My Cat Did Not Return Home, Is It Over ?!

[Kflowers]

@alice, is it safe to be walking around at night by yourself? You'll do the cat no good if you're mugged and in the hospital.

 

[FeebysOwner]

I found this in our neighbour's house, looked from above. What is this? looks like fresh blood. But the weird thing is that they still didn't clean it, even after I knocked their door and told them about the cat.(they refused to open, I'll wait one more hour, then call the cops if insisted). They don't know that I know about this yet.

What's going on? Can you update us, please?

 

[AIice]

Thanks everyone, sorry for the bother.
46 hours, hasn't returned. This is too much for a cat that only trsuts one human and is very picky with food. I have to give up now on the by far the most precious and beautiful thing I ever had/met, and the only creature capable of making me smile.

May God be with you. We shall meet in the next world.

 

[war&wisdom]

Thanks everyone, sorry for the bother.
46 hours, hasn't returned. I have to give up now on the by the most precious thing I ever had/met, and the only creature capable of making me smile.

May God be with you.

As several people on this thread have told you, it can be days and even weeks before cats come back.

My mom even had a cat who was mainly indoors but would leave once a year for a day or two, then come back as if nothing had happened.

But if you want to keep ahold of your kitties, keep them indoors. They're happy inside because they're well-cared-for and don't have to worry about predators (or cars). If you're worried about boredom, follow the advice of people on this thread/site about enriching your cats' environment.

 

[Kat0121]

Thanks everyone, sorry for the bother.
46 hours, hasn't returned. This is too much for a cat that only trsuts one human and is very picky with food. I have to give up now on the by far the most precious and beautiful thing I ever had/met, and the only creature capable of making me smile.

May God be with you. We shall meet in the next world.

It's not a bother. We want to help you. 48 hours isn't long enough to just give up. Please alert local shelters and rescues that your cat is missing and provide photos. Ask local vets if they would be willing to put lost cat signs up in their offices with a photo and your contact information. Try leaving your cat's litter box with used litter in it outside the house. Sometimes something with their scent on it will draw them back. Keep looking. Keep putting fliers up on telephone poles and light posts. Talk to your neighbors. Try leaving something with your scent on it near the door. A piece of clothing that you wore. That can draw them back too. Lost cats have managed to find their way home after much longer than 2 days away.

 

[Willowy]

I have a friend whose housecat got out and he was gone for 3 weeks! When he came back he was skinny and dirty and mildly injured but he did come back. She never found out what happened to him while he was gone. So don't give up yet. Put up fliers and make posts on local websites in case someone else took her into their home.

 

[AIice]

I FOUND HIM ... or he's the one who found me. I was looking for him, calling out and he answered from above. maybe I should finally give him a name, "Ghost" or "Tenshi" which means angel.
He's in the house in front of my house, roaming from a house to another by walking on the walls. The collar fell off, which is good for him to hunt.
I climbed on the people's house for him be he refused to come.
Will he come back? It's really hard to tell considering he stayed out through the constant aggressive weather since the day he left. I tried to lure him with his favorite food, he constantly meowed and tried to get down, but then walked away Either way, he's alive and that's all that matters.

I should give up on the idea of tracking collar and just keep him inside the boring noisy house. Any ideas? I'm really hesitant about doing that.

 

[FelisCatus]

That’s amazing!!!

 

[FeebysOwner]

Good news!! Now just keep going outside every opportunity you can and call to him - take a bag of food or treats and shake them when you call for him. And, stay a while, in case it takes time for him to get near enough for you to see him.

 

[FelisCatus]

I should give up on the idea of tracking collar and just keep him inside the boring noisy house. Any ideas? I'm really hesitant about doing that.

It’s only as boring as you make it.

Suggestions
-Cat channels from Youtube so he can watch birds, bugs, mice, rats, etc
-fishing rod style toys so you two can play together
-automatic toys so he can play alone
-grow cat grass all the time
-build a catio if possible
-put shelving up all around your walls so he can jump and climb. Seems like he likes to climb since you found him on a roof
-buy the scratching post material and put it around stuff

Are you able to make your house less noisy? What’s causing the noise? I am guessing it can’t be louder than him living outside.

Some cat lovers are against this, but you can live feed mice, rats, rabbits, etc so he gets to experience the outdoors inside safe. Just make sure nothing gets away and your source of live feed is clean.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Maybe these articles will help you to adjust your cat to the indoor life.

How To Help A New Cat Adjust To Your Home

Bored Cat? What Cat Owners Need To Know (including 10 Actionable Tips)

 

[Willowy]

Is he castrated? If not, he's going to leave often to look for lady friends to impregnate. Having him castrated would do a lot to keep him around the house.

But, yes, it's much safer to keep him inside if at all possible. Or, do you have a garden or patio you could secure so he has a safe outdoor space?

 

[Hellenww]

he constantly meowed and tried to get down,

Maybe he can't get down to come home. Even when cats love their human they often won't let themselves be picked up outside. Is there a table or a lower section of wall? When he calls to you again guide him to that area. Walk slowly next to the wall and call/meow to him as you walk.

 

[maggie101]

I have a 72 inch tower,tunnels,cubes,scratch bed,wand toys,and more. So,no my cats are not bored. They are inside. Safe from wild animals. Where I live, 2 dogs have killed cats and dogs. Cops are still trying to catch them though it's been 2 months.
Some shelters are over crowded so they let dogs loose. That may be why this is happening. We now have eagles that will swarm down and kill a kitten. Also it is normal that cats sleep most of the day. Hunt,catch,kill,eat,and sleep. They are fed 3x a day because they hunt mostly morning and evening and not as much during the day. So p,ay with him,feed, then he will clean himself and nap

 

[FelisCatus]

I have a 72 inch tower,tunnels,cubes,scratch bed,wand toys,and more. So,no my cats are not bored. They are inside. Safe from wild animals. Where I live, 2 dogs have killed cats and dogs. Cops are still trying to catch them though it's been 2 months.
Some shelters are over crowded so they let dogs loose. That may be why this is happening. We now have eagles that will swarm down and kill a kitten. Also it is normal that cats sleep most of the day. Hunt,catch,kill,eat,and sleep. They are fed 3x a day because they hunt mostly morning and evening and not as much during the day. So p,ay with him,feed, then he will clean himself and nap

These are all great points.

AIice I am sure at this point I have nagged you enough. But you have no idea how lucky you are to have found Ghost/Tenshi. You might not be so lucky next time. In my own neighbourhood there has been a ‘lost cat’ sign up for over 2 months now, when I called they still never found them.

Take this blessing for what it is and don’t repeat the same mistakes so you don’t lose the one creature who can make you smile .

Ghost/Tenshi is one incredible boy and he needs to know you will look after him and keep him safe.

 

[FeebysOwner]

And, here's another article that might help.

The Five Golden Rules To Bringing An Outdoor Cat Inside

 

[AIice]

Thanks everyone. The cat has returned home on his own.
1:50 AM, Mar 16 ~ 4:50 AM, Mar 19
Now, I have to work on how do I keep him inside & entertained? I can force him to stay in; he has been for a year(was a kitten), but that's just doesn't sound right. I hope he had fulfilled his curiosity in the outside world. 99 hours, I hope it's enough.

Right now I'm thinking of:
1- Only letting him out with a leash; 30 minutes max, and buy a tracking collar for no reason(I can't catch him)
2- NOT microchipping him, as there's 0 care about animals, and he's unfriendly with humans just like me.
3- Trying CatTV(not sure how, I'll learn, hopefully I won't need to connect my laptop with HDMI)
4- Get plants in a small cup or jar, but what kind of plants, grass, flowers? real or artificial? still undecided.

I have wand toys, laser, balls, tunnel, and much more(no scratch bed yet(?)), but he's too smart for it(the other cat enjoy everything), even knowing he'll get rewarded afterwards.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi!
You received lots of good tips and ideas in the above posts for how to keep your wanderer entertained, be sure and look through those again.

If you do put a collar on, only use a breakaway collar, no other.

You will need to get a harness and leash and walk him, you can't tie him as a person can with a dog.

Harness And Leash Training For Cats

9 Grass Growing Kits That Will Make Your Cat Happy

 

[maggie101]

Someone could trap your cat and take to a shelter. Shelters will check for a microchip. When I take my cats for their shots it is always scanned to make sure it still works. I think it was $30

 

[LTS3]

A lot of common household plants are harmful to pets so don't just buy some on a whim. There are lists you can find online of "safe" plants. I put safe in quotes because vomiting or an upset tummy can still happen but there is no toxicity.

Cat grass and catnip ate two cat-friendly plants.