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- Jun 15, 2020
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Hi all, my cat Max got out about two weeks ago, and I'm at a loss about how to get him back in. Long story short, we took in a stray last year that turned out to be pregnant, she had a litter that we rehomed for the most part, and in the end we only kept two of the boys of the litter of six. They turned out to grow up to be giant cats; we've had Maine Coons before, and these two put those to shame. Our condo was pretty small for them, and while I was away at college, my parents started taking them to work with my mom, letting them run around in the woods by her job, and they were always very good at coming back to the car at 4-5pm to go home.
However, about two weeks ago Max didn't come home while his brother, Pip, did. Five days later, we moved to a bigger place with more space for them, intending to transition them to being indoors, and while Pip is loving the new house, Max hasn't come home still. My mom's car coincidentally broke down at the same time, so she's been taking my dad's car to work, which is no doubt throwing him off. We've been leaving food and water out, and it's been getting eaten, be it by him or one of the forest critters. We've seen him several times over the last two weeks, but when he sees us he turns tail and runs off.
Today, I went to work with my mom, and I've spent the day in the car outside. We put the food and water in the car and hoped that he'd come sniffing for it, hop it, and all would be well. Sure enough, four hours into the day, he did just that. I immediately turned on the car to get the AC running, rolled up the windows, and he started meowing. And meowing. And meowing. There was no pause between his meows; it was constant and I was incredibly worried about him. He kept pawing at the windows, presumably trying to get back out, and panting with his mouth open despite the car being very cold by this point. I was worried he might be hurt, but I didn't see or feel anything off physically when I was checking him out. I held him, and he stopped meowing for a minute, then struggled free and continued.
Then, the little genius hit the button to roll the window down. I got it back up quickly, figured it was just a fluke, and kept talking to him; he hit it again, and before I could roll it back up, he slithered out the hole and jumped out. When I got out to try to get him, he high tailed it off into the woods like his life depended on it.
I know he was probably confused, with it being a car he's never been in, and two weeks seems like plenty enough time to think I'm some stranger kidnapping him, but I'm not sure what else to do, or how else to get him to come in. Spending eight hours a day sitting in my mom's car isn't really an option to do every day; weather is high 80's out here, and I can't keep it started all day, not to mention its beyond tiresome. I was positive sitting out there with the windows rolled down would get him to come in, and it did; now I'm just worried that the scariness of it all won't work a second time. I'm at a loss as to what to do. He's always been a few marbles short of a set, and he gets incredibly spooked when people come near him or even look at him, so I'm not so worried that he'll go willingly with someone as I am that someone might manage to catch him, or that he might get hurt out there. I feel like he's forgotten us, and I don't know what to do to get him back in. Any advice would be appreciated.
However, about two weeks ago Max didn't come home while his brother, Pip, did. Five days later, we moved to a bigger place with more space for them, intending to transition them to being indoors, and while Pip is loving the new house, Max hasn't come home still. My mom's car coincidentally broke down at the same time, so she's been taking my dad's car to work, which is no doubt throwing him off. We've been leaving food and water out, and it's been getting eaten, be it by him or one of the forest critters. We've seen him several times over the last two weeks, but when he sees us he turns tail and runs off.
Today, I went to work with my mom, and I've spent the day in the car outside. We put the food and water in the car and hoped that he'd come sniffing for it, hop it, and all would be well. Sure enough, four hours into the day, he did just that. I immediately turned on the car to get the AC running, rolled up the windows, and he started meowing. And meowing. And meowing. There was no pause between his meows; it was constant and I was incredibly worried about him. He kept pawing at the windows, presumably trying to get back out, and panting with his mouth open despite the car being very cold by this point. I was worried he might be hurt, but I didn't see or feel anything off physically when I was checking him out. I held him, and he stopped meowing for a minute, then struggled free and continued.
Then, the little genius hit the button to roll the window down. I got it back up quickly, figured it was just a fluke, and kept talking to him; he hit it again, and before I could roll it back up, he slithered out the hole and jumped out. When I got out to try to get him, he high tailed it off into the woods like his life depended on it.
I know he was probably confused, with it being a car he's never been in, and two weeks seems like plenty enough time to think I'm some stranger kidnapping him, but I'm not sure what else to do, or how else to get him to come in. Spending eight hours a day sitting in my mom's car isn't really an option to do every day; weather is high 80's out here, and I can't keep it started all day, not to mention its beyond tiresome. I was positive sitting out there with the windows rolled down would get him to come in, and it did; now I'm just worried that the scariness of it all won't work a second time. I'm at a loss as to what to do. He's always been a few marbles short of a set, and he gets incredibly spooked when people come near him or even look at him, so I'm not so worried that he'll go willingly with someone as I am that someone might manage to catch him, or that he might get hurt out there. I feel like he's forgotten us, and I don't know what to do to get him back in. Any advice would be appreciated.
