3 missing cats same area over 1 weekend

ILIKEFOOD

Strange thing happened where I live recently. 3 cats from 3 households in the same area went missing. Gone over a week now. I'm very fond of one of them so I'm very disturbed by this. None are mine. This ever happen to anyone else? There was no event that could have disturbed them and caused them to run away. I'm pretty cynical and believe this was caused by a human.

New Home

I'd report them to the ISPCA, they have an animal cruelty section.

magicbastarder

My wife's cat and the next door neighbour's cat went missing the same weekend about 12 years ago, and this time of year too IIRC. I remember at the time she was told they might have been taken by a farmer looking for mousers as the grain was coming in from the harvest. We saw the neighbour's cat - which had never shown any inclination to wander more than 100m from the house - about 5km away a couple of years later.

The houses at the time were on the edge of Ashbourne, new build estate backing onto countryside.

whisky_galore

Bit of a stretch there blaming a farmer, it's not like they're going to give up being a mollycoddled house cat to be 'catnapped' into become a farm cat and actually stick around. The very idea of a farmer running around after cats is laughable when people give them away for free.

They come and go for all sorts of reasons, maybe they get a better deal, a mate or territory, maybe they get lost. Taken or killed by dogs or foxes, accidents, illness, who knows? Maybe consider that before blaming the kids are getting into black magic or moral panic nonsense without any actual evidence.

spakman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119441207#Comment_119441207

What cruelty occurred?

ILIKEFOOD

Sorry I should clarify.. all owners are looking for them so no idea who if anyone did anything or took them..it's just very unusual for 3 from the same estate to vanish. None of them are pedigree or even close.

New Home

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119441338#Comment_119441338

You can report suspected cruelty, too, where you fear for the welfare of an animal. Three cats disappearing from the same area in such a short space of time could easily indicate that someone is dispatching them, especially if (and I don't know that they were) they were neutered/spayed.

Deeec

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058257799/3-missing-cats-same-area-over-1-weekend

I once had a cat that went missing for 6 weeks and suddenly returned. Its not unusual for cats to ramble.

Cats are good at finding food sources elsewhere - they are not as loyal to their owners as dogs. There is still plenty of time for the cats to return.

New Home

Cats are good at finding food sources elsewhere - they are not as loyal to their owners as dogs

I wish people would stop saying these things, they're just not true. It depends a lot on whether the cats were indoors or outdoors ones, whether they were taught to hunt as kittens and lots of other things. Ditto for the loyalty part - it all depends on how they've been interacted with. I can't get out of a room without my cats following me.

The fact that they roam and can come back is accurate enough, provided no harm has come to them. But dogs can roam, too, if allowed.

StevenToast

Sounds like there could be a.....

cat burglar......

Manach

Foxes perhaps?

Although this is very rare and the local ones have never to my knowledge attacked any of my cats.

Still stihl waters 3

Could be someone with a .22 as well, happens around here with a local lad, any cat he sees gets aimed at, he doesn't always hit them but he takes a few in the year

New Home

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119443103#Comment_119443103

And that would fall under the "cruelty" category.

dePeatrick

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119443094#Comment_119443094

Very rare for a fox to kill a cat, Minks maybe.

whisky_galore

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119443103#Comment_119443103

A gun isnt exactly quiet, people should hear shots from a distance off. Otherwise we're running after imaginary people with silent guns and wasting the ISPCA's time.

wotzgoingon

<snip>

Quit it with the lazy stereotyping please.

Thanks,

DBB

New Home

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119443186#Comment_119443186

People trap them, too - I don't want to get into what ways people can harm animals, but I would say that a number of cats disappearing together from a specific area represent a pattern.

Throwing my chapeau into the ring with the other Clouseaus. If they’re gone they’ve been trapped and removed. Poisoning or shooting would mean carcass would be found.

Look at the neighbours: any very house proud? Any big well done garden or lawns? Any one with lots of bird feeders? Suspect them first! Did they get deliveries in the past few weeks from couriers? The net is closing! Did you notice them driving off with large box carried out? Maybe even a suitcase and returning later? That’s them!!! Avengers assemble!

pawrick

Check with the local animal rescue. I've known a few who do tnr in areas where there might be cat colonies so generally they will try to trap as many as possible before moving to the next area and if a cat is caught in a trap and isn't wearing a collar or chipped it could get picked up for spaying/neutering and be released in a few days time when recovered but might be spooked and not go directly home.

Also someone in the area may be feeding them nicer food and giving them more attention so they decided to hang around there instead. It's not always a bad outcome for missing cats.

GSBellew

Similar happened at my parents about 10 years ago, all the kittens of one litter disappeared one by one, half of each kitten was found a week or so later, cut cleanly in half, no blood on the kittens fur, organs had been cleanly removed.

They are in open countryside, hundreds of Meters to other houses, but the remains all appeared close by in easily found spots without them looking.

There are some sick people out there unfortunately.

whisky_galore

If people value their cats, maybe they should keep them indoors, but they probably won't do that.

ILIKEFOOD

there is some farm land about so perhaps the cats were causing hassle, what kind of hassle would that be I wonder..but also alot of houses around too including one with a doggo who gets very stressed at the sight of cats but i just cant see the owner taking some kind of extreme action.

A different conversation but i know some people really have issues with cats... or dogs or whatever and might do something.. but its beyond my comprehension how someone would get so pissed off that they would take some kind of action. I used to live close to a guy who had very loud exotic birds.. my god.. they were a pain in the arse

I hope they've all just gone wandering and will show up in time but it seems like thats not what has happened, perhaps the warm weather has kept them out...

a mystery!

ILIKEFOOD

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119443481#Comment_119443481

as someone who had 2 cats I just couldnt keep them in, its a risk for sure, but non-house cats just have to get out.. it's their nature. (as all animals I suppose but hey)

whisky_galore

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119444040#Comment_119444040

I have no problem with a farmer shooting a roaming dog, after witnessing what a cute 'doggo' can do to a defenceless sheep.

If you have free roaming cats, you should not be surprised if they go missing. That's on you, the owner.

ILIKEFOOD

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119444136#Comment_119444136

Yeah I suppose its not so easy as I think.. in this case it would be warranted.. if a cat pissing on the neighbours prized roses was driving that person demented with rage I'd keep the cat in. Thats just me though, I'd hate it but I'd do it. I'd expect a coversation before some some drastic action was taken though... owner letting cat roam vs someone disappearing them without warning.. I'd call out the person 'disappearing' the cat first.. that's a rotten thing to do..Ive no idea if the missing cats were causing hassle for someone

FlubberJones

I would be wandering around in the evening and maybe the morning to ensure they are not lost in the area,

And a call to the Animal protection people would be warranted to log the issue.

gypsy79

Coyote probably

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119443224#Comment_119443224

Are there many feral cats in your area? Is it possible they may have been trapped as part of a Trap / Neuter / Release programme by an animal charity?

Optimistic maybe, but I would check local rescues / cat charitys to see if this is going on in your area.

I'm sure pet cats that are already neutered have been caught up in these before!

Also check with local vets, for any injured cats that may have been brought in.

Are the cats microchipped? Very important to have cats chipped, if they are allowed outside.

Furze99

If you keep cats, you just have to accept that if they are allowed to live a normal cat life, that they'll come & go. Had cats for many years, some for near a decade and others gone within anything from a couple of months to a year or two and more.

ILIKEFOOD

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119444273#Comment_119444273

I think all those avenues have been explored (not my cats) - haven't noticed any feral cats around to be honest. They are all chipped. Where's Ace Ventura when you need him!?

Igotadose

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119444213#Comment_119444213

Not in Ireland. Unless the cats got into a zoo.

Car/dog/foxes most likely

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119444408#Comment_119444408

Good that they're chipped. Do you know if they are boys or girls?

If any boys, maybe there is a female in heat somewhere!

Hopefully they'll show up. There was a poster here not so long ago whose 12 year old cat disappeared for over a month, and they were convinced there was no way he'd survive, but he came back!

Any resolution OP?

Timfy

An amazing amount of cats disappeared, and still do, in the part of the UK where I used to live... it coincided with the reintroduction of the Red Kite, whose population is now out of control.

the beer revolu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119493922#Comment_119493922

That sounds like a load of poop to me.

For some reason, you are against the reintroduction of birds of prey. People are weird. Constant problems here with people deliberately poisoning birds of prey and fabricating stories about them taking cats, dogs and lambs.

anewme

There are some horrible crowds going around at night with dogs.

Prolific in certain parts of Dublin anyway.

You'd know if they were active though.

Timfy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119496774#Comment_119496774

Hiya the beer revolu,

No, you have me all wrong! I am a massive supporter of the reintroduction of birds of prey and a fully paid up member of the RSPB.

Unfortunately the reintroduction in the West Berkshire (UK) area was successful beyond anyone's wildest imaginations and, without a word of a lie you can see at least 10-15 kites in the sky at any given time in the small town where I used to live, about 15 miles outside Reading. Not only have they decimated the garden bird population and even driven out the Buzzards that were reintroduced back in the 90's but it is a fact that many small pets have met their demise to these beautiful, but rather peckish raptors. The issue is not helped by misguided people feeding them, making the Red Kite more like the urban foxes than the birds of empty moorlands as we imagine them.

https://www.getreading.co.uk/news/local-news/red-kites-commute-reading-food-8981827

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-berkshire-39704653

Birdnuts

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119497461#Comment_119497461

Utter rubbish - red kites weigh barely 2 pounds and have tiny feet designed for picking up scraps without landing. The idea that they are flying off with cats or anything larger then a small rabbit is obvious nonsense. Their nest sites are well studied in Wicklow and show their main live prey is rats and young crows. Neither do they bother with small garden birds as the are simply not designed to hunt these small agile species. I suggest you read up on them via a reputable source and you will learn that they were never "moorland birds" but were found in large flocks in towns and cities across these islands up to a few hundred years ago and were considered usefull scavangers keeping streets clean of waste food etc. just like their cousin the Black Kite still does across Asia and Africa.

Hoboo

An African swallow could carry a cat, certainly one that weighs the same as a coconut.

Timfy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119500229#Comment_119500229

Hi Birdnuts,

Just to address a couple of items;

I did actually say "small pets". As you quite rightly say, they would struggle with a large adult cat and the farmers that shoot and poison them for taking lambs would be laughable if it wasn't so tragic.

Despite your assertion to the contrary, I have personally witnessed Kites take small garden birds and once, in an impressive shower of feathers, a pigeon.

I know very well the habitats of these creatures... I was referring to the romantic notions that some people seem to have over Kites and raptors in general.

I don't really need to "read up" on anything, I am friends with ornithologists that know far more than I ever will, several of whom are published themselves.

Please don't address my posts with "Utter rubbish" This is one of the friendlier areas on Boards, a littler bit of civility goes a long way in making this a nice place. If you wish to be abusive the soccer forum is over that way....

the beer revolu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119497461#Comment_119497461

This a discussion on cats going missing. You brought up red kites, claiming that a spate of cats went missing when they were introduced in the UK.

There is no credible evidence of any cats been taken by kites. None.

KildareP

Most of the cats in our area take off every year for most of August but we're surrounded by a lot of crop farms and bog and its harvest season so lots of field mice making a hasty exit from the fields. Some will come back within a few days, others could be gone weeks but they all do inevitably come back.

Hopefully yours have come back!

Timfy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119500543#Comment_119500543

Not when they were introduced... when the population hit a tipping point they were witnessed, by many including myself, as becoming urbanised, losing their fear of humans and taking small prey from town gardens. It would not take a huge leap to go from a pigeon to a kitten.

But I see that this is turning into one of those conversations that is only permitted to have one point of view and so I bow out.

Cheers.

the beer revolu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119493922#Comment_119493922

Oh, sorry for claiming that you said amazing amount cats disappeared, coincidentally with the introduction of red kites.

I should have known that you actually meant that cats weren't taken, at all - only smaller pets were and that it didn't coincide with the introduction but rather later in the scheme.

PS you should probably read your own posts before claiming what you said. 😉