Advice needed! my cat has been missing 13 days

[deanna4293]

My 2yr old male cat Belgium has been missing now 13 days this day, friend. He’s a flame-point Siamese with beautiful blue eyes. We live here in the bay, Corpus Christi Tx 78415 area. I started searching for other hope filled stories because my heart is shattered. He’s always been an indoor cat. When we moved to our new home, we started allowing him and his brother along with two other males to roam the back yard. It went from backyard roaming to trailing the fence and then he and the rest of the boys would return after half an hr. We live by an open field;matter of fact and since population and buildings increased, coyotes and hawks have been less sited… people come and dumb their animals here actually… it’s really sad. He would yowl and yowl and screech like crazy until we let him outside. Almost like a sad cry like something he missed. A few days before he went missing, he stayed out all day and then returned home late at night. Come to think of it just a few days before that, my son called him in late as well and he was laying on our tree close to the roof. Then eventually never returned home after my daughter let him out early afternoon. I remember that day. I had asked if he and the boys returned and all my children said yes. I asked this at noon and didn’t think to check… and everyone said yes again after I asked again, but only this time my gut told me to visually check and after searching the entire home and outer parts, no Belgium. He’s been gone since Sep.20th. My heart hurts so much. He was not neutered, btw***. Everywhere I ride or trail, I hear him meow, everywhere I turn when looking outdoors for him, I see him…I feel so lost and confused… depressed to the point I can’t eat and it physically hurts… I have over 50+ bites from harvest chiggers from trailing in weed infested areas near the field… I look out for smell of decay and smell nothing… I just want to grieve already… it’s worse not knowing. I have done all I can do. I’ve posted on apps and sites, flyers, scaled 0.5miles radius on bike and foot according to our map location, prayed heavily from start and won’t stop depending on God… I’ve spoken to neighbors, and have checked with the colonies and all who feed the strays here around my area which is a lot, bc there’s a lot of folks who have heart. When it was too hot, he’d come and cry at the window to be let in… I wonder if he’d do that now… the summer heat here has been excruciating that a neighbor even lost a chicken at the beginning of the heat wave few months back… for the last few days, rain has poured and poured… I wonder where my sweet boy is at…. it leaves me feeling distraught… I want to believe he’ll come home… my body is so malnourished… I couldn’t even get out of bed today…

 

[FeebysOwner]

I am sorry to hear your little guy has been missing for nearly two weeks now! Please make sure you continue to look around your immediate area as most indoor cats tend to hang around nearby. But, your situation is a bit more complicated due to the fact that he is not neutered. He may have gone roaming to 'sow his oats', and that could have led him farther away, and may require you to extend your search.

No matter what, continue to 'bug' the neighbors - even having them check inside any sheds or other kinds of structures they have on their property, up trees, in bushes, and so on. If they have decks, please have them check underneath them as well. Constantly checking back with any places you have given flyers is a good thing to do, as people tend to get lackadaisical over time. If you haven't shared flyers with local vets and/or shelters/rescue centers, do so - and follow up with them too. Asking for help from the neighborhood kids often reaps benefits since they are tenacious about finding a lost pet.

Going out at dusk and dawn, with a flashlight to help catch the light shining in his eyes, taking with you a bag of treats/food that you can shake for him to hear. Putting some worn, unwashed clothing of yours outside your home might help too.

Have you considered setting up some traps around your area, with food that he loves inside? That probably should be done as an added endeavor to retrieve him should he be coming in and out of your area.

There are cats that have been missing for much longer than yours that eventually come home, so you need to continue to be diligent with your search and don't lose hope just yet.

I've included a TCS article about lost cats (see link below), in case there are other tips you might consider. It is the latter half of the article that talks about cats 'lost' outside.
Help! My Cat Is Lost! [Step By Step Guidance To Find Your Beloved Kitty] - TheCatSite

 

[Mamanyt1953]

How Iong have you been in your new home? It takes about three weeks for a cat's internaI "GPS" to reset after a move. This is, BTW, the reason that rescues who adopt out barn/working cats require that they be penned for three weeks in the new home. IF he disappeared before you had been in the new home for that Iong, he may be on his way back to your oId home. I'd contact a trusted neighbor in the oId area to keep a Iook out for him, and to contact you. CaII area sheIters on a reguIar basis. You'd be surprised how far they can traveI to get back to "their" pIace. I know over 1000 miIes. And many arrive safeIy, if a bit road weary!

If you have been there for a month or more, at the time of disappearance, and even if you have not, foIIow the exceIIent advice from FeebysOwner . And check back with rescues/sheIters/vets at Ieast weekIy. They are overwheImed much of the time, and you don't want that beautifuI boy sIipping through the cracks.

As for hopefuI, I've had one cat (an unneutered tom...back then, you just didn't) come home after 11 months. We'd moved whiIe he was missing, aIthough onIy about 7 miIes, so God knows how he found us. Just showed up at the back door, yeIIing for his supper as if he'd never been gone.

 

[catloverfromwayback]

Echoing what FeebysOwner said about checking, and asking your neighbours to check, anywhere he could have got in. My Mamie got herself into a garage that was only open because furniture was being stored there, and was too scared to come out when she heard the people - and the silly nit was in there for weeks until the owner heard her crying and came to tell me. So your boy may be stuck somewhere and too scared to come out. Vibes for his safe return.