i lost my cat away from home and am desperately seeking some advice

[catsknowme]

The urine scent helps your cat feel confident to be in that area as well deters coyotes, deer and other human-avoiding critters. I am loving all these stories! This is a great thread

 

[Kwik]

slimmy20
I sure do know that awful feeling of despair when every avenue to try there are either" none in the area"or " can't help" and worst of all you just don't know where else to turn....well,then start over, right?
I'm sitting and I was looking for my Graycie,usually I just call out one of my cats names & they come jogging up to me,some stretching woken from a nap & others popping up from 4ft away and I never even saw them!
So here's Graycie,I searched the house 4 times because she didn't appear - understand I have many Cat Condos and little den beds with 4 cats so there's lots of little "me" spaces.....nowhere,they can't get outside but I always want to know where they are in case they get locked in a closet,the bathroom etc ...happens all the time as they follow me everywhere .
Well,when I started looking for her I was on the couch and guess what? Graycie was on the couch right next to where I was to begin with just blended in with the pile of throw pillows!!! So my point is,Slimmy might very well be hiding in plain sight not very far from where he was to begin with- I don't know why but I keep thinking of that car parts yard.....I think the cat lover neighbor there will be on the lookout for that yard and call you if he emerges
I really feel for you,everyday I check here waiting to read" Got him"......did you look into that Pet Detective thing?How about local law enforcement,do you think the K-9 unit might be willing to help,I know it sounds off the wall but you just never know who has a really big heart and is willing to step out of the box,all they can say is " no" at the very worst......

 

[nurseangel]

I read every heart-wrenching word you wrote. I have been in your shoes, though my cat Elsie disappeared when DH accidentally let her out of the house. Then, nothing. I went to every neighbor and asked if I could search their yards, and fortunately they were really nice. We put up deer cams, and my husband's hunter friend was going to check the footage for us. Please don't give up hope on your handsome boy.

Elsie never ventured far from my house. An unusual event happened. My next-door neighbor was working under his house, and we were concerned a stray that we were feeding (and have now adopted) was going to somehow get trapped under that house. The neighbor left the little door open all the time. So, we took him to the vet and boarded him for a few days. When he came home, his feelings were hurt over the vet stay and he made a big pretense out of ignoring us and walking to the edge of our yard. Yeah, he let us know he wasn't happy. (We live in rural area, BTW.)

I went out to comfort him and decided to call for Elsie. It was supposed to be very cold that night and I planned on camping outside in the rain. I was walking our fence line calling into the neighbor's woods when DH saw her in the middle of our gravel road. She was actually on our property, a wooded area directly across from our home. It is such a thorny location; I could see her, but she wouldn't come to me. DH brought a plate of food out (we had been leaving food in the place she was last seen) and she paced back and forth between the food and the prickliest area imaginable. That was apparently where she'd been hiding all along. She knew me and was so unsure of what to do. I would put my hand out each time she walked by and was finally able to pet her. I grabbed her and held her so tightly I was afraid I would break her bones. She had been gone three weeks to the day.

I agree that your guy, being a former feral, knows how to catch food. Elsie has a natural mouth deformity and few teeth. It makes her super cute, but she can't survive on her own.

I wish you could have a line of communication with car parts guy. He sounds like he is up to something sketchy, car parts wise.

You have conducted one of the most extensive searches I've heard of, and I admire you so much. Please don't give up. My friend's cat was gone over a year. One day, she heard meowing in the landscaping surrounding her yard. It was her cat, Josie. Apparently, Josie had been living near or at least visiting home all along. She was afraid of the male cat who stayed in the yard. My prayers are with you. And please keep us update. I will be following this thread.

 

[fionasmom]

I have seen cats who were trapped by mistake and released not enter a trap again, although there is no rule about this. Likewise, I have had ferals who clearly saw one cat trapped who still were hungry enough to walk into a nearby trap at the same time. Even a territorial cat will probably leave a trap alone once they have figured out what it is.

 

[slimmy20]

thank you all so much for the advice and the encouragement. i know these are just words on a screen but i wish i could convey how much of an impact they have and how much i truly appreciate the help and ideas!

so the plan..

first and foremost would be to assume slimmy is still alive and surviving.
i wish i never wavered in believing this but your stories about panicked cats coming back after months and months, untouched and aloof, have really helped instill that belief!

assuming slimmy is nearby:

-i'll be camping out where slimmy escaped starting tonight, with a plate of KFC, from 7-8pm when it quiets down. i'll just sit there and hope slimmy decides to make an appearance, the way kwik's cats seem to pop up despite only being a few feet away. it really sounds like something slimmy would do. and ill play some of his favorite bug toy sounds through a speaker.

-to encourage slimmy to feel safer to come out (i never thought i'd type this sentence) i'll sprinkle my pee over all the animal poops. to avoid trouble i'll be using an eyedropper and only doing this on trails/hillsides away from people. thank you catsknowme ! i've never been outdoors very much until this past month when i lost slimmy, so all this wildlife/territory information is very new.

-try to get on the good side of that one neighbor. i contacted them, as fionasmom and nurseangel suggested. i probably should have done it sooner because there really was no harm in it. i asked if there was anything new.. any weird sounds? coyotes? sightings? and he said no, nothing. nope. but i called his neighbor afterwards (who i've become friends with) and chatted with her. she told me that his family seems very cold, but they're kind people. it's the language barrier and the business that makes them shun outsiders.. and having immigrant parents, i could relate. it gave me peace of mind knowing that the house slimmy jumped into, despite the obvious issues, is still a nice family. and this has really helped me realize the urgency in allowing a neighbor with a lost pet to search our yard.

-do a deeper search of the bushy area where slimmy was seen. nurseangel's story about elsie surviving in a prickly location for so long and hiding there.. that makes me want to revisit that bush. it's just so dense and thorny and full of bugs/decay. my mom and i could only get halfway in there. is it recommended to do a deep search? or could that spook a cat into hiding even further? maybe a trap with kfc bait instead?

assuming slimmy has left the area:

-continue placing trail cameras around my city. i have way more cat sightings using the trail cams placed by irrigation ditches in bushy areas.. so i'll be combining that with asian fish sauce spray that that norachan suggested. hearing that cats will rotate their schedules even within the same territory has made me want to start monitoring cat hot spots, instead of dismissing them. thank you for that info!

-keep placing/replacing my posters and going door-to-door, expanding into new neighborhoods. unfortunately there are like 3 schools where slimmy was lost and some edgy kids keep keying and tearing my signs down. but i go to costco, so that means infinite zipties and infinite posterboard. i did not have "reward" on my posters, like a dunce. but i will be adding that!

-speak to all the night shift workers in the surrounding areas. maybe slimmy is nocturnal now and he always liked digging through my trashcan

assuming slimmy has tried to find his way home:

-place used t-shirt strips in bushes as scent markers leading home

-walk to and from the park daily (luckily my dad has been jogging that route for years every morning so there has to be some sort of scent trail already)

-keep a trail cam + bait in our yard. possibly use my pee to deter other cats (still thinking about this one because mom might hate this) and play his favorite bug toy sounds here as well

Kwik and Norachan mentioned pet detectives..
a couple weeks ago i contacted a pet detective and she has been tremendously helpful and super quick to respond. she guided me through trap-setting, camera placement and lost pet advertising. it was an hour phone consultation but unfortunately she is a bit far from me (LA) and unable to have her scent-tracking dogs come out here. i have not been able to find any scent-tracking dogs but there is a police station down the street and i did not think to try and ask about their K9 unit. thank you for this suggestion! this is a small suburb so im hoping they have the heart for it.

please let me know if there is anything i should avoid or change! even if it has to do with being overly verbose in my responses. all your ideas and stories have been so helpful. i really can't express enough how much i appreciate it. slimmy is so important to our small family. he came to us when we really needed some happiness. thank you all so much again and thank you for letting me post my thoughts/vents here.

 

[Kwik]

slimmy20
Please keep informing us-I wish I were near to actively participate in the search but praying for you and whatever comes to mind I'll share- seems you are doing everything possible,just don't give up

 

[slimmy20]

I read every heart-wrenching word you wrote. I have been in your shoes, though my cat Elsie disappeared when DH accidentally let her out of the house. Then, nothing. I went to every neighbor and asked if I could search their yards, and fortunately they were really nice. We put up deer cams, and my husband's hunter friend was going to check the footage for us. Please don't give up hope on your handsome boy.

Elsie never ventured far from my house. An unusual event happened. My next-door neighbor was working under his house, and we were concerned a stray that we were feeding (and have now adopted) was going to somehow get trapped under that house. The neighbor left the little door open all the time. So, we took him to the vet and boarded him for a few days. When he came home, his feelings were hurt over the vet stay and he made a big pretense out of ignoring us and walking to the edge of our yard. Yeah, he let us know he wasn't happy. (We live in rural area, BTW.)

I went out to comfort him and decided to call for Elsie. It was supposed to be very cold that night and I planned on camping outside in the rain. I was walking our fence line calling into the neighbor's woods when DH saw her in the middle of our gravel road. She was actually on our property, a wooded area directly across from our home. It is such a thorny location; I could see her, but she wouldn't come to me. DH brought a plate of food out (we had been leaving food in the place she was last seen) and she paced back and forth between the food and the prickliest area imaginable. That was apparently where she'd been hiding all along. She knew me and was so unsure of what to do. I would put my hand out each time she walked by and was finally able to pet her. I grabbed her and held her so tightly I was afraid I would break her bones. She had been gone three weeks to the day.

I agree that your guy, being a former feral, knows how to catch food. Elsie has a natural mouth deformity and few teeth. It makes her super cute, but she can't survive on her own.

I wish you could have a line of communication with car parts guy. He sounds like he is up to something sketchy, car parts wise.

You have conducted one of the most extensive searches I've heard of, and I admire you so much. Please don't give up. My friend's cat was gone over a year. One day, she heard meowing in the landscaping surrounding her yard. It was her cat, Josie. Apparently, Josie had been living near or at least visiting home all along. She was afraid of the male cat who stayed in the yard. My prayers are with you. And please keep us update. I will be following this thread.

i agree that the neighbors are probably up to something sketchy. my dad says it's probably an unregistered business and while going door-to-door, i stumbled on the neighborhood's HOA who happens to be a huge feral cat lover. he wanted to see all the different spots i had been checking out and he seemed extremely disgruntled about this yard. but i asked him not to report anything because i was afraid of getting on the neighbor's bad side incase slimmy was in there. just an all around uncomfortable situation.

your elsie situation reminds of stories where pet owners are reunited with their lost cats via other cats or animals. whether indirectly or directly. that is a really unusual thing to happen! i am glad he is now adopted and no longer disgruntled lol. hope he knows he aided in the recovery of your elsie and is somewhat of a hero. your two stories about cats who seemed to have disappeared but were nearby all along, definitely help me maintain the belief that slimmy might still be out there, surviving. i am trying so hard because i just feel like i didn't get enough time with slimmy and i want him back so badly. in the 10 months i got to know him our entire family grew to adore him so much. he went from a little hide-y boy to never leaving my side until i made the mistake of taking somewhere he didn't even want to be ): i need to keep looking. thank you so much. will definitely keep updating

 

[slimmy20]

I have seen cats who were trapped by mistake and released not enter a trap again, although there is no rule about this. Likewise, I have had ferals who clearly saw one cat trapped who still were hungry enough to walk into a nearby trap at the same time. Even a territorial cat will probably leave a trap alone once they have figured out what it is.

there was a cat that walked into my trap twice within the same day. he must have been super hungry like the cat who you said walked into a trap, while another cat was trapped nearby! never would have imagined. and then there was another resident cat who walked into my trap and i never saw him in that area ever again. the "no rules" rule really seems to apply. didn't realize trapping was going to be so incredibly unpredictable and that each cat would have it's own opinions about it.

 

[Kwik]

Hi slimmy20
It's not easy trapping,some seem to fall for it every time,others become so trap savvy it's incredible.... such different individual personalities,ya just never can tell.....drop downs camiflogued seem to get em more than the walk ins......try both types if possible

 

[Meowmee]

Put out your dirty laundry, he may be trying to make his way back since it’s pretty close to where you live and he was feral. Put some in the trap where you try to trap him too. Put signs with his pic up everywhere if you haven’t. Patrol the whole area with a tape of a mother cat crying for its kittens, someone found their lost cat this way who came out in response. Search sheds and garages everywhere, go door to door. Publicize it everywhere, including local shelters and the next-door app, on Facebook lost and found cats groups in your area.

Leave your window and garage door open if possible.

You have done an awful lot, I don’t know how you could do all of that, but please don’t give up….he’s probably still out there somewhere and he may be trying to make his way back to your house. Hugs Hang in there. I would also consider hiring a pet tracker, we have them in our area and I see people recommending them on fb groups for situations like this where the cat can’t be found.

 

[Kwik]

slimmy20
Is he your only baby?:I'm only asking cause of what happened with my boy finding where my lil scaredy girl went.( You know the story)And I know you leash walk
If you get sick of hearing me just let me know,I (we)sure can see youre trying everything we can think of but it's real hard to not say" How about this or how about that"& that's because my( our) hearts are aching for you

 

[slimmy20]

slimmy20
Is he your only baby?:I'm only asking cause of what happened with my boy finding where my lil scaredy girl went.( You know the story)And I know you leash walk
If you get sick of hearing me just let me know,I (we)sure can see youre trying everything we can think of but it's real hard to not say" How about this or how about that"& that's because my( our) hearts are aching for you

oh my goodness not at all <3 every single suggestion has been so helpful as well as every story. thank you so much for understanding the pain. i dont really have friends in my city, they're all out of state or hours away. my parents have a bit of trouble dealing with emotions, so this has been a bit of a solitary venture. when i first lost slimmy and couldn't sleep, i spent SO many hours lurking this forum and found so much comfort here. i read every story about displaced kitties and really admired the activity and caring replies here.

he is my only baby ): since i lost him away from home, i feel like i need to be out there, actively doing things to help find him since he probably wont make his way back home on his own. every suggestion is welcome. i've only ever had one other pet before so im not too familiar with kitties and how they behave. really appreciate all the help and all the kind words

 

[Kwik]

slimmy20 I only wish you were here under different circumstances.....I'm so sorry your friends are far away and can't be there with you....I can relate to that as well,glad you are here though and hopefully we can all celebrate Slimmys return together real soon

 

[slimmy20]

Put out your dirty laundry, he may be trying to make his way back since it’s pretty close to where you live and he was feral. Put some in the trap where you try to trap him too. Put signs with his pic up everywhere if you haven’t. Patrol the whole area with a tape of a mother cat crying for its kittens, someone found their lost cat this way who came out in response. Search sheds and garages everywhere, go door to door. Publicize it everywhere, including local shelters and the next-door app, on Facebook lost and found cats groups in your area.

Leave your window and garage door open if possible.

You have done an awful lot, I don’t know how you could do all of that, but please don’t give up….he’s probably still out there somewhere and he may be trying to make his way back to your house. Hugs Hang in there. I would also consider hiring a pet tracker, we have them in our area and I see people recommending them on fb groups for situations like this where the cat can’t be found.

i have a little mp3 + cardboard speakers set up.. i found a youtube video of cats meowing and i'll leave that playing overnight with the trailcams. did not know that would help attract cats of all genders!

luckily i am a remote worker and have been able to sneak off here and there to look for slimmy. not sure how much longer i can keep this up but so hopefully he'll make an appearance here thank you for the other suggestions as well. i am REALLY hoping he will try to make his way back home. that would be a true disney moment

 

[Meowmee]

i have a little mp3 + cardboard speakers set up.. i found a youtube video of cats meowing and i'll leave that playing overnight with the trailcams. did not know that would help attract cats of all genders!

luckily i am a remote worker and have been able to sneak off here and there to look for slimmy. not sure how much longer i can keep this up but so hopefully he'll make an appearance here thank you for the other suggestions as well. i am REALLY hoping he will try to make his way back home. that would be a true disney moment

That is good. I have heard stories of cats getting lost for several months and then finding their way back home that happened on one of the Siamese cat groups I am on so don’t give up hope. Is he chipped?
If you can you might be able to hire a pet tracker and they can help you.

I saved somebody’s cat who had been lost for a month in freezing weather…he was eating with my outdoor colony and sleeping in one of the shelters… I noticed that he had a collar on and then I trapped him and there was a tag on the collar… and I called his family who came to get him. He had been outside for a month in freezing ice and snow.

They had moved, not too far away, and did not let him get used to the new house keeping him inside etc., he was in between his old house and his new house which is where we are, so he was trying to get home.

lets hope Slimmy comes home asap

 

[CeilidhCat]

I read your story with tears of empathy and compassion for you, and your (hopefully only temporary) loss. I also read it with much gratitude for people like you. I understand your absolute love and devotion to your baby. Many years ago my Mum lost her cat while she was visiting a friend. We camped out at the location whenever we could and found her some months later, starved, but alive
Fortunately your baby is young and has hunting abilities.
You are doing absolutely everything you can and beyond. And even building bridges with neighbours and finding a common ground with even the most coy or misunderstood people in your neighbourhood. Most politicians etc wouldn’t achieve that in a lifetime. So please take credit for what you’re doing to make the world a better place

 

[Mia6]

I have no advice but a feeling he may find is way back home to you.

 

[Shawna87]

I don’t have anymore advice to offer that these lovely folks have not already suggested but when I read your story, my heart just ached for you. I wish so badly I could be there to help you find your baby. One of my biggest fears is my cats escaping and it breaks my heart to hear you living that. I have been and will continue to pray for you and that Slimmy returns home. You have been doing an excellent job trying to bring her home. Don’t lose hope. I’m praying your baby will be with you soon.

 

[slimmy20]

That is good. I have heard stories of cats getting lost for several months and then finding their way back home that happened on one of the Siamese cat groups I am on so don’t give up hope. Is he chipped?
If you can you might be able to hire a pet tracker and they can help you.

I saved somebody’s cat who had been lost for a month in freezing weather…he was eating with my outdoor colony and sleeping in one of the shelters… I noticed that he had a collar on and then I trapped him and there was a tag on the collar… and I called his family who came to get him. He had been outside for a month in freezing ice and snow.

They had moved, not too far away, and did not let him get used to the new house keeping him inside etc., he was in between his old house and his new house which is where we are, so he was trying to get home.

lets hope Slimmy comes home asap

slimmy is chipped! i do hope someone like you will recognize he might have an owner and trap him. there are a couple colonies nearby and hopefully he knows to make his way there. i placed a trail cam at one and the kitties look so content and safe.

the family must have been SO relieved! sounds like cats will survive just about anywhere and anything, fortunately. we've been lucky here in southern california.. it's usually scalding dry and hot this time of the year, but it's been cloudy and foggy. hoping this weather lasts a bit longer!

 

[slimmy20]

I read your story with tears of empathy and compassion for you, and your (hopefully only temporary) loss. I also read it with much gratitude for people like you. I understand your absolute love and devotion to your baby. Many years ago my Mum lost her cat while she was visiting a friend. We camped out at the location whenever we could and found her some months later, starved, but alive
Fortunately your baby is young and has hunting abilities.
You are doing absolutely everything you can and beyond. And even building bridges with neighbours and finding a common ground with even the most coy or misunderstood people in your neighbourhood. Most politicians etc wouldn’t achieve that in a lifetime. So please take credit for what you’re doing to make the world a better place

thank you so much for this message i read it last night and it was very touching. when the neighbor first told me he wouldn't let me search and the days kept going by, i really, REALLY disliked him (ok i basically hated him for a while). it was the neighbors who opened their doors for me, the kind people online like yourself and this forum, the cat shelter volunteers, the good samaritans, who made it easier to replace that frustration with a better feeling. thank you again! i hope i can output that sort of energy someday.

the story with your mom's cat sound so similar and i'm so glad it had a happy ending! how and where did you end up finding her? was there any sign of her when you were camped out? the spot i camped at had some houses facing the hill and im sure it spooked them seeing a dark figure, sitting there completely still in the dark with a flash light in one hand and a metal pan in the other. hopefully it was a safe place to camp. such a relief to know she came back alive after those months.