Venting my cat is gone

[bear_trapped]

i know this is going to sound stupid, but i'm currently crying in bed over my poor cat. we own six indoor cats, none of them are allowed outside. it's probably bad to have a favorite, but i don't think i've ever loved an animal as much as i love my little orange cat. he's about 5 years old and still really small, my guess is that he was the runt of the litter.

during sometime today while we were running errands in and out of the house, he had to have gotten out. we've searched the whole house but there's no sign of him anywhere. underneath of our house is an orange cat, but the problem is that there's a stray orange cat that's always hanging out on our back deck, so from the 2 hours i've spent outside trying to lure it out, i still can't tell if it's my cat or the stray. he's been gone since this morning and it's currently almost 10:30 pm. none of our cats have ever been gone for this long and my mind won't stop racing. i love that cat more than anything and i'm so worried i'll never see him again. there's very few things keeping me going everyday and he's definitely one of them, i don't know what i would do without him. i locked myself in my room because i hate anyone seeing me this emotional and crying but i can't help it. i don't know what to do or who to talk to, i just want him back

 

[Hyd999]

Sorry to hear that i hope you find him safe

 

[Wilting Daisy]

I'd be emotional and crying too if my little buddy went missing

Have you placed his favorite treats and food in a bowl outside, along with a small shelter (maybe a cat carrier or box with a t-shirt inside that has your scent)?
You mentioned there's a stray cat out there (who could possibly eat the food), but as long as your little orange cat smells it he'll know where to come back too after his adventure ❤
Please keep us updated

 

[not-2-b-the-answer]

So sorry this has happened. I hope he returns soon.

 

[ForbiddenSiren]

Im hoping he comes home! :( And its not stupid, dont think that. Animal bonds are the best thing in this life

 

[FrootyBat]

Put your kitty's litter box out there. Don't clean it. You want the smell to attract him back home.

Post on Nextdoor.com about your kitty too. Your neighborhood is likely full of people who will keep a heads up.

 

[hellispink]

Wishing your cat a safe return home. I love cats so much I have two and I have lost others too. I know this pain and the crying. Your feelings are valid. If you are able, print some posters or walk a few blocks, look under cars, leave traces (such as sand, toys, blankets etc) so he can smell it.

 

[Someone123]

Within the first 24 hours of getting out of s house a cat usually stickis very close to the house- I would spend as much time as possible outsid the house with treats and put out a water dish for sure. I would spend as much time as possible tomorrowjust outrside your house hopiung it will come back to you. Best of luck.

 

[FuneralCry]

It's understandable why you would be so upset. I hope that you find your cat soon. Best wishes.

 

[PleaseTakeMeAway]

I hope your cat gets back home safely.

 

[Smart No More]

Hey, @bear_trapped I totally empathise! I used to walk with my cat when she was out and was always concerned when I didn't see her for a bit if she wondered off for a little while. Usually on the hunt. She always made her way back home.

So....there's hope. For one thing, cats have a kind of ability to find their way as they have a kind of inbuilt compass/gps unlike humans who need visual landmarks. Don't get me wrong, visual landmarks are used by cats too but many blind cats hunt and catch prey as though they still had their sight. They're amazing creatures and super smart.

The main concern is the cat that hangs out outside as he/she might be a bit of a barrier to your little cat making himself seen to you as cats are territorial. He might feel intimidated about coming in plain sight of the house. This is less likely if he's used to seeing and smelling that cat though. If you can get hold of a couple of trap cages from a rescue centre or vets practice you could place them strategically in hopes of your little fella finding his way in. He will be hungry so putting some food and bedding in them would be very productive. Ideally bedding should be familiar to him. Something that smells of both of you would be ideal.

If you can't get hold of trap cages then take a couple of boxes and place some bedding in that is made up of something that has your scent and his. They will attract him and make him feel secure in those boxes/places. This is important for creating a friendly environment in this big world he hasn't seen before. You can check the boxes regularly and you may just find him sleeping in them. If not in them he'll likely stick close by thwm due to the familiarity. They should be in semi secluded places so he will feel safe there. Cat's are amazing hiders! You may well have been very near to him whilst looking and been totally unaware. If he's feeling scared he won't come out until he's ready. Night time is a cats friend because they see well in the dark unlike us.

Tuna fish dotted around the place in a trail to the home is also a very useful way to guide him home. At the very least you'll be providing some food for him and can get a feel for whether he's been there at times you weren't looking. Obviously keeping the other cat from munching on it might present a challenge though. You no doubt know your cat and what he likes so obviously feel free to include foods he particularly likes. He will almost certainly be watching from somewhere.

When you attempt to call a cat they might respond but it's important to remember that cats are not like dogs or people. A lot of noise/calling is potentially more damaging so call in a low tone and calm voice and do it infrequently. Try to use sounds he will recognise no matter how silly you feel. What he will value most though is familiar scents. Leaving those around and maybe trailing them to your home if possible will help guide him home. When something unusual scared my cat whilst we were out she would go hide, sit in one spot and not come out until I was very close. I wouldn't know she was there until she came out from seemingly nowhere as I got within smelling distance lol. They have better noses than a dog believe it or not. It's true I swear!

The cat under the house.... well, it could be him and if it is, calling a lot will potentially make him stay there so placing some food with a strong smell nearer to where you want him to head to will be more likely to draw him out. If you can get eyes on the other cat that sits outside you might want to attempt to keep that one out of the picture somehow so it doesn't guard the territory and put your little guy off coming to the door. Obviously, once you see that cat you can look under the house to see if there's still an orange cat there. If there is then it's probably your little guy. If so maybe consider calling animal rescue services if you can't get to him and he's not coming in. It would make absolute sense for him to go hide out under there if he got out. It's the same location as home after all.

Food is your friend but try not to put too much out so that he gets full up and doesn't feel the need to chase down more. Small amounts trailing to your home is the trick. Try to entice him.

If you have social media accounts like Facebook it's worth posting to any local missing cat groups and rescue centres.

If he's chipped that will be useful but don't beat yourself up too much if you haven't had him chipped. Maybe consider it for the future once he's home though. I have to admit I never had my cat chipped but do feel like I should.

Something worth remembering is that a big open world is probably enticing to a young healthy cat. Especially if you live near fields or woodland. Anywhere there's wildlife. My cat loves to hunt and once she gets the scent of something she's fully invested and there's no stopping here. It's a great form of entertainment for a cat and they can't resist their instincts. Did you know that cats can see heat and various things like scent markings and rodent urine. Your little fella has been dropped into a theme park all of sudden and for some it's big fun where others find it overwhelming. So he's either having the time of his life or he's hiding out somewhere safe, looking for his oportunity to get back home. If you can make it as easy for him as possible you've done what you can.

If you have pictures of him then it's a good idea to print up some missing posters to post locally. A male cat has a bigger hunting range than females so it makes more sense for him to be away longer than a female cat. I'm mentioning that because you said your cats have never been away this long but for a young male in theme park land it makes more sense. I hope that brings you a little hopeful comfort. If you put missing posters up and on social media be sure to add some info on how best to approach him. Personally, unless he's super friendly with humans I'd suggest nobody try to approach him because it can scare him off. Just have them call you with sightings and when they do ask them to keep eyes on him until you arrive to pick him up. Some cats are skittish. If he's not then I guess it's not an issue.


I really feel for you! I absolutely love my cat and know the anxiety induced by them going off unexpected. My girl as always come back. My neighbours cat went away for 6 weeks and turned up one day perfectly healthy and happy. He's still around today. They're very resilient animals.

The very best of luck. Hope we hear he's made it back indoors real soon.

 

[Lullaby]

I'm so sorry!

I've heard of cats coming back, even after a couple of days, so hopefully that's the case. If you can, maybe leaving something outside with your scent, or even his favorite toy might help.

 

[Smart No More]

Put your kitty's litter box out there. Don't clean it. You want the smell to attract him back home.

Post on Nextdoor.com about your kitty too. Your neighborhood is likely full of people who will keep a heads up.

Great advice! Much less longwinded than mine too lol.

The scent is so useful in guiding him home and making him feel safe.

Hopefully the neighbours are nice and helpful.

Watching with baited breath!

 

[Someone123]

Great advice! Much less longwinded than mine too lol.

The scent is so useful in guiding him home and making him feel safe.

Hopefully the neighbours are nice and helpful.

Watching with baited breath!

Your long response had a lot of helpful details.

 

[bear_trapped]

thank you to everyone that left very helpful and kind comments, i appreciate it a bunch. he's back home :)

 

[not-2-b-the-answer]

thank you to everyone that left very helpful and kind comments, i appreciate it a bunch. he's back home :)

So happy for you.

 

[Smart No More]

Great news!

What happened?

 

[bear_trapped]

Great news!

What happened?

the cat under my house was him! we set a trap but he didn't get in it, so my stepdad crawled under the house after him and caught him

 

[Someone123]

the cat under my house was him! we set a trap but he didn't get in it, so my stepdad crawled under the house after him and caught him

That is amazing news! I'm very happy for you. :)

 

[ForbiddenSiren]

thank you to everyone that left very helpful and kind comments, i appreciate it a bunch. he's back home :)

Yay! I was worried, it was playing on my mind. So glad hes back home safe :D

 

[wait.what]

I'm so glad to hear he's home safe! We've had a lot of cats over the years, and most of them have gone walkabout for at least a few hours here and there. They almost always come back, perhaps damper, but wiser as well. (Except for the little himbo who has dashed out into a cold, wet night, panicked, hidden under a bush, and promptly become too terrified to come out unassisted … twice. This is not a cat that accumulates wisdom.)

 

[Hookah-smoking-cat]

i know this is going to sound stupid, but i'm currently crying in bed over my poor cat. we own six indoor cats, none of them are allowed outside. it's probably bad to have a favorite, but i don't think i've ever loved an animal as much as i love my little orange cat. he's about 5 years old and still really small, my guess is that he was the runt of the litter.

during sometime today while we were running errands in and out of the house, he had to have gotten out. we've searched the whole house but there's no sign of him anywhere. underneath of our house is an orange cat, but the problem is that there's a stray orange cat that's always hanging out on our back deck, so from the 2 hours i've spent outside trying to lure it out, i still can't tell if it's my cat or the stray. he's been gone since this morning and it's currently almost 10:30 pm. none of our cats have ever been gone for this long and my mind won't stop racing. i love that cat more than anything and i'm so worried i'll never see him again. there's very few things keeping me going everyday and he's definitely one of them, i don't know what i would do without him. i locked myself in my room because i hate anyone seeing me this emotional and crying but i can't help it. i don't know what to do or who to talk to, i just want him back

I'm so sorry hun. My cat didn't come home about8 months ago. I feel so guilty for letting her out. Another cat to love will ease your pain

 

[Someone123]

I'm so sorry hun. My cat didn't come home about8 months ago. I feel so guilty for letting her out. Another cat to love will ease your pain

I am very sorry fo your loss. OP was fortunate and they did find the cat under the house and brought them back in.

 

[FrootyBat]

the cat under my house was him! we set a trap but he didn't get in it, so my stepdad crawled under the house after him and caught him

Thank the gods. I'm so relieved for you.