Advice needed! my cat has been missing 13 days

[patricia.owens]

Dear all,

My friendly 3-year old male cat Pintu has been missing for 13 days.
I live in Kathmandu, Nepal which is relatively urban. I adopted him as a stray kitten & he's been closely bonded to me and my partner ever since. He's traveled & lived in other places in Nepal with us. He's always been free to roam indoors/outdoors and has always come back.
A few days before he went missing, he started to wander for longer periods of time, and came back once after 24 hours. Since we were a bit worried, we put a collar on him (though no name/contact tag).
Since he's been missing we've been so sad & depressed! We've hung up posters & asked the neighbors, but no luck.
I need some hope that it's still possible for him to come home! I've taken care of many cats (mostly strays) and have had cats run away before, but Pintu is VERY SPECIAL! He's extremely communicative & was part of my family.
Please any more tips for finding a cat in an urban area & any true stores about cats returning home to offer hope would really be appreciated.

Thank you so much

P

 

[di and bob]

First is he intact or neutered? Either way he sounds like he found something interesting to keep him away for longer and longer periods. If he is intact, a female definitely would keep him away that long, if neutered, maybe someone else is being friendly and giving him good food. I have had cats disappear for over two weeks and come back, I had definitely given up on them.
You did good putting up the posters, I would definitely drive around and see if you can spot him in ever widening circles. He may have been chased too far away. Check shut sheds and garages too.
I'll pray for his safe return, good luck to you and your partner!

 

[patricia.owens]

He is neutered, yes, but very curious, friendly & not scared of humans. I'm really hoping it's the case that he is either staying with someone else or wandered off too far & can't come back. I had a cat return to a previous house a mile away after more than two weeks once, but it's SO unlike this cat to run away or not return home that I'm really worried. Thank you so much for your kind words & prayers!

 

[Norachan]

Hello Patricia.

I'm sorry to hear your cat is missing. Lucky you living in Kathmandu! I have some very nice memories of that place.

What sometimes happens with outdoor cats is they get chased or scared and end up out of their own territory. Then they either can't find their way back or are prevented from coming back by a busy road, a bigger animal who's territory they don't want to cross etc. They often gravitate towards colonies of cats, as their is food or shelter at these places.

I'd check areas where other cats hang out. From what I remember of Nepal there is often a lot of food left around at temples, isn't there? That might be a good place to check. If they will let you put some posters up near temples too.

Ask local kids to keep an eye out for him too. Kids notice things that adults might not.

A couple of my girls were missing for six weeks and eventually found their way back, so don't lose hope. Good luck, I hope he comes home soon.

 

[di and bob]

Make sure to check at any local shelters. Post your posters further out too, if he is that friendly, he may have climbed in someone's car or truck.

 

[patricia.owens]

Thank you so much for your advice. Dear di & bob, I'm also a Nebraska native! Unfortunately there aren't many shelters here, and people tend to feed street cats & let them stay ferrel.

And thank you Norachan for the advice. Yes, I have put some nearby the local temples or other places highly trafficked.

I got a call two days ago from three young boys who said they had our cat, but by the Time we got there it had run away. They were very close to our home, only a few blocks away. There was a mother cat with kittens in the area as well. Would an un-neutered male cat want to stay with a mother & kittens? Pintu did tend to foster & take care of kittens when there were other recuses around. But we're not sure if the three boys had another cat or really our own.

I've been continuing to put up flyers, and offering a reward. A lot of our neighbors think someone stole him, since he used to sit on the wall by the street & let strangers pet him.

I just hope he comes back soon! It was full moon last night & he's been missing since the new moon.

Thank you all for your advice & thoughts

 

[patricia.owens]

Sorry, I meant *neutered, not un-neutered!

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Since he has an affinity for kittens, and if the mother cat was willing, that might well have attracted him, and he may be back in that area.

 

[Norachan]

One of my older neutered males simply adores kittens. He's helped me win over many a feisty feral born rescue.

I don't know if this would be possible in an urban area, but have you thought about setting up a feeding station and a trail camera? I've done that a few times when one of my cats has gone missing, but I live way up in the mountains with no people nearby. I guess in a city there's a chance a camera would get stolen?

There are some threads here which might have helpful tips on them.

Tips for finding a lost cat

Good luck, I hope he comes home soon.

 

[patricia.owens]

Thank you everyone. I recently heard two possible sitings of Pintu this week, a few blocks away on a road that backs up to a wooded area (part of the property of a big 5-star hotel). I've been searching there in the early morning, afternoon & night and have alerted any neighbors there I could. I'm planning to print more posters for that area as well. Unfortunately a feeding station with a camera isn't feasible here. I tried leaving some cat food on a wall nearby, but it was immediately eaten by crows ... I'm starting to feel hopeful but at the same time, the days are wearing on me. Thanks for all the positive stories. All the stories of cats returning home even months later is keeping me going with the search!