This time it happened to me - Missing cat

[Unc]

The only cat shelter in the area is where I give a hand regularly.
I called the other shelter in a different city, they didn't receive any cats in the last months.

Looking at the MAP you posted I see what looks like a busy 4 lane road between
you and the recent sighting, could be She somehow crossed that main road and now
to scared to cross back ??? really looks like a busy 4 lane road, I would concentrate
my fliers and attention on the far side of that road.

Trying to think like a Cat

 

[Antonio65]

Looking at the MAP you posted I see what looks like a busy 4 lane road between
you and the recent sighting, could be She somehow crossed that main road and now
to scared to cross back ??? really looks like a busy 4 lane road, I would concentrate
my fliers and attention on the far side of that road.

Trying to think like a Cat

All roads shown in that map are 2 lane roads. The one you mention is only broader than the others, and what may seem a dual lane is actually a wayside parking space. Even the broader road isn't busy, the others are really quiet.

Today I posted some 50 fliers on the other side of that broad road, up and past the house where they saw that black cat.

It's nearly 10 pm here, and I got no news from that side of the city.
I fear it was a one-time sighting, and that cat, whoever it was, is now who knows where.

 

[Kwik]

I completely agree with you, but this cat was born as a feral, and got closer to humans later in time. She lived on a nearby property for about 5 or 6 years (maybe more) before moving to my yard a couple of years ago.
Over here she found one of her sons (he arrived when he was about 6 months old) and another feral cat that I believe is her sister.
She's not used to living indoors, and the few times I tried to keep her inside, she was much more than desperate.

My own cats are indoor cats only, they never get out unsecured, I only lead them out on harness and leash.



I wonder what she could miss here. What led her to leave? She has lovely and friendly feline company. She has a warm shelter, she has at least four meals a day, a protected garden with absolutely no risks.

Curiosity- something gets their attention and they follow it .... that's usually the reason a cat will wander from their well established territory and believe me it's not at all they are missing something

Cats do get lost Antonio65 if she is okay then you can bet she's trying to get back . You mentioned heavy rains,if a cat happens to wander out of their familiar territory they can lose the scents or sights that lead them back and they've lost their bearings- that cat will continue to search for its territory and unfortunately at times they are headed in the wrong direction and can end up many miles from home

So,if in fact it was your girl at that home then it's highly likely she's lost her way and is trying to find her scent,heavy rains could really mess them up

Widen your area,it's good you've put your fliers in that area too.....This is why you hear stories of cats turning up months or even years later- they are out there looking for their territory ,some do find it again

My friend,if we are so Blessed to Receive her home safely then please ,bring her in- there is a way to establish " inside" the home as her territory and keep her in... never mind the old cliche " can't teach an old dog new tricks " it's hogwash!

Success with true ferals begins with containment( that's how you relocate a cat to ensure it doesn't wander) Again,they will search for their territory but between 30 &60 days they establish the new one( sometimes longer,might take up to 90 days)..... it's easy to tell because when you open the door they won't want to leave..... I hope you find her ,if you do I'm happy to help you transition and recondition her

 

[Antonio65]

This morning, the lady at the house where a black cat was spotted two days ago told me that the food in the trap cage was gone, but the trap didn't work. So I went there and checked the trap, put some more food in the dish and had it ready for another attempt.
Meanwhile, the lady's husband had been browsing through several hours of camera footage (I wonder how many people would do that) and found the moment when the black cat arrived on their doormat on Wednesday, and he called me inside to watch the clip on the monitor and it seemed to me that the cat wasn't the same. It was a black cat, but it was too slim and too small, more likely a kitten.
We kind of hoped it was mine who got much slimmer for the long lack of food.

An hour ago they called me again, a black cat had just been caught in the trap, so I went there immediately. Unfortunately it wasn't my cat, it was a 5 to 6 months old kitten, small, thin, scared but not aggressive, I was even able to touch its nose.
Probably it was a feral kitten living in the area, it was so hungry that went into the trap twice, once when it didn't work and once an hour ago. We let it go.

The kindness of these people was way above the average, so I took them an Easter cake.

Now, my cat has been away for over two weeks now, I haven't found her on the road, nobody saw her. I looked for her yesterday, and again this morning. She can't be just vanished into thin air.
My suspicion of someone who hurt or killed her intentionally is getting stronger.
This cat had the weird habit to peep inside home every now and then, and on a very few occasions she even walked inside and explored the first two feet of the house past the door, then she would dart outside.
I think she might have done the same thing with a neighbor, and that this neighbor didn't appreciate this curiosity and killed her on the spot. I only have one suspect on my list regarding this potential murder.

 

[Unc]

This morning, the lady at the house where a black cat was spotted two days ago told me that the food in the trap cage was gone, but the trap didn't work. So I went there and checked the trap, put some more food in the dish and had it ready for another attempt.
Meanwhile, the lady's husband had been browsing through several hours of camera footage (I wonder how many people would do that) and found the moment when the black cat arrived on their doormat on Wednesday, and he called me inside to watch the clip on the monitor and it seemed to me that the cat wasn't the same. It was a black cat, but it was too slim and too small, more likely a kitten.
We kind of hoped it was mine who got much slimmer for the long lack of food.

An hour ago they called me again, a black cat had just been caught in the trap, so I went there immediately. Unfortunately it wasn't my cat, it was a 5 to 6 months old kitten, small, thin, scared but not aggressive, I was even able to touch its nose.
Probably it was a feral kitten living in the area, it was so hungry that went into the trap twice, once when it didn't work and once an hour ago. We let it go.

The kindness of these people was way above the average, so I took them an Easter cake.

Now, my cat has been away for over two weeks now, I haven't found her on the road, nobody saw her. I looked for her yesterday, and again this morning. She can't be just vanished into thin air.
My suspicion of someone who hurt or killed her intentionally is getting stronger.
This cat had the weird habit to peep inside home every now and then, and on a very few occasions she even walked inside and explored the first two feet of the house past the door, then she would dart outside.
I think she might have done the same thing with a neighbor, and that this neighbor didn't appreciate this curiosity and killed her on the spot. I only have one suspect on my list regarding this potential murder.

NO that did not happen, Lets expect she is just lost and will be home Very Very soon. We need to keep
GOOD POSITIVE energy in this situation, believe me, the universe will give you what you believe to be true
and positive energy will attract positive results

 

[Mamanyt1953]

I would only remind you of how often we have heard here of a cat going missing for MONTHS and showing up again safely. Don't count her out yet.

 

[Norachan]

I think she might have done the same thing with a neighbor, and that this neighbor didn't appreciate this curiosity and killed her on the spot. I only have one suspect on my list regarding this potential murder.

But how? She doesn't sound like the kind of cat that would let a stranger get close enough to hurt her. My feral rescues won't even let me get to close to them if I approach them in a strange area, like if one of them gets out of the enclosure and I'm outside trying to coax them back in.

Some one might have shooed her away, but I don't think anyone would be able to kill a feral cat unless they'd been able to trap one.

Sending you more good vibes. Some of mine have disappeared for months at a time, and I couldn't think of any reason why they would have left. They all came home eventually though.

 

[Antonio65]

This morning marks 21 days since my yard cat has been missing. Not a single clue on her whereabouts, nobody saw her, or spotted her.
I keep looking everywhere, most of my 100+ fliers are still in place despite a whole week of rain.
On Easter day I received two phone calls from neighbors who were sure they saw her on or near their properties, but it wasn't my cat, it was her son, which is black but twice as big. He, too, lives in my yard but he's still here.

How can a cat vanish into thin air? I haven't found her on the road, I checked the waste bins in the area for days, the city council and local police have no reports of dead animals in my area. I don't think she was stuck in somebody's garage or shed or else, or in three weeks they would have opened it. Nobody could have snatched her because she is a very wary and suspicious cat, she couldn't have jumped on a delivery van because she vanished between midnight and 8 am.
I just can't figure out what's happened.

 

[dustydiamond1]

This morning marks 21 days since my yard cat has been missing. Not a single clue on her whereabouts, nobody saw her, or spotted her.
I keep looking everywhere, most of my 100+ fliers are still in place despite a whole week of rain.
On Easter day I received two phone calls from neighbors who were sure they saw her on or near their properties, but it wasn't my cat, it was her son, which is black but twice as big. He, too, lives in my yard but he's still here.

How can a cat vanish into thin air? I haven't found her on the road, I checked the waste bins in the area for days, the city council and local police have no reports of dead animals in my area. I don't think she was stuck in somebody's garage or shed or else, or in three weeks they would have opened it. Nobody could have snatched her because she is a very wary and suspicious cat, she couldn't have jumped on a delivery van because she vanished between midnight and 8 am.
I just can't figure out what's happened.

Are there coyotes in your area? Is she small enough for an owl or hawk to have taken her? My heart is aching for you.

 

[dustydiamond1]

This morning, the lady at the house where a black cat was spotted two days ago told me that the food in the trap cage was gone, but the trap didn't work. So I went there and checked the trap, put some more food in the dish and had it ready for another attempt.
Meanwhile, the lady's husband had been browsing through several hours of camera footage (I wonder how many people would do that) and found the moment when the black cat arrived on their doormat on Wednesday, and he called me inside to watch the clip on the monitor and it seemed to me that the cat wasn't the same. It was a black cat, but it was too slim and too small, more likely a kitten.
We kind of hoped it was mine who got much slimmer for the long lack of food.

An hour ago they called me again, a black cat had just been caught in the trap, so I went there immediately. Unfortunately it wasn't my cat, it was a 5 to 6 months old kitten, small, thin, scared but not aggressive, I was even able to touch its nose.
Probably it was a feral kitten living in the area, it was so hungry that went into the trap twice, once when it didn't work and once an hour ago. We let it go.

The kindness of these people was way above the average, so I took them an Easter cake.

Now, my cat has been away for over two weeks now, I haven't found her on the road, nobody saw her. I looked for her yesterday, and again this morning. She can't be just vanished into thin air.
My suspicion of someone who hurt or killed her intentionally is getting stronger.
This cat had the weird habit to peep inside home every now and then, and on a very few occasions she even walked inside and explored the first two feet of the house past the door, then she would dart outside.
I think she might have done the same thing with a neighbor, and that this neighbor didn't appreciate this curiosity and killed her on the spot. I only have one suspect on my list regarding this potential murder.

Are the nice people going to feed and watch over the kitten?

 

[Antonio65]

Are the nice people going to feed and watch over the kitten?

They told they didn't see that kitten anymore.
It seems it ate the food in the trap the time that the trap didn't close, and then the next day when the cat was trapped.
They left the food out for three or four more days, but no cat came by. It was so scared that it didn't come back.

 

[Kwik]

They told they didn't see that kitten anymore.
It seems it ate the food in the trap the time that the trap didn't close, and then the next day when the cat was trapped.
They left the food out for three or four more days, but no cat came by. It was so scared that it didn't come back.

See that,I'll never in a million years understand how a little 5or 6mo old is trapped and WHY oh why would anyone not say " YAY" and off to the Vet---- many shelters do not have room but for 'sweet" young kittens that are so very adoptable they do take those ....makes me sick to my stomach

Yesterday I left the hospital,a little ,black( 3 -4 mos) kitten sitting by my car door.... wisk,off to the shelter we went... "oh no Kwik,I have no room"....... MAKE ROOM was my response

Really meant to be,the mobile Vet arrived shortly after,his Vet tech fell madly in love and baby BC went straight to her forever home

 

[Stormy accepts you]

Keep us updated! I hope you find her!

 

[Antonio65]

See that,I'll never in a million years understand how a little 5or 6mo old is trapped and WHY oh why would anyone not say " YAY" and off to the Vet---- many shelters do not have room but for 'sweet" young kittens that are so very adoptable they do take those ....makes me sick to my stomach

Yesterday I left the hospital,a little ,black( 3 -4 mos) kitten sitting by my car door.... wisk,off to the shelter we went... "oh no Kwik,I have no room"....... MAKE ROOM was my response

Really meant to be,the mobile Vet arrived shortly after,his Vet tech fell madly in love and baby BC went straight to her forever home

What kept me from moving that kitten to a vet and/or a shelter was that none of us was sure that the kitten was a feral. It might have been someone else's kitten, left wandering in a quiet neighborhood. What if we were "snatching" someone else's cat and they didn't know how to look for it and whom to ask?
The kitten looked too tame, not aggressive, to be a true feral. I was even able to rub its nose and touch its head without getting a bite. I dealt with feral cats and kittens for years during my TNR's and never I saw a feral kitten being so calm, not aggressive, only scared, in a trap cage. That's why I thought it could have been someone's cat.

 

[Kwik]

What kept me from moving that kitten to a vet and/or a shelter was that none of us was sure that the kitten was a feral. It might have been someone else's kitten, left wandering in a quiet neighborhood. What if we were "snatching" someone else's cat and they didn't know how to look for it and whom to ask?
The kitten looked too tame, not aggressive, to be a true feral. I was even able to rub its nose and touch its head without getting a bite. I dealt with feral cats and kittens for years during my TNR's and never I saw a feral kitten being so calm, not aggressive, only scared, in a trap cage. That's why I thought it could have been someone's cat.

My sweet boy Max was born feral to a feral my neighbor feeds-Max never had human contact -he started following his Mom to the parking lot at midnight ( his siblings didnt survive the busy traffic of cars at night)- I saw him,picked him up and you'd think he was a housecat at about 4 months old I only found out Max's story when my neighbor asked if I'd seen a little gray tabby kitten-" yep I said,he's in my house "

He was scanned,nobody was looking for him becsuse he belonged to no one......@Antonio I'm like you,if one of my cats slipped out accidentally everyone in the neighborhood would hear my calling day n night,knocking on doors,posting flyers---- if not,well how much do they care?

 

[Antonio65]

Today marks 28 days since my yard cat vanished.
Not a sign of her since the last time I saw her. Nobody saw her since. I haven't found her dead, no report of findings from the local council, vets or police. The cat was healthy and happy, so she didn't go somewhere to die, as someone suggested.
She was about 10 to 12 years old, I was ready to part from her in some years, I could be prepared that she could be caught in a car accident, I was ready to face the fact she could be sick, or else.
I wasn't ready to this.

Her son and her friend seem to have come to terms with her absence, I think I never will. I will think of her forever, unless I find out what happened.

I suspected a few of my neighbors, but all of them proved to be sincerely sorry for the cat, all but one. He has a big dog. The dog seems friendly, but it's a Rottweiler. The dog is always on leash, but it could have grabbed the cat while on leash, and the owner might have disposed of her early in the morning.

 

[Kwik]

Today marks 28 days since my yard cat vanished.
Not a sign of her since the last time I saw her. Nobody saw her since. I haven't found her dead, no report of findings from the local council, vets or police. The cat was healthy and happy, so she didn't go somewhere to die, as someone suggested.
She was about 10 to 12 years old, I was ready to part from her in some years, I could be prepared that she could be caught in a car accident, I was ready to face the fact she could be sick, or else.
I wasn't ready to this.

Her son and her friend seem to have come to terms with her absence, I think I never will. I will think of her forever, unless I find out what happened.

I suspected a few of my neighbors, but all of them proved to be sincerely sorry for the cat, all but one. He has a big dog. The dog seems friendly, but it's a Rottweiler. The dog is always on leash, but it could have grabbed the cat while on leash, and the owner might have disposed of her early in the morning.

I'm so sorry Antonio65 USER]- still hoping and praying for you to be reunited

 

[Alldara]

UPDATE:

Last night after 7 pm a lady called me. She had seen one of my fliers and told me she found an unknown black cat in her garden around noon. She hadn't seen my fliers yet at that time.
This black cat was sleeping on her doormat, she said the cat was small sized, with a shining black coat, but the cat ran away as soon as the lady opened the door. She hadn't the time to notice any other detail, like the collar or the red tag.
I went to her place and looked around, but it was dark (shortly before 8 pm). She left a dish with some food outside. This morning the food was still there. They checked the footage of their surveillance cameras around the property and nothing popped up.

This morning I went to their house again, I took a dish with the dry and wet food that my cat is used to eat, and I also took the trap cage with me. We set up the trap close to the house wall. They had no issue at all with having such a thing on their property, they were extremely kind. I told them that at the end, whatever the end will be, I will hand them a nice present. They replied that the only present they wish is that my cat comes back home.

What is weird is that this house is a quarter of a mile away from my home, and to get there you need to go in a non linear way.
View attachment 473245
The cat should have walked this distance, from the point on the left, to the point on the right.

I want to believe she walked up there, so today I posted 59 more fliers in that other area and nearby streets. So far I posted 110 fliers in a range of a quarter of a mile. Despite the heavy rain of the last two days (today it's dry), only two fliers fell from the poles. I replaced them.

You'd be surprised how far they can travel. Plus, the cat wouldn't have to take the road! People have found their cats towns away.

 

[Antonio65]

You'd be surprised how far they can travel. Plus, the cat wouldn't have to take the road! People have found their cats towns away.

I agree with you.
But if I know this cat well, I'd say that she never travelled farther than 150 yards.
Evidence of this is the fact that she was born in a yard that is about 100 yds from here, then moved to a house midway from there, and then she moved here. There are other houses in the area, but they know I'm looking for her.
I strongly doubt that she travelled farther than my close neighborhood.

My guess is that she's been killed purposely or by negligence and then disposed of.
Today marks a month.

 

[Kwik]

I agree with you.
But if I know this cat well, I'd say that she never travelled farther than 150 yards.
Evidence of this is the fact that she was born in a yard that is about 100 yds from here, then moved to a house midway from there, and then she moved here. There are other houses in the area, but they know I'm looking for her.
I strongly doubt that she travelled farther than my close neighborhood.

My guess is that she's been killed purposely or by negligence and then disposed of.
Today marks a month.

Don't give up that little glimmer of Hope that you have- it can also prove that cats do wander and sadly lose their way - that's what prompts them to unknowingly stray further & further from HOME.You keep mentioning the heavy rains,the sights are suddenly unfamiliar and their scent has been washed away- they continue to wander searching for their way back-its very possibly that was your girl-keep looking and putting out those fliers-I'll keep praying Antonio65