scavengers, so even if they can't find prey they'll go through trash if they're hungry enough.

I think the most likely scenario is that your kitten is going through a heat cycle. At seven months old an intact female will certainly be ready to mate, so she's probably roamed further than usually looking for a tom cat.

Rather than speculating about whether you're going to see your kitten again I suggest you take some of the advice given here. Knock on doors, put up posters, join local Facebook groups or try Nextdoor to let people know your kitten is missing. Someone might have thought she was a stray and taken her in.

Most importantly, you need to make sure all the cats and kittens in your care get adequate vet care. Getting them all spayed and neutered is essential.

Good luck, please let us know how it goes.

 

[skrumtuoscatlayd]

Thank God! She returned home!! She came by the window at 12am covered in exhaust stains.. I showered her but doesn't seem to wash off She was very hungry so I think she's not had food all this time
Maybe she was locked in a garage? She also seemed to have changed more timid and startled easily

 

[Babypaws]

I’m so happy to hear your little kitten returned home so now you had a “warning” and now if you want to keep her safe..KEEP HER INSIDE…
you need to get her spayed ASAP and pray that she didn’t get pregnant while she was gone. Cats can have litters very very quick. I know that from experience, so keep an eye on her and see if she seems to be getting fatter.

 

[Kwik]

Thank God! She returned home!! She came by the window at 12am covered in exhaust stains.. I showered her but doesn't seem to wash off She was very hungry so I think she's not had food all this time
Maybe she was locked in a garage? She also seemed to have changed more timid and startled easily

Yippeee!,Thank God is right!I am so happy she's home safe-and as Babypaws said,"Now you've had your warning " so it's time to step up your game and take all tye necessary steps to KEEP her home safe ,for good.
You're not the only one to have had a good scare BUT keep in mind that will not prevent her from wanting to get right back out there so keep a watchful eye and cat "escape proof " your home to the best of your ability,it doesn't have to be an expensive proposition,get creative....I've seen many great ideas here on TCS in old & new threads and have gotten excellent suggestions myself from the terrific people here as I'm working on my house as well.
Please let us all know how baby is doing,what's her name?

 

[Mamanyt1953]

I wasn't online yesterday, so I followed this from the heartbreaking beginning to the lovely end. Yes, do get her spayed, and transition her to indoor only. This article will make the transition easier, and you're ahead of the game, since she is already accustomed to being in part of the time.

The Five Golden Rules To Bringing An Outdoor Cat Inside - TheCatSite

 

[Norachan]

I'm so glad to hear she's back.

What do you mean by

covered in exhaust stains.

Do you mean oil from an engine? Things like motor oil, gasoline. kerosene etc are very toxic to animals. You need to make sure she hasn't ingested any. If there is anything like oil still in her fur you need to rub some flour into it, to soak up the oil, and take her to the vet straight away. They'll be able to clean her safely and also check for any signs of poisoning.

Good luck. I hope she's going to be OK. And please do keep her inside from now on. It's way too dangerous to allow cats to roam around outside.

 

[Cat McCannon]

Dawn dish soap is really good for removing oil. It’s used to safely remove oil from water fowl caught in oil spills and should be good for cleaning up your kitty.