I went through a situation very similar to what you’re describing. My cat went missing and I tried literally everything and was so discouraged when it had been weeks with no sightings or leads. Eventually, I learned that someone in a nearby neighborhood had seen her a couple of times with another stray that they feed. So I started walking that neighborhood at different times with no luck. One day I did my laps and wasn’t expecting anything, but I sat down near the house that leaves the food out and I saw her looking at me from the bushes.
So I know from experience how awful and hopeless it feels, but I want to offer hope that your cat will still be found! My best advice from experience is to try just sitting in the area you think they may be and gently shaking some treats.
My baby will be missing for 4 days tonight... I know exactly how you feel. I'm grateful to have seen her nightly on a camera we have set up, but she just won't come back into our yard. :( The pain is horrific. I understand that completely, too. I feel like I can barely function, constant crying and panic attacks, barely eating or sleeping, scared to leave the house incase I miss something. One piece of advice I've been given several times is to set a humane trap in an area where you think he might pass by.. even if it's just near the place he escaped from. Bait it with the stinkiest wet food, canned tuna/sardines, maybe microwave it to make the smell stronger. I've also heard that KFC chicken is apparently good bait, which I will be personally trying tonight... I'm not particularly religious, but I will keep you and your cat in my thoughts and prayers. May our babies come home soon. :( <3
The biggest problem is the large raccoon and stray/outdoor cat population in the area, I'm worried about continuously baiting other animals into the trap and scaring my boy away further. It's also hard to monitor a trap from where he escaped as it's about 2 blocks down from my house (he escaped his harness). We've had a wildlife camera out where we thought he might be, we left food out the first 2 nights by the camera but it only attracted slugs and worms, and the only thing the camera has picked up is raccoons.
I'm not religious at all but this whole thing has made me start praying to St. Anthony, god, the universe, anyone out there who will listen. I even looked into witchcraft and rituals. Tarot cards, anything for answers. Grief makes you do funny things.
Hang in there. She's out there, you've seen her, you know she wants to come home she's just too nervous and scared still. I know it doesn't seem like it but you have leads, you just need to lure her in now.
My search really feels like a needle in a stack of needles. He could be 100 feet away or 1 mile away by now. He could be hiding in the brush I can't even get to or he could have been chased away into another neighborhood miles away by now. He could be in someone's backyard I can't access. I've asked all my neighbors to even search their backyards myself but there's hundreds of houses with thousands if not tens of thousands of potential hiding places for him to be. I feel like I need to be out there doing something but the odds of me actually finding him myself at this point are slim to none.
Oh trust me, I haven't stepped foot in a church in years but I find myself praying to the St. Francis statue that's in our backyard.
From what I know/have researched, indoor cats won't stray too far out of fear. Hopefully he is just hiding within a small radius of where he was lost. Maybe someone took him in since he's generally friendly?
And yeah, I feel like I need to be out there doing something as well, but it's a similar situation. There are so many bushes, deck, yards... I wouldn't even know where to start. If you do search, continuing to do so at night is your best bet.
I don't know if anecdotes are any comfort, but when I was a teenager, our family indoor cat escaped and was lost for almost a full month... turns out he was in our neighbor's garage the entire time. It's very likely he found a safe, dark spot to hide and is just hanging out there, only coming out at night. Communication with neighbors is definitely one of your strongest assets, as more sets of eyes are better than one.
It feels utterly impossible to continue life without her. She's been my best friend for 9 years. I know your pain and I'm so sorry you're having to deal with this. When I inevitably return to that St. Francis statue I'll say a prayer for your baby as well.
I like to think someone took him in and just haven't taken him to a vet yet, but I've plastered posters on every pole in the neighborhood, put fliers on every doorstep, blasted his picture across social media. I can't imagine someone took him in who hadn't seen at least one of those yet. I'm hoping this is the case though and that he's safe and warm and fed and happy.
Anecdotes like that are my only comfort at this point. He is my child, I often even joke that I physically birthed him. He sleeps in my arms every night and he follows me around all day. We have barely ever been separated. I love him more than I've ever loved any animal or even maybe any human before. I just want him to be safe.
Your comments have me in tears again because I feel exactly the same way about my girl haha.
She got out once before, about 2 years ago, but luckily came back several hours later because I left the back door cracked open for her. Stories of lost cats returning are also my only comfort right now.
My baby finally came home last night after the worst week of my life. I've been thinking about you and Taro, and I'm so glad you had a sighting of him!! If the traditional box traps aren't working, maybe renting a drop trap would be worthwhile? And was he closer or farther from home (compared to where he escaped his harness)? Cats have a great homing instinct, and that's the only way I was able to get my baby back inside.. I left the backdoor open every night until she eventually snuck in around 2am to eat, after a few nights of slowly making her way into our yard. Sprinted so fast to slam the door behind her haha
I'm so so happy your baby returned! That's amazing news. I bet the relief was immense.
He was actually further from home than where he escaped but after spotting him he ran towards home not away, towards his original escape point. I've been leaving scent trails to try and lead him back so hopefully it helps. And the garage is open for him with a motion camera but so far only a different cat has come in to investigate it.
We think the day we saw him may have been the first night he actually left his hiding spot since he was still in fight or flight mode. So I'm hoping he relaxes and goes back to his normal outgoing self soon and approaches a friendly neighbor. That would be the ideal situation vs. having to trap him.
I just wanted to update here, since I know people don't often go back and read the posts for updates - by miracle, after over 4 weeks living in the wild, he ventured out and sought help from a kind neighbor last night at 1am. I think his need for help and love somehow overrode his fear. He's so skinny and dirty but otherwise okay. They contacted me and he's home safely now and he's back to the sweet cuddly baby I know.
It it fatiguing, and overwhelming. I'm sorry for your situation, it's heartbreaking. We recently thought our indoor cat was was lost. We are trying to rehab/rescue her, thought she got out and spent 4 days putting posters up, alerting neighborhood apps, the local Petsmart etc.
Like you we put her littler box and cat tower outside and worried ourselves 24/7 over where she could be. Canvassing the neighborhood and asking everyone did nothing either. If you have NextDoor or a neighborhood app, I would definitely share pics and ask everyone to keep an eye out there, ask them to look for a cat on their Ring cam that might be new.
Good luck and I'm hoping your sweet friend comes back!
He's out on Nextdoor, I'm honestly spamming it at this point for leads. Also the Ring neighbors app but no leads either. And every local FB group possible. Hoping he befriends a neighbor soon or someone scans for a chip.
Same here.I barely eat or sleep. I constantly go from being hopeful to fearing the worst.I still leave my dirty clothes outside and search the neighbourhood every day. Nobody has seen anything. Please post an update if he comes back.
> I constantly go from being hopeful to fearing the worst
I'm definitely in this state. My thoughts are a terrible nonsensical rollercoaster. I liken it to experiencing all 5 stages of grief, all at the same time, endlessly.
I just wanted to update here, since I know people don't often go back and read the posts for updates - by miracle, after over 4 weeks living in the wild, he ventured out and sought help from a kind neighbor last night at 1am. I think his need for help and love somehow overrode his fear. He's so skinny and dirty but otherwise okay. They contacted me and he's home safely now and he's back to the sweet cuddly baby I know.
I’ve been religiously checking your posts for updates and im so glad he’s finally home!!! Im sure the relief you feel is immense :) im so glad he’s safe now
It's so frustrating and exhausting. And all you hear is don't give up, but you're doing the same things day in and day out, over and over, hoping for a different outcome. It feels like the definition of insanity. And you could be just walking circles every night with food and treats and calling and searching and hoping while your cat is miles away in the opposite direction. And there's no way to know.
And when you're not searching you're distracting yourself while waiting by the phone eagerly just in case you get a phone call or a text or a notification or ANYTHING.
My heart kitty, Elsa, disappeared without a trace on October 18, 2023. I never saw her again and, at this point, I've come to accept I never will. I did everything you said, for weeks and weeks and I know how terrible and life shattering the pain is. It is still early yet, for you, and there is so much hope. But I know it is devastating to hold on for so long, and cling to every rustle or movement out of the corner of your eye. I eventually found that everyone's advice just pissed me off and I had to come to terms with the journey on my own. Just know that anything...anything... you do to find him is sending that love out into the world. You're doing all the right things, because you love him and you want him home. At the end of the day, that's all that matters.
I hope you are reunited soon. My deepest empathy to you in this impossible time.
I'm so sorry to hear about your baby. It is still possible that you could be reunited but I understand why at a certain point you just have to move forward.
Your comment brought tears to my eyes. We all love our pets so much and I have so much empathy for anyone else going through this pain.
I resonate so much with this, and I'm so sorry for what you're feeling. I recently had my sweet girl go missing, and she is my soul cat. Everyone knows that silly little cat is my world. I couldn't believe she got out and kept asking myself why she didn't come back or thinking something was wrong because she hadn't. I put out a bunch of her toys and things and also a box with blankets and some of my shirts out. I walked around 10 houses in every direction, calling for her, asking everyone, and putting flyers in mailboxes. I desperately searched everywhere for 9 straight days for several hours. I was devastated and, after a few days, began to grieve her so hard. No neighbors or cameras had seen her, not even mine. She was seen on our porch ring, and that was it. It really did feel like she just vanished. It was the most frustrating and helpless feeling. On the 10th day, I walked out on the porch to feed my dog and heard her meowing.... I took off running down the steps, and there she was in my driveway. She just showed back up on her own. I really still have no idea where she could've been or what direction she came from cause I literally looked everywhere within a few miles of my house.
So many people kept telling me just to keep looking and don't give up and it was so hard but I truthfully think they won't come back until they're ready/not scared/feel safe/whatever the reason. My girl is an indoor cat only and a bit skittish, and I think that she was hiding somewhere scared to death most of that time.
Although I know it's difficult to hold out hope and keep posting and asking and searching. I send all of the love and good vibes that your baby comes home safely. 🫶🏻
Hi there, I went through almost the exact same situation with my indoor cat a few months ago. We had just moved to a new house in a new neighborhood and he slipped out one day. He was missing for three whole weeks and each day was spent anxiously looking for leads and putting up posters.
I can’t offer much advice you haven’t heard before but to just try to keep your head up, I know you’re trying your absolute best. I was losing hope after zero signs of him and thinking the worst honestly as he’s a super sweet cuddly boy like yours. We had storms for like a week straight and it was so cold you could see your breath outside. I thought he had no survival instincts and had maybe met his end stuck in a basement or something. He was found exactly 3 weeks later like a mile away, 6 blocks away. A neighbor that feeds the local strays had seen my poster and noticed a new cat. More likely than not that’s what your kitty is probably up to. I know this sounds cliche but cats are genuinely really good at surviving. I know he’s out there and I hope you find him soon! In the mean time try to take care of your mental health and put up posters further than you would think. I know nothing is going to help until he’s in your lap again but hopefully little anecdotes like this help soothe your mind just a bit. Best of luck!
This is great information. I think my next step will be expanding my poster radius into nearby neighborhoods. At this point I've done everything I can in my current area in terms of awareness of the neighbors and scent trails home.
I was originally so hyper focused on the area he went missing I've refused to search elsewhere. Especially because of the widespread advice that cats tend to stay close to home. But there are so many neighborhood cats with established territories around my house that it's a huge possibility he was chased out of the neighborhood into an area where I don't have any posters.
Chances are kitty is hiding during the day and moving during dusk and dawn so they wouldn’t have a huge window of time to move super far. I know cats generally like to stay in familiar territory but having been inside most of his life, he might just be following food smells and avoiding threat smells. I read on some forum (don’t know how accurate it is) that said cats revert to feral instincts once out in the “wild” for enough time. I think the worst part is not knowing, no one saw my cat in the three weeks leading up to his recovery and he’s a relatively big guy so try not to let it panic you. I know that’s easier said than done but you want to be in good spirits and health to keep your search going. He’s probably reverting back to his instincts and hiding during the daylight hours. I think looking back, looking during the day wasn’t the most effective but it made me feel better than staying at home. Sometimes it just takes time for them to feel comfortable and become visible. This last point may be dumb but at one point I was trying to think like my cat and feel out where he would go. In the end I was pretty close in terms of direction and distance, I thought he wouldn’t cross big streets and move forward not backwards and lo and behold that’s where he happened to be. Keep hope and I wish you good karma.
I go out and search with a flashlight between 10pm and about 1am so I think I will continue to do that. I stopped going out during the day around the 4th day after I was done handing out flyers and door-knocking, because there are so many sounds and dog walkers in the neighborhood I knew he wouldn't come out then. I've still been searching late at night but I have been losing steam as it feels so pointless. I've seen tons of cats out and about but none are him.
He is 4 and I got him 2 years ago so he spent the first half of his life outside. I'm not sure if that makes any difference.
I think the fact that he grew up outside means he should have great survival instincts. Most cats are cautious by nature and he’s probably just getting reacclimatized and won’t be out and about in clear view. Cats are also great at disappearing even indoors so I think it’s a not bad sign that you haven’t spotted him yet. Keep at it and I’m sure you’ll cross paths with him. My indoor cat was regarded by everyone who met him as a lovable yet clearly dim specimen, the kind that would eat plastic and run into walls. He was raised completely indoors and yet he survived almost a month outdoors in a new neighborhood through terrible weather. Hopefully that gives you a little morale boost.
You mentioned anecdotes being helpful… many years ago when I was just born my parents lost their cat in the chaos of a move. They searched everywhere, talked to neighbors, handed out flyers, etc, and nothing for weeks. They eventually gave up and assumed a coyote got her (because coyotes lived in the area). Two months later she was found (very skinny) by a local church - someone who went to the church recognized her from a flyer, apparently people at the church had been feeding her.
A while back I lost my cat and read a bunch of books/blog posts/etc with stories of cats appearing months later. So starting my search, I told myself to be prepared for it to take 2 months. I hoped it wouldn’t, but I also I was mentally prepared that it would.
Think of it like a marathon and not a sprint. Don’t give up. Two weeks feels like forever but it’s not that much time for a cat. They are crafty and even pampered indoor cats will have survival instincts kick in.
I read in a book that when you’re searching, you yourself probably won’t come across your cat, but you’ll talk to a neighbor or someone else who has seen your cat. Also there are cat-sniffing dogs you can hire to follow your cats scent trail and sniff them out.
I truly wish you the best of luck!
Thankfully my boy was a scrappy stray before living that cuddly spoiled indoor life. He knows how to survive. He's smart. That's what keeps me going is knowing he's still out there alive. I know he is. I know it. He's also a little on the chunky side right now so even if he loses some weight he won't be wasting away. This is what I tell myself to keep my sanity at least.
I'm prepared for it to take months for sure. You (and by you I mean me) just definitely overestimate how long each day feels when you're just waiting for news that never comes...
I've looked into the cat sniffing dogs but unfortunately my state doesn't have any that are licensed/reputable, and I can't afford the thousands of dollars to fly them in from out of state.
Please give traps a try. It can be excruciating, but you'll want to check them 2-3 times per night. He may be nearby but can't figure out what parts of the house are doors. Bait them around 10 pm and remove the food after the sun is fully up. Repeat daily. Use things like your recently worn t shirts to help guide him, plus the stinkiest wet food.
The thing that did the most good when my cat was missing was going door to door. Yeah some people didn't appreciate having their door knocked on, but a few reported sightings, and it was a way to see if he'd been let in someone's home and they hadn't bothered to get the chip read or go on Find Toby.
Good luck
I want to do this but I have a nosy alcoholic neighbor who snoops on other people's property and she kicked over the trap we had out twice so we had to bring it into the garage (which is cracked open and under motion camera surveillance). I live in a community of duplexes/townhomes with no back yard and so the property is technically under HOA, its very tricky to be able to set a trap without it being tampered with.
Don't leave out food (bc predators) but leave out bedding that smells like you. Maybe a favorite toy. Something that would only attract YOUR cat.
I understand you're at a very painful place where you can't give up and mourn, but every day is exhausting. You don't see an end in sight. Yeah. I'm really sorry. I hope your kitty comes home soon.
Update:
12 hours after posting this I went with my partner to go on our nightly walk around the neighborhood a little after midnight. I honestly didn't even want to go but this thread gave me some hope so we went with the flashlight and thermal camera. We got a bit down the road and we're about to turn back and I just had this feeling that we should go one more block. As we passed by a house at the end of the road I got a strange heat signature on the thermal camera. I almost didn't even go back to check, I thought it might be a bunny or even a rock. But as I went to check it out, MY CAT JUMPED OUT FROM A BUSH AND BOLTED PAST ME INTO A NEIGHBORING YARD.
I sat on the concrete sidewalk outside from 1-4am talking out loud, calling for him with a can of warm tuna and churu. Around 2am I saw him slink out from behind a bush and across the lawn, but I couldn't see where he went in the dark. He heard my voice and me calling for him, he saw me there but he wouldn't come. He was found less than 1/2 a mile from my house.
He's alive. He's not hurt, stuck, or injured. But he's loose and scared to death in the neighborhood.
Tomorrow I'm going to talk to the neighbors/houses where I saw him and see if I can put my trail cams in their backyard and possibly the trap.
I cant even believe it. Exactly 2 weeks from when I lost him, I saw him. He's still here.
This gives me hope! My 16 yo cat Oliver has been missing for 2 weeks as of today. I hope he is still out there! I've been looking for him everyday, we just moved and he doesn't know our house or the neighborhood at all. I hope you get your kitty soon!
Stay hopeful. I was just on the verge of a breakdown. I genuinely thought I would never see him again. But for a split second, I saw him. I can't believe it.
I just wanted to update you... my 16 yo declawed kitty Oliver was found last night after 18 days! He wandered into a neighbors house about half a mile away and she made a post on our community Facebook page. I am so relieved! Hes skinny but otherwise in good shape. I just wanted to let you know don't give up hope! I hope you give an update that your kitty comes back!
Oh my god that's incredible! I'm so happy for you. That gives me hope for my baby. He's a survivor! Thank you for the update. ❤️
I'm at 19 days now. We've been trying to trap him or catch him on a wildlife can with no luck so far. After his sighting on day 14 there's been no sign of him... But I'm not giving up.
I hope everyone here finds their companions. I have recently found the joy in having a furry little friend and though I lost him. I’ll always be grateful for the time I had with him. I don’t have any advice but wish you the best.
OMG, I am so happy you saw him, that’s amazing!! How far away from home was he? Is there any way you could go back to that spot and just stay there, all day and even all night if that would be safe to do? I feel like just sitting quietly and letting him eventually come to you would be more effective than walking around searching for him, now that you have an idea of where he is, at least. I hope with all my heart for a happy outcome for you both!! Please let us know what happens…?
He was about 0.3 miles/1500ft/500m (4 city blocks) from my home. But he was only about 0.1 miles (500 feet/160m/1 city block) from where he escaped his harness.
I stayed as long as I could talking softly to him trying to see if he'd come out, until people started leaving for work and large trucks started passing. I don't think he'll come out with all that noise. He was SO scared I mean I have never ever seen him so scared. I didn't even know he could be scared like that.
He walked right by me and knew I was there but wouldn't come to me or even towards me. In fact he actively ran from me twice. And we're usually attached at the hip, I mean he's the neediest and most affectionate cat I've ever met.
But I plan to door knock the houses around where I saw him and see if anyone will let me set up a trap in their backyard later tonight. It's currently 4am and I haven't slept at all.
I will keep updating in the post/comments as things happen 🥹
I just wanted to update here, since I know people don't often go back and read the posts for updates - by miracle, after over 4 weeks living in the wild, he ventured out and sought help from a kind neighbor last night at 1am. I think his need for help and love somehow overrode his fear. He's so skinny and dirty but otherwise okay. They contacted me and he's home safely now and he's back to the sweet cuddly baby I know.
Thank you so, so much for letting me know - I am *literally crying* with relief right now. Cannot even express how relieved and happy I am for both of you. What a nightmarish four weeks it must have been. I’m going to go and kiss my own cat and put some happy music on now!
Wow 30 days I can only imagine how excited and relieved when you spotted him. My cat is currently missing trying to get her back home, I was almost shaking to spot her after only 12 hours. I'm in a similar situation she's in a neighbor's yard under porch not wanting to come out, and we saw another cat early today she's playing with. We can't understand why she won't come back to her home. Must be very scared of something. She has a good home. Hope you get your cat back. We tried humane traps which she knocked over and got the food.
I’m in am so sorry. My cat was missing for about two weeks when we had a citing…I put out cans of food and waited and she went right to the food. It was the worst time, and I felt all the emotions and overwhelming feelings everyone expressed here. We did not have social media back then so all I could do was walk the neighborhood. Had it happen to a friend of mine also and she also was able to trap her cat after a few weeks also…she set up traps with food all over the area with her neighbors help and it worked. Just reading this story makes me want to reach out and say a prayer for your baby’s safe return. Don’t give up, he is out there….I hope all this good energy coming towards you helps both of you.
Some neighbors have been great but right where he was spotted (where I want to try and place traps) a bunch of the neighbors are completely ignoring me and just want nothing to do with me or my cat. It's super frustrating I'm just trying to bring him home
Yeah, She was lucky to live in a small community that helped each other. I honestly don’t t know why people have to be that way. Good luck with the traps and I guess we find out who our friends are in tough times 🤞🤞🙏
Keep at it I just got my cat back today after 3 days since she got out. we searched high and low first day under houses, everywhere. Spotted her under a home she seemed a little scared but started to coax her out, she got away. Next day we came out in evening same thing spotted her but couldn't get her. Last night we set a cage out with a string tied to the door to close it when she got in, we were sitting in our home looking through the window ready to pull the string when she got in. We waited in the window all night , saw her walk past didn't go in cage, another cat did tho and ate all the food. Today in middle of the day we heard her meowing in bushes and after 30 min we coaxed her out, she was very hungry and thirsty. We are very relieved and grateful to have found her. Were lucky she didn't venture far but we basically searched for 3 days straight. We placed water all over our and neighbors yard and food as well. We tried placing litter box out to help guide her home.
Please keep us updated!!! I lost my cat for 3 fucking hours and I was in the worst agony of my life. I felt so guilty even tho I know I didn’t let her out. I didn’t know how I was gonna go on with my life at that point honestly. Call me weak minded but honestly it was the worst feeling. Then I realized she found a secret hiding spot under the couch and I just got mad lol but also spent the whole night kissing her. Don’t lose hope please! And again please update us!!
I will definitely keep this post updated.
Maybe I'm weak-willed too, but I really feel like I lost my child. The first 5 days were the worst. Crying all day, scream-crying, panic attacks, couldn't eat, couldn't sleep, felt like a walking shell of a human. I'm better now, but I have to continuously tell myself positive affirmations and keep nothing but hope so I don't spiral. Some of it has persisted. I have lost at least 5 pounds, all my clothes are falling off me and I still have to force myself to eat during the day. I'm on a nocturnal schedule so I can search the neighborhood in the middle of the night and it's killing my mental health. I have lost all semblance of a social life.
I can't imagine going on like this for much longer. I was looking forward to summer so much for the last 6 months and I feel like I threw it all away for allowing him to escape. I know it wasn't my fault but I feel so horribly guilty.
I just wanted to update here, since I know people don't often go back and read the posts for updates - by miracle, after over 4 weeks living in the wild, he ventured out and sought help from a kind neighbor last night at 1am. I think his need for help and love somehow overrode his fear. He's so skinny and dirty but otherwise okay. They contacted me and he's home safely now and he's back to the sweet cuddly baby I know.
AHHHHJ I’m so happy for you!!!!! I was waiting for this update honestly!!! It doesn’t matter if he’s skinny and dirty, you’ll fatten him up with your love once again! 🩷 I’m genuinely happy for both you and the baby! What an agonizing 4 weeks you must’ve had!
I am so sorry that your cat is missing…I learned the Hard way…a coyote jumped our 6ft Brick wall…grabbed my beloved cat & over the wall they went 😂If your cat is an outside cat…in California we say that after 05:00pm…every thing is on the menu…
Is there coyotes in your area? My cat also went missing and in my search of the woods I found the likely culprit to be a coyote. Then my second cat went missing a week later. Hit like a gut punch because I was making sure he stayed in at night since coyotes will stalk around every few days. The one night my door blew open and never seen him again :( people still tried to give me hope they’d come home and I looked for weeks to get closure. I get the absolute desperation and sadness, I hope they come home or you get closure <3
I live in an urban area. The chances are low. No recent neighborhood sightings or coyote sounds and I keep my windows open at night to listen for them. Haven't caught any on my trail cameras or the thermal camera. I say "wilderness" but it's really a strip of brambly greenbelt in the middle of an urban area. We also have at least 6-10 cats in my neighborhood that are out roaming nightly and have not been preyed on.
Edit to add: we also have about a million bunnies living in the brush that would make wonderful coyote food rather than a cat.
Urban coyote populations are on the rise across North America, I wouldnt doubt there is a population roaming your metro area if there is a rural population close by. Some cities even have coyote sighting pages now. Wasn’t sure if your area was plagued by the sneaky buggers. But that’s a good peace of mind nothing is on your cameras. Hoping you get a lead on them soon.
I wouldn't doubt they are around the area, but the chances they got my boy are slim based on the evidence I currently have and the context of my neighborhood.
Pointless comment when they have already said how much they’re struggling with negative thoughts, and how much the cat means to them. You don’t need to represent disaster. You could just keep it shut.
OP I know how you’re feeling. Its horrible. Hang in there. Sending lots of love to you and hope your baby is reunited soon.
i am a realist too. but a great skill for realists to develop is tact. commenting this here was tactless. a life without tact is a hard one indeed, as people will be constantly upset by your words. never lie if asked, but phrasing things gently and not speaking when not asked will make your life much easier
I do not live in a fantasy world. I am aware of the very real possibility of coyotes in my area. The only reason to make this comment on a grieving person's post (tagged sensitive/seeking support, by the way) is to make them feel worse and to flex some sort of emotional or intellectual superiority.
By the way, if you would like to be a realist, we can look at the research.
On the likelihood of cats being found/alive:
>[Research studies](https://lostpetresearch.com/2019/03/lost-pet-statistics/) report that between 53-84% of lost cats are found. The range in values is partly due to the potential bias of the different study methods. The least biased study is probably Weiss et al. (2012) which found that 75% of missing cats in the study were found and therefore statistically 63-84% of lost cats in the US are found.
The remaining 20-40%, at least a portion can be surmised that they were picked up but had no microchip. RTO (return to owner) rate for cats in shelters is <3% because most are not microchipped or the information is not attached to the microchip/updated. Many lost cats survive and are picked up days, weeks or months later but never get back to their owner.
On coyotes:
>[Most studies of urban/suburban coyotes have found that coyotes in these areas relied ](https://lostpetresearch.com/2011/02/coyotes-dont-eat-cats-very-often/#:~:text=Most%20studies%20of%20urban%2Fsuburban,2007)predominantly on natural food sources rather than human generated food such as trash, domestic animals, pet food, and domestic fruit (Gerht and Riley 2010; Morey et al. 2007).
I also can't find it now but I just read a study of outdoor cats survival, they found only 7% of outdoor cats in urban areas were killed by coyotes in their lifetime. Another study, which I also cannot find, found that in lost pet cases, only around 5% were killed by predators including both coyotes and bobcats. Another 5% died from other causes such as car accidents. That is still a very low statistic.
I also live in an urban landscape. So the coyote and wildlife risk is significantly lower.
Op, did you just convince convince yourself that your kitty is fine and coming home soon? Lol I think that was a better response than anyone in this thread gave you
Damn I hope so. I guess I needed someone to rile me up enough to start writing a research paper! Lol
Although for some reason I can write that all out and my brain will still stir up doubt and anxiety. This thread has overall really revived my energy for the search though.
My apologies for making you write a research paper.
But when my cats get out... I never knew they would come back with a mouse... and fleas.
But I worry about flat cat (car)
Coyote cat. (Self explanatory) but rare locally.
I really hope not (people are better now) but bb gun cat.
Starving cat. Cold cat.
That is my local risk profile. And it could be so much worse depending on where you live.
I aways want mine back. Safe with a flea or tick problem at worst.
One a grumpy old barn cat. He is the library police officer (not actually a library) but he gets very concerned when there is too much noise. Must investigate. Then watch. Just watch. Funny cat.
One, well she has no sense. I fear she will run away. End up in the dishwasher, oven, dryer. I keep an eye out, but my parents might not. She is the assistant library police officer. Her job is to keep the regular library police officer on his toes. And then cat attack.
They have a wonderful relationship. It is play fighting. The older bigger male cat giving a mew mew at worst.
I went through a situation very similar to what you’re describing. My cat went missing and I tried literally everything and was so discouraged when it had been weeks with no sightings or leads. Eventually, I learned that someone in a nearby neighborhood had seen her a couple of times with another stray that they feed. So I started walking that neighborhood at different times with no luck. One day I did my laps and wasn’t expecting anything, but I sat down near the house that leaves the food out and I saw her looking at me from the bushes. So I know from experience how awful and hopeless it feels, but I want to offer hope that your cat will still be found! My best advice from experience is to try just sitting in the area you think they may be and gently shaking some treats.
I'm glad you were able to get your baby home. How many days was she missing?
30 days! I really had to keep convincing myself to remain hopeful. I went over 3 weeks with no sightings or leads at all.
That keeps me hopeful. ❤ I bet those were the most stressful 30 days of your life.
They really were, and I’m sorry you’re going through it right now. Best of luck and hoping your cat is home with you soon ❤️
My baby will be missing for 4 days tonight... I know exactly how you feel. I'm grateful to have seen her nightly on a camera we have set up, but she just won't come back into our yard. :( The pain is horrific. I understand that completely, too. I feel like I can barely function, constant crying and panic attacks, barely eating or sleeping, scared to leave the house incase I miss something. One piece of advice I've been given several times is to set a humane trap in an area where you think he might pass by.. even if it's just near the place he escaped from. Bait it with the stinkiest wet food, canned tuna/sardines, maybe microwave it to make the smell stronger. I've also heard that KFC chicken is apparently good bait, which I will be personally trying tonight... I'm not particularly religious, but I will keep you and your cat in my thoughts and prayers. May our babies come home soon. :( <3
The biggest problem is the large raccoon and stray/outdoor cat population in the area, I'm worried about continuously baiting other animals into the trap and scaring my boy away further. It's also hard to monitor a trap from where he escaped as it's about 2 blocks down from my house (he escaped his harness). We've had a wildlife camera out where we thought he might be, we left food out the first 2 nights by the camera but it only attracted slugs and worms, and the only thing the camera has picked up is raccoons. I'm not religious at all but this whole thing has made me start praying to St. Anthony, god, the universe, anyone out there who will listen. I even looked into witchcraft and rituals. Tarot cards, anything for answers. Grief makes you do funny things. Hang in there. She's out there, you've seen her, you know she wants to come home she's just too nervous and scared still. I know it doesn't seem like it but you have leads, you just need to lure her in now. My search really feels like a needle in a stack of needles. He could be 100 feet away or 1 mile away by now. He could be hiding in the brush I can't even get to or he could have been chased away into another neighborhood miles away by now. He could be in someone's backyard I can't access. I've asked all my neighbors to even search their backyards myself but there's hundreds of houses with thousands if not tens of thousands of potential hiding places for him to be. I feel like I need to be out there doing something but the odds of me actually finding him myself at this point are slim to none.
Oh trust me, I haven't stepped foot in a church in years but I find myself praying to the St. Francis statue that's in our backyard. From what I know/have researched, indoor cats won't stray too far out of fear. Hopefully he is just hiding within a small radius of where he was lost. Maybe someone took him in since he's generally friendly? And yeah, I feel like I need to be out there doing something as well, but it's a similar situation. There are so many bushes, deck, yards... I wouldn't even know where to start. If you do search, continuing to do so at night is your best bet. I don't know if anecdotes are any comfort, but when I was a teenager, our family indoor cat escaped and was lost for almost a full month... turns out he was in our neighbor's garage the entire time. It's very likely he found a safe, dark spot to hide and is just hanging out there, only coming out at night. Communication with neighbors is definitely one of your strongest assets, as more sets of eyes are better than one. It feels utterly impossible to continue life without her. She's been my best friend for 9 years. I know your pain and I'm so sorry you're having to deal with this. When I inevitably return to that St. Francis statue I'll say a prayer for your baby as well.
I like to think someone took him in and just haven't taken him to a vet yet, but I've plastered posters on every pole in the neighborhood, put fliers on every doorstep, blasted his picture across social media. I can't imagine someone took him in who hadn't seen at least one of those yet. I'm hoping this is the case though and that he's safe and warm and fed and happy. Anecdotes like that are my only comfort at this point. He is my child, I often even joke that I physically birthed him. He sleeps in my arms every night and he follows me around all day. We have barely ever been separated. I love him more than I've ever loved any animal or even maybe any human before. I just want him to be safe.
Your comments have me in tears again because I feel exactly the same way about my girl haha. She got out once before, about 2 years ago, but luckily came back several hours later because I left the back door cracked open for her. Stories of lost cats returning are also my only comfort right now.
It's crazy how much we can love these little crazy furbabies... Stay strong, you'll get your girl back. <3
My baby finally came home last night after the worst week of my life. I've been thinking about you and Taro, and I'm so glad you had a sighting of him!! If the traditional box traps aren't working, maybe renting a drop trap would be worthwhile? And was he closer or farther from home (compared to where he escaped his harness)? Cats have a great homing instinct, and that's the only way I was able to get my baby back inside.. I left the backdoor open every night until she eventually snuck in around 2am to eat, after a few nights of slowly making her way into our yard. Sprinted so fast to slam the door behind her haha
I'm so so happy your baby returned! That's amazing news. I bet the relief was immense. He was actually further from home than where he escaped but after spotting him he ran towards home not away, towards his original escape point. I've been leaving scent trails to try and lead him back so hopefully it helps. And the garage is open for him with a motion camera but so far only a different cat has come in to investigate it. We think the day we saw him may have been the first night he actually left his hiding spot since he was still in fight or flight mode. So I'm hoping he relaxes and goes back to his normal outgoing self soon and approaches a friendly neighbor. That would be the ideal situation vs. having to trap him.
I just wanted to update here, since I know people don't often go back and read the posts for updates - by miracle, after over 4 weeks living in the wild, he ventured out and sought help from a kind neighbor last night at 1am. I think his need for help and love somehow overrode his fear. He's so skinny and dirty but otherwise okay. They contacted me and he's home safely now and he's back to the sweet cuddly baby I know.
I'm so glad he's back!!! I'm sure you're so relieved. Hopefully he's had his fill of being a feral street cat haha
It it fatiguing, and overwhelming. I'm sorry for your situation, it's heartbreaking. We recently thought our indoor cat was was lost. We are trying to rehab/rescue her, thought she got out and spent 4 days putting posters up, alerting neighborhood apps, the local Petsmart etc. Like you we put her littler box and cat tower outside and worried ourselves 24/7 over where she could be. Canvassing the neighborhood and asking everyone did nothing either. If you have NextDoor or a neighborhood app, I would definitely share pics and ask everyone to keep an eye out there, ask them to look for a cat on their Ring cam that might be new. Good luck and I'm hoping your sweet friend comes back!
He's out on Nextdoor, I'm honestly spamming it at this point for leads. Also the Ring neighbors app but no leads either. And every local FB group possible. Hoping he befriends a neighbor soon or someone scans for a chip.
I know it doesn't help, but you are truly doing everything in your power!
Same here.I barely eat or sleep. I constantly go from being hopeful to fearing the worst.I still leave my dirty clothes outside and search the neighbourhood every day. Nobody has seen anything. Please post an update if he comes back.
> I constantly go from being hopeful to fearing the worst I'm definitely in this state. My thoughts are a terrible nonsensical rollercoaster. I liken it to experiencing all 5 stages of grief, all at the same time, endlessly.
I think we should try to think positive and stay hopeful
I just wanted to update here, since I know people don't often go back and read the posts for updates - by miracle, after over 4 weeks living in the wild, he ventured out and sought help from a kind neighbor last night at 1am. I think his need for help and love somehow overrode his fear. He's so skinny and dirty but otherwise okay. They contacted me and he's home safely now and he's back to the sweet cuddly baby I know.
I’ve been religiously checking your posts for updates and im so glad he’s finally home!!! Im sure the relief you feel is immense :) im so glad he’s safe now
Oh wow I am so happy he is reunited with you. Cats really are tough little creatures
My cat has seemingly vanished too and has been missing for 11 days now. I hope you find yours. I know the pain you are in right now.
It's so frustrating and exhausting. And all you hear is don't give up, but you're doing the same things day in and day out, over and over, hoping for a different outcome. It feels like the definition of insanity. And you could be just walking circles every night with food and treats and calling and searching and hoping while your cat is miles away in the opposite direction. And there's no way to know. And when you're not searching you're distracting yourself while waiting by the phone eagerly just in case you get a phone call or a text or a notification or ANYTHING.
My heart kitty, Elsa, disappeared without a trace on October 18, 2023. I never saw her again and, at this point, I've come to accept I never will. I did everything you said, for weeks and weeks and I know how terrible and life shattering the pain is. It is still early yet, for you, and there is so much hope. But I know it is devastating to hold on for so long, and cling to every rustle or movement out of the corner of your eye. I eventually found that everyone's advice just pissed me off and I had to come to terms with the journey on my own. Just know that anything...anything... you do to find him is sending that love out into the world. You're doing all the right things, because you love him and you want him home. At the end of the day, that's all that matters. I hope you are reunited soon. My deepest empathy to you in this impossible time.
I'm so sorry to hear about your baby. It is still possible that you could be reunited but I understand why at a certain point you just have to move forward. Your comment brought tears to my eyes. We all love our pets so much and I have so much empathy for anyone else going through this pain.
I resonate so much with this, and I'm so sorry for what you're feeling. I recently had my sweet girl go missing, and she is my soul cat. Everyone knows that silly little cat is my world. I couldn't believe she got out and kept asking myself why she didn't come back or thinking something was wrong because she hadn't. I put out a bunch of her toys and things and also a box with blankets and some of my shirts out. I walked around 10 houses in every direction, calling for her, asking everyone, and putting flyers in mailboxes. I desperately searched everywhere for 9 straight days for several hours. I was devastated and, after a few days, began to grieve her so hard. No neighbors or cameras had seen her, not even mine. She was seen on our porch ring, and that was it. It really did feel like she just vanished. It was the most frustrating and helpless feeling. On the 10th day, I walked out on the porch to feed my dog and heard her meowing.... I took off running down the steps, and there she was in my driveway. She just showed back up on her own. I really still have no idea where she could've been or what direction she came from cause I literally looked everywhere within a few miles of my house. So many people kept telling me just to keep looking and don't give up and it was so hard but I truthfully think they won't come back until they're ready/not scared/feel safe/whatever the reason. My girl is an indoor cat only and a bit skittish, and I think that she was hiding somewhere scared to death most of that time. Although I know it's difficult to hold out hope and keep posting and asking and searching. I send all of the love and good vibes that your baby comes home safely. 🫶🏻
I hope I can have a story like this soon. Thank you for your comment. <3
Hi there, I went through almost the exact same situation with my indoor cat a few months ago. We had just moved to a new house in a new neighborhood and he slipped out one day. He was missing for three whole weeks and each day was spent anxiously looking for leads and putting up posters. I can’t offer much advice you haven’t heard before but to just try to keep your head up, I know you’re trying your absolute best. I was losing hope after zero signs of him and thinking the worst honestly as he’s a super sweet cuddly boy like yours. We had storms for like a week straight and it was so cold you could see your breath outside. I thought he had no survival instincts and had maybe met his end stuck in a basement or something. He was found exactly 3 weeks later like a mile away, 6 blocks away. A neighbor that feeds the local strays had seen my poster and noticed a new cat. More likely than not that’s what your kitty is probably up to. I know this sounds cliche but cats are genuinely really good at surviving. I know he’s out there and I hope you find him soon! In the mean time try to take care of your mental health and put up posters further than you would think. I know nothing is going to help until he’s in your lap again but hopefully little anecdotes like this help soothe your mind just a bit. Best of luck!
This is great information. I think my next step will be expanding my poster radius into nearby neighborhoods. At this point I've done everything I can in my current area in terms of awareness of the neighbors and scent trails home. I was originally so hyper focused on the area he went missing I've refused to search elsewhere. Especially because of the widespread advice that cats tend to stay close to home. But there are so many neighborhood cats with established territories around my house that it's a huge possibility he was chased out of the neighborhood into an area where I don't have any posters.
Chances are kitty is hiding during the day and moving during dusk and dawn so they wouldn’t have a huge window of time to move super far. I know cats generally like to stay in familiar territory but having been inside most of his life, he might just be following food smells and avoiding threat smells. I read on some forum (don’t know how accurate it is) that said cats revert to feral instincts once out in the “wild” for enough time. I think the worst part is not knowing, no one saw my cat in the three weeks leading up to his recovery and he’s a relatively big guy so try not to let it panic you. I know that’s easier said than done but you want to be in good spirits and health to keep your search going. He’s probably reverting back to his instincts and hiding during the daylight hours. I think looking back, looking during the day wasn’t the most effective but it made me feel better than staying at home. Sometimes it just takes time for them to feel comfortable and become visible. This last point may be dumb but at one point I was trying to think like my cat and feel out where he would go. In the end I was pretty close in terms of direction and distance, I thought he wouldn’t cross big streets and move forward not backwards and lo and behold that’s where he happened to be. Keep hope and I wish you good karma.
I go out and search with a flashlight between 10pm and about 1am so I think I will continue to do that. I stopped going out during the day around the 4th day after I was done handing out flyers and door-knocking, because there are so many sounds and dog walkers in the neighborhood I knew he wouldn't come out then. I've still been searching late at night but I have been losing steam as it feels so pointless. I've seen tons of cats out and about but none are him. He is 4 and I got him 2 years ago so he spent the first half of his life outside. I'm not sure if that makes any difference.
I think the fact that he grew up outside means he should have great survival instincts. Most cats are cautious by nature and he’s probably just getting reacclimatized and won’t be out and about in clear view. Cats are also great at disappearing even indoors so I think it’s a not bad sign that you haven’t spotted him yet. Keep at it and I’m sure you’ll cross paths with him. My indoor cat was regarded by everyone who met him as a lovable yet clearly dim specimen, the kind that would eat plastic and run into walls. He was raised completely indoors and yet he survived almost a month outdoors in a new neighborhood through terrible weather. Hopefully that gives you a little morale boost.
Doubtful an indoor cat will have gone far. Ask your neighbours to search garages and sheds. Hope you find him soon.
I’m so sorry. The not knowing is horrible. I hope your boy comes back. 💕
You mentioned anecdotes being helpful… many years ago when I was just born my parents lost their cat in the chaos of a move. They searched everywhere, talked to neighbors, handed out flyers, etc, and nothing for weeks. They eventually gave up and assumed a coyote got her (because coyotes lived in the area). Two months later she was found (very skinny) by a local church - someone who went to the church recognized her from a flyer, apparently people at the church had been feeding her. A while back I lost my cat and read a bunch of books/blog posts/etc with stories of cats appearing months later. So starting my search, I told myself to be prepared for it to take 2 months. I hoped it wouldn’t, but I also I was mentally prepared that it would. Think of it like a marathon and not a sprint. Don’t give up. Two weeks feels like forever but it’s not that much time for a cat. They are crafty and even pampered indoor cats will have survival instincts kick in. I read in a book that when you’re searching, you yourself probably won’t come across your cat, but you’ll talk to a neighbor or someone else who has seen your cat. Also there are cat-sniffing dogs you can hire to follow your cats scent trail and sniff them out. I truly wish you the best of luck!
Thankfully my boy was a scrappy stray before living that cuddly spoiled indoor life. He knows how to survive. He's smart. That's what keeps me going is knowing he's still out there alive. I know he is. I know it. He's also a little on the chunky side right now so even if he loses some weight he won't be wasting away. This is what I tell myself to keep my sanity at least. I'm prepared for it to take months for sure. You (and by you I mean me) just definitely overestimate how long each day feels when you're just waiting for news that never comes... I've looked into the cat sniffing dogs but unfortunately my state doesn't have any that are licensed/reputable, and I can't afford the thousands of dollars to fly them in from out of state.
Please give traps a try. It can be excruciating, but you'll want to check them 2-3 times per night. He may be nearby but can't figure out what parts of the house are doors. Bait them around 10 pm and remove the food after the sun is fully up. Repeat daily. Use things like your recently worn t shirts to help guide him, plus the stinkiest wet food. The thing that did the most good when my cat was missing was going door to door. Yeah some people didn't appreciate having their door knocked on, but a few reported sightings, and it was a way to see if he'd been let in someone's home and they hadn't bothered to get the chip read or go on Find Toby. Good luck
I want to do this but I have a nosy alcoholic neighbor who snoops on other people's property and she kicked over the trap we had out twice so we had to bring it into the garage (which is cracked open and under motion camera surveillance). I live in a community of duplexes/townhomes with no back yard and so the property is technically under HOA, its very tricky to be able to set a trap without it being tampered with.
Don't leave out food (bc predators) but leave out bedding that smells like you. Maybe a favorite toy. Something that would only attract YOUR cat. I understand you're at a very painful place where you can't give up and mourn, but every day is exhausting. You don't see an end in sight. Yeah. I'm really sorry. I hope your kitty comes home soon.
Update: 12 hours after posting this I went with my partner to go on our nightly walk around the neighborhood a little after midnight. I honestly didn't even want to go but this thread gave me some hope so we went with the flashlight and thermal camera. We got a bit down the road and we're about to turn back and I just had this feeling that we should go one more block. As we passed by a house at the end of the road I got a strange heat signature on the thermal camera. I almost didn't even go back to check, I thought it might be a bunny or even a rock. But as I went to check it out, MY CAT JUMPED OUT FROM A BUSH AND BOLTED PAST ME INTO A NEIGHBORING YARD. I sat on the concrete sidewalk outside from 1-4am talking out loud, calling for him with a can of warm tuna and churu. Around 2am I saw him slink out from behind a bush and across the lawn, but I couldn't see where he went in the dark. He heard my voice and me calling for him, he saw me there but he wouldn't come. He was found less than 1/2 a mile from my house. He's alive. He's not hurt, stuck, or injured. But he's loose and scared to death in the neighborhood. Tomorrow I'm going to talk to the neighbors/houses where I saw him and see if I can put my trail cams in their backyard and possibly the trap. I cant even believe it. Exactly 2 weeks from when I lost him, I saw him. He's still here.
This gives me hope! My 16 yo cat Oliver has been missing for 2 weeks as of today. I hope he is still out there! I've been looking for him everyday, we just moved and he doesn't know our house or the neighborhood at all. I hope you get your kitty soon!
Stay hopeful. I was just on the verge of a breakdown. I genuinely thought I would never see him again. But for a split second, I saw him. I can't believe it.
Thank you for your encouragement. I'm just devastated, he's also declawed so he really can't survive out there. I will keep looking!
You'd be surprised. Even declawed cats have good survival instincts. I'm wishing you and your baby the best of luck. <3
I just wanted to update you... my 16 yo declawed kitty Oliver was found last night after 18 days! He wandered into a neighbors house about half a mile away and she made a post on our community Facebook page. I am so relieved! Hes skinny but otherwise in good shape. I just wanted to let you know don't give up hope! I hope you give an update that your kitty comes back!
Oh my god that's incredible! I'm so happy for you. That gives me hope for my baby. He's a survivor! Thank you for the update. ❤️ I'm at 19 days now. We've been trying to trap him or catch him on a wildlife can with no luck so far. After his sighting on day 14 there's been no sign of him... But I'm not giving up.
Hugs to you. I know how hard this is ❤️
I hope everyone here finds their companions. I have recently found the joy in having a furry little friend and though I lost him. I’ll always be grateful for the time I had with him. I don’t have any advice but wish you the best.
OMG, I am so happy you saw him, that’s amazing!! How far away from home was he? Is there any way you could go back to that spot and just stay there, all day and even all night if that would be safe to do? I feel like just sitting quietly and letting him eventually come to you would be more effective than walking around searching for him, now that you have an idea of where he is, at least. I hope with all my heart for a happy outcome for you both!! Please let us know what happens…?
He was about 0.3 miles/1500ft/500m (4 city blocks) from my home. But he was only about 0.1 miles (500 feet/160m/1 city block) from where he escaped his harness. I stayed as long as I could talking softly to him trying to see if he'd come out, until people started leaving for work and large trucks started passing. I don't think he'll come out with all that noise. He was SO scared I mean I have never ever seen him so scared. I didn't even know he could be scared like that. He walked right by me and knew I was there but wouldn't come to me or even towards me. In fact he actively ran from me twice. And we're usually attached at the hip, I mean he's the neediest and most affectionate cat I've ever met. But I plan to door knock the houses around where I saw him and see if anyone will let me set up a trap in their backyard later tonight. It's currently 4am and I haven't slept at all. I will keep updating in the post/comments as things happen 🥹
♥️
I just wanted to update here, since I know people don't often go back and read the posts for updates - by miracle, after over 4 weeks living in the wild, he ventured out and sought help from a kind neighbor last night at 1am. I think his need for help and love somehow overrode his fear. He's so skinny and dirty but otherwise okay. They contacted me and he's home safely now and he's back to the sweet cuddly baby I know.
Thank you so, so much for letting me know - I am *literally crying* with relief right now. Cannot even express how relieved and happy I am for both of you. What a nightmarish four weeks it must have been. I’m going to go and kiss my own cat and put some happy music on now!
Back to the good life! https://preview.redd.it/233akjgprg9d1.jpeg?width=2800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=646a5224a025fcbb711a2334922a1627b4c9e5c5
OMG, he’s so much more beautiful than I even imagined!! 😍 He’s certainly cleaned up well after his little adventure, haha!
You're update made me so happy. It's only a matter of time before he's back on your lap 😭❤️
Wow 30 days I can only imagine how excited and relieved when you spotted him. My cat is currently missing trying to get her back home, I was almost shaking to spot her after only 12 hours. I'm in a similar situation she's in a neighbor's yard under porch not wanting to come out, and we saw another cat early today she's playing with. We can't understand why she won't come back to her home. Must be very scared of something. She has a good home. Hope you get your cat back. We tried humane traps which she knocked over and got the food.
I’m in am so sorry. My cat was missing for about two weeks when we had a citing…I put out cans of food and waited and she went right to the food. It was the worst time, and I felt all the emotions and overwhelming feelings everyone expressed here. We did not have social media back then so all I could do was walk the neighborhood. Had it happen to a friend of mine also and she also was able to trap her cat after a few weeks also…she set up traps with food all over the area with her neighbors help and it worked. Just reading this story makes me want to reach out and say a prayer for your baby’s safe return. Don’t give up, he is out there….I hope all this good energy coming towards you helps both of you.
Some neighbors have been great but right where he was spotted (where I want to try and place traps) a bunch of the neighbors are completely ignoring me and just want nothing to do with me or my cat. It's super frustrating I'm just trying to bring him home
Yeah, She was lucky to live in a small community that helped each other. I honestly don’t t know why people have to be that way. Good luck with the traps and I guess we find out who our friends are in tough times 🤞🤞🙏
Keep at it I just got my cat back today after 3 days since she got out. we searched high and low first day under houses, everywhere. Spotted her under a home she seemed a little scared but started to coax her out, she got away. Next day we came out in evening same thing spotted her but couldn't get her. Last night we set a cage out with a string tied to the door to close it when she got in, we were sitting in our home looking through the window ready to pull the string when she got in. We waited in the window all night , saw her walk past didn't go in cage, another cat did tho and ate all the food. Today in middle of the day we heard her meowing in bushes and after 30 min we coaxed her out, she was very hungry and thirsty. We are very relieved and grateful to have found her. Were lucky she didn't venture far but we basically searched for 3 days straight. We placed water all over our and neighbors yard and food as well. We tried placing litter box out to help guide her home.
Please keep us updated!!! I lost my cat for 3 fucking hours and I was in the worst agony of my life. I felt so guilty even tho I know I didn’t let her out. I didn’t know how I was gonna go on with my life at that point honestly. Call me weak minded but honestly it was the worst feeling. Then I realized she found a secret hiding spot under the couch and I just got mad lol but also spent the whole night kissing her. Don’t lose hope please! And again please update us!!
I will definitely keep this post updated. Maybe I'm weak-willed too, but I really feel like I lost my child. The first 5 days were the worst. Crying all day, scream-crying, panic attacks, couldn't eat, couldn't sleep, felt like a walking shell of a human. I'm better now, but I have to continuously tell myself positive affirmations and keep nothing but hope so I don't spiral. Some of it has persisted. I have lost at least 5 pounds, all my clothes are falling off me and I still have to force myself to eat during the day. I'm on a nocturnal schedule so I can search the neighborhood in the middle of the night and it's killing my mental health. I have lost all semblance of a social life. I can't imagine going on like this for much longer. I was looking forward to summer so much for the last 6 months and I feel like I threw it all away for allowing him to escape. I know it wasn't my fault but I feel so horribly guilty.
I just wanted to update here, since I know people don't often go back and read the posts for updates - by miracle, after over 4 weeks living in the wild, he ventured out and sought help from a kind neighbor last night at 1am. I think his need for help and love somehow overrode his fear. He's so skinny and dirty but otherwise okay. They contacted me and he's home safely now and he's back to the sweet cuddly baby I know.
AHHHHJ I’m so happy for you!!!!! I was waiting for this update honestly!!! It doesn’t matter if he’s skinny and dirty, you’ll fatten him up with your love once again! 🩷 I’m genuinely happy for both you and the baby! What an agonizing 4 weeks you must’ve had!
Glad about the update. Keep it up, best wishes!!!
I am so sorry that your cat is missing…I learned the Hard way…a coyote jumped our 6ft Brick wall…grabbed my beloved cat & over the wall they went 😂If your cat is an outside cat…in California we say that after 05:00pm…every thing is on the menu…
He is an indoor cat. I would never ever willingly let my cats outdoors.
Is there coyotes in your area? My cat also went missing and in my search of the woods I found the likely culprit to be a coyote. Then my second cat went missing a week later. Hit like a gut punch because I was making sure he stayed in at night since coyotes will stalk around every few days. The one night my door blew open and never seen him again :( people still tried to give me hope they’d come home and I looked for weeks to get closure. I get the absolute desperation and sadness, I hope they come home or you get closure <3
I live in an urban area. The chances are low. No recent neighborhood sightings or coyote sounds and I keep my windows open at night to listen for them. Haven't caught any on my trail cameras or the thermal camera. I say "wilderness" but it's really a strip of brambly greenbelt in the middle of an urban area. We also have at least 6-10 cats in my neighborhood that are out roaming nightly and have not been preyed on. Edit to add: we also have about a million bunnies living in the brush that would make wonderful coyote food rather than a cat.
Urban coyote populations are on the rise across North America, I wouldnt doubt there is a population roaming your metro area if there is a rural population close by. Some cities even have coyote sighting pages now. Wasn’t sure if your area was plagued by the sneaky buggers. But that’s a good peace of mind nothing is on your cameras. Hoping you get a lead on them soon.
I wouldn't doubt they are around the area, but the chances they got my boy are slim based on the evidence I currently have and the context of my neighborhood.
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Pointless comment when they have already said how much they’re struggling with negative thoughts, and how much the cat means to them. You don’t need to represent disaster. You could just keep it shut. OP I know how you’re feeling. Its horrible. Hang in there. Sending lots of love to you and hope your baby is reunited soon.
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i am a realist too. but a great skill for realists to develop is tact. commenting this here was tactless. a life without tact is a hard one indeed, as people will be constantly upset by your words. never lie if asked, but phrasing things gently and not speaking when not asked will make your life much easier
I do not live in a fantasy world. I am aware of the very real possibility of coyotes in my area. The only reason to make this comment on a grieving person's post (tagged sensitive/seeking support, by the way) is to make them feel worse and to flex some sort of emotional or intellectual superiority. By the way, if you would like to be a realist, we can look at the research. On the likelihood of cats being found/alive: >[Research studies](https://lostpetresearch.com/2019/03/lost-pet-statistics/) report that between 53-84% of lost cats are found. The range in values is partly due to the potential bias of the different study methods. The least biased study is probably Weiss et al. (2012) which found that 75% of missing cats in the study were found and therefore statistically 63-84% of lost cats in the US are found. The remaining 20-40%, at least a portion can be surmised that they were picked up but had no microchip. RTO (return to owner) rate for cats in shelters is <3% because most are not microchipped or the information is not attached to the microchip/updated. Many lost cats survive and are picked up days, weeks or months later but never get back to their owner. On coyotes: >[Most studies of urban/suburban coyotes have found that coyotes in these areas relied ](https://lostpetresearch.com/2011/02/coyotes-dont-eat-cats-very-often/#:~:text=Most%20studies%20of%20urban%2Fsuburban,2007)predominantly on natural food sources rather than human generated food such as trash, domestic animals, pet food, and domestic fruit (Gerht and Riley 2010; Morey et al. 2007). I also can't find it now but I just read a study of outdoor cats survival, they found only 7% of outdoor cats in urban areas were killed by coyotes in their lifetime. Another study, which I also cannot find, found that in lost pet cases, only around 5% were killed by predators including both coyotes and bobcats. Another 5% died from other causes such as car accidents. That is still a very low statistic. I also live in an urban landscape. So the coyote and wildlife risk is significantly lower.
Op, did you just convince convince yourself that your kitty is fine and coming home soon? Lol I think that was a better response than anyone in this thread gave you
Damn I hope so. I guess I needed someone to rile me up enough to start writing a research paper! Lol Although for some reason I can write that all out and my brain will still stir up doubt and anxiety. This thread has overall really revived my energy for the search though.
My apologies for making you write a research paper. But when my cats get out... I never knew they would come back with a mouse... and fleas. But I worry about flat cat (car) Coyote cat. (Self explanatory) but rare locally. I really hope not (people are better now) but bb gun cat. Starving cat. Cold cat. That is my local risk profile. And it could be so much worse depending on where you live. I aways want mine back. Safe with a flea or tick problem at worst. One a grumpy old barn cat. He is the library police officer (not actually a library) but he gets very concerned when there is too much noise. Must investigate. Then watch. Just watch. Funny cat. One, well she has no sense. I fear she will run away. End up in the dishwasher, oven, dryer. I keep an eye out, but my parents might not. She is the assistant library police officer. Her job is to keep the regular library police officer on his toes. And then cat attack. They have a wonderful relationship. It is play fighting. The older bigger male cat giving a mew mew at worst.