Do indoor cats come back after several days? Please tell me stories.

[MissingBaby]

My indoor-only baby has been gone for 5 days and my heart is breaking. I know that they often hide close to home, but I've looked everywhere nearby multiple times per day. He's nowhere. I've followed all the tips and tricks for luring him back, handed out fliers all over the neighborhood, posted on social media, etc. This cat is like my soul mate and I'm breaking down.

So many people I talk to are like, "he'll come back, my cat goes away for days at a time, he's probably enjoying himself." But that's a totally different scenario. My little guy is not an indoor-outdoor cat, and if he's out there somewhere, he's surely terrified.

So please give it to me straight. Have you had indoor cats come back after this much time and effort? Or have they been gone for good?

 

[rubydoo67]

Two stories:

1. Cat #1 didn’t come back because neighborhood strays kept her away from yard after chasing her out BUT. she wasn’t far, a neighbor across the street spotted her and I was able to trap her.

2. Cat #2 ran out front door when visiting friends left it open. He eventually ran back in exactly 2 weeks later

In both cases I was out every night, multiple times, calling for them, shaking food bags, with a flashlight. Even in the “witching” hour when everything is still. Better to hear and/or see them. It lets them know you are around. I’m sure she isn’t far. Don’t give up!
Ps. Once our stray was locked in a neighbors garage for a few days. If you have garages around, check them. Best wishes and remember, don’t give up!

 

[Willowy]

Recently, an older de-clawed cat showed up at my mom's house, very hungry and acting desperate. She fed him and petted him (very affectionate), and kind of thought he was probably dumped, but she posted him on the local lost and found pets Facebook page. His owner saw it (well, her sister did) and came and got him. Turns out he had popped a screen out and had been gone for 10 days! And was from halfway across town, maybe a mile away! Nobody knows why a 15-year-old cat wandered a mile or what he did for 10 days, but there you have it.

I also know someone whose housecat got out and showed up skinny, dehydrated, and with a large gash under his front leg 3 weeks later! Never figured out where he had been or what happened to him. (He's fine now)

When I was a teenager, our older cat got locked in the neighbor's garage for a weekend. They came home Sunday night, hit the garage door opener, and out she ran. We were feeling kind of hopeless at that point, because she never went very far from home. . .well, she still hadn't gone very far, just was exploring the wrong place when they closed the door I guess.

The local news station recently put out a story about a cat who was reported missing 8 months ago, and had just shown up at the Humane Society, luckily she was microchipped because her owner had given up looking for her. She was well-fed and healthy. She was also still wearing her collar and tags, so if someone was feeding her that means they never looked at her tags, or never bothered to call the phone number :/.

Anyway, call Animal Control and all other animal rescue groups in the area, call all the vets, post him on Facebook, make flyers and slap them up on all public bulletin boards, etc. Even farther from home than you would think. Keep doing it, for longer than you think is reasonable if necessary. You want as many people as possible to see it. You just never know where he'll end up or who might see him.

 

[MissingBaby]

Thank you, those stories do make me feel a little more hopeful. I guess I should be covering more ground.

I live in an apartment complex. While I don't think there are strays around, tons of people in the building have cats. So I'm afraid that even if my guy does know where we live, he'll be scared off by all the other people and cats.

Depending on which way he bolted, he could have ended up in a neighborhood, the woods, or a strip mall area. I'm really hoping for the neighborhood.

 

[rubydoo67]

Remember to check your local shelter pages everyday. They usually have daily intakes listed. Also, many communities have Lost & Found Pets of “insert name of town, community, county etc”. Post on there as well There are also many chapters of “Community Cats of (insert town,county etc community name) on Facebook. Many have folks who will help you trap

 

[FeebysOwner]

While there are exceptions, for a number of reasons, most indoor-only cats don't venture very far. Most tend to find a hidden area not too far from the location where they got out, and hunker down out of fear. Many of them won't initially even respond to their care taker calling to them, but eventually do. I would make sure you are outside every pre-dawn and dusk, and as many times in between, sitting down with a bag/can of food/treats, shaking them while calling to him. Stay in one place for at least 1/2 hour to allow him to decide whether or not he wants to come out of hiding.

You didn't say specifically, but I gather you have placed food outside, as well as left items with his scent and ones with your scent on them. And, when you do search when it is not daylight outside, use a flashlight - looking under everything, in bushes, and yes - up in trees - to see if you can catch his eyes in the light.

All of the other suggestions above also need to be done, because your baby might fall into the exceptions - or someone came across him and took him home with them. And, do ask the neighbors to look in their yards - or let you - in any/all hiding spots they may have as well.

If you have a night camera. or similar item, available, you can set it up outside to watch over the food /water dishes to see if he shows up when you are not outdoors.

All three of my indoor-only cats managed to get outside at least once. Tawny (RIP) went out the front door and cowered right beside it. Gracie (RIP) ventured around the one side of my house, but we found her almost immediately since she and another cat were fighting and one of them scratched the patio screen open. The only other time she got out, in broad daylight, she toured the houses immediately in our area and came when I called her. She had cancer and died just a few days later - I said she was saying her goodbyes to the neighborhood, or sowing her final wild oats. Feeby has gotten out once just so she could chase a neighbor's cat that had entered our garage. She also came back when I called to her. So, not stories that do you any good!

 

[MissingBaby]

While there are exceptions, for a number of reasons, most indoor-only cats don't venture very far. Most tend to find a hidden area not too far from the location where they got out, and hunker down out of fear. Many of them won't initially even respond to their care taker calling to them, but eventually do.

This is what I keep hearing. And it's like... on the one hand it's really hopeful, and it does make sense with my cat's personality, because he's quite shy.

I just feel like I've looked EVERYWHERE that he could be hiding nearby a million times. So if he's not there, is he anywhere? Thinking he's not anywhere anymore is what's keeping me up at night.

I do have cameras out as well, so I know he's not showing up secretly.

 

[Tik cat's mum]

My daughter's indoor cat got out he was missing for a week, they had all but given up on him then my grandson just happened to look out of his bedroom window. There he was a couple of doors away on top of a shed roof. He was scared and hungry but otherwise fine. Try the bedroom windows like my daughter's boy he might of gone up high ask neighbours if they can too. Good luck hope you find him soon.

 

[MissingBaby]

There he was a couple of doors away on top of a shed roof. He was scared and hungry but otherwise fine.

Thanks. Was he stuck up on the shed roof or just hiding there? I'm trying to look everywhere but I'm so afraid he's gotten himself stuck somewhere and I won't find him in time.

 

[Tik cat's mum]

Thanks. Was he stuck up on the shed roof or just hiding there? I'm trying to look everywhere but I'm so afraid he's gotten himself stuck somewhere and I won't find him in time.

He was just hiding there the woman who owned the shed had tried getting him to come to her, but he is shy and would never go to anyone he didn't know. My grandson had to go with his dad to get him to come down. It wasn't that high a 6ft shed he jumped down to my grandson.

 

[di and bob]

Cats are very good at keeping out of sight. One thing I have always used to locate a missing cat is to listen for warning calls from birds. WE can't see them but the birds sure notice. I follow the bird's sounds until I am right there and THEN search carefully, it is either a cat, an aggressive bird like a blue jay, or some other kind of predator. It has found a cat many times. Other than that get on facebook and list a lost cat, and keep checking at the local shelter.

 

[MissingBaby]

Thanks for the idea about the birds! That's actually the first tip I've gotten since day 1 that I've never heard before.

 

[di and bob]

It sure has helped me find my wanderers when they don't want to come home!

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

One of my indoor only cats ran out the door when I was on vacation and was gone for over 6 weeks. WE finally found her right next door under our neighbor's porch. It was very early in the morning when I heard her little meow, but she still wouldn't come to me. We had to pry her out by poking a yardstick down at every board of the porch until we pushed her out. She never ran outside again!

Best of luck finding her. Don't give up yet

 

[Mamanyt1953]

And remember, when you find him, sit down and allow him to approach you. When indoor cats get out like that, they are in a state of panic, and may not, at first, trust even those they know well and love. They get over that quickly, but trying to approach might cause him to run again.

 

[MissingBaby]

Thanks for the stories and advice everyone.

I got my boy back after 7 days. He was only 250 feet from home in an area I had searched every day, usually multiple times, without seeing him. I still have no idea where he was hiding. On the 6th night, a neighbor spotted him, and I caught him in a live trap on night 7.

I don't think he had eaten anything. He was probably just hiding for the first 6 days.

Because I was scouring the internet for stories like this, I'll give my own advice for anyone reading it in the future: the number one most important thing I did was spread the word that he was missing. Lots of neighbors cared and helped look for him. If they hadn't, he would probably still be gone.

I did all of the other things I was supposed to do. I set out scent lures, I searched the area over and over during the day and at night, I put up motion activated cameras. He was not drawn back home and I did not find him, even though I was probably within feet of his hiding spot. He's home because everyone else knew to look for him too.

 

[gilmargl]

Well, that's brilliant! Indoor cats are hopeless when they do manage to escape. I'm so glad your baby is back!

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[Willowy]

Yay! Thanks for updating us; we always wonder how things turn out. I'm so glad everybody got involved to find him and he's safe at home now.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

So happy for you and your little guy!