Cat Lost. Now What?

Ataxrxes

I moved a week ago and sometime early Sunday morning one of my cats got out somehow. He's been gone since then. We called the Humane Society and they said today that he wasn't there so we are gonna file a missing pet report. Outside of putting up fliers and walking around the neighborhood, is there anything else I can do to find him? This is a very residential area, lousy with fences, trees and other hiding spots. He did not have any ID tags on him at the time he escaped.

AbsoluteZero

There really isn't a whole lot else you can do. He may return if he gets hungry or something though, try to provide a way for him to get back in the house if you can.

Ruckus

Ataxrxes wrote: »

I moved a week ago and sometime early Sunday morning one of my cats got out somehow. He's been gone since then. We called the Humane Society and they said today that he wasn't there so we are gonna file a missing pet report. Outside of putting up fliers and walking around the neighborhood, is there anything else I can do to find him? This is a very residential area, lousy with fences, trees and other hiding spots. He did not have any ID tags on him at the time he escaped.

Was he by chance tattoo'd and chipped? Those are the best way for any pet shelters or veterinary offices to identify and return lost pets.

Ataxrxes

No chips or tattoos. He does have a pretty distinctive benign growth on his head though, so if anybody took him in and saw a flier or called the humane society it wouldn't be hard to put 2+2 together. I just hope he doesn't try to pull a "Homeward Bound" or something. Or get eaten by a dog. Or run over.

witch_ie

Don't worry too much about it...he may just be exploring the area and will come back eventually. I suggest going outside, to the front and backyards in the morning, afternoon and evening, calling him and shaking his food dish. If he's in the vicinity (and not hurt), he should show up in a few days.

If you're really worried about him returning to your old house, post some flyers up around there too (or have a neighbor or friend do it if it's far away). When we moved temporarily for a few weeks, the first time our cat got out, he stayed gone for a long time, but mostly he was just exploring his new territory. Make sure he knows where he can come back and that he can, and if he's able and wants to, he will.

Ataxrxes

Thanks, that sounds pretty solid, I will do that.

Magus`

Is he fixed? If not, you may never see him again.

Ataxrxes

He's fixed.

Magus`

Oh, ok. That helps your chances a lot.


I guess putting up signs might help some. Otherwise yeah, all you can do is wait.

Jimmy King

Unless you're 100% certain that he's outside, keep looking around the house, too. One of my cats got lost a couple years ago. I looked all over the house, couldn't find her, figured she got outside. Turned out she had climbed into an open drawer under my bed (a waterbed with drawers underneath) and then had climbed back behind the drawers so I didn't see her when I looked. I shut the drawers so that she couldn't move from wherever she might be TO them, which in turn locked her in there. Fortunately I heard her shuffling about in there the next day and rescued her.

Magus`

For a second I thought you said "Got lost FOR several years."

I was

Fristle

As a kid we sort of lived in a rural area and fed whatever stray cats were around, so we didn't have a very tight ownership of these animals if you know what I mean. But we had one that we raised from a kitten, and he was fixed. He went missing one day in June and we thought he was dead. He turned up in September again like nothing happened.

Maybe you can leave a bowl of food out and point a webcam at it with software set to record when there is motion.

unilateral

Magus` wrote: »

Oh, ok. That helps your chances a lot.


I guess putting up signs might help some. Otherwise yeah, all you can do is wait.

Not likely, unless he taught it to read before it got out. Ha.

All joking aside, we had a cat for awhile last semester that would come and go for days at a time. I realize this isn't the same since leaving the house isn't normal for it. If it still has its claws, it should be able to do alright. Just put up a few flyers with pictures around your neighborhood and maybe ask a few of the neighbors if they've seen it. Good luck.

Ataxrxes

Thanks for all the responses, you guys have really helped out my state of mind about this.

Dog

My cat ran away once, it was very distressing. The Chinese food guy was at the door, so I opened the storm (not the screen) and said "Can you hold on a minute? my cat is at the door and will run out." and he says "what!?!" and opens the door. Cat goes running out. in the city. off to ???. I left a bowl of tuna on the porch, and two days later he was out there eating and meowing to come back in.

Although the situation might be a bit different since you just moved.

Newton

I've had a cat disappear for as long as 5 months, and then just show up one day like nothing happened. Usually when a cat leaves, it is only for a day or two, though. I wouldn't get too worried about something bad happeneing to your cat just yet, but you should still put up some flyers and talk to your neighbors. Also keep calling the humane society every few days to see if he gets turned in. When you get him back, at least buy him a collar and tags. I don't know how much it costs to get a chip implanted, but that might not be a bad idea if your cat leaves a lot or looses his collar.

MuddBudd

robothero wrote: »

My cat ran away once, it was very distressing. The Chinese food guy was at the door, so I opened the storm (not the screen) and said "Can you hold on a minute? my cat is at the door and will run out." and he says "what!?!" and opens the door. Cat goes running out. in the city. off to ???. I left a bowl of tuna on the porch, and two days later he was out there eating and meowing to come back in.

Although the situation might be a bit different since you just moved.

I want to make the most horrible joke right now.

Anyway, to the OP, hope you get your cat back soon.

Creepy

robothero wrote: »

My cat ran away once, it was very distressing. The Chinese food guy was at the door, so I opened the storm (not the screen) and said "Can you hold on a minute? my cat is at the door and will run out." and he says "what!?!" and opens the door. Cat goes running out. in the city. off to ???. I left a bowl of tuna on the porch, and two days later he was out there eating and meowing to come back in.

Although the situation might be a bit different since you just moved.

That was probably the 5th house that day he'd done that at.

Good idea leaving the food out. I was going to suggest that as well.

witch_ie

Of course, if you leave food out, other animals in the area might eat it. Also, your cat could just eat it without your ever knowing he was there...and then he has less of a reason to come back inside. This is why I'm a fan of the food bowl shaking method.

Aurin

witch_ie wrote: »

Of course, if you leave food out, other animals in the area might eat it. Also, your cat could just eat it without your ever knowing he was there...and then he has less of a reason to come back inside. This is why I'm a fan of the food bowl shaking method.

Well, this assumes that the cat is close enough to hear when you go outside to shake the food bowl. My cats got out at one point, and we just kept leaving the balcony door open for them. They eventually came back for food, and decided they liked it much better inside. :P

Dog

Oh, for clarification, I only left the food out when I was at home (so if he showed up, i'd hear/see him)

Raiden333

If it helps, about 5 years ago, a cat my family had owned for 2 years just took off. Completely disappeared one day. We spent about a month looking for her, got sad, got new cats and moved on. Around 2 years after she originally took off, she comes back to our door crying to be let in. She never left our porch again (just died last year of old age).

I wanted to rename her Prodigal, but my mom wouldn't have it.

srsizzy

My cat disappeared for a month or two, we kept trying to keep him inside because he'd done it before and came back sick. He just randomly showed up one morning, and now we just let him go out but he stays around our house and doesn't really leave anymore.

The first thing I thought was that since you moved he might be going back "home", since that was his territory, and that's what he remembers. How far did you move? A whole different city/state? It would be odd if he did go all the way back.