I have an old cat. He came to us years ago as a stray and decided to make our home his. I don't know his age, but I am guessing it is between 15 and 18. He has been an out door cat all of his life and has always eaten birds and rodents around the neighborhood. He used to fight alot too. I was told by our vet that for him heing an out door cat, he should not have lived nearly as long as he has. In his early years, he would dissapear for 3 or 4 days at a time but he would always come back. In recent years he has slowed down alot and now, it is rare for him to spend the night outside. He has lost the use of his front right leg and has gone from 12 lbs to around 7 lbs. He doesn't get around much anymore without our help and doesn't eat much anymore. Lately he has been behaving strangely. The other day I saw him coming home from about a block away. He never leaves the front yard anymore. Tonight, he spent the night out. I looked for an hour for him, but I could not find him. I checked all of his usuall spots and he was not in any of them. I think he's getting ready to go. I've heard that cats will try to hide when it is their time. Is this true? Does anyone else have any experience with this? I just don't want him to walk out the door, never see him again and never know what happened to him. He has had a good life and we have really enjoyed having him around. He has been a true friend.