MASS CAT ABDUCTION

Sith87

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Hi everyone,

I live in Arizona, Phoenix in a neighborhood community. Me and my wife rescued a kitten 6 month ago from our back yard, he was week and had an eye infection. He became our family pet and we love him so much. He left the house almost every night and returned next morning. We live in a community where neighbors close to each other with small back yards. We have our own road of the main road with T shaped dead ends on both side. There where a lot of stray cats here in all sizes and ages and about 30 in number due to large community. Our cat never went far from the house, mostly remained at the corner. He scared of other humans or vehicles. On last Monday (Nov. 15.) at 2 am I let him out and he never returned.... I started to look for him around the neighborhood when I noticed I can't see any of the cats. We believed they where picked up by animal control so we called all shelters, clinics, animal controls, neighbors even the police but nobody knew what happened and where these cats could be. Also there is not possible to trap or kill around 30 cats in few hours in the middle of the night without any trace or noise, with no sign left behind! Today two little, around 4 weeks old kitten wandered to our back porch looking for they mama. They where extremely exhausted and hungry. We took them in just like our cat 6 months ago... ANYONE PLEASE COULD GIVE AN EXPLANATION WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED??? THEY JUST VANISHED IN THE AIR? SOMETHING PARANORMAL GOING ON?
 

di and bob

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The only explanation I can come up with is a pack of coyotes moving through and carrying them off. In the middle of the night usually means predators. Unless one of your neighbors has a large garage or shop where they lured them all in. I just can't imagine why that many cats would disappear! The little ones must have been well hidden. That many cats disappearing in so short of time could not have been trapped. I would carefully cover the ground in ever-widening circles and see if you can see prints or any signs of what might have happened.
 

Caspers Human

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Has there been any kind of bad weather or civil disturbance?
A storm? Traffic accident? House fire? Etc. ??

It is quite possible that the cats are all hunkered down, somewhere, or they might have scattered if there was some kind of commotion.

In order to dispatch thirty cats in one day, it would have taken an army of men in trucks.

Remember Occam's Razor: "Entities should not be multiplied beyond necessity."
(The simplest answer is usually the best answer.)

Whatever cats you take in, my advice is to get them neutered, have them chipped and put a collar on them with a name tag if they will tolerate one. It's also wise to take a photo, print it out, and give it to your vet so that it can be placed in your cat's file.

We gave a copy of Casper's photo to our vet and she happily put it in his folder.
Casper's name, address, phone number, e-mail address and identifying features are captioned at the bottom of the picture. He's also microchipped but he won't tolerate a collar.

If ever Casper gets lost and he turns up at a shelter or some other place, we've got dead-nuts proof that he's our cat.

If you don't do at least some of these things, you have no guarantee of getting your cat back and, even if the cat does turn up, you've got no proof that it's your cat.
 

fionasmom

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I am sorry that this happened to you. My own experience with ferals, although this includes cats with regular behavior patterns who came for food daily, is that one of a several things has happened, mostly along the lines of what was stated before. I live in an area which is densely populated by coyotes and I have seen numbers of cats go into hiding immediately after an attack on another member of the colony, litter, or even general group of cats. It is as if they just disappear into thin air. Usually, once they become hungry, they return cautiously for food. I have seen the same behavior after dog attacks.

Around the Los Angeles area, AC will usually post if they are going to start to trap. They want all feeding to stop and also want to warn owners who may let their cats out that they can potentially be trapped and brought in. Trapping 30 cats requires 30 traps, one way or the others, and that is pretty hard to miss, along with some cats banging against the trap or howling once they door shuts. As you said, it is pretty hard to be sneaky about that.

The two abandoned kittens appearing is the odd part and I am not sure what to make of that. It could be coincidental to the other problem; maybe something happened to their mother having nothing to do with the other 30 cats or maybe she abandoned them.
 

Caspers Human

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I live in an area which is densely populated by coyotes and I have seen numbers of cats go into hiding immediately after an attack on another member of the colony, litter, or even general group of cats. It is as if they just disappear into thin air.
Yes! I agree, completely!

I live near a State Park that has a lot of wilderness areas where large packs of coyotes live. If you're in the right place at the right time, you can hear them when they all start yipping. Just about every small animal, rabbit, raccoon and squirrel instantly dives for cover and the birds all go quiet.

It's not hard to imagine that cats would do the same.
 
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Sith87

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Thank you for your answers! The predator theory is the closest to the truth in my opinion too. What doesn't adds up that a lot of neighbors have dogs inside their home, and if I go take our bin out late night before collection day I can hear the dogs barking. I would think a predator(s) present would disrupt many of the dogs senses which would be very noticeable. The community layout is pretty much the same, two story houses with double garage about 15 feet apart from each other.We are just right of the 101 and I10 junction with a lot of businesses and a hospital around. I never seen or heard coyotes here since we moved in one and a half years ago. The weather is very mild this time the year here. The kittens mother probably vanished with the others due I haven't seen any adult cat in the last four days or other kittens at all. I definitely will follow the advise to get collar and chipp for the little ones.
 

Caspers Human

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I can't tell you whether it actually was coyotes but I feel certain that there are coyotes where you live.

Coyotes inhabit every major city on the continental United States. You might not see them but they are there.

It's also a pretty sure bet that your cat knows when they are around, even if you don't notice.
 

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Have any of your neighbors found their cats? Have you been able to verify how many are missing? I hope yours shows back up!
 

fionasmom

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Coyotes are everywhere as Caspers Human Caspers Human said. They are wily and run under the radar for the most part, can clear huge jumps over obstacles, and know when the safest time is to come out (usually after dark). Yesterday morning on my early walk, I came across a dead one,evidently hit by a car while crossing a busy 6 lane street in a densely populated area where you would never expect them to be living.
 

Caspers Human

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There are coyotes living on the streets of cities like New York and Los Angeles. They have been spotted in both places. Like fionasmom fionasmom says, they are wily and run under the radar. Many city folk have probably seen them but thought they were just a stray dog.

I know, for certain that coyotes have been in my yard. I have seen their footprints in the snow in my yard.
Coyote tracks might look like dog tracks but they are slightly different and, if you know what to look for, are easy to tell apart.

I used to live near an airport where I could see planes landing on the runway from my back porch. I have seen coyotes hunting on the airport grounds, inside the fence. They'll hide in the tall grass around the perimeter and wait for rabbits and small animals to come out to feed at night. They are amazingly smart!

At many airports, the runway lights are turned off, late at night, but come on automatically when a plane comes in to land. Pilots can turn them on by remote control when they need them.

I have seen coyotes lurking in the tall grass hunker down when they see an airplane coming. Then, when the pilot turns on the runway lights, the coyotes run out and pounce.

The first time I saw it happen, I was like "Woah! No way!" :eek3:

Coyotes are wary of humans and will probably see you long before you see them. When you do see one, it will probably be running away.

Cats, on the other hand, are way more sensitive than humans and can detect a coyote when a human can't. I don't know whether it's by sight, sound, scent or by ESP but they know when predators are lurking. Dogs are pretty good, too.

Our family dog used to wake up at 3:00 in the morning and start barking when a deer came into the yard. He could be in a dead sleep then spring to his feet and run to the window. I don't know how he knew. It was spooky!

Bottom line: Cats know when predators are lurking and will head for cover when they think one is near.
 
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Sith87

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Still nothing expect 3 adult cats what I spotted this morning walking around like nothing happened. I found out these are the same feral cats like the others, feed by one our our community neighbor who said they never leaved our missed any feeding this week... So we have 3 cats remained here and those don't seem to be alerted. I don't know the exact number of the cats went missing but we have 7 neighbors in our dead end and I can recall 8 different cats just here. The community has 8 dead ends plus our main road. I am living in the last one at the very end. After my back yard is the 101 highway. Every time I drove out the community I saw cats thriving both side of the road. It might been coyotes and these 3 just missed the party...oh and the 2 kittens... But still weird!
 

vervainandrue

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There are coyotes living on the streets of cities like New York and Los Angeles. They have been spotted in both places. Like fionasmom fionasmom says, they are wily and run under the radar. Many city folk have probably seen them but thought they were just a stray dog.
I live in a neighborhood in Boston, and we have coyotes everywhere. On Nextdoor, people will post coyote sightings, and right after, there will be post after post of missing cats. It's frustrating that people let their cats out in such an urban environment that is also full of coyotes. Please keep your new kitties indoors. They will be so much safer.
 

Caspers Human

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It's funny how the timing of missing cats seems to fluctuate like waves, isn't it?

I lived in Cambridge. As you would walk around the neighborhood, you'll see posters of lost cats stuck on every lamppost. It wasn't uncommon to see two missing cats or dogs posters in a week. Then, there would be a few weeks of no new posters. The old ones, tattered and faded, have been torn down and everybody forgets. There is a quiet before the storm when the cycle begins again and new posters appear again.

Can anybody recollect the name or face of the last "Lost Cat" poster they saw?
 

Cat McCannon

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It would take a lot of coyotes to kill a colony of 30 cats overnight. Too many to go unnoticed.

It breaks my heart every time I read someone post they let their cat out, just like they always do and never see it again. I get a angry as well. It was preventable. As cat guardians, we know the dangers our cats face when let outside the home unsupervised.
 

Caspers Human

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It would take just one coyote to make thirty cats head for the hills.

They would either stay hidden until the coast is clear or else move to an area where they felt safer. They might move back to their original territory if they felt safe enough but they might move for good of there was a continuing threat of predators.
 

catsknowme

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Any updates on the community cats? did they ever return? In my area, poisonings and predators are the most common reasons for such mass disappearances. Poisons often cause excessive thirst and the infected animals go in search of water and consequently go off to die. coyotes move about their territory frequently - they hunt an established area for a few days to a week then move on and return on a monthly basis; some tribes could use the moon to know when coyotes would be in a particular area. Another predator who is surprisingly effective is a cougar who can catch and kill so efficiently that there is almost no noise or other commotion that alerts the other cats.
In 2017, I had 9 ferals go missing/get killed in 1 night and our dogs heard nothing. In the early morning, I found 1 fresh kill and 3 "dressed" bodies, 2 of which had been plucked and buried in leaves for later consumption. However, I realized that our rooster had been crowing in the wee hours because he was able to smell the approaching cougar. for the next few nights, when the rooster would crow loudly, I would go out and the cougar would be in the yard, very reluctant to leave (I had to leave the "crime scene" untouched until the state wildlife biologist returned from a backcountry project). I had to change my feeding times to later in the morning and earlier in the afternoon. One traumatized cat took a month to return.
 

Talien

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Any updates on the community cats? did they ever return? In my area, poisonings and predators are the most common reasons for such mass disappearances. Poisons often cause excessive thirst and the infected animals go in search of water and consequently go off to die. coyotes move about their territory frequently - they hunt an established area for a few days to a week then move on and return on a monthly basis; some tribes could use the moon to know when coyotes would be in a particular area. Another predator who is surprisingly effective is a cougar who can catch and kill so efficiently that there is almost no noise or other commotion that alerts the other cats.
In 2017, I had 9 ferals go missing/get killed in 1 night and our dogs heard nothing. In the early morning, I found 1 fresh kill and 3 "dressed" bodies, 2 of which had been plucked and buried in leaves for later consumption. However, I realized that our rooster had been crowing in the wee hours because he was able to smell the approaching cougar. for the next few nights, when the rooster would crow loudly, I would go out and the cougar would be in the yard, very reluctant to leave (I had to leave the "crime scene" untouched until the state wildlife biologist returned from a backcountry project). I had to change my feeding times to later in the morning and earlier in the afternoon. One traumatized cat took a month to return.
Yes, this could also be a cause. Feline predators like Mountain Lions (Cougars), Bobcats, and Lynx can live in or near inhabited areas and people will never even know they are there unless they happen upon a dead one, they have an uncanny ability to avoid Humans. Here in Michigan we've had Mountain Lions in the state for a very long time but the state DNR kept denying they existed, despite photo and video evidence, because they were not finding them. They are a "silent" contributor to missing pets, as people usually blame it on Coyotes because they are seen much more often.
 

catsknowme

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Talien Talien THANK YOU!!! People (including "experts") do not want to admit/realize that terrible wildfires have destroyed so much habitat that cougar are forced to seek new territory. With the overabundance of deer in MI, TN and the Carolinas, that I have seen with my own eyes, it might be a good thing to have lions reintroduced. Also, the cougar populations are dropping in WY because the flourishing wolf population is decimating cougar kittens. Here in CA, our lions are protected yet they are much less of a threat to humans than they are in states where they are hunted rampantly. As far as livestock decimation, I feel it is up to the ranchers & farmers to secure their livestock or keep llamas & donkeys & guard dogs on scene. Our state pays up to $3K for a pregnant cow taken by a lion yet the value of that cow was less than a $200 ranch call the other evening when a pg cow was stuck in the cattle guard; the cow was calm and a vet call with light sedative (not enough to knock her to the ground) was the only hope. The rancher refused to call the vet & my paycheck was in the mail or I would have paid for it myself. Instead the rancher first burnt her tail when he tried using his portable cutting torch (fortunately a wildfire was averted by bystanders who made him stop because the sparks were flying into 20' tall willow). Then he made matters worse by trying to use a sledgehammer & crow bar; the poor cow spooked and wound up with 3 legs stuck in the cattle guard instead of 1. At that point, I told the cow (who kept making eye contact with me and would quiet down when I told her to take it easy), "I'm sorry, Little Girl, but this is the end. Remember me when it is my time to Cross Over" and drove home. A tow truck was on its way at that point but, as I told the bystanders, without a vet, there would be only one unhappy result. The red pavement later proved me right. The mountain lion would have been more merciful for that poor cow (more like a calf herself but very preggers) who wasn't worth a vet visit.
 

Caspers Human

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That's just brain damaged thinking!

If a cow can produce $X over its lifetime and its calf can produce $Y, the value of that cow would be the sum of those two. (Value = X+Y) Add your fee of $A to the vet's fee of $B and add in $C for the cost of repairing broken fences and things and you get: Cost = A+B+C.

Now, the rancher is running a business. It's sensible to consider cost versus value in making decisions but it sounds like the guy has a severe case of rectal-cranial inversion! How can the value of that cow be less than the cost to save it? Throw in the value of any other offspring that cow could have produced, plus the value of the offspring that the calf could have produced and the numbers just don't add up!

The guy could have claimed up to $3,000 from the government if it was killed by a lion. Do you think he was doing something underhanded, planning to claim that government money?

How much is a good cow worth? I don't know but it's got to be worth more than $3,000.

If your services would cost a couple hundred and the vet bill would cost a couple-few hundred but the rancher is going to make a (bogus?) claim for $3,000 it sounds to me like he's throwing away a good couple thousand dollars unless there are other things I don't understand about.

If the guy sacrificed the cow, let's hope that, at least, he did it humanely!
 
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