Recently neutered feral cat disappeared

[moreknow]

First I wanna say im happy the website came back, I hope no data was lost

I've been trying to get all of my cats to get spayed/neutered, and ive gone 5 times since February, taking 2 or 3 at a low-cost clinic

I took 3 boys on Thursday and since these are really friendly to me and spend the night indoors in my garage, I let them out of their traps the moment i got home (the clinic is 45 min. away so they were desperate to get out). Thursday evening, i had no problems with them; all purring and eating like normal. Friday was the same as well. And then on Saturday morning 10 am I let Niño, one of the cats i took on Thursday, into my house to eat. He ate about half a can no problem, and was all normal. I let him out, and i usually feed them before i go to work at 12pm Saturdays, but i didn't this time. So i wait till my daily nighttime feeding routine to feed all 22 of them, and all cats show up except him. This is rare, I know for a fact something had happened to him. He wouldn't ignore my calls that i make everywhere around my area, and I went out to look for him every day since Saturday and still nothing. Im still trying to see if he could've gotten stuck in my neighbors' garages. Getting ran over by a car is almost impossible to have happened, especially during the day. So he must be either stuck somewhere, or something from the surgery/vaccinations must've caused him to fall ill.

The other 2 cats, which are just as playful as he is, are still outside doing just fine. But i noticed something in one of the cats' testicles

It's not letting me upload the pictures, but it appears to be a little abscess. It doesn't seem to bother him at all, cuz he's still purring and rolling around and running at me

But if Niño hasn't gotten stuck somewhere, could he have gotten some sort of testicular injury and possibly die from it? i don't know what vets do exactly when neutering them, and they don't give me specific instructions on how to care for a feral cat postop. I've always let cats out a day after surgery and they've all been fine. Please help me out i am really trying to make my efforts worth it and would hate to lose him just like that. Im just really upset at myself b/c the ONE time i decide not to feed them all day, something has to happen


Sorry for the lengthy post but this sums up the possibilities of what could've happened:

- got stuck in my neighbors' garage (possible, and likely. one neighbor texted me he left the garages open yesterday so ima go look there soon tonight)
- exploring (unlikely, all cats have shown up everyday since last summer)
- ran over (very unlikely, cats recognize the roads as unsafe places)
- got stuck in my neighbors' vehicles and relocated somewhere else or died (possible, but unlikely. I've never seen him go into my engines, only 2 cats in the past have done that)
- got sick or injured from postop (???) - I would really really really really appreciate the feedback; could he have died from any injury or side effects from the vaccinations?

Thank you so much in advance,
uriel

 

[di and bob]

My cats were VERY aware roads were unsafe and after 11 years still got ran over, so you might contact the police or humane society and see if one was picked up. You might get on Facebook if you are on that and post everyone to look for him, keep checking with the neighbors too. He could just not be feeling well from the vaccinations and is in hiding too. don't give up, I pray you find him!

 

[fionasmom]

Using FB or Nextdoor or any other social app that you might prefer which would serve this purpose is a good idea and will save you a lot of time and legwork if you get some responders. Sadly, most of those are possible; in fact, I think that the testicular infection is probably the least likely based on my own experience of releasing neutered males one day after the surgery. Neutering isn't that big a procedure compared to spaying. Only other medical option I can think of is if they gave him too many vaccines at once along with the procedure. My cat vet limits it to two vaccines at a time.

 

[Jcatbird]

Try not to despair. Cats are often a bit dismayed at being spayed or neutered. They can leave just to lick their wounds for awhile. He may be adjusting and it takes time for his hormones to be reduced. If a female is in heat in the area he may still be moved to follow her lovely perfume. Keep up your routine and investigate any areas , like garages, where he may be hidden away to let himself heal. Keep calling him and keep looking. Cats are masters at doing a vanishing act but may even be very near and observing from the safety of a hiding place. Please do keep us posted.

 

[moreknow]

My cats were VERY aware roads were unsafe and after 11 years still got ran over, so you might contact the police or humane society and see if one was picked up. You might get on Facebook if you are on that and post everyone to look for him, keep checking with the neighbors too. He could just not be feeling well from the vaccinations and is in hiding too. don't give up, I pray you find him!

Wow i really need to be even more careful with the roads.. only 2 of my cats that i know of were run over, last one being around July. I posted on facebook, one lady told me she saw a cat similar to mine but she lives about 2-3ish miles down the road; but she hasn't replied yesterday. I'll keep in touch with her, it seems unlikely that he would go that far down the road, especially since he was a skittish cat afraid of all other humans.
And yea i worried that it could've been a bad reaction from the vaccines since he got about 3

 

[moreknow]

Using FB or Nextdoor or any other social app that you might prefer which would serve this purpose is a good idea and will save you a lot of time and legwork if you get some responders. Sadly, most of those are possible; in fact, I think that the testicular infection is probably the least likely based on my own experience of releasing neutered males one day after the surgery. Neutering isn't that big a procedure compared to spaying. Only other medical option I can think of is if they gave him too many vaccines at once along with the procedure. My cat vet limits it to two vaccines at a time.

I posted on nextdoor today, hopefully there's people around my house that use this app as well.
When i went i asked them to give them the vaccines they had available, which were the rabies, FVRCP, and FeLV vaccines. They all also received a buprenoprphine and penicillin injection, and Advantage, which was applied by them and they put it at the top of their head. It was still wet when i went there to pick them up .. the other 2 cats are still perfectly fine. I really believe now that he got taken away from me.. this sucks. I want to be hopeful but i also want to be realistic

 

[moreknow]

Try not to despair. Cats are often a bit dismayed at being spayed or neutered. They can leave just to lick their wounds for awhile. He may be adjusting and it takes time for his hormones to be reduced. If a female is in heat in the area he may still be moved to follow her lovely perfume. Keep up your routine and investigate any areas , like garages, where he may be hidden away to let himself heal. Keep calling him and keep looking. Cats are masters at doing a vanishing act but may even be very near and observing from the safety of a hiding place. Please do keep us posted.

could a cat be gone for a whole week recovering? this cat was getting to be attached to me, he would always run into the house at any chance given. . im gonna go check again tonight, i don't hear any cries and i don't smell anything that gives me an idea that he passed away

 

[moreknow]

if he did get a severe allergic reaction to the vaccines, he might have collapsed but i still don't see (or smell) any signs of him
i am going to take 1 adult cat and 2 kittens Thursday to that same clinic, and i am reluctant. What services should i give them? I don't want to overvaccinate or cause them to get overwhelmed by all the treatments

 

[IndyJones]

If he was friendly is it possible he was adopted? Maybe living as an indoor cat?

 

[moreknow]

If he was friendly is it possible he was adopted? Maybe living as an indoor cat?

i have a feral/semiferal cat colony that lives in my backyard, and he was one of my later cats that showed up.. he got friendly with me and my family but was always scared of anyone else. I don't think he could've been adopted

 

[Jcatbird]

Cats can vanish for long periods of time and still be fine. I am currently dealing with a missing cat myself. After nearly a month, I finally spotted her. She had gotten scared by a dog and I didn’t have any signs of her although I had searched great distances. This is a cat that knows me well so don’t give up.
As for the vet appointments, I give rabies and all general disease vaccines to outside cats. If the vet is one you trust, ask their opinion. Out of a great many vaccinations, I have not had an adverse reaction for a cat yet. I know some others have written that their cats have but I have not experienced that myself. Neuters usually go well too. Spays are more complicated. If your vet is one you trust, that helps. If it is a discount clinic and you have concerns then look online for reviews, ask around or change clinics. It is possible since that cat is a newer arrival that he was exploring or on the hunt for a female and nervous because of that. Sometimes “owned” cats that are not fixed do roam but return home after any scares or after mating is over. You could post on “Next door” to look for him or put up flyers. I have found lost cats and reunited them with their families. His previous owners may have moved and left him behind but upon being neutered he may have gone back to his old home. Who knows what you may learn about this cat if you ask around. Hopefully you will get some answers soon.

 

[moreknow]

Yesterday i found out that my nextdoor neighbor was using my trap to catch my own cats and drop them off somewhere. At least that's what my neighbor's kid told me. I go check his backyard and there was another black and white tomcat that i've been having for 4 years out in the pouring rain. Im very upset, I feel he might've actually done something to the cat ive been missing. I called them and im hoping to work things out with them soon

 

[catsknowme]

Oh,noooo!!!!! I have a neighbor who does something similar. I spend more than I can afford just to put out canned food randomly during odd hours so that my ferals stay close in our yard. My dad's people had a theory that to cause the death of a feline (in their case, bobcat,jaguar, cougar) was to determine one's own suffering in death; I have seen it to be true several times. Those neighbors better be praying that those cats don't suffer!!

 

[fionasmom]

Sadly, kids often blurt out the truth. That is awful. A friend once gave me a kitchen magnet that said "Be kind to animals or burn in hell." Let's hope it is true.

 

[moreknow]

I just don't understand why he wouldn't even reach out to me about this 'problem' of my cats going on to his backyard garden. I've been lifelong friends with his 3 kids so i dont want to escalate things.. if Niño is out there, dead or alive, im glad his existence is getting acknowledged by amazing people like y'all

 

[moreknow]

SIDE NOTE: i just came home from the animal clinic, i took 1 male and 2 kittens, 1 female and 1 male. The female was sleeping on the way home but she was breathing kinda fast and i would poke at her to wake her up to see how she would respond and she wouldn't move the second time i did it. She moved around a bit though, and just now when i placed her alongside the other 2 trapped cats in my garage, she seems to recognize she's home and is lightly budging her head against the door. I don't want to make the wrong move here, what do yall advise me to do? I keep her in the garages overnight, and idk where she sleeps exactly but she isn't the only one that spends nights there. Should i feed her a bit? Im sorry im just concerned about her since i brought her home from my job before the Texas Winter storm & i don't know how she'll respond.. thanks so much

 

[Jcatbird]

The anesthesia affects each one different and she may be woozy. Until she is fully awake I would wait to feed her. Let her sleep it off in safety and comfort. This is probably the most relaxed she has been. Keep an eye on her and when she is back up to her normal self, give her a great meal.
As for your neighbor, it might help to explain that you are reducing the cat population around there. You are doing the community and cats a service in order to stop the Uncontrolled growth of the colony so please hang in there with you. In time, as the adults age out, the cats will no longer be an issue for the neighbor. They may not understand that you aren’t increasing the number of cats but stopping the increase. It’s a common misunderstanding. Also, if they persist, you can get tough and call in a rescue group. A national group can explain to the whole community and that puts a spotlight on anyone treating them in humanely. Your local ordinances may back you up too. Hopefully. In some places, this could be cruelty to an animal and punishable by law. It’s always a good idea to look up the laws in your area to make sure you adhere to the rules and have standing to protect the cats you are doing so much to help. Education is often the best route.

 

[fionasmom]

Alley Cat Allies has materials ready to go online and in printed form that you can use.

Home

Check under Resources. All of the points that Jcatbird made can be used, so consider all of them. In CA, animal abandonment is a "wobbler" which means that it can be prosecuted as a misdemeanor or a felony. If your neighbor is dumping cats someplace where they will not survive or hurting them himself it is definitely a crime.

 

[moreknow]

yes so i talked to them and the wife seemed upset at him but now today she texted my mom complaining that a cat did it again. They keep climbing over the fence and picking out their seeds and pooping there i posted a separate thread on this issue. I'd sincerely appreciate if y'all could check it out
Many thanks in advance

 

[Suziqq]

Yesterday i found out that my nextdoor neighbor was using my trap to catch my own cats and drop them off somewhere. At least that's what my neighbor's kid told me. I go check his backyard and there was another black and white tomcat that i've been having for 4 years out in the pouring rain. Im very upset, I feel he might've actually done something to the cat ive been missing. I called them and im hoping to work things out with them soon