Unneutered outdoor male cat left home for 1 month and still hasn't returned.

[Marcat]

He knew the area pretty well since he was coming home just to eat and sleep. The area is safe from wild animals. Some neighbours told me that he used to sit in their yards, but they havent seen him since them. I regret not getting him neutered and microchipped.I live in a small town and i have posted posters of him in the area where he lived and in social media, so since i have not found his body, i can’t lose hope. Also, a few days before he went missing, he was fighting with another male cat in my neighbour’s yard, so i am thinking that maybe he got expelled from his terittory and roamed further to mate and who knows, maybe he found a food source from a kind person! About 12 hours after he left home it started snowing and he has never seen snow (he is 2.5 years old), which makes me think that he panicked, since he is afraid of rain. Lastly, i contacted the person who is gathering dead or injured animals from the streets, but he was pretty certain he hadn’t seen him. Many scenarios are going through my mind and reading so many posts of owners reuniting with their animals gives me hope! He means so much to me, i’m just hoping to be given a chance to make up for my mistakes and give him the life he deserves.

My question is: Do cats stay away from home for that long to mate?

 

[Marcat]

 

[Maria Bayote]

He is a very handsome fella. I am very sorry you are undergoing this right now. I can understand how worried you are right now. Don’t beat yourself too much.

Some cats go “missing” for long periods of time and return. Don’t lose hope. And I do fervently pray that your cat comes home safe and sound very soon.

Then yes, maybe you can also have him fixed as soon as able. As he is not neutered, not only does he have these urges to mate and will be gone for days or weeks at a time, but he will also contribute to the number of unwanted kitten population in the area.

I hope he gets back soon. Try to put out some of his stuff outside like his food bowl or anything familiar to him. Keep us updated. Hang in there.

 

[Marcat]

My ex-vet adviced me not to fix him, because as she said "stronger" cats would beat him up since he is an outdoor cat. After he went missing, i read many posts about personal experiences similar to mine, that made me take the decision to find another vet. I'm angry with myself too, I know it is irresponsible that I let him freely mate and contribute to the number of stray kittens, as you said.
Thank you for the advice, I already have his bed-blankets outside waiting for him. I also own a dog, so i believe that the smell of the dog will help him too. Do you believe that the bad weather or the male to male cat fight could be the cause of him getting lost or intentionally changing territory?

 

[Willowy]

Toms do wander. A lot. He may come home around September or so, if he doesn't meander back in before that. He knows your house is warm and has food, which is what he'll want for the winter.

Yeah, that vet was wrong. Neutered males are largely ignored by the tomcats so it's better for them. There may be a few tiffs over territory but toms mostly have mating on their minds, and a neutered male is no threat in that regard.

 

[Marcat]

So they basically roam to mate for so long? Months without food, warm bed and hugs? Cats are a mystery

 

[Mamanyt1953]

They are, indeed, a mystery!

Yes, they can roam that long. And they are masters at finding shelter. Even in the worst weather. And food. Don't give up on him yet. The longest I have had a tom cat disappear and then return is just under a year. That said, I would no longer leave a tom cat, a tom cat. Your ex-vet was so very wrong. When your boy returns (), find a decent vet who KNOWS cats, and have him neutered and chipped! The feral toms around here (and feral toms are the "tom-iest" toms there are!) pretty much totally ignore neutered cats.

 

[Marcat]

Wow, your cat is a hero! What could have happened to him ? I'd like to hear the story of you reuniting with your boy. I will definitely get him chipped and neutered as soon as he comes back, I have already found a vet. Thank you all for the support, Love you

 

[Mamanyt1953]

We don't know exactly what happened, or where he was. He was the proverbial "tom's tom." Ruled the neighborhood with an iron paw, thought teasing the alligators (we lived in Florida) was fun, and, after a strain of smoke-blue bobcats turned up, we realized that he was fighting the male bobcats for breeding rights...and WINNING! He was frequently gone for fairly long stretches, but that one was the one that made us accept that he was...just gone. And then he wasn't. Dad walked outside one morning, and there Gray sat...sassy, and demanding his breakfast. I've posted stories about Gray many times. Eventually, I need to search them all out, and put his story together.

 

[Marcat]

What a cool cat you have! I imagine how happy you were when you saw him . I wish my Tom manages to come back home

 

[Mamanyt1953]

I have a candle lit for the two of you!

 

[Marcat]

Thank you so much for the support. I miss him so much, I cant deal with the fact that he is gone

 

[emanuelaj]

Thank you so much for the support. I miss him so much, I cant deal with the fact that he is gone

Did you manage to find your cat? My uneutured kitten is also missing and I feel so bad for not getting him fixed earlier

 

[Alwayslooking]

Did your cat ever come back? I had one that got into a territory dispute with another cat that I was feeding. He left and just showed up in my yard for food three months later after the other cat was gone. As so many others have said, never give up. They never miss us like we miss them.

 

[di and bob]

I don't know where your vet got their information, but they are wrong. Seeing the behaviors of cats before and after neutering, I can tell you the big toms just ignore the neutered boys, not picking fights as they did before. Cats that were constantly being chased and beat up are finally left alone.
I'll pray that your sweet boy returns......

 

[Marcat]

No, he didn't come back. May 20th was his birthday, i was really hoping he would have came back till then. Thank you all for the support.

 

[emanuelaj]

No, he didn't come back. May 20th was his birthday, i was really hoping he would have came back till then. Thank you all for the support.

I feel your pain. Mine hasn’t come home either it’s been 7 weeks

 

[Alwayslooking]

I hate to hear your cat has not returned yet. He is beautiful. The one I had neutered and released has been gone now for three weeks. I was crazy about him and would just love to know that the surgery wasn't the reason he is gone. I had another cat that I fed for a year that went missing for five months and showed up on my porch to eat. I never got him neutered and only saw him for maybe another month and then he was gone again. I have never seen that cat again and that has been over a year now. I don't know where they go and wish I did. Keep looking because he may have just gotten scared out of his territory and will eventually show up. It happens.