My outdoor cat is still in my neighborhood but won’t come home. Please help.

CyberAlexMM

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Hey everyone, I’m Alex. My cat’s name is Cupid. I have a picture of him below. He is an outdoor cat and a hunter. He’s basically me if I was a cat. I’ve never felt more like someone than him.

Last Saturday, Cupid went outside as he always does, and hasn’t come back home since. We originally thought he was lost, but our neighbor said she saw him on Tuesday. This means he’s around us still, but won’t come home.

The most likely scenario is that he’s killing enough things to get food so he doesn’t have to come to our house. But even then, he usually comes to say hi to us when we’re outside. He hasn’t since Saturday.

I have very strong emotions, an effect of my ADHD, OCD, and severe anxiety. I’m so attached to Cupid and I can’t lose him. I don’t think he’s hurt or dead, and I don’t think he ran away. His favorite thing other than killing rodents is cuddling me and my sister. I have no other ideas on how to get him back to us. So I need your help.

Here is everything we’ve tried so far:

- Going on a walk and shaking his treats, which he usually comes running for.
- Leaving his wet food on the front steps.
- Leaving his dry food and litter box on the driveway
- Calling local shelters about him (He’s microchipped so if he goes to one, no matter which one, they’ll know where he originally came from and that his owner is my mom).

I really need help. As soon as possible. Cupid is only 6 years old and I want him to grow to an elderly kitty with us. Thank you in advance.
 

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Whenallhellbreakslose

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Hey everyone, I’m Alex. My cat’s name is Cupid. I have a picture of him below. He is an outdoor cat and a hunter. He’s basically me if I was a cat. I’ve never felt more like someone than him.

Last Saturday, Cupid went outside as he always does, and hasn’t come back home since. We originally thought he was lost, but our neighbor said she saw him on Tuesday. This means he’s around us still, but won’t come home.

The most likely scenario is that he’s killing enough things to get food so he doesn’t have to come to our house. But even then, he usually comes to say hi to us when we’re outside. He hasn’t since Saturday.

I have very strong emotions, an effect of my ADHD, OCD, and severe anxiety. I’m so attached to Cupid and I can’t lose him. I don’t think he’s hurt or dead, and I don’t think he ran away. His favorite thing other than killing rodents is cuddling me and my sister. I have no other ideas on how to get him back to us. So I need your help.

Here is everything we’ve tried so far:

- Going on a walk and shaking his treats, which he usually comes running for.
- Leaving his wet food on the front steps.
- Leaving his dry food and litter box on the driveway
- Calling local shelters about him (He’s microchipped so if he goes to one, no matter which one, they’ll know where he originally came from and that his owner is my mom).

I really need help. As soon as possible. Cupid is only 6 years old and I want him to grow to an elderly kitty with us. Thank you in advance.
First off, I am sorry you are going through this I have been there myself. In my case, my cat who I couldn't keep in because he would drive me nuts was let out one day and went missing. Fortunately, he turned up 5 months later thinner, but not in bad shape. Cats sometimes wander and end up lost. What I did is plaster Missing cat posters all over. I used bright paper to capture people's attention. Also laminate(cover in plastic) so it does not get washed out. Get these posters to every vet, animal shelter, rescue groups. Their are lost and found pet websites, see if you can put your cat's poster up there as well. Congratulations with having your cat microchipped, if you kept the information on it current it increases your chances of being reunited with your cat. If you have the money you may want to look into Pet Amber Alert or Pawboost, it does all this stuff and makes it easier and quicker in getting the word out. I know a few people who said it worked for them.

Here is another tip, put a shirt or pants you wore outside. Sometimes the cat picks up your scent and is drawn back to you. Talk to all your neighbors as well and ask for them to check their garages or sheds. Keep looking and don't lose heart. My cat came back after 5 months and I scoured the neighborhood looking for him. I almost gave up seeing him again. When he came back, I decided that he will now become an indoor kitty. My wild kitty calmed down enough where he became content being a indoor kitty. It is best to keep them indoors, for health and safety reasons.

I hope Cupid comes back soon. What a handsome kitty.
 
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CyberAlexMM

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Thank you for replying. I’m planning on going on a long walk around my neighborhood tomorrow and I’ll take what you said about scent into account. I’m working on a poster now, and I will not give up until I find him. Since you liked Cupid so much, have this picture of me and him laying on my parents’ bed.
 

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I would recommend going on your back porch/backyard or whtever and hanging out there for hours talking. Maybe with your sis? This has worked for me in the past. The kitty just appears out of nowhere to hang out with you sometimes. I would frequently spend time in the yard.
 

Whenallhellbreakslose

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Thank you for replying. I’m planning on going on a long walk around my neighborhood tomorrow and I’ll take what you said about scent into account. I’m working on a poster now, and I will not give up until I find him. Since you liked Cupid so much, have this picture of me and him laying on my parents’ bed.
Don't hesitate to visit this site if you need any more advice or support. I hope Cupid is found soon. That pic of Cupid and you is so sweet, I can see that you guys are best buddies. 😻😻😻 Best of luck to you.
 
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CyberAlexMM

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Yeah, we are. I’m planning on doing a walk either tomorrow or Sunday to try and find him. I’m going away for a few days a week from tomorrow, so I’m aiming to try and find him before then.
 

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I have often replied to those who have missed a kitty. There is a study that was done on missing kitties. Outdoor cats tend to stray a bit further than indoor cats but minimum is to look around a 17 house radius! Look on rooftops and in trees too! Cats tend to go to ground or go up high if frightened by anything. You can also use a flashlight to search at night. Many cats like to wander when all is still and quiet. A flashlight will quickly reflect in their eyes. I have found that a very useful tool myself. You may catch the eyes of a raccoon as well but cat eyes show up well and he should respond to your voice. Check around homes that also have pets. Cats often go where they see other cats or can find food outside. Your local post office and stores may have bulletin boards where you can post a lost cat flyer. Don’t get discouraged because cats are masters at playing tricks on us and hiding out. Look far and wide since he loves to hunt. They often get caught up in the hunt and lose track of time. Also, there are many people out there who find cats and are looking for the family they belong to. I am doing that now and have reunited cats with their families before so look for “ Found Cat” signs while you search. There are lost and found sites online too so do a search in your area for found kitties. Cupid is out there and probably having a nice game with a neighbor cat. Oh yes! Also, if possible, leave a window or garage door open a bit in case he wanders back at night. Baby monitors now come with cameras that have night vision. I use those too and they are a great way to keep watch over the places Cupid likes to enter or to eat.
Below are a couple of examples of what cat eyes look like when reflecting light. The first is reflecting the flash of a camera and the second is reflecting a flashlight on my phone.
2FA49272-659D-419C-8CA3-E5B6E52EF86F.jpeg
98462A00-C240-439B-9E9E-773253BB0114.jpeg

Cupid is adorable. The name fits! Please do keep us updated. I am sure that others will have tips on doing searches too. I think we have all experienced a misplaced kitty at some point. :hugs:
 
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CyberAlexMM

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Thanks for the reply. I knew that cats’ eyes reflected light, but never thought of it for searching for Cupid. Here’s a picture of his eye reflected, I took the picture because I thought he kinda looked like Sans from Undertale with the reflection.

Quick question too. I know it’d work better at night, but do the reflections also work in the daytime? I’m planning on doing a walk around the neighborhood tomorrow, and I have company coming at night so it can’t work tomorrow.
 

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jefferd18

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I don’t know of any. What would some ideas for a trap be? And also I don’t know anyone who is known for taking cats in around me.

You can borrow some live cat traps from your local animal shelter. Put some tuna in there to lure him, anything with a strong sense of smell. People take cats in all the time. I once found a male cat of mine camped at a house across the field from us. Ask little kids in the neighborhood- they always know things.
 

Jcatbird

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You can borrow some live cat traps from your local animal shelter. Put some tuna in there to lure him, anything with a strong sense of smell. People take cats in all the time. I once found a male cat of mine camped at a house across the field from us. Ask little kids in the neighborhood- they always know things.
Yes! Brilliant idea! Ask the children in the area!
The traps are wire and have a door that closes when the cat steps on a trip plate. You put the food at the back of the trap so the cat steps on the trip plate and that causes the door to shut. There are several versions of trap out there but most Human Societies, Animal control centers and shelters or rescue groups have them. You may need to give them a refundable deposit. They only ask for a deposit to make sure you return their trap. You can also purchase traps locally or online. Some can be triggered when you pull a string and some even have remote control but a simple trap works well. You will need to monitor it closely when you have it set. You never want to leave it set and Unwatched because whatever cat you catch cannot just be left inside.
I have been using baby monitors to watch for cats. They have cameras and sound so I find them very useful tools at my home. Some come with a small screen and some can be used through WiFi.
 
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