My cat ran away last night....

crazystepr

crazystepr

Cathlete
And she's still nowhere to be found. :( Any ideas on things I can do to lure her back? I left food out last night and today but it hasn't been disturbed at all. I spent all night and all morning looking for her but she's gone. I HAD to go to work today--I couldn't stay home to keep an eye out for her. My boyfriend went over to my apt. around 11am to look for her...no luck. My sister is stopping over now and my mother said she'll stop over and look for her tonight around 5pm. I have to work until 5pm and then I have to go to school tonight and won't be home until after 7pm.

I'm so worried about her. She's only 8 months old. I just rescued her two months ago from a shelter. Thank GOD I just had her spayed!! And I don't de-claw so at least she'll have that defense mechanism. It's so cold here in CT and it's been pouring all day. She must be soaked to the bone and freezing. I just want her home with me!

She was frantic all weekend--she ran outside twice and I managed to get her back, she tore up all the toilet paper in the house, ripped my curtains off the wall, tore my computer and cable box wires out and wouldn't stop running around. Is it the full moon that we just had? Does she have some desperate need to hunt? Like I said, she was just spayed a month ago so she CAN'T be in heat. I was gone last week (overseas on a business trip) so maybe she was lonely? My Mother stopped over every day to check on her and feed her AND I have another cat (who loves her and whom she loves) so she couldn't have been completely lonely, right?

I have a collar for her with an I.D. tag but for some reason I took it off of her the other night. Don't ask me why. I'm such a moron.

Any help, advice, etc. would be greatly appreciated. I'm so afraid I'm never going to see her again. :(

Allison

http://www.picturetrail.com/allisonj90
 
Allison,

Maybe you can leave out a can of tuna fish? They love that stuff. Seems your doing what can be done. Are you posting her on poles and such? Did you call the humane society?

Please let us know how things turn out,

Great vibes your way.

Janie

4760884_bodyshot_175x233.gif
[/url]

The idea is to die young as late as possible.
 
Allison - a few years ago my cat did the same thing. She was gone from Sunday night to Friday, when she turned up at the door, completely soaked and disheveled. So please don't give up hope! It sounds like you're doing all the right things.
 
I hope you get your cat back soon.

The same thing happened to a friend of mine. Her cat showed up a week later and was under her patio deck.
 
Thanks for the replies! So it sounds like there IS hope to get her back, even if it isn't for a few days. I left her wet food out on the porch last night and today but maybe I'll go get some tuna fish and leave that out too. Thanks again!

ETA: I know, I sound like a total crazy cat lady--and it doesn't help that my cats are my avatar! I need a life!!!!!! :p (Oh, and the one that ran away is the little gray one in my avatar. She's so stinkin' cute!!!!!!!!!!)

Allison

http://www.picturetrail.com/allisonj90
 
Okay...brace yourself because this may sound strange.

If you have any of her kitty litter clumpies still left, scatter them on your property. She may return when she smells her own poo and pee. The food you put out should be tuna - it has a stronger odor than dry food and canned food.

Where do you live? The country or the city?

Also, check daily with the humane society and animal control. I don't know if it's the same every where, but here they are separate entities and one puts unclaimed animals down in a week (or less). You may want to take a pic to them and build a liaison with someone so they can be watching for your kitty should she show up.
 
another one who had a lost cat who returned. Mine was missing on new years and it was COLD outside. she was gone a week then one night I opened the front door to call for her again and she came running in. She did manage to get in a fight cause she had some bad scratches I had to get meds for but she was fine. We had some HUGE tom cats in the neighborhood that were always out so. but she was fixed and had her claws.
I put up signs too and checked the animal shelter cause they will put animals down in 2 days if they are not claimed. They don't guarantee they will call you either even if the animal has a collar. grrrr! thankfully she didn't end up there.
My DH thinks she hid during the day and came out at night when she felt safer. This was in a crouded condo area right off of an intersection so I was a nervous wreck but she made it home ok. there are also websites you can list lost/found pets on and you can put a little note in the paper etc.

Jess
 
Reese! What great ideas--THANK YOU! I will definetely put some of her clumps of litter outside (pending I can tell the difference between hers and my other cat's....;))

I live in a suburban area in a large apt. complex surrounded by woods. She's probably hiding in the woods or under the patios of the apartments to hide from the horrendous downpours we're having right now! I also spoke with my maintenance man this morning and asked him to keep an eye out for her and to call me if he finds her. It sounds so dorky, but it was so sad sleeping without her last night!! :(

Like you said, I'll be sure to pick up some tuna tonight since it smells much stronger than her other food.

Thanks again, everyone!

Allison

http://www.picturetrail.com/allisonj90
 
Poor little kitty! She'll come back Allison. Cats have amazing instincts when it comes to where their food is. I had a cat who used to run away all the time--and she was declawed--she always came back. I'm sure she's found herself a warm, dry little hidey-hole & will be home as soon as this wretched weather clears up.

Probably you should call your local animal control officer & animal shelter just in case someone finds her & turns her in.
 
In addition to all the good advice you've gotten so far about calling the shelter, putting up flyers, etc. I suggest you do a bit of door-to-door and ask neighbors if they've seen her. Also keep an eye out for places she might hide from the weather. And call local vets to report her missing. Sometimes people will bring 'found' animals into a vet to check for microchips.

When I was around 10, our cat Tiger ran away and we thought he was gone for good. A couple of MONTHS later, he showed up at our back door, ran in the house as fast and he could and down into the basement and hid out for a while. Evidently, outside life wasn't as fun as he'd thought it would be!

Are there any woodsy areas by your place? About 3 weeks after I moved in to my house, I let one of my cats out (one who had been an outdoor cat before I adopted her, and was always good about hanging around). She disappeared, and I spent 3 days calling her, going back to my old place (thinking she might show up there), and generally worrying. Then while I was driving to work one day, I noticed the woodsy area about a block away that I hadn't checked out. I went there and called and called, and finally she appeared.

Hope your kitty returns soon!
 
Allison I am so sorry...my kitties are my life too so I feel so horrible for you. Just an awful feeling. I would also recommend making up flyers & taking them to local vet offices & asking them if you can put on the counter or bulletin board if they have one, or heck even taped to the front door. Also put signs up everywhere you can!

Don't give up hope, there are still good people out there & maybe she'll end up at one of their houses & they'll get her back to you. You'd be amazed at the ability of cats to survive. My third cat I actually just took in 2 weeks ago, fed her for months outside thinking she had a home, but ended up she didn't. She is tiny & about a 1year old the vet thought & she survived outside for who knows how long. (she is the white one in my picture trail)

PLEASE keep us posted & I'm saying prayers for you.
 
I'm sooo sorry to hear about your baby running away.

The good thing is, kitties tend to hang out fairly close by when they get out. Dogs are the ones who tend to follow their noses into trouble.

The first time my tortie got out, I sat outside until late at night, with a can of tuna, softly calling her name and tapping on the tuna can gently. It took three nights and about seven hours. I can just about guarantee you will not find her at 5 p.m. or the middle of the day. She won't come out until waaaaayyy late at night. (Think midnight.)

The second time she got out, I got a have-a-heart trap from the local rental store/hardware store near my house and hung the juiciest, smelliest pieces of bacon I could get at the deli from the ceiling of the trap, way in the back, with clothespins. The next morning - Hello, Kitty!

Don't give up - she's out there waiting until she feels it's safe!

Best of luck,
Susan L.G.
 
In addition to the litter, you can try putting out a piece of clothing that you have worn, and any kitty bed that they may use. Paper your community with signs, take signs to animal control and animal shelters, vets, etc. Maybe even something in the paper. I was missing my cat for about 3 months but b/c I never gave up with the HUGE, COLORFUL signs with his 11X16 pics on them :), he was found. People won't take so much note of a cat roaming around as they will a dog so the more you can get pics out there, the better. I hope you will soon post with a happy ending!
 
Oh - also, check to see if there is a lost and found service around. I volunteer in our neighborhood to take calls from people who lose and those who find pets. There is also a website - petfinder.com, I think.
 
Allison, I hope you find your kitty. Keep us posted.

*♥´¨)
¸ .• ♥ ´¸.•*♥´¨) ¸.♥•*¨)
(¸.•♥´ (¸ ;.♥•Jennie•♥


Smoke free since: 2/05/08
 
Oh dear I hope your kitty finds her way home.

I have a grey male neutered declawed tabby and he swears he's a badass wanting to get out.

He's slipped out a few times and once a neighbor a few houses down called me thank goodness he still had on his collar but I was a nervous wreak.

The other times he stood just outside in our landscaping and was hissing and biting me (which is so unlike him) as I would take him back inside. I've had him since he was only 6-8 weeks old.

Now my calico is so afraid to even go next to the outside doors, she's so skittish and I would hate for her to get out.

I pray your kitty comes back home.
 
Allison, your kitty will be home! My sister's indoor cat took off for a while having his adventures and then - boop! - a few days later there he was, sitting in the window yowling and demanding eats. Try not to worry too much! :)

Sparrow

"The winds of grace are always blowing but it's you who must raise your sail." - Sri Ramakrishna
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Our Newsletter

Get awesome content delivered straight to your inbox.

Top