Should I Still Be Hoping My Missing Cat Will Come Home?

[nekomaui]

Bita, don't worry about spelling and getting names right. I am so sorry to hear about your Kali missing. Like you, many close friends and family told me to give up earlier on. And i understood that they were worried about my health and not trying to be discouraging. So hang in there. Everyone here is great and so supportive and has lots of great ideas. I only had positive sighting a few days before Daizu remembered me and his food.

Maybe setting the camera closer to the last place you saw her disappear would help. Then you can work you way further out? Gives us more description of your surrounding, so we can picture it better. I have my prayers for you and Kali.

 

[Norachan]

Bita, I'm so sorry to hear about Kali, she's a really pretty girl.

I moved house about a month ago and two of my girl cats have disappeared too. One of them had been here for two weeks, the other for three so I think there is a good chance that they'll stay in this area rather than try to head back to their old home. Like Kali, they are both former feral cats and used to going outdoors. I think having plenty of street smarts helps them.

You said that the area you live in is wooded? Lots of trees will provide food and shelter for Kali, she'll know how to take care of herself. Nekomaui has a good idea, try setting the camera up closer to home and then gradually moving further out. If a cat finds herself outside in a strange place her first instinct is to hide. Once she has found herself a safe hiding place she will gradually start to expand her territory as she looks for food. Try making a circle about 100 yards from your house with the camera first, then gradually moving it further away. There is a really good chance that she is still close by.

Don't give up. I know how sad you must be feeling, but remember what resilient little creatures cats are. They do a lot better without us than we do without them.

 

[bita]

I apologize for the latency in my response we were out scouring the area and I haven't made it to the computer except to look for her online....

Well to describe the area... its rural without being too secluded. The nearest market is two miles away but my house is in the woods where on my street we only have a few neighbors. We own a pond and have 4.63 acres and everyone around us has at least two acres. in the woods there are tons of frogs, birds and bugs but we live in South Carolina and have snakes....some poisonous and spiders....also poisonous. We have been baiting two live traps at night near the front and the back of our property, we've made and posted over 100 fliers, put out 100 mini fliers on the nearest neighbors around us mail boxes and have 10 very large posters all over the area as well. I talk to every person I see and go out and look for her nearly every evening as my back allows (I have nerve and disk issues). I have kitty buffets and I know we have a few feral colonies around that people feed as well as their own outdoor babies. Actually we are surrounded by feeders so she could definitely be lost in a worse area. We plan on following and becoming a bit of a cat sanctuary as funds and time allows, hopefully after our Kali is home.

Thanks all for the tips, we went and got the trail cam and will set it up with a kitty buffet strategically close by.  I'm just a wreck without her, my biggest fear (other than the obvious) is her missing me like I miss her. Its basically the worst feeling I can imagine and you are right ladies everyone around me is very negative and very quick to throw in the towel. I think its cause they don't want to see me suffering. But giving up is just not something I'm able to do, If I can do something I want to be doing that rather than grief avoidance. plus it may be the difference between holding my baby again or not. luckily my husband and his brother are very helpful and mostly comforting lol again I'm bonded the most with her so....I'm the one constantly bursting out in tears and having random mini panic attacks. Not that I'm envisioning the worst but not knowing is horrible.

Norachan I hope they come back soon. maybe they are just familiarizing themselves with the new territory.You of all people don't need to suffer the stress of them straying too far for too long so Ill add them to my prayers and daily good cat juju. Any one have any tips on attracting kitties? Any and all tips really for this process as I'm out of ideas. Hope yalls weekend was good although all the days blur together for me.

 

[Norachan]

Hi Bita,

I just wanted to share some advice with you. In the past 48 hours two of my girls have come home. Lizzie, who had been missing for 3 days, and Mia, who had been missing for three and a half weeks.

Your area sounds pretty similar to mine, so maybe it will work for you too. Go into the woods and look for deer trails. Other animals follow these trails too, Kali might be using them to get around or to find prey on. Walk along the tracks calling her. Rub your hands against trees by the side of the track to get your scent on them. It will help Kali find her way back to you.

I did this for about an hour on Saturday night and Lizzie turned up outside of our house about ten minutes after I got home. I tried it again this morning and later this evening and Mia came out of the woods calling me after I'd gone about a mile. She followed me all the way home.

I still have one girl out there. Spike has been gone for a week, but now that I've found the other two I feel much more hopeful about seeing her again.

Good luck, I hope this works for you too. 

 

[bita]

Norachan Im so happy your girls came home! I will absolutely do the same thing tonight. I had searched the woods previously but didnt touch anything like that. I know that we do have some trails and such. We wished on the full moon last night so heres hoping the universe hears us. She was given to us before, whos to say it cant happen again

 

[luvnickles]

I haven't been on the site for a while but I have a sad update about my Kuzon.  A homeless man who lives in the creek down the street from us, found a cat skull in the area of the creek near our house.  He believes it is kuzon and had been in a pool of water that receded with the summer heat.   There wasn't very much left of the body, only the top of the skull.  I believe it is indeed Kuzon.  Not only because of the size of the skull and the location found, but the right canine tooth is chipped in the same way that Kuzon's was.  It is very strange to hold it in my hand and picture the lovely blue eyes looking up at me.  I am strangely calm.  It has been 10 months since he was last seen and in the last week I had started to get a second wind and had begun handing out flyers door to door in the creek side neighborhoods further out than I had searched before.  It is very coincidental that I came upon this man who knew who I was - I wasn't handing out flyers at the time.  He had just picked the skull up last week but wasn't sure if he should bring it to me.  It was almost as if someone wanted to spare me the fruitless search and connected the two of us.  I would much rather know than go on interminably wondering.  I will never know what killed him, but this man who watches the life on the creek unfold, feels strongly that it was a badger or coyote.  I have never heard of a badger hunting a cat but he says they are vicious and the feral cats that he looks after have nearly all disappeared.  There are 4 more missing cat posters hanging up in my neighborhood. I wonder now, if the area of the creek is really a very dangerous place for these cats to explore.  I was always happy he spent time down there....so much safer, I thought, than dodging cars in the other direction.

I hope everyone who has a missing cat has a much happier ending than my lovely Kuzie - But I had a very strong sense that I would only have him for a short while so in a sense, I was prepared to lose him.  I looked as hard as anyone could possibly look - with night vision cameras and door to door leaflets and scouring the feral colonies and endless walking the creeks.  I had walked our creek many times and never came across a body....and there wasn't much water at the time of his disappearance so I don't know if he was in the brush and scavengers moved him over time, but I feel now he was there all along.

Another curious thing....a psychic had told me that he was alive and trying to make it back to us.  Oh how I wanted to believe him!  he said Kuzon would be back in 9 days.  that was last December.  The woman whose friend this psychic is, cautioned me that David was often wrong on time frame.  She said it could be 9 days, weeks or months.  Last week was around 9 months since the psychic told me Kuzon would come home....and in a sense he has.  At least I know which is so much more comforting than not knowing.  I have cried buckets over him over the last few months.  I am now very accepting that he is gone, that hopefully he didn't suffer and that he knew how much he was loved all the long seasons that I had been searching.

My best hope and wishes to all of you who are looking for lost loved fur babies and who cherish them in the way all animals deserve to be loved!

 

[littlelion]

I don't think someone should ever give up hope. About two weeks ago, my cat Luffy ran away. I search for him, and call out his name. Sometimes I can still here his meows, I remember exactly what they sound like. When I hear them, I run outside, ready to shower him in affection. But he's never there. Every time it rains I open my window and yell, "be safe out there, Luffy!" I still believe he will come home one day. My brother says that he just wanted to be wild. But one of my friends told me that not all adventures last forever. And that's true. I'm sure he'll come back one day! Don't give up hope yet, you've come too far to do so.

image.jpg

• littlelion
• Aug 11, 2014

here's a picture of Luffy. We know he will return some day, we wish you lots of luck. xoxo

 

[shadowsrescue]

 
I haven't been on the site for a while but I have a sad update about my Kuzon.  A homeless man who lives in the creek down the street from us, found a cat skull in the area of the creek near our house.  He believes it is kuzon and had been in a pool of water that receded with the summer heat.   There wasn't very much left of the body, only the top of the skull.  I believe it is indeed Kuzon.  Not only because of the size of the skull and the location found, but the right canine tooth is chipped in the same way that Kuzon's was.  It is very strange to hold it in my hand and picture the lovely blue eyes looking up at me.  I am strangely calm.  It has been 10 months since he was last seen and in the last week I had started to get a second wind and had begun handing out flyers door to door in the creek side neighborhoods further out than I had searched before.  It is very coincidental that I came upon this man who knew who I was - I wasn't handing out flyers at the time.  He had just picked the skull up last week but wasn't sure if he should bring it to me.  It was almost as if someone wanted to spare me the fruitless search and connected the two of us.  I would much rather know than go on interminably wondering.  I will never know what killed him, but this man who watches the life on the creek unfold, feels strongly that it was a badger or coyote.  I have never heard of a badger hunting a cat but he says they are vicious and the feral cats that he looks after have nearly all disappeared.  There are 4 more missing cat posters hanging up in my neighborhood. I wonder now, if the area of the creek is really a very dangerous place for these cats to explore.  I was always happy he spent time down there....so much safer, I thought, than dodging cars in the other direction.

I hope everyone who has a missing cat has a much happier ending than my lovely Kuzie - But I had a very strong sense that I would only have him for a short while so in a sense, I was prepared to lose him.  I looked as hard as anyone could possibly look - with night vision cameras and door to door leaflets and scouring the feral colonies and endless walking the creeks.  I had walked our creek many times and never came across a body....and there wasn't much water at the time of his disappearance so I don't know if he was in the brush and scavengers moved him over time, but I feel now he was there all along.

Another curious thing....a psychic had told me that he was alive and trying to make it back to us.  Oh how I wanted to believe him!  he said Kuzon would be back in 9 days.  that was last December.  The woman whose friend this psychic is, cautioned me that David was often wrong on time frame.  She said it could be 9 days, weeks or months.  Last week was around 9 months since the psychic told me Kuzon would come home....and in a sense he has.  At least I know which is so much more comforting than not knowing.  I have cried buckets over him over the last few months.  I am now very accepting that he is gone, that hopefully he didn't suffer and that he knew how much he was loved all the long seasons that I had been searching.

My best hope and wishes to all of you who are looking for lost loved fur babies and who cherish them in the way all animals deserve to be loved!

Oh LuvNickles I am so very sorry.  I often wondered about you and Kuzon.  I hope you can find peace. 

My beloved Patches never truly returned.  I had an imposter from Nov-Jan and then another imposter that showed up in February.  He too was not my Patches. I kept wondering why he always hid and never came near myself and only made brief contact with Shadow.  I did have a true sighting of my real Patches in late March, but never again.  The animal communicator I work with told me in June that Patches had died.  His body was weak and he had been hit by a car.  It had been a hard time for me wondering what happened to him.  I hope to feel at peace and know that some how he realized how much I loved him. 

The new kitty that has been around since February is as feral as feral can be.  I have made little to no progress with him.  He eats only under the deck.  He did come up onto the deck in the spring at night, but only a few times did I catch a glimpse of him.  I now have a camera pointed under the deck so I know when he arrives. 

I wish you peace.  RIP dear sweet Kuzon.  You are in my thoughts.

 

[luvnickles]

I did have a true sighting of my real Patches in late March, but never again.  The animal communicator I work with told me in June that Patches had died.  His body was weak and he had been hit by a car.  It had been a hard time for me wondering what happened to him.  I hope to feel at peace and know that some how he realized how much I loved him. 

 Originally Posted by ShadowsRescue  
The new kitty that has been around since February is as feral as feral can be.  I have made little to no progress with him.  He eats only under the deck.  He did come up onto the deck in the spring at night, but only a few times did I catch a glimpse of him.  I now have a camera pointed under the deck so I know when he arrives. 

   I know that you will keep trying to make a connection with the new kitty.  It is so easy to love the ones that love us openly, but much harder to love the feral ones and yet, they are the ones that need love the most! 

 

[bita]

I'm so sorry and pray that Patches and Kuzon didn't suffer. My heart goes out to all of you that have lost a baby. Sometimes we come across answers in the strangest ways and the universe works in the most of mysterious ways.

My Kali is super timid and I know it would be nearly impossible for anyone to see her unless she wants to be seen but we have been sticking leaflets to mail boxes and talking to anyone we can. She got out the day I brought her into the area so I know she is lost and hope she isn't just wandering. Oh how I need a resolution soon and hopefully its her in my arms. I cant bare the thought of her last memory of me shoving her into a carrier and then it popping open, her dashing out and looking back to see me chasing her in a panic.

This has been an awful cruel year of loss.

I have noticed on the wildlife cam two ferals eating at the kitty buffet so at least Im able to provide a full tummy to those I can, I hope that karma translates to our baby and plus Im happy to help and kitties I can. Blessings to you all

 

[bita]

I got a call from some people in a near by trailer park. They are relatively certain that Kali may be over there! They described the way this cat sits just like my darling prissy daughter sits. Some markings were confirmed but they didnt get close enough to my skittish girl for details. We will be staging a kitty stake out this evening with her favorite blanket, catnip, tuna, brush, and our hopes. If we dont catch a glimpse of the cat that could be her ill be staking out this Friday in a car with the live trap (one of our traps was stolen from this area so im nervous about leaving anything there), wildlife cam and everything else above. I have high hopes about this. Iv felt like she could be there since the day she got out. Just wanted to update you all. Hope you all are ok

 

[shadowsrescue]

I am so hoping you find your beloved princess. I am sending vibes that she is found tonight!!!!!

 

[buffy2011]

So  glad to hear you got some good news. These people that called you, would they let you put some food on there porch? Maybe a trap, but I would only leave the trap if I was staking it out like you said. Hoping to hear some better news in a few days. Good Luck I hope you at least get to see it is her. 

 

[Norachan]

 
I haven't been on the site for a while but I have a sad update about my Kuzon.  A homeless man who lives in the creek down the street from us, found a cat skull in the area of the creek near our house.  He believes it is kuzon and had been in a pool of water that receded with the summer heat.   There wasn't very much left of the body, only the top of the skull.  I believe it is indeed Kuzon.  Not only because of the size of the skull and the location found, but the right canine tooth is chipped in the same way that Kuzon's was.  It is very strange to hold it in my hand and picture the lovely blue eyes looking up at me.  I am strangely calm.  It has been 10 months since he was last seen and in the last week I had started to get a second wind and had begun handing out flyers door to door in the creek side neighborhoods further out than I had searched before.  It is very coincidental that I came upon this man who knew who I was - I wasn't handing out flyers at the time.  He had just picked the skull up last week but wasn't sure if he should bring it to me.  It was almost as if someone wanted to spare me the fruitless search and connected the two of us.  I would much rather know than go on interminably wondering.  I will never know what killed him, but this man who watches the life on the creek unfold, feels strongly that it was a badger or coyote.  I have never heard of a badger hunting a cat but he says they are vicious and the feral cats that he looks after have nearly all disappeared.  There are 4 more missing cat posters hanging up in my neighborhood. I wonder now, if the area of the creek is really a very dangerous place for these cats to explore.  I was always happy he spent time down there....so much safer, I thought, than dodging cars in the other direction.

I hope everyone who has a missing cat has a much happier ending than my lovely Kuzie - But I had a very strong sense that I would only have him for a short while so in a sense, I was prepared to lose him.  I looked as hard as anyone could possibly look - with night vision cameras and door to door leaflets and scouring the feral colonies and endless walking the creeks.  I had walked our creek many times and never came across a body....and there wasn't much water at the time of his disappearance so I don't know if he was in the brush and scavengers moved him over time, but I feel now he was there all along.

Another curious thing....a psychic had told me that he was alive and trying to make it back to us.  Oh how I wanted to believe him!  he said Kuzon would be back in 9 days.  that was last December.  The woman whose friend this psychic is, cautioned me that David was often wrong on time frame.  She said it could be 9 days, weeks or months.  Last week was around 9 months since the psychic told me Kuzon would come home....and in a sense he has.  At least I know which is so much more comforting than not knowing.  I have cried buckets over him over the last few months.  I am now very accepting that he is gone, that hopefully he didn't suffer and that he knew how much he was loved all the long seasons that I had been searching.

My best hope and wishes to all of you who are looking for lost loved fur babies and who cherish them in the way all animals deserve to be loved!

I'm so sorry to hear about Kuzon.

I had no idea that badgers were so dangerous. They must be very different to the ones I used to see when I lived in England, they were slow-moving, short-sighted gentle creatures.

As you say, it's better to know than to just go on searching. And at least you got a little part of him back so you'll be able to lay him to rest and have a place to remember him.

He knew he was loved. Searching for a lost pet is exhausting, but even if we never find them or find out what happened to them, none of that time spent searching is wasted. You need to be able to tell yourself that you did everything possible to bring him or her home. That way, years from now, you won't still be thinking "If only I'd ......."

It's good to have someone to love you while you are living and cry for you when you're gone. Kuzon was with you for such a short time, but it was a good time and you'll always have those memories.

 

[Norachan]

 
I got a call from some people in a near by trailer park. They are relatively certain that Kali may be over there! They described the way this cat sits just like my darling prissy daughter sits. Some markings were confirmed but they didnt get close enough to my skittish girl for details. We will be staging a kitty stake out this evening with her favorite blanket, catnip, tuna, brush, and our hopes. If we dont catch a glimpse of the cat that could be her ill be staking out this Friday in a car with the live trap (one of our traps was stolen from this area so im nervous about leaving anything there), wildlife cam and everything else above. I have high hopes about this. Iv felt like she could be there since the day she got out. Just wanted to update you all. Hope you all are ok

Wonderful news Bita! I hope it really is her.

I still haven't found Spike but I know she is out in those woods somewhere. I go for long walks every morning and evening calling her. I think it's just a matter of being in the right place at the right time so she hears me and remembers she has a home. Her brother Marley sometimes stands at the edge of our cat enclosure and calls into the woods. Does he sense her out there? They were always close, but she is far more wayward and adventurous than he. 

Some day soon she'll hear us calling her and come home.

 

[bita]

Im sure he is calling for Spike. Our little Serenity calls for her mother by the window from time to time. Today marks week 6. We still havent spotted this cat that people claim could be our Kali but we have had a few more people look at her picture and swear its her and have seen her around. Its my greatest hope that it is. There are a bunch of trailers she could slip under if so but Ill search however long it takes. If  I cant grab her tonight I was given permission to sit out in the car tomorrow overnight with the trap and camera. She has been spotted in the area by multiple people so it should be a good sign. Thanks for the kitty vibes. Im sending them back out there to you all as well

 

[Norachan]

Cats are so good at hiding and staying hidden when they want to be. I bet Kail was at the trailer park while you were there. She's probably just making sure that it really is you before she makes herself known.

Good luck on your stakeout tomorrow. Don't forget to take a flask of hot coffee to help you stay alert.

 

[nekomaui]

Im sure he is calling for Spike. Our little Serenity calls for her mother by the window from time to time. Today marks week 6. We still havent spotted this cat that people claim could be our Kali but we have had a few more people look at her picture and swear its her and have seen her around. Its my greatest hope that it is. There are a bunch of trailers she could slip under if so but Ill search however long it takes. If  I cant grab her tonight I was given permission to sit out in the car tomorrow overnight with the trap and camera. She has been spotted in the area by multiple people so it should be a good sign. Thanks for the kitty vibes. Im sending them back out there to you all as well

I hope you get good pictures or can identify Kali. Not knowing is the worst, please take care and be strong physically and mentally. I have you and all those missing babies in my prayers.

Norachan, I am glad two of your girls came home safe and sound. I am sure Spike will be home in no time. Did you get strong winds from the typhoon last week? A piece of tile flew off from my roof!

 

[Norachan]

I hope you get good pictures or can identify Kali. Not knowing is the worst, please take care and be strong physically and mentally. I have you and all those missing babies in my prayers.

Norachan, I am glad two of your girls came home safe and sound. I am sure Spike will be home in no time. Did you get strong winds from the typhoon last week? A piece of tile flew off from my roof!

Hi Nekomaui,

Yes, the typhoon was pretty bad here but I think it helped to send the girls home. The heavy rain and wind must have made Mia and Lizzie move back into this area. I'd checked the area I found them in several times before but they weren't there. Maybe the bad weather encouraged them to go home? Or maybe it's because of Obon. Most of the other houses around here are summer houses that only get used once a year. If the home owners came back it would have scared them out from which ever porch they were hiding under and sent them back home.

Still no sign of Spike. It's been 12 days now so I'm going to widen the search area in case she's started to head back towards our old place.

Bita, how did it go last night? Any sign of Kali?

 

[bita]

Any news on Spike? The stake out went well although I didn't see Kali. I did however, meet her doppelganger feral twin that I'm feeding and trying to befriend so I can move her out of the rough area. There are mean people that have been found abusing animals. I need to do something about that as well. I spoke (yelled) at some kids that were blowing up frogs with firecrackers and were found dousing a dog in gas (last year) trying to light him on fire previously. I'm waiting til it wouldn't be so obvious that I reported them to do so and in the mean time, have enlisted teen boys in my cat  search as well as my eyes in making sure those kids dint hurt any other animals. I also spend a fair amount of time in the area looking for Kali while being watchful over the children. We've been adopted by a few ferals at home , caught them meeting each other on camera and they became friends over the kitty buffet. If anything is a positive from this horrific experience its things like these.

And i concur nekomaui. Not knowing is definitely the worst feeling. oh, also, I got my local news station to post it on facebook and I'm getting lots of shares. lets hope social media reaches places i havent. Any who, typhons sound awful, hope you all are safe.You have our prayers and positive energy