Share stories: How did you find your cat?

nearly

We lost our cat who snuck out Thursday night as a friend was leaving.

I was hoping to hear stories: how did you find your cat? How long was your cat gone before he or she was found?

I'd like to get ideas on how to find him, but really... I need some cheering up. He's never gone before!

Anyone have any "found cat" stories?

flower tattoo

my cat followed me one morning as i went for a walk and then got spooked by a dog and ran off.
Later that day i drove down to the nearest house where he ran off and asked them to look out for him.
They rang me the next evening and said he'd snuck in through their cat flap!!:)

Burkazoid

Hey,

Firstly sorry to hear your cat has disappeared. Always a scary thing to happen but hopefully he turns up ok.

When I was younger we were out for a day trip, and when we arrived home our cat, who was about 2 years old back then, had disappeared completely. She was absent for a whole month, and of course at that stage we never expected to see her again. Then we got a phone call from someone in Claudy (over 10 miles away) saying they'd found our cat (she had a name tag with her name and phone number on it). She was in pretty bad state - broken jaw bone and very skinny - but it was amazing to bring her home and very quickly she got back to her usual self. She went on to live for 18 years. She was awesome.

I really hope you find your cat, and wish you the best of luck in doing so.

PaulB91

when i stil lived at home my sisters cat went missing pretty often, came back every time, normally covered in black dust so we reckon he was going into either garages or coal sheds and getting locked in by mistake

does your cat normally go out or is he kept in all the time? if he does go out how long is he normally out for? can he get back in the house i.e. cat flap? i'd personally check with neighbours a few doors in every direction, take a photo and your mobile number for them, ask them if you mind checking their garages/out houses/ coal bunkers? maybe pop a few posters up in the immediate area? ask the local vets and leave posters in there also - hope you find him soon

morganafay

I would definitely put up posters around your house and in local shops.

My kitten (4 months) went missing a few months ago, she was gone for four days. Luckily she was sleeping in someone's garage and being fed. They saw a poster and called us. We were all so happy. It was her first time ever wandering off, cos she was only a baby, and had crossed two roads to get to the house she was at! That's also the only time she ever slept outside, since before we got her, so we were worried she'd be cold. Of course she probably wasn't at all!

My cats are outdoors most of the day and I've had tom cats go missing for 3 months (two of them did this) and come back fine. One used to be gone for a few weeks, home for a few weeks, gone for a few weeks . . . but that was when I was like 9, and didn't neuter my males. They're all neutered now. But even neutered females and males will wander off for a few days. My friend's cat went missing for three years, came back one day and ate some food and left again.

I really hope your cat is home soon, it's so scary when they go missing. Maybe try the posters?

Alicat

We had one cat named Bobby Socks who wandered into our garden as a kitten and decided to stay. She was very distinctive, tabby and white, and only half a tail. She and the other three cats used to sleep in the conservatory which always had a window open so they could come and go. One day she went out and there was no sign of her for days. After four or five days we decided to ask in the vets and drive around some local estates. Our search circle was getting further and further, and in one estate we stopped to ask a group of kids and mothers. They said they had heard that some old man had taken in a cat that had been knocked down but they didn't know where he lived.

There was nothing really we could do as the estate was HUGE.

About two weeks later, for some reason, I woke up at about 6 in the morning. I felt I had to go down and check the conservatory. And there in the dusky early morning light was a very thin and very sick looking Bobby Socks. She had been in some sort of accident and we couldn't touch her back but she was so happy to see us She was on the mend in no time, but if she was indeed the cat that had been knocked down in that estate she was super brave as that estate was ages away. She battled her way back to us!

pandora_mole

We had a cat, an old former stray male (neutered) who we cared for, for two years. One day he went missing, and I was absolutely heartbroken, as he had cheered us up when our younger cat died, and I had gotten very attached to the aul fellow.

I looked EVERYWHERE, nearby roads, parks, everything, but nothing for 2 weeks. One morning I found myself breaking down in tears in a city centre store, and I rang my other half on the phone. I said I would try one last thing - the smelliest fresh fish I could find from the fish mongers, as tinned food etc had been of no use. I knew it would attract neighbourhood cats but I was willing to try anything.

I left the fish out at the back of the garden, and said a quiet prayer. Nothing happened that day.... the next night I was in bed watching the news, and my husband shouted for me to look out the upstairs bedroom window NOW! The old fellow was back!!!!!

He was very, very hungry, looked even worse than usual but we never let him out at night after that! When we took him to the vet for his first check up ever (as a stray I dont think anyone had taken him to the vet before), the vet said he wanted to do tests. Turned out he was diabetic, and must have collapsed somewhere when he went missing. He made his way back somehow, though he died about six months after that of diabetes and old age:(

Have faith...to this day I dont know if the fish worked or not, but as I said, anything's worth a try.

Mink

I'd had my 2yr old cat for several months but never left her out all night. We had guests staying over & they accidentally let her slip out near to midnight. Anyway, she didn't come back for 3 days & there was torrential downpours each day. We went out walking looking for her & calling her but to no avail.

So on maybe the 2nd day my OH did up little flyers with details & our numbers etc & put them in letterboxes of houses on a good few streets around us.

We got a call from a guy who had spotted her from the balcony of his apartment. She was under the decking of a house about 10-15 houses up so the OH jumped over the wall & got her!

There wasn't a bother on her when we got her home, not even really hungry.

She's always come back since then, even with moving twice, I just never leave her out for the night. I'll even stay up late waiting for her if she's out late for some reason as I've no cat flap & don't want to leave a window open.

Howitzer

http://www.facebook.com/LostFoundPetsIreland?ref=nf
http://www.lostandfoundpets.ie/

Always worth a go to publicise the lost pet...

hth

nearly

These are brilliant stories, and really cheered me up. I started to get hopeful.

Best one was from a friend, ashamed that she "dumped" a cat in Buncrana, Donegal and the cat found her way home to Quigley's Point (other side of Inishowen)- and it took the cat 3 months!!

The stress of losing Saba was added to the fact that we were preparing to leave for two weeks (getting married!) So- many tears have been shed over his going missing.

Gladly the ideas are working! We got a call that someone spotted our cat. But he ran off. She did get a good look at him, but didn't think to try and catch him. She will be looking out for him.

@Mink - We put posters in letter boxes. Great idea! Printed 4 on a page and cut them up. We have a huge estate, and ones nearby.... so posted about 200 of them (!) This is what got us a call. We also posted signs in shops, on telephone polls in estate, and online ads.

We also put on a reward. Hoping to encourage ppl to look in sheds, etc.

@PaulB91 - Never normally goes out late at night, but he snuck out. And my fiance didn't know to call or look for our cat. Didn't know he was gone until morning. And I was away. I always kiss them goodnight. So it's a new rule in our house!

Nice thing is I met so many of my neighbors. And the kids in the neighborhood are looking for him. It's been really a nice outcome out of all this. People are v good.

Mink

Don't worry he'll turn up, keep looking, good luck!

Slunk

Our cat went missing last october, we looked everywhere, put up posters and drove around the area for weeks. Got two calls from people but turned out not to be our cat Then yesterday we saw a picture on the local aniaml rescue facebook. We are 99% sure its our cat by the pictures and talking to people on the phone. Was found approx 10-15 miles away. Going up now in about an hour so fingers crossed its him.Dont give up hope, our Vet said her cat was missing two months.

Update: it was our cat Been to the vet and checked his chip. Great to have him backafter such a long time. Dont give up, he was gone six months

nearly

Slunk wrote: »

Dont give up, he was gone six months

That is great news, congratulations, Slunk:)!

We have some good news too!

We just woke up California time to a great text message: he was spotted and found! We don't know any details yet, but I am giddy. Can't wait to cuddle him.

He's gonna be confused as he has to go to the Kennels in Lough Bo, lol. But I'm sure he'll settle when he sees his sister is there now.

When I know the full story I'll make sure to post it here. This is an awesome thread for anyone who's lost a cat. Really gave me some hope and calmed me down alot.

Ticktactoe

When it comes to lost cats, they are capable of the best disappearing acts and returning! Cats have an unbelievable sense of finding their way around and returning.

I found a small kitten that was only 2 days old, abandoned by its mother - def abandoned as I did checks every so often. Wrapped her up in the jumper i was wearing. Brought her home and bottle feed her every couple of hours, even did night feeds! She loved her shoe box and use to snuggle down underneath the blankets I had in it. To find her she would be under layers!

Anyway when she was just over a year old she disappeared one evening on me. Days, weeks and months went by and I was becoming more devasted at the realisation that she wasn't coming back...
However... at 2 o clock AM one morning I heard this banging at our front door. I opened it, and just couldn't believe my eyes when I saw her, knocking to get in lol!
She went straight to her food bowl, then to me, then to her food bowl, then to me... and this went on and on and on...
Brought her to the vets the next day, where it turned out she was a little bit sick and had to stay there for a week but after that was in flying form!

She since had four kittens! I have kept two of them myself and give the other two to very good homes. Have also got her neutured!
She comes and goes as she pleases and is having a great life with he two kittens who are now big cats!

My point is (after that very long story) is that cats will find their way home by any means possible. So if your cat does disappear check sheds and anywhere you think they might get locked into and dont give up hope!