Why did my cat go missing???

[businkin]

I need some help. 9 days ago, Becky, one of our two cats, went missing. She is 4 years old and desexed. We moved house 8 months ago and she settled into the new home very well - in fact only ever going outside to go to the toilet, or so it seemed. The other cat, a desexed male, would more often than not be outside - and not just in our backyard. 2.5 years ago she disappeared from our previous home at night and we found her 48 hours later in a laneway on our block - seeming a bit nervous but otherwise ok. She is a timid cat with strangers, but loves me and my wife and the other cat, Elijah. She is very affectionate to all three, and is very much a home cat. Well fed and well looked after. Although desexed, Elijah would often mount Becky (often at her invitation) but aside from a bit of wiggling, could not do much. My wife says Becky got really frustrated after one of these attempts. Then on August 4 she slept all day on my desk and didn't come for dinner until after dark - unusal for her as she normally leads the demonstrations at meal times. She then played very happily around the living room. About 2am on August 5 she jumped on our bed as my wife had left the door to the bedroom open after getting up for a drink. We started talking to her and she jumped off the bed and that is the last time we saw her. A large door-knock campaign and flyer drop in the neighbourhood followed, resulting in one positive sighting in a quiet cul-de-sac on our block during the day on August 7 but nothing since then. Our neighbours are lovely and are genuinely keeping an eye out for her. She is microchipped. No body has been found in the streets and no-one has reported finding a body on their property.

So my question - why would a home-body desexed female cat with both human and feline companionship suddenly leave home one night? If she is alive (as all indicators seem to be) and all our neighbours know what she looks like, where could she have gone? Anybody else with an experience like this?

We are all very sad and want her back soon. Spending lots of time flyer dropping and calling our her name.

Thanks,

Brad

 

[cc12]

I am very sorry about your missing cat.
My cats all have a good home, love, good food and kitty companionship and still they have all gotten out.
I think most neutered and spayed cats go missing because they get curious. She may have been going on little adventures before but the terrain was much more familiar. My bet is that she went too far and got lost. She doesn't have the usual markers to help her find her way home.

Most of the time the cats are near. A timid cat will hide even more. What I suggest is for you to put some of her toys and things outside so she will recognize the smell. I even sprinkled some soiled litter in the yard. She will be familiar with Elijah's smell. If Elijah is talkative open a screened window so that she can hear him meow. Get a flashlight and look underneath things. I found mine underneath houses. The best time to look is nighttime because she most likely will feel safer then. None of my cats came when called because they were frightened out of their minds.

Becky disappearing is no reflection on you or how happy she is at home. They just get nosy and sometimes it gets the best of them and they get lost.
Sometimes they may try to go back to the old house if it close enough.

Good luck and some vibes for Becky's safe return.

 

[businkin]

Thanks for the information. Last (and only other time) she went missing she responded to our calls. Whilst timid, she is not the type to hide from me or my wife if we call. She was on the move and ran to us when we called so I find it difficult to think she is hiding somewhere just watching us. We have gone into neighbour's back yards, empty lots and called, rattled Elijah's bell and shaken a box of food. Left her favourite food out on top of our backyard fence overnight in a cage - nothing. Elijah is still allowed out - he won't stand to be kept in and he does wander so was hoping Becky would follow him home.

Old house is too far away (20 minute drive). How far would a desexed female cat go? Would she just hang around the block? What is she eating? Drinking?

Worried sick.

 

[cc12]

Originally Posted by businkin

Thanks for the information. Last (and only other time) she went missing she responded to our calls. Whilst timid, she is not the type to hide from me or my wife if we call. She was on the move and ran to us when we called so I find it difficult to think she is hiding somewhere just watching us. We have gone into neighbour's back yards, empty lots and called, rattled Elijah's bell and shaken a box of food. Left her favourite food out on top of our backyard fence overnight in a cage - nothing. Elijah is still allowed out - he won't stand to be kept in and he does wander so was hoping Becky would follow him home.

Old house is too far away (20 minute drive). How far would a desexed female cat go? Would she just hang around the block? What is she eating? Drinking?

Worried sick.

The only reason I think she would not answer a call is because it is a new location and it would be scary if she got confused. All of my cats got out when I first moved. Now they stay in.
Have you called any rescues or shelters and given them photos too?
Cats do try to go home sometimes but they don't know that where they are going is so far. Usually though they stick close by. I don't know what they eat and drink. I would think natural instincts would take over and they would hunt.

 

[businkin]

All the local vets have been contacted and emailed photos. Besides - she is microchipped so I am hoping she ends up in a vet/shelter because they all scan the cats as soon as they come in.

Becky is an excellent mouser. I am hoping she is still on the block. The question I have is, with all of the neighbours knowing she is missing and what she looks like, why haven't more sightings come in? After nine days you would think she would have been seen more than just the two sightings on August 7.

But I hear stories of cats finding their way back to their previous home from miles and miles away. Amazing stories. Why can't mine find her way back on the same block?!!!

 

[mrblanche]

There are many possibilities for why she might not have come home, but the three likeliest are that someone took her in and is not letting her out, she is trapped somewhere and can't get out, or she has somehow come to harm and cannot come home.

 

[breal76]

Why she is gone isn't the most important thing to understand.

You need to go the shelters. Post on Craigslist and flag the neighborhood with flyers.

I have said it once and I will say it again. If a cat disappears and it's still alive 9 times out of 10 it's within a five block radius. The block in front, the block in back, the block to the left and the block to the right.

Don't bank on a cat's microchip. You still need to check the shelters and make sure they have your cat's microchip in their databases. If they can put them in.

You don't have coyotes do you? Racoons can kill a cat as well but there would be evidence. Not so much if a coyote get's to them.

I see this everyday working at a shelter. I try to help people best I can. Just the other day we were able to reunite an owner with their cat because of the microchipped. Their cat had been missing for 3 weeks. The cat was found stuck in a neighbors attic. This person was the block behind them.

 

[businkin]

I have door knocked my whole block and spoke to probably 80% of the neighbours. Everyone also got a flyer. I am progressing around all the surrounding blocks as well with flyers in the letter boxes. I am also sticking them up on telegraph poles, bus stops and the community notice board. We have no cat shelters in our area - only vets. The Gladesville Vet is well known and everyone says this is where someone would take her. All three local vets have her photo. I am in Sydney, Australia, where microchipping is strongly encouraged and all vets/shelters have access to this system. Obviously, no problems with coyotes or racoons here. In fact, only issue is dogs if she got into the wrong backyard at the wrong time - but this would be obvious to the dog's owners and they all know what Becky looks like. The road is a concern of course, but there is only one main street - the rest being residential traffic only and Becky hates traffic noise.

It would be unlikely that Becky would enter another house to get trapped, and she has been sighted outside sitting under a parked car. So it looks like she is free and outside.

Aside from dropping flyers further afield and going out at night calling her, is there anything more I can do besides what I have done?

 

[breal76]

is there anything more I can do besides what I have done?

Well if you think she's outside somewhere try setting a live trap for her in the last place she was sighted. You might catch other things, but you can set them free. I have known people who have set traps for their cats and caught them.

 

[jason stewart]

I had that same thing happen to me. One day my cat went missing and then came back 5 days later. then 3 days later she went missing for no reason, and I have not seen her since, and it has now been 3 weeks.

 

[farleyv]

My first idea is someone has taken her in, or trapped somewhere.  Are there people nearby who travel and are gone for extended periods of time?  Could she have been locked in a garage by mistake?  My daughters cat used to be famous for getting locked in the neighbors garage.

Do you have an outdoor camera to put out at night?  If you put out a have a heart trap, put some of your clothing in it with your scent on it.  In fact, keep a box with clothes out all the time in a sheltered place.  That may draw her close.

I hope your kitty comes home very soon.

 

[alison colgan w]

Hi there...I feel your pain...Our cat went missing aswell, She is also a home body, Desexed female..We got here as a kitten, along with another female cat...Their sisters, and grew up together...Our other cat is FREATING.!!! We carnt find our beloved cat anywhere...She too hates strangers, and only trust us....I understand how your feeling....Please reply back if you find your cat...Thanks AL.....

 

[alison colgan w]

Hi Alison here again...My mess was for businkin...O my i didnt realize this was posted back in 2008......Feel bit silly now...Did she ever come home again businkin?

 

[lovemyboocat]

i realize this is a older post but my tortie went missing about 5 months ago. we placed flyer's at every entrance to our neighborhood. we put her on the 12 o'clock news lost and found. nothing. about 4 days after a neighbor kids called and said she saw her but she "got away". we thanked her and kept looking. 2 months pass no Patches. then out of the blue a girl way in the back of the neighborhood about 8 streets over calls and says she "found" her. but that she had a hurt leg. we immediately went and got her. a week or 2 passed and she slowly became reacquainted with her brothers and sister again and our family and i thought it would be OK. then my daughter comes tearing into the room distraught and shaking. it seemed a close friend of my daughter and the 1st girl i mentioned had been chatting. and this girl said she knew where our cat was the whole time.

 that the 1st girl had STOLEN our cat and gave her away to the girl who so nicely returned her after 2 months!!  i thanked this girl profusely and even offered her a pick of the new kittens my Midnight had just had because she took such good care of our cat. boy did i feel like a smuck.  so keep looking!! you never know your neighbor who is SO concerned may know exactly where your cat is.

 

[feralvr]

i realize this is a older post but my tortie went missing about 5 months ago. we placed flyer's at every entrance to our neighborhood. we put her on the 12 o'clock news lost and found. nothing. about 4 days after a neighbor kids called and said she saw her but she "got away". we thanked her and kept looking. 2 months pass no Patches. then out of the blue a girl way in the back of the neighborhood about 8 streets over calls and says she "found" her. but that she had a hurt leg. we immediately went and got her. a week or 2 passed and she slowly became reacquainted with her brothers and sister again and our family and i thought it would be OK. then my daughter comes tearing into the room distraught and shaking. it seemed a close friend of my daughter and the 1st girl i mentioned had been chatting. and this girl said she knew where our cat was the whole time.:confuse2:  that the 1st girl had STOLEN our cat and gave her away to the girl who so nicely returned her after 2 months!!  i thanked this girl profusely and even offered her a pick of the new kittens my Midnight had just had because she took such good care of our cat. boy did i feel like a smuck.  so keep looking!! you never know your neighbor who is SO concerned may know exactly where your cat is.

Yes - you are replying to an old thread. Wow what a story about your cat. How sad that someone had your cat this whole time and never said anything.

May I suggest, though, that you get all of your cats spayed/neutered? Please - there are so many unwanted, homeless cats and kittens already and I can't help but ask you to please stop your cat from breeding and adding to the already huge cat over population dilemma. So many of us here spend many hours and much money in trying to trap/neuter feral and stray cats. It makes me sad to know that people still allow their pet cats to breed. Even if you give the kittens away for free - that is not good. Most times the owner's do not get them neutered and then they roam freely to make more feral kittens. Best to get your cats all fixed right away. If you do have a litter of kittens right now, contact a local rescue or shelter to help you find suitable and responsible homes for them. That way when they get adopted - the new owner's will have to sign a contract saying they will neuter their new kitten.

 

[lovemyboocat]

thanks for the info on the shelter/ rescue. i didn't know they would do that! we are in a financial bind at the moment or all of ours would be fixed already. i have just this week found a low cost spay/ neuter clinic in our area that i didn't even know existed so i am calling to see their rates. however, this momma  is a cat who just shows up when she is about to deliver and i am not certain who her people are  she had 7 this litter 5 boys and 2 girls. one of the tiniest was a stunningly beautiful tortie with a bobtail i named her Peep. she unfortunately didn't make it due to a ruptured umbilical. it was heartbreaking and i am still in tears. i had never experienced that and with her so tiny there was nothing to be done except let her go. by the time we found her and realized it was already too late there was damage from the other siblings.     poor angel at least now she isn't in pain. the rest are healthy and eating well and momma is doing great. i will start searching for homes soon. but not if i think they will end up in a shelter. here ours is a kill shelter and i would rather keep them than have perfectly healthy happy kittens killed. i mean i already have boo, berry, and pudgy, manson ,and snake, and punkin and snuggles whats 7 more LOL. i love them all and they are well cared for. we will just make room if need be until they have a good forever home.

 

[tinkerbellk]

Yes this is an old post but my cat went missing 5 days ago and she was a home body as well even at 1 1/2 she still acts like she is a kitten she thought my earlobs were moms teats and even though some people think its gross and that habbit should be stopped it brought us closer together and we made it a regular routine before bed every night or every other night well any way one of our neighbors saw her a couple nights ago and said that she would try to capture her if she saw her again so we gave her our number and said if you catch her call us and we will come pick her up she never called us so here we are today still looking we posted flyers and called local shelters and vets to tell them we are missing our cat Tinkerbell every morning and night i call her and she still has not shown up ive put clothes out food out and her brothers and sisters wonder around at night and i would think she would come home as well but evidently not my father has told me many things saying she might be dead or she jsut doesnt want to come home and it sounds as if they want me to give up and let her be free but the bond Tinkerbell and i share its just to hard to let her go see i have not had the best of luck with cats every cat i have owned has died or disappeared after they turn 1 my last cat Cooper (Tinkerbells father) died shortly after we had neutered him at a low cost spay and neuter facility along with Billie the person who neutered them used unclean tools and the cat before them was a carrier of distemper or FIP so i wanted to make Tinkerbell my last cat i ever had and i wanted to keep her alive and health so i would bring her in every night and whenever she wanted to come in during the day but my dad let her out one morning and she was gone she has never been missing before and thats what got me scared we do have coyotees and cougars around but if she was sighted since then she has not been eaten or anything and she has stayed out many times when there is coyotes in our nearby field and also if she was eaten by a coyote most of our cats as of right now would be missing as well and they are not. well i hope we find her  i wont give up on her like i did the others after a month i still have hope and thats what im going off of

 

[feralvr]

Yes this is an old post but my cat went missing 5 days ago and she was a home body as well even at 1 1/2 she still acts like she is a kitten she thought my earlobs were moms teats and even though some people think its gross and that habbit should be stopped it brought us closer together and we made it a regular routine before bed every night or every other night well any way one of our neighbors saw her a couple nights ago and said that she would try to capture her if she saw her again so we gave her our number and said if you catch her call us and we will come pick her up she never called us so here we are today still looking we posted flyers and called local shelters and vets to tell them we are missing our cat Tinkerbell every morning and night i call her and she still has not shown up ive put clothes out food out and her brothers and sisters wonder around at night and i would think she would come home as well but evidently not my father has told me many things saying she might be dead or she jsut doesnt want to come home and it sounds as if they want me to give up and let her be free but the bond Tinkerbell and i share its just to hard to let her go see i have not had the best of luck with cats every cat i have owned has died or disappeared after they turn 1 my last cat Cooper (Tinkerbells father) died shortly after we had neutered him at a low cost spay and neuter facility along with Billie the person who neutered them used unclean tools and the cat before them was a carrier of distemper or FIP so i wanted to make Tinkerbell my last cat i ever had and i wanted to keep her alive and health so i would bring her in every night and whenever she wanted to come in during the day but my dad let her out one morning and she was gone she has never been missing before and thats what got me scared we do have coyotees and cougars around but if she was sighted since then she has not been eaten or anything and she has stayed out many times when there is coyotes in our nearby field and also if she was eaten by a coyote most of our cats as of right now would be missing as well and they are not. well i hope we find her  i wont give up on her like i did the others after a month i still have hope and thats what im going off of

OH so sorry your kitty is also lost. :shame: Yes - don't give up hope. there is a thread that I will post here for you that has links on "how to find your lost pet." http://www.thecatsite.com/t/248019/tips-for-finding-a-lost-cat I hope you find your cat very, very soon.

 

[helen888999]

My darling 2 year old ruby went missing, well i think she was stolen two years ago, i still think of her and cry, she was my baby. i wonder who would steal her and why, ive heard so many stories which just send me into a panic, its awful, i see her in my mind everyday and hear her. i would give so much to know what happened to her no matter what, it seems that i will have to live my life like this forever, never knowing, it hurts.  i prey to god that she is safe and well somewhere, but something tells me, intuition i guess that shes not on this earth, but then i tel myself that she is playing in gods sunny garden happy and peaceful. who ever takes these family pets that we love so much should be strung up or leave them in a room with me for an hour and i would make them understand what they are doing.

LOVE YOU RUBY

ITS THE NOT KNOWING AND THERES NOTHING YOU CAN DO

 

[merstockgto]

I am so sorry about your precious Ruby that went missing. I can't imagine not knowing what happened to her. In this day and age anything could have happened. There are a lot of mean people out there and hazards.  I guess she was an outdoor kitty but we keep our 5 inside at all times and always have. We even trapped a real feral cat last year and she was terrified of humans but after 16 months she has calmed down and is not longer afraid of us. She does not cry to get out of the house. She lays in the sun and hangs out with us while watching television. It has taken all of this time to get her at this stage.  We spend a lot of time talking to her and reassuring her she is safe.  Sox does not wanting us to pick her up or touch her but she does not hiss or growl.  She has a very sweet disposition and is not agressive and gets along with our other 4.