Feral Friend Is Missing...

[FriendofFerals]

Hello feral kitty angels out there...

I am missing a friend, and I'm afraid he may be gone forever. I feed a small colony of ferals at the horse farm where I keep my horse. The original two cats were "re-homed ferals" to become mousers at the barn. They were (Orange) "Julius" and "Tidbit" a big tabby. Both were older cats when they arrived nearly four years ago. Since their arrival someone dumped three kittens (now two years old), a brown tabby, and a flamepoint siamese tomcat with no ear notch like the others who were TNR, and sadly they were released at the farm where there are frequently large dogs running loose, giant raccoons, huge vehicles and of course, horses.

Of the seven cats, Tidbit was the most feral. Unlike his buddy Julius who would follow me to get "private dining" food, and who I could pet sometimes while he ate, Tidbit would have none of it. He was healthy, other than a food allergy last year where he was licking his fur off. I switched the food from seafood to chicken first, and that was the issue.

I have not seen him for over a week...maybe almost two weeks. I have a bad feeling he's gone and I hope if he died it was from old age or some hidden disease but he looked healthy to me, albeit older.

He was smart enough to not come out except to eat and when no one was there but me, so I don't think a dog chased him. Julius was chased by an Akita and disappeared for a week, poor guy. Seriously people, keep your dogs on leashes at horse farms. You are guests, but the cats, chickens and goats live there! I don't think that's what happened to Tidbit though.

Does anyone else have experience with ferals who are old and disappear? All of the other cats are acting normally like nothing's wrong. I miss the poor old guy!

P.S. These pictures were taken this time last year and you can see his hair growing back in where he was licking it after his food allergy. He looked better than this recently, and that's why I'm surprised he's suddenly gone.

 

[fionasmom]

I am sorry that I have nothing constructive to say about your friend, but certainly understand how you feel. All I can add is that I have seen cats come home after a lengthy time of being gone, and I have had ferals who just never appeared again. Try to keep focused on how much you have done to make life decent for these cats in the face of a difficult situation. As a previous owner of an Akita, I hear you about that breed. In my opinion, all the spitz breeds and cats can be a bad mix. That is really a breed that needs to be managed.

 

[1 bruce 1]

He's a handsome cat. I hope he turns up, sometimes they get some wander lust thing or get spooked and disappear for awhile then show back up like nothing was wrong at all. Sometimes they are so good at hiding they're right under our nose but we just don't see them.
We had a little barn cat come up missing, gone for a month. She showed back up and lived here for years before she died of old age.
Furballsmom usually has some good ideas for this stuff, and she could probably tag some folks that would know other ideas, too.
We're dog lovers, but strange to us unleashed dogs are not welcome at our place because of our livestock. If you want your dog to have a "farm dog" experience, buy your own ranch and let them harass your own. Leave ours out of it. I understand that frustration, we're extremely strict about that.
I sure hope he comes home soon.

 

[Furballsmom]

I, too, am keeping my fingers crossed and hope he turns up again. I unfortunately don't have a lot to offer that hasn't already been said but maybe others will

 

[Jcatbird]

The first thing I always do is check any place they could get closed in like outbuildings, vehicles and storage doors. If a kitty passes away outside, the chances are, you would have already seen some trace of this.
Most often I find that ferals who leave have been spooked by something and change their schedule. Whenever one went missing I would spend time searching at much later hours. The dark of late night was a time they saw as “safer.” Each night I would go out at 10:00 , 12:00 and then 3:00 A.M. . That’s not easy but it often got results. Using a bright flashlight in the dark will reveal them because their eyes reflect the light very well. You can catch other eyes in the light but try to notice if they are at the right height for a kitty. Be sure to look up in trees, roof tops and under things like buildings and farm equipment. Cats are great at hiding. If this is something you can’t do there are other options. Early mornings you might catch a glimpse of him. If the kitty eats at a particular spot you can use some tracking techniques. Sand around a food dish will leave footprints and you can compare them to the size of other kitties there as well as raccoon and possum prints. ( I usually place a few seperate dishes in places that are near good shelter or hiding places.) A flat plate of food can give you clues too. A raccoon will want to dip his food in water so if you leave a dish of water out and it is really dirty with food the next day, it’s a raccoon. A raccoon is a very tidy eater and will usually clean the plate carefully but mess up the water. A possum is a messy eater. They will shove the food around and spill a lot over the edge of a flat plate as well as tipping the plate and generally shifting it around. A dog or fox will usually carry the food dish off a little ways , if not way off. Birds usually grab the dry food first and leave most of the wet food. Turtles tend to eat only the wet food just at the edge of the plate. A cat will usually eat a good bit but maybe not all. They may move the dry food on a flat plate but they don’t shove canned food around. I know other cats may interfere with tracking but they may also follow you around in the dark and bring Tidbit out of hiding. I know you are worried but I have seen cats leave for weeks before. I have even seen a very good mother cat leave her kittens because of a scare but she returned to the edge of the woods very late at night. I finally spotted her just at dark. She took off but I went back out later and caught her eyes in the light of a flashlight. A hawk had frightened her. She left her kittens under an outbuilding and was coming at night to feed them. They all ended up safe but I was very worried before I finally found them. I even had one cat vanish for almost a year. I had given up by the time I saw her again. She was safe and stayed here after that. I never knew where she had been but was delighted to find her. Because of her, I never give up on any of them now. Do what you are able to look for him but if Tidbit is the most feral, that is a good thing. He could be wandering, hiding or just sitting under something and watching you as you hunt for him. Maybe one of these tricks will reveal his location. Cats are very resourceful. He could have decided he just doesn’t like dogs coming around and moved to a neighboring farm, house or woods. I am hoping you spot him quickly but even if you don’t, remember, he is a tough feral and is probably fine. Please keep us updated! We’ll all be doing what we can to send out good wishes for a happy reunion with Tidbit.

 

[Maria Bayote]

It is an animal's natural instinct I guess to hide somewhere when they are not feeling well, or they know they are dying, as they are aware that they are more vulnerable to predators during their weak physical state. So I believe this is what Tidbit did. This is really so sad. I wish they could understand that we can protect them, and provide them a warm bed and a loving home especially at their last moments on earth.

 

[Elphaba09]

I hope he comes back! We just had a similar experience with our feral friend Linden. He was gone for about two weeks during some nasty weather. He showed up one night as if nothing happened. I know that is not always the case, but I am keeping my fingers crossed for you.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi!
Is there any news? Have you had a chance to walk out to the edges of the property, and beyond and look and call for him? Even if he's not familiar with the shakie sound of a half-full treat bag, you could try it.

 

[FriendofFerals]

I looked for Tidbit again today, under the trailers and back in the woods along the edge of the property where all the kitties hide from the dogs during the day, but there was no sign of him. He has never disappeared before in the 4 years he's been at the barn, even after the flood two years ago and the hurricane. He was rescue-buddies with Julius, the other re-homed feral barn cat, and they were always together. The fact Julius is showing up for his normal routine and Tidbit is not, tells me something must have happened. I checked in all the sheds and the trailers, and anywhere he might be hiding but no luck. It's so true Maria Bayote...I wish they knew that when they are sick or dying that we would care for them and they don't need to hide from the world, but then again, my first cat Rylee who died at 19 went alone into a place in the house he never went (my brother's room) and took one of my socks with him when he died. I was on my way home, racing as fast as I could when I heard he was declining and I was too late to be there for him by only a few hours. If Tidbit really is gone, I hope he's with Rylee now, and Fluffy, Tango, Tigger, Anna, and Shadow and they are keeping him company over the Rainbow Bridge.

 

[Jcatbird]

All that may be true but it’s still possible he could have gotten scared off away from Julius. He might need you to lead him in. Please keep looking. I don’t want to give false hope but you can never be sure about cats. It seems that just when I feel like giving up on them, I find them. We are all still hoping.

 

[1 bruce 1]

I looked for Tidbit again today, under the trailers and back in the woods along the edge of the property where all the kitties hide from the dogs during the day, but there was no sign of him. He has never disappeared before in the 4 years he's been at the barn, even after the flood two years ago and the hurricane. He was rescue-buddies with Julius, the other re-homed feral barn cat, and they were always together. The fact Julius is showing up for his normal routine and Tidbit is not, tells me something must have happened. I checked in all the sheds and the trailers, and anywhere he might be hiding but no luck. It's so true Maria Bayote...I wish they knew that when they are sick or dying that we would care for them and they don't need to hide from the world, but then again, my first cat Rylee who died at 19 went alone into a place in the house he never went (my brother's room) and took one of my socks with him when he died. I was on my way home, racing as fast as I could when I heard he was declining and I was too late to be there for him by only a few hours. If Tidbit really is gone, I hope he's with Rylee now, and Fluffy, Tango, Tigger, Anna, and Shadow and they are keeping him company over the Rainbow Bridge.

I don't believe that Tidbit has gone, but that story about Rylee is a heart breaker. Especially taking your sock with him. That's a very cognitive thought and I don't care what species you are....maybe Rylee wanted you with him, but wanted to spare you some kind of pain.
I think sometimes they know we want to care for them, but want to spare us as much grief possible. I've sat up with dying (human) family members, which isn't a pleasant thing, and they hang on and hang on some more...when I've stepped out for coffee for all of < 10 minutes, they're gone and I get the news. I've had the same thing happen with dogs, horses, cats, it's like they need to move on but don't want us to have to witness it.
I'm still holding out for your little guy. Outdoor cats, feral or not, survive on instinct and if something randomly spooked him he may hide out for awhile.
Hang in there my friend. Don't give up.

 

[Jcatbird]

I totally agree with 1 bruce 1
Please don’t give up. My experience with cats has been that they don’t go very far away. I think it’s very possible he is hiding. You did say he is the most feral so he would split up from Julius if really frightened. His feral instincts would over ride all else.

 

[1 bruce 1]

I totally agree with 1 bruce 1
Please don’t give up. My experience with cats has been that they don’t go very far away. I think it’s very possible he is hiding. You did say he is the most feral so he would split up from Julius if really frightened. His feral instincts would over ride all else.

I've read articles and read some science stuff about how cats think and I think those things are interesting, and heading in the right direction, but we need to get over it and realize that cats (especially ferals) are a breed of their own that we may never understand or be able to "read".
Even our super tame house cats are masters at hiding. I've gone through the entire place looking for Queenie because I can't find her and she's as tame as a puppy (usually ) and often comes around if I call for her. If she doesn't, I open the fridge, rustle around, pretend I have some food for her and the others and 99% of the time she comes running.
When she doesn't, I spend an hour or more going around calling for her and don't see her or hear anything. I assume she got out, I go back to home base to make a game plan, and there she is, sitting there on the back of my chair. She greets me with a nice, sleepy "oh, hello" meow like nothing was wrong. She's done this for over 10 years and I still can't figure out where she's been hiding....right under my own damn nose all this time.
Let's just face facts...cats are masters at hiding, and we humans are...well, we're not
Take those smarts, times them by 1,000, inject them with steroids and you'll have a feral cats take on things that might spook them. They're not stupid. If something startled this guy and he decide to hide...a tame house cat will hide for a few hours then come slinking out. A feral (even a loved feral) won't, they'll hide and size up the situation and the environment until they're 100% sure things are OK and they'll show up like nothing has happened at all. This can take days, or weeks, and somehow they manage.
Then you lose your hair with worry, like me
FriendofFerals , this isn't a fun situation to be in but we've got your back.

 

[Norachan]

You've had some really good advice here already. I just wanted to say please don't lose hope. I take care of a former feral colony, all quite sweet and tame now, and a few of them have disappeared and worried me before.

A couple of the girls were gone for nearly six weeks and then came back again. Others have been gone for two or three weeks. I spent hours walking around looking for them every day, but they didn't show up until they were ready.

Let's work under the premise that Tidbit is alive, until we know otherwise.

Could he have been scared off and not know how to get back? Sometimes cats get chased, but their way home means crossing a busy road or going past another animal's territory, so they stay put. Try walking further out and see if he's gone into unfamiliar territory.

Could he be stuck? Check tall trees, roof tops, drainage ditches, outhouses etc.

Has he found a safer food source than the stables where the dogs are? Does anyone else have a colony of cats nearby? Could he have joined them?

One of my girls got out during a snowstorm and was eventually found 3 miles away by another colony caretaker. She still had her collar on, so I got a call to let me know where she was.

If you have a trail camera (Amazing investment! Mine has been so useful over the years) set it up near a game trail in the woods. These trails are usually created by deer or larger animals, but all animals use them to walk about on as it's easier than trying to get through the undergrowth.

If you get some Asian Fish sauce, mix it with water and spray the bushes and trees around the area where you set up the camera every animal near by will come to check out the smell.

Good luck, I really hope he shows up soon.

 

[Maria Bayote]

It's so true Maria Bayote...I wish they knew that when they are sick or dying that we would care for them and they don't need to hide from the world,

I was feeding a feral before, a beautiful Tuxedo cat I named Oreo. I started caring for him when he was a kitty. Many times my husband and I tried to catch him so I could keep him inside the house but no luck. After a year my husband and I had to go back to our country for a vacation, but I left food for the ferals, including for Oreo, with my cousin whom I asked a favor to come everyday just to feed them. When I came back after a month, all of the ferals were still there except Oreo. I asked my cousin and he said he did not see the cat anymore. I searched and searched, my heart breaking every day I could not find him. Every morning when I woke up and feed the cats outside I'd hope he would come around but no. I was devastated. I loved that fella. And I blamed myself for not doing more to catch him when he was smaller.

 

[Jcatbird]

Maria Bayote I can understand your pain but you should not blame yourself or even assume that anything bad happened to Oreo. If you were attracted to that particular cat, the chances are that he got someone else’s attention as well. Oreo could be living a nice life, still ,at some other home. It happens more often than you know. I have pulled in many kitties that must have been loved somewhere else. Either they got lost, were scared away or just needed to find a new home for some other reason. I always search very diligently to find their families but it’s rare to do so. I can tell you that I once found a very old white kitty. He was laying on a bench inside my greenhouse on Easter morning. I had never seen him before. He seemed tired and hungry so I took care of him. I contacted all the local animal shelters, vets and put up signs and posters about finding a kitty. When I got no responses that matched this cat, I got very worried. He had a lump on his neck that was very large so I took him to the vet. It was a tumor but not malignant. I paid to have the vet operate on him and he did much better after that. The old guy was improving and gaining weight. Then, months later I got a call. The woman lived many, many miles from me. She and her two girls had been searching for their cat everywhere. They happened to pass through my town and saw my sign. It was their cat. She even told me of having a tumor removed from his neck before and knew it could come back. She described him exactly so I knew he was their baby. After all the months he had been missing they had kept looking. When they came to my home they all wept when they saw him. We don’t know how he ended up so far from home, they thought he had been scared away by a big dog, but he was reunited with them. They were very grateful that he had come here. I expect he knew there were other cats here and the greenhouse was a wonderful place for him to come in. Cats are very smart. There are many other people like us out there who see a cat looking for food or a place to get attention and they take care of the kitty. We just need to remember that just because a kitty is not around us, that doesn’t mean they are not somewhere safe and being loved. Always stay hopeful. Oreo may have found a very good life somewhere.
In December I found a cat with a collar. I am taking care of her and trying to find her owners now. I hope I find them and I’ll never stop looking ,but if I don’t find them, I will make sure she has good care and lots of love. She’ll be safe and happy. I’ve saved lost ferals and love them too. Many people do this.

 

[Maria Bayote]

Maria Bayote I can understand your pain but you should not blame yourself or even assume that anything bad happened to Oreo. If you were attracted to that particular cat, the chances are that he got someone else’s attention as well. Oreo could be living a nice life, still ,at some other home. It happens more often than you know. I have pulled in many kitties that must have been loved somewhere else. Either they got lost, were scared away or just needed to find a new home for some other reason. I always search very diligently to find their families but it’s rare to do so. I can tell you that I once found a very old white kitty. He was laying on a bench inside my greenhouse on Easter morning. I had never seen him before. He seemed tired and hungry so I took care of him. I contacted all the local animal shelters, vets and put up signs and posters about finding a kitty. When I got no responses that matched this cat, I got very worried. He had a lump on his neck that was very large so I took him to the vet. It was a tumor but not malignant. I paid to have the vet operate on him and he did much better after that. The old guy was improving and gaining weight. Then, months later I got a call. The woman lived many, many miles from me. She and her two girls had been searching for their cat everywhere. They happened to pass through my town and saw my sign. It was their cat. She even told me of having a tumor removed from his neck before and knew it could come back. She described him exactly so I knew he was their baby. After all the months he had been missing they had kept looking. When they came to my home they all wept when they saw him. We don’t know how he ended up so far from home, they thought he had been scared away by a big dog, but he was reunited with them. They were very grateful that he had come here. I expect he knew there were other cats here and the greenhouse was a wonderful place for him to come in. Cats are very smart. There are many other people like us out there who see a cat looking for food or a place to get attention and they take care of the kitty. We just need to remember that just because a kitty is not around us, that doesn’t mean they are not somewhere safe and being loved. Always stay hopeful. Oreo may have found a very good life somewhere.
In December I found a cat with a collar. I am taking care of her and trying to find her owners now. I hope I find them and I’ll never stop looking ,but if I don’t find them, I will make sure she has good care and lots of love. She’ll be safe and happy. I’ve saved lost ferals and love them too. Many people do this.

Wow! People like you is what makes me believe in humanity that somehow still exists in this day and age. I respect and admire people who, sometimes even financially difficult, go above and beyond for helpless animals.

I do hope Oreo is still out there, or inside a safe loving home. He was very aloof. Never had I managed to pet him. He started coming to our front door when he was a small kitten. I miss that fella. This is one of the several pictures I managed to take of him. Makes me cry just looking at this photo.

 

[1 bruce 1]

I was feeding a feral before, a beautiful Tuxedo cat I named Oreo. I started caring for him when he was a kitty. Many times my husband and I tried to catch him so I could keep him inside the house but no luck. After a year my husband and I had to go back to our country for a vacation, but I left food for the ferals, including for Oreo, with my cousin whom I asked a favor to come everyday just to feed them. When I came back after a month, all of the ferals were still there except Oreo. I asked my cousin and he said he did not see the cat anymore. I searched and searched, my heart breaking every day I could not find him. Every morning when I woke up and feed the cats outside I'd hope he would come around but no. I was devastated. I loved that fella. And I blamed myself for not doing more to catch him when he was smaller.

Jcatbird summed it up for you. We had a cat show up (adult) that decided to hang out. After awhile he'd disappear for a day or two, then come back. His time away became longer and longer until he'd been gone for a month or more, and came back looking better than a show cat. He was spotlessly clean, brushed (he was a long haired cat), his coat was shiny and he had no bumps, marks, scuffs, etc. He was also fat
He was a very pretty cat. He never picked fights. I can only hope that he found a place he liked better and migrated there for good because we haven't seen him in years. We can't be sure, but I'm almost positive that's what happened based on the clues to his appearance after being gone so long.
I hope Oreo has the same

 

[FriendofFerals]

I have good news!!!!! I had totally lost hope in Tidbit returning, since today was officially the third week since I'd seen him. So today I drove up to the horse farm and saw a tabby come running out from under the horse trailer and at first I thought it was Mickey who is a brown tabby with similar markings but totally different body type, and sure enough, it was Tidbit!!! I have no idea where he went or why he was gone so long, but he seemed fine! He had a new scratch across his nose that looked a few weeks old, but other than that he looked healthy and OK considering he is an old cat. He's never disappeared for even one day in four years, so almost 3 weeks is a long time. I really thought he was gone forever but today I fed everyone and Tidbit was swatting at the youngsters like he always does. Yaaaayy!!! Happy ending to the story!!!

 

[Norachan]

That's wonderful news! I'm so glad he's back.