Cats going off to die

sleepyescapade

My 10 year old cat was looking unwell at the weekend and has been missing since Sunday. Is it true that cats go off to die alone? I really wish I had brought her to the vet but we weren't sure if they are open on weekends

whitser

dogs will wander when they are nearing the end. i remember a dog on our road that never left the road just pottered around the estate, for a few days before he died i remember seeing him in different places around the area and thinking that it was wierd to see him up at the shops,lets say, and few days later he died.
in the wild animals like lions etc...will head off and die. you often see it on nature programmes when an old lioness or chimpanzee will go into the bush to die.

galah

some of them do - I know my boyfriend's cats both wandered off to die in the undergrowth of the field behind the house.

My cat tried to come back home when she was hit by a car - but didn't make it and collapsed in the neighbours garden...:(

Some vets have an emergency service - try and ring your vets number, they usually have a recording with emergency numbers after hours (at least ours does)

anniehoo

Yeh ive heard of many animals heading off on their own to die. I think they sense it and need some peace and quiet without being fussed over etc. Not very comforting for you i know, but wait and see. 10 isnt really old for a cat. We've been in similar situations with a cat that literally has been hanging around my parents estate for a good 15 years. We wouldnt see her for days and we'd be like "ah thats it shes gone" and she'd come tippin back a few days later meiowing her head off for food!

Trev M

Crap buzz..feel bad for ya , we have two little guys at the moment, I think Toms are more prone to wandering off.

We always had a cat growing up and both of em wandered over the back wall, we found one in time last year and she wasnt happy and died shortly afterward as there was nothin the vet could do...anyway soldier on:rolleyes:

tallus

Sorry to hear OP, every time either of mine disappear for any amount of time I get to thinking the same way. It's human Nature I suppose.
Hope he/she turns up alive, one of mine has gone off for at least a week in the past only to return.

Sigma Force

If you allow a pet to wander then off course they will wander off wether they are not well or not.

It is possible that the cat went for a little walk and became so ill then died, normally if an animal is ill they will curl up in their bed or the place they feel safe and warm.

If your cat was ill it should of been kept in the house until you could of gotten a vet many are open on weekends and have emergency numbers you could of come on here and asked for a vet that was open in your area on weekends.

Why are so many people allowing their cats to wander and not keeping them safe, sorry but this is happening all the time so many posts about cats of course they are going to get hit by cars if you allow them out to wander.
The responsibility as a pet owner is to keep your pet safe at all times.

Sorry that your cat isn't well and has dissapeared totally sympathise that your cat isn't well but just so frustrating reading so many posts about people wondering why by magic their animal be it cat or dog etc has gone missing allow them to wander the streets and they will.

sleepyescapade

I understand/appreciate what you mean but I already feel heartbroken that I let her down with not doing the above so could have done without reading that

stovelid

While it's certainly true in my experience that they often do disappear for good like you say, there have been tons of threads here where cats have turned up OK. Our cat went for a week but came back. She's not a particularly old cat, but if she was ill, please prepare for the worst, but she still may come back.

We let our cats out a lot and certainly cannot legislate for when/if they go missing, so don't be too hard on yourself.

BlackCat2008

I'm sorry your cat is missing please keep in mine if the cat is a female and will not go far have you asked the neighbours to check their sheds etc. she may only be trapped. A male will go a little further but not far either.

To clear up cats going of to die, this is because they are not going of to die they are trying to hide from what ever the problem is they think they can hide from the pain the car inflicted on them or the disease won't get them unfortunately they often die because of this.

You need to search both high and low, always look up were a cat go's missing.

Good luck hope you find your cat in time.

sleepyescapade

Thanks for your replies, I've actually found out from my parents that she died on Sunday evening and my dad buried her nearby. They didnt want to tell me because I would be upset.

Lauragoesmad

Very sorry to hear about your poor cat.

BlackCat2008

I'm sorry to hear that, but she is at peace now and at leased you know.

R.I.P. little one

lostinnappies

Because of the "survival of the fittist" instinct that most cats retain yes they normally do hide when unwell. Your Vets should always have an emergancy cover on the weekends.

carlybabe1

megcork wrote: »

Thanks for your replies, I've actually found out from my parents that she died on Sunday evening and my dad buried her nearby. They didnt want to tell me because I would be upset.

God love ye, me heart goes out to you.I never had cats before, I was always a dog lover and most of the dogs Ive had were strays ive taken in off the road. My daughter really wanted a puppy, but as Im not home till the evenin i done the resposible thing and refused to get one as no-one would be home to look after it. My oh has had cats all his life, and at first i resisted, but we went to see a kitten, I fell in love with it to the degree that i couldnt seperate her from her sister. I now have two gorgeous cats that i idolise. Any way sorry for the ramble, my point was this, you cannot keep an animal indoors all it life, especially a cat, it is it nature to wander its territory, and to keep it locked up is cruel (imo) Of my two cats one is a lazy ass fatso who would put you in good humour with her shenanigans, but she couldn't be arsed wanderin too far. The other wants to be out hail rain or snow and would open the door herself if physically possible. If I dont let her out she goes off the wall like a naughty child and will jump onto dressers and wardrobes and push everything off, fight and hiss at her sister and flay the carpet to bits. Your cat had ten lovely years stalkin her territory, being fed well, de-flead, wormed and generally looked after. And she got to wander around at will...Why have a pet if its gonna be caged all the time

Posy

megcork wrote: »

Thanks for your replies, I've actually found out from my parents that she died on Sunday evening and my dad buried her nearby. They didnt want to tell me because I would be upset.

So sorry about your cat, it's so worrysome when they are missing. Mine goes into the garden, supervised but sometimes will get out through some nook or cranny and I worry terribly because if anything happened people might be like 'well you should have taken better care of him..' etc.
You should explain to your parents that it would have been better to tell you straight away rather than keep you worrying and still have to deal with the loss of your pet. Like carlybabe1 said, at least she had a good life, out and about like cats should be, and a fairly long life. And at least you don't have to worry about her being lost somewhere and know now for sure she's at peace and I'm sure your folks had your best interests at heart by keeping the sad news from you.

sorella

So sorry.

One of ours used to hide if sick... usually we found him but he did it once too often, sadly.

And one of the kittens we rescued did the same; found him hiding in a hole in the garden with that look of death in his eye. He was not allowed to die and now is a huge boy.

Conversely, at one place we fed a colony of ferals which never came to our hands. Sickness broke out among them and one sweet lady came into the bathroom to be nursed and die.

Alfasudcrazy

I think cats are not like dogs - they are not totally tamed or domesticated and are not generally happy to stay indoors all day long. Our tom cat will never set foot inside the house but generally stays in the yard or sheds. Yesterday he tried out the dogs kennel while they were out walking much to their consternation when they returned. We must have him 15 years by now.

Our little female likes to come into the house to be fed and have a sleep but once the weather is fine she will want to go outside and explore whatever it is she explores. She can become quite angry and agitated if she is not left out so we just leave a window open for her to come and go as she pleases.

Sorry to hear about your cat too.