my cat is missing
July 25, 2022 11:56 AM Subscribe
And I am freaking out. Help me figure out how not to lose my mind with panic.
My car went outside yesterday at around 8pm. He's a mostly indoor cat who occasionally goes outside to lie in the sun on the porch or to prowl around our backyard like he's a member of our security detail. He never leaves the porch or the backyard and there is a little cat door that leads into our basement that he uses to come back into the house if he doesn't follow one of us in. We leave the basement door in our house cracked open so he doesn't stay trapped down there when he comes in.
We assumed last night he was going on his nightly backyard security detail rounds when he went out. Subsequently it started raining very heavily and we didn't see him, but normally if he's out there and any sort of precipitation occurs he immediately hightails it back to the basement and comes upstairs. We went to bed an hour later expecting that a damp cat would crawl into bed with us eventually (the way he usually does).
He didn't come back. It's now nearly 3pm the next day. I have looked for him in every possible hiding place in the house, tore the basement apart, and walked around the block shaking the cat treat bag. I cannot find him.
He's never been gone this long and he NEVER leaves the backyard so I don't understand why he's not back and I am panicking. I've left a message with Animal Control and also posted his photo in a number of local Facebook groups for my town, community pages and also pages for lost pets.
I am beside myself with worry. This is so out of character for him. I keep thinking about how it was dark and rainy all night last night and maybe he decided to leave the backyard for some reason and got hit by a car, but he couldn't have gone far (he's 11 years old and not very sprightly or fast) and my boyfriend would have seen it if anything happened when he left for work.
What else can I do? I work from home, my boyfriend keeps urging me to take the dog for walks and keep looking, he thinks that since the cat knows our dog this will help. Honestly I disagree, the cat and dog get along just fine but while the dog desperately wants to be best friends with the cat the cat just sort of tolerates him. I don't think he'd be terribly excited to see the dog if he's been out all night and day. It's been raining off and on all day.
Should I keep walking around the neighborhood? Should I get in my car and start looking? I feel like I'm going to have a panic attack. I've had this cat for years, he predates the dog and the boyfriend, and he's my little buddy. He used to comfort me when I was depressed by lying on top of me and purring and still does so when I'm not feeling well. He is a good cat and I just want him home and I am so scared. What should I do now that I am not thinking of? How can I find him? I live in somewhat rural upstate NY, but we live on a main road and the town itself has lots of stores and restaurants and stuff so it's not like there's miles and miles of farmland nearby where he could have gone, it's about 5 miles of actual civilization and people in town before you get to the dirt roads and countryside.
Please help me figure out what to do. I am so scared. Why didn't he come inside through his basement door when the rain started?
Any stories of cats gone missing and then found would be comforting too, especially if the cat in question was not inclined to roam far from home.
Please don't come at me for letting the cat outside at all. He was an indoor cat when I lived in apartments; once we moved into a house with a yard we started letting him out because there was no way to convince him to stay inside when the dog was romping around all over the yard. And again, the cat never left our property before.
I'm so scared, I'm so fucking scared. I want my kitty to come home. I can't focus on work and I keep bursting into tears.
Sorry no cat tax I'm on mobile. He's a tuxedo cat. He is friendly but a bit shy. He's not the brightest cat I know by any stretch of the imagination but he's sweet and he is missing and I'm freaking out.
He doesn't wear a collar but is microchipped.
My car went outside yesterday at around 8pm. He's a mostly indoor cat who occasionally goes outside to lie in the sun on the porch or to prowl around our backyard like he's a member of our security detail. He never leaves the porch or the backyard and there is a little cat door that leads into our basement that he uses to come back into the house if he doesn't follow one of us in. We leave the basement door in our house cracked open so he doesn't stay trapped down there when he comes in.
We assumed last night he was going on his nightly backyard security detail rounds when he went out. Subsequently it started raining very heavily and we didn't see him, but normally if he's out there and any sort of precipitation occurs he immediately hightails it back to the basement and comes upstairs. We went to bed an hour later expecting that a damp cat would crawl into bed with us eventually (the way he usually does).
He didn't come back. It's now nearly 3pm the next day. I have looked for him in every possible hiding place in the house, tore the basement apart, and walked around the block shaking the cat treat bag. I cannot find him.
He's never been gone this long and he NEVER leaves the backyard so I don't understand why he's not back and I am panicking. I've left a message with Animal Control and also posted his photo in a number of local Facebook groups for my town, community pages and also pages for lost pets.
I am beside myself with worry. This is so out of character for him. I keep thinking about how it was dark and rainy all night last night and maybe he decided to leave the backyard for some reason and got hit by a car, but he couldn't have gone far (he's 11 years old and not very sprightly or fast) and my boyfriend would have seen it if anything happened when he left for work.
What else can I do? I work from home, my boyfriend keeps urging me to take the dog for walks and keep looking, he thinks that since the cat knows our dog this will help. Honestly I disagree, the cat and dog get along just fine but while the dog desperately wants to be best friends with the cat the cat just sort of tolerates him. I don't think he'd be terribly excited to see the dog if he's been out all night and day. It's been raining off and on all day.
Should I keep walking around the neighborhood? Should I get in my car and start looking? I feel like I'm going to have a panic attack. I've had this cat for years, he predates the dog and the boyfriend, and he's my little buddy. He used to comfort me when I was depressed by lying on top of me and purring and still does so when I'm not feeling well. He is a good cat and I just want him home and I am so scared. What should I do now that I am not thinking of? How can I find him? I live in somewhat rural upstate NY, but we live on a main road and the town itself has lots of stores and restaurants and stuff so it's not like there's miles and miles of farmland nearby where he could have gone, it's about 5 miles of actual civilization and people in town before you get to the dirt roads and countryside.
Please help me figure out what to do. I am so scared. Why didn't he come inside through his basement door when the rain started?
Any stories of cats gone missing and then found would be comforting too, especially if the cat in question was not inclined to roam far from home.
Please don't come at me for letting the cat outside at all. He was an indoor cat when I lived in apartments; once we moved into a house with a yard we started letting him out because there was no way to convince him to stay inside when the dog was romping around all over the yard. And again, the cat never left our property before.
I'm so scared, I'm so fucking scared. I want my kitty to come home. I can't focus on work and I keep bursting into tears.
Sorry no cat tax I'm on mobile. He's a tuxedo cat. He is friendly but a bit shy. He's not the brightest cat I know by any stretch of the imagination but he's sweet and he is missing and I'm freaking out.
He doesn't wear a collar but is microchipped.
This post was deleted for the following reason: posters request -- frimble
Every single time one of the many cats I've lived with has done this, they've ended up sauntering casually back in a few days later as if nothing had ever been amiss.
We love them to bits but the cats we serve are fundamentally, like all bosses, assholes.
posted by flabdablet at 12:07 PM on July 25, 2022 [12 favorites]
We love them to bits but the cats we serve are fundamentally, like all bosses, assholes.
posted by flabdablet at 12:07 PM on July 25, 2022 [12 favorites]
Self-linking, but ask St. Francis. Hey, it worked last time!
posted by jenfullmoon at 12:07 PM on July 25, 2022 [4 favorites]
posted by jenfullmoon at 12:07 PM on July 25, 2022 [4 favorites]
Flyer neighbors and businesses nearby, asking them to please check their crawlspaces/sheds/under their porches/etc. Check under things yourself, ideally with a flashlight to reflect off his eyes if it's a dark space.
Put your worn t-shirts/socks/clothing outside so he can track the scent if he's a little lost.
Call into nearby drainage pipes and street drainage grates--call for him and listen for a reply. Might be best to do at night when ambient street sounds are at a minimum.
Call your microchip company and confirm they have updated contact info for you, and maybe a secondary number to reach you as well.
I had a cat go missing for SIX WEEKS, and ultimately a neighbor a few blocks over found her and took her to an emergency vet where they scanned her microchip and called me. She was very unhealthy and the vet thought she was maybe trapped in a crawlspace or got into some kind of toxin. Good news is she ended up recovering and living a long life, so keep up hope.
posted by greta simone at 12:08 PM on July 25, 2022 [3 favorites]
Put your worn t-shirts/socks/clothing outside so he can track the scent if he's a little lost.
Call into nearby drainage pipes and street drainage grates--call for him and listen for a reply. Might be best to do at night when ambient street sounds are at a minimum.
Call your microchip company and confirm they have updated contact info for you, and maybe a secondary number to reach you as well.
I had a cat go missing for SIX WEEKS, and ultimately a neighbor a few blocks over found her and took her to an emergency vet where they scanned her microchip and called me. She was very unhealthy and the vet thought she was maybe trapped in a crawlspace or got into some kind of toxin. Good news is she ended up recovering and living a long life, so keep up hope.
posted by greta simone at 12:08 PM on July 25, 2022 [3 favorites]
Is there anywhere in the backyard that he might be hiding? Under a porch, behind a shed, up a tree? My cat was strictly indoors (sadly, was already de-clawed when I adopted her) but sometimes she'd bolt outside, and she would often hide under our porch.
Good luck, sending positive juju, hope you are reunited soon. <3
posted by xedrik at 12:08 PM on July 25, 2022
Good luck, sending positive juju, hope you are reunited soon. <3
posted by xedrik at 12:08 PM on July 25, 2022
Put his litterbox outside. I've heard that if they can smell "themselves" it reorients them if they're feeling lost. In my experience cats hunker down close to home rather than wandering. A friend found her indoor-only escapee under her neighbor's shed after he had been missing a week!
posted by Otis the Lion at 12:09 PM on July 25, 2022 [6 favorites]
posted by Otis the Lion at 12:09 PM on July 25, 2022 [6 favorites]
Same advice I give every time: Wait until evening and things get quieter. Take a flashlight with you and shine below porches and decks etc at your house and all your neighbors' houses looking for eyeshine. Chances are high that he got scared/wet/stuck somewhere and he's just too nervous to leave the place he's at. If that doesn't work, try to figure out if any of your neighbors just went on vacation and shut a garage or shed they normally don't and your cat has gotten stuck inside. I once found my cat inside a neighbor's garage when they went on vacation. We went by there calling every day for a week! But she didn't answer! We finally found her and forced the garage door open. She was fine!
posted by RedEmma at 12:10 PM on July 25, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by RedEmma at 12:10 PM on July 25, 2022 [2 favorites]
I'm going to agree that walking the dog could help. The smell of you and the dog might at least get you followed back home even if you don't see it happening. If it rained heavily and he panicked or was spooked by another animal he may have gone further than his known territory and the rain may make it harder to smell the way home.
I don't know if the weather is amenable, but if you can work outside you'll be more smellable and more likely to notice if he's actually close by but still too freaked out to come in like normal.
posted by Lyn Never at 12:11 PM on July 25, 2022
I don't know if the weather is amenable, but if you can work outside you'll be more smellable and more likely to notice if he's actually close by but still too freaked out to come in like normal.
posted by Lyn Never at 12:11 PM on July 25, 2022
Also, I had a cat go missing for NINE MONTHS before he hopped in an open window and came chirping happily down the hall. He was healthy and sleek, so I think someone may have adopted him and kept him inside until he escaped and came home.definitely check with cat friendly neighbors.
posted by Otis the Lion at 12:12 PM on July 25, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by Otis the Lion at 12:12 PM on July 25, 2022 [3 favorites]
A childhood cat was missing for weeks--he got lost in the snow and just as we all gave him up, he was found hiding under a porch a few blocks away. It happens!
That said, would a catio be an idea in future? This incident gave my parents cat anxiety and I have not so fond memories of having to call for the cat round the neighborhood every time he was out late. (He would inevitably show up on his own time, without any inkling of the drama we'd just been though. As cats do!) A specified cat area might save you lots of worry.
posted by kingdead at 12:14 PM on July 25, 2022 [1 favorite]
That said, would a catio be an idea in future? This incident gave my parents cat anxiety and I have not so fond memories of having to call for the cat round the neighborhood every time he was out late. (He would inevitably show up on his own time, without any inkling of the drama we'd just been though. As cats do!) A specified cat area might save you lots of worry.
posted by kingdead at 12:14 PM on July 25, 2022 [1 favorite]
I had a cat who periodically, once every 4 months or so, would disappear for a day or two. I always assumed he had a gal in another town, but we never found out where he went. We just took comfort that he always came home. Your kitty will return.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 12:14 PM on July 25, 2022
posted by JohnnyGunn at 12:14 PM on July 25, 2022
No car. Your level of panic would be mine, and it is safer for you and others to walk, plus I doubt you'd see him. Keep walking around but concentrate on breathing deep. Do this during dusk, shake treats if he likes. Leave the litter box outside, as mentioned. Talk to any neighbors you can.
I'm so sorry. Fingers crossed he is found.
posted by tiny frying pan at 12:23 PM on July 25, 2022 [1 favorite]
I'm so sorry. Fingers crossed he is found.
posted by tiny frying pan at 12:23 PM on July 25, 2022 [1 favorite]
Ask your neighbors if they have any hideyholes in their garages etc. That’s what my cat did in poor weather—there was a space for storing firewood that she found. She could basically see our house the whole time.
posted by tchemgrrl at 12:25 PM on July 25, 2022
posted by tchemgrrl at 12:25 PM on July 25, 2022
No judgement from me. A few years ago, I was moving a mattress out of my apartment and my edentulous, deaf, FeLV+ old man slipped out unnoticed. I felt awful. The rescue where I'd adopted him told me to put his litterbox in the yard, and to put out the stinkiest food I had at mealtimes. One of their volunteers happened to live in my neighborhood and helped alert the troops that he was missing. He'd lived at the rescue for 8+ years and was kind of their beloved mascot, so people actually took time off work, some of them driving a long distance, to help me find him. He was gone for several days, and the only indication that he was around was the reliably emptied food dishes left on the porch. I was devastated, absolutely beside myself. We were mid-move, and I will never forget finally having to drive away from the building with an empty cat carrier and all of his stuff.
In the end, the volunteer was driving home from the grocery store, not actively looking for him, and saw him several blocks away from our place. He'd eaten the food I'd left out and was on a neighbor's porch begging for more. She shoved him into a grocery sack, much to his chagrin, and called me in triumph. Little rat had crossed a busy street and was walking around like he owned the place. We estimate he was getting at least three or four meals a day.
Just want to give you hope. Definitely alert the community. Even if you don't know your neighbors, knock on their doors and have them keep an eye out. Make posters, post on Next Door or Facebook, and alert the shelters in your area. Get a few cans of something stinky, even plain sardines if that's his thing, and put them on the porch. Put his litterbox out there, too, and if he has a favorite bed or blanket, it might be good to leave that as well.
Also, are you absolutely certain he's not in the house? My coworker's cat "ran away" after being frightened by fireworks on Fourth of July. They looked for her for days, to no avail. Early on day 3, coworker was in her kids' bedroom and heard the faintest meow coming from the dresser. Kitty had hidden under it, then either gotten stuck or been too confused to get out. Double check under furniture and in closets; cats are stealthy.
Crossing my crossables for you and your boy! Know that you are not alone and this didn't happen because you did anything wrong. I bet he didn't go far. He's probably nearby, regretting his decisions.
posted by easy, lucky, free at 12:36 PM on July 25, 2022 [2 favorites]
In the end, the volunteer was driving home from the grocery store, not actively looking for him, and saw him several blocks away from our place. He'd eaten the food I'd left out and was on a neighbor's porch begging for more. She shoved him into a grocery sack, much to his chagrin, and called me in triumph. Little rat had crossed a busy street and was walking around like he owned the place. We estimate he was getting at least three or four meals a day.
Just want to give you hope. Definitely alert the community. Even if you don't know your neighbors, knock on their doors and have them keep an eye out. Make posters, post on Next Door or Facebook, and alert the shelters in your area. Get a few cans of something stinky, even plain sardines if that's his thing, and put them on the porch. Put his litterbox out there, too, and if he has a favorite bed or blanket, it might be good to leave that as well.
Also, are you absolutely certain he's not in the house? My coworker's cat "ran away" after being frightened by fireworks on Fourth of July. They looked for her for days, to no avail. Early on day 3, coworker was in her kids' bedroom and heard the faintest meow coming from the dresser. Kitty had hidden under it, then either gotten stuck or been too confused to get out. Double check under furniture and in closets; cats are stealthy.
Crossing my crossables for you and your boy! Know that you are not alone and this didn't happen because you did anything wrong. I bet he didn't go far. He's probably nearby, regretting his decisions.
posted by easy, lucky, free at 12:36 PM on July 25, 2022 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Also, maybe call for him for a little while, and then give him some space and quiet. Depending on his personality, having you wandering around out there calling for him might stress him out and make him less likely to reappear on his own.
posted by easy, lucky, free at 12:38 PM on July 25, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by easy, lucky, free at 12:38 PM on July 25, 2022 [1 favorite]
Just two more hopeful datapoints - when I lived in London, posters for a lost cat appeared one day on all the lampposts in our neighbourhood. Several days, maybe even a week later, my housemates were walking down a nearby street when they looked up - and there was the missing cat, peering out of the window of an obviously-empty house. It must have got in and couldn't get out again. Long story short, eventually pusscat and owners were reunited, to universal joy.
Another time, my flatmate's friend brought his cat round to stay with us for a week while he was on holiday. We didn't see the cat once the whole time, though she was eating and using the litter tray overnight. We knew she was in the flat, but could not work out where she was hiding. Eventually her owner came back, and within seconds of hearing his voice she leapt out from the back of one of the empty gaps in the back of an old-fashioned radiogram, which had once held a speaker. She'd holed up there all week. Which is to say that cats can hide in the most extraordinary and difficult-to-find places, especially when they're spooked, but they'll come out when they're ready.
It sounds like your best bet is taking 10 slow, deep breaths, and then going out to walk around with the treat bag. Don't drive - harder to see the cat (and best not to be in charge of a tonne of moving metal when you're super-anxious and hyped). Best of luck.
posted by penguin pie at 12:45 PM on July 25, 2022 [1 favorite]
Another time, my flatmate's friend brought his cat round to stay with us for a week while he was on holiday. We didn't see the cat once the whole time, though she was eating and using the litter tray overnight. We knew she was in the flat, but could not work out where she was hiding. Eventually her owner came back, and within seconds of hearing his voice she leapt out from the back of one of the empty gaps in the back of an old-fashioned radiogram, which had once held a speaker. She'd holed up there all week. Which is to say that cats can hide in the most extraordinary and difficult-to-find places, especially when they're spooked, but they'll come out when they're ready.
It sounds like your best bet is taking 10 slow, deep breaths, and then going out to walk around with the treat bag. Don't drive - harder to see the cat (and best not to be in charge of a tonne of moving metal when you're super-anxious and hyped). Best of luck.
posted by penguin pie at 12:45 PM on July 25, 2022 [1 favorite]
One time when my, um, not particularly intelligent cat got out, my other cat who wasn’t the biggest fan of him sauntered out the door I’d left open in my panic, meowed on the front steps a few times, and the lost cat emerged from a bush and darted inside. So, I agree that your dog might be helpful in ways you aren’t expecting. Dog smells plus litter box smells and intriguing noises may all combine nicely.
Where I am we have a very excellent local news blog. They make posts about missing and found pets all the time and crosspost to their Twitter. If you have something similar, reach out to them. Since you live on a main road, reach out to the management of the busiest business. Maybe a coffee shop or general store? They might have ideas or connections that can help.
Try to redirect all the energy your panic is giving you. Going on walks will probably help you as much as if not more than the cat. Do an extremely thorough search of your home, be systematic about it. Do deep breathing, in through the nose and out through the mouth. Don’t aim for calm, but do aim for focused.
posted by Mizu at 12:51 PM on July 25, 2022 [1 favorite]
Where I am we have a very excellent local news blog. They make posts about missing and found pets all the time and crosspost to their Twitter. If you have something similar, reach out to them. Since you live on a main road, reach out to the management of the busiest business. Maybe a coffee shop or general store? They might have ideas or connections that can help.
Try to redirect all the energy your panic is giving you. Going on walks will probably help you as much as if not more than the cat. Do an extremely thorough search of your home, be systematic about it. Do deep breathing, in through the nose and out through the mouth. Don’t aim for calm, but do aim for focused.
posted by Mizu at 12:51 PM on July 25, 2022 [1 favorite]
One other idea, I go outside and pour food into his dish over and over so the little fucker can hear that “clink” sound and come running. This has brought my cats back more than once.
posted by St. Peepsburg at 12:55 PM on July 25, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by St. Peepsburg at 12:55 PM on July 25, 2022 [2 favorites]
With no collar, especially if it was raining, my bet would be “suckered a neighbor into thinking he was LOST ALL HIS LIFE”. The signs will help in this case. Much more likely than any negative outcomes.
posted by corb at 12:58 PM on July 25, 2022 [6 favorites]
posted by corb at 12:58 PM on July 25, 2022 [6 favorites]
I have a positive tale since you asked for those. My friend's kitty went missing. It was a busy enough area on the city and it was an indoor kitty. A week went by and they assumed the worst. Kept walking around and calling for her around the area.
She was under a neighbour's porch. They eventually heard her meows. She had been hit by a car but not seriously hurt, and the vet reckoned she went under the porch until she felt safe/better. A little TLC and kitty made a full recovery.
I sincerely hope your buddy is also hiding somewhere nearby. Sending you good wishes and purrs.
posted by dazedandconfused at 1:01 PM on July 25, 2022
She was under a neighbour's porch. They eventually heard her meows. She had been hit by a car but not seriously hurt, and the vet reckoned she went under the porch until she felt safe/better. A little TLC and kitty made a full recovery.
I sincerely hope your buddy is also hiding somewhere nearby. Sending you good wishes and purrs.
posted by dazedandconfused at 1:01 PM on July 25, 2022
I'd say take the dog, use him as a tracker. Take something that the cat has laid on and let the dog sniff and see if he tries to track kitty. If the dog is always wanting to be friends he may recognize the cat's smells and head in that direction.
posted by Zedcaster at 1:02 PM on July 25, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by Zedcaster at 1:02 PM on July 25, 2022 [2 favorites]
If you take the dog I'd also take the boyfriend or someone else the cat knows, so if you do spot the cat you don't have to wrangle trying to coax him out while keeping a hold on a possibly overly energetic dog. Good luck, I have hope for you and your kitty.
posted by misskaz at 1:30 PM on July 25, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by misskaz at 1:30 PM on July 25, 2022 [2 favorites]
When I'd had my cat, Rudi, for three days, he escaped and disappeared over the fence. I live next to a forest. I was beside myself. A kind friend printed up posters and leaflets and I let everyone I could know he'd gone missing and leafletted 100 houses and stuck posters up on lampposts. In his previous home he was used to being an outdoor cat so I knew he had a tendency to wander, but as he was in a new home in a new area, he didn't know yet where home was.
I spread his used cat litter in the garden and smeared the clumpy peed-on parts along the top of the fences. Although it was November, once it got dark, I left front and back doors open, and lights on. He escaped at 7am, and came back at 5am next day - I think because he was scared, looking for shelter, saw lights and made his way towards them.
Now he's outdoors all the time, and always comes home - he has a catflap that only works with his microchip.
Anyway, the point of this reply is that, a cat who was in a new, unfamiliar area managed to find his way home, so I think your kitty will be home, particularly if there is a familiar smell - such as his bed or used cat litter - in the yard to give him a smell to work towards.
posted by essexjan at 1:32 PM on July 25, 2022
I spread his used cat litter in the garden and smeared the clumpy peed-on parts along the top of the fences. Although it was November, once it got dark, I left front and back doors open, and lights on. He escaped at 7am, and came back at 5am next day - I think because he was scared, looking for shelter, saw lights and made his way towards them.
Now he's outdoors all the time, and always comes home - he has a catflap that only works with his microchip.
Anyway, the point of this reply is that, a cat who was in a new, unfamiliar area managed to find his way home, so I think your kitty will be home, particularly if there is a familiar smell - such as his bed or used cat litter - in the yard to give him a smell to work towards.
posted by essexjan at 1:32 PM on July 25, 2022
My cat slipped out of a farmhouse in upstate NY in an area where he'd never been outside. My friend was building furniture in the garage all day during the day and I think the noise of power tools scared my cat and kept him from coming back. He was gone for like a week. Ultimately my other friend spotted him in a disused barn across the street a week later and when I came to see if he was there, he jumped right into my arms (he was so skinny, poor guy). It was okay!
posted by derrinyet at 1:33 PM on July 25, 2022
posted by derrinyet at 1:33 PM on July 25, 2022
One thing you should absolutely not do is put out a humane raccoon trap (baited with tuna and a blanket with his smell on it). I hoped to catch him at night that way. Instead I caught a raccoon who somehow tried to escape the trap and left a horrific bloody mess in the process. That turned out to be the most traumatic part of the whole thing.
posted by derrinyet at 1:36 PM on July 25, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by derrinyet at 1:36 PM on July 25, 2022 [2 favorites]
This hasn't been mentioned, but this is a good thing to put on Nextdoor and any local facebook "lost pet" groups to help spread the word. I'd also contact local rescues and the pound with your contact info if you haven't already.
posted by Sweetchrysanthemum at 1:39 PM on July 25, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by Sweetchrysanthemum at 1:39 PM on July 25, 2022 [2 favorites]
Yes, if your neighborhood has a Facebook Lost Pet group, that is one entirely positive use of the hellsite and I know many pets who've been found that way.
Best of luck to you.
posted by praemunire at 1:56 PM on July 25, 2022 [2 favorites]
Best of luck to you.
posted by praemunire at 1:56 PM on July 25, 2022 [2 favorites]
I had a tuxedo, Mikko, who ran out one night and disappeared. He was gone during one of the most severe blizzards in Boston.
What I did: I got a Hav-a-heart trap, filled it with stinky wet food, covered it with the living room sofa blanket and waited.
Night 1. Nothing.
Night 2. The trap snapped and I tore off the blanket in the morning to find a possum.
Nights 3-17. Nothing.
Night 18. Mikko, shivering.
posted by yes I said yes I will Yes at 2:08 PM on July 25, 2022 [1 favorite]
What I did: I got a Hav-a-heart trap, filled it with stinky wet food, covered it with the living room sofa blanket and waited.
Night 1. Nothing.
Night 2. The trap snapped and I tore off the blanket in the morning to find a possum.
Nights 3-17. Nothing.
Night 18. Mikko, shivering.
posted by yes I said yes I will Yes at 2:08 PM on July 25, 2022 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: He just came home!!!
I put his cat carrier with my dirty t-shirt from yesterday in it (he is more bonded to me) on the porch and within an hour I heard him meowing to come inside. I cried and cried to hug him but he only wants to eat. He is now chomping away at his food bowl.
Cats. They can be wonderful and yet they can be such jerks.
Thank you all for your support, kindness, stories, and advice. It really helped. Thank you to cooker girl in particular for the dirty shirt/cat carrier idea as that seems to be what worked!
I am still on mobile so no cat tax but I'll come back later with a photo of the adorable jerk who had me in years all day.
posted by nayantara at 2:31 PM on July 25, 2022 [160 favorites]
I put his cat carrier with my dirty t-shirt from yesterday in it (he is more bonded to me) on the porch and within an hour I heard him meowing to come inside. I cried and cried to hug him but he only wants to eat. He is now chomping away at his food bowl.
Cats. They can be wonderful and yet they can be such jerks.
Thank you all for your support, kindness, stories, and advice. It really helped. Thank you to cooker girl in particular for the dirty shirt/cat carrier idea as that seems to be what worked!
I am still on mobile so no cat tax but I'll come back later with a photo of the adorable jerk who had me in years all day.
posted by nayantara at 2:31 PM on July 25, 2022 [160 favorites]
Yaaaaay!!!!!
posted by tiny frying pan at 2:33 PM on July 25, 2022
posted by tiny frying pan at 2:33 PM on July 25, 2022
hooray!
posted by misanthropicsarah at 2:34 PM on July 25, 2022
posted by misanthropicsarah at 2:34 PM on July 25, 2022
Response by poster: The dog was not entirely helpful when we went out after the rain stopped but now that the cat is home the dog is very excited and is literally following him around trying to give him kisses. The cat is not particularly overjoyed by this but he's also not trying to hide under the couch where the dog can't reach him, which is his usual move when the dog is overly affectionate.
I like to imagine if they could speak the dog is saying "Bruh you can't just take off like that, the girl monkey was crying all day long. Not cool, man. Not cool."
Thank you again, everyone.
posted by nayantara at 3:01 PM on July 25, 2022 [52 favorites]
I like to imagine if they could speak the dog is saying "Bruh you can't just take off like that, the girl monkey was crying all day long. Not cool, man. Not cool."
Thank you again, everyone.
posted by nayantara at 3:01 PM on July 25, 2022 [52 favorites]
Ahhhhhhh I'm so relieved! Don't ever do that again, nayantara's cat!
posted by Orange Dinosaur Slide at 3:16 PM on July 25, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by Orange Dinosaur Slide at 3:16 PM on July 25, 2022 [2 favorites]
Yaaaay! Very happy for you. There is no feeling like the flood of relief when you’re worried sick about a pet and then they turn out to be fine! One of life’s peak experiences.
posted by HotToddy at 3:46 PM on July 25, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by HotToddy at 3:46 PM on July 25, 2022 [1 favorite]
Another returned cat!!!!!
posted by jenfullmoon at 3:49 PM on July 25, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by jenfullmoon at 3:49 PM on July 25, 2022 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Hooooraaaay!!!
Now you just have to sit that cat down and tell him all about this weird text-only website and how all the people on it were worried for him all over the world and he really needs to not do that again. Because cats are amenable to reason like that.
posted by penguin pie at 4:25 PM on July 25, 2022 [18 favorites]
Now you just have to sit that cat down and tell him all about this weird text-only website and how all the people on it were worried for him all over the world and he really needs to not do that again. Because cats are amenable to reason like that.
posted by penguin pie at 4:25 PM on July 25, 2022 [18 favorites]
I love a happy ending.
posted by XtineHutch at 6:06 PM on July 25, 2022
posted by XtineHutch at 6:06 PM on July 25, 2022
This is such welcome news! I’m so happy for you and your kitty.
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 6:10 PM on July 25, 2022
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 6:10 PM on July 25, 2022
Yipeeeee!!!!!
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 8:44 PM on July 25, 2022
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 8:44 PM on July 25, 2022
Hooray!! Tuxedo cats gonna tuxedo.
Must create recent photos/videos, just in case he now has visiting rights at another domicile.
A cat collar (one that is easy to slip off if he gets trapped) with "I'm nayantara's cat, being a jerk -- send me home" on it might help, too.
posted by TrishaU at 9:25 PM on July 25, 2022 [2 favorites]
Must create recent photos/videos, just in case he now has visiting rights at another domicile.
A cat collar (one that is easy to slip off if he gets trapped) with "I'm nayantara's cat, being a jerk -- send me home" on it might help, too.
posted by TrishaU at 9:25 PM on July 25, 2022 [2 favorites]
Yay good job everyone and good job silly kitty!
posted by fairlynearlyready at 10:44 PM on July 25, 2022
posted by fairlynearlyready at 10:44 PM on July 25, 2022
Response by poster: Ok so I think it's clear this cat needs a collar; however he is 11 years old and has never worn a collar so he's not gonna be happy.
Does anyone have recommendations for a lightweight collar that the cat won't rebel against?
posted by nayantara at 7:45 AM on July 26, 2022
Does anyone have recommendations for a lightweight collar that the cat won't rebel against?
posted by nayantara at 7:45 AM on July 26, 2022
Cat collars: I bought cheap collars for cats back in the day at Petsmart and Walmart. Several collars, since Lucky had a tendency to lose them. I wish I had video of him climbing the neighbor's tree to lounge on their roof, guarding our yard.
Snowy was chill about it, but tended to stay in the yard or in the home. I never had to replace her rabies tag.
Check with your veterinarian about an appropriate collar. The size, fit and stretch are critical. Cats are liquid, and try to squeeze into the strangest places.
You don't want a panicked cat stuck and struggling where it is hard to reach.
posted by TrishaU at 10:16 AM on July 26, 2022
Snowy was chill about it, but tended to stay in the yard or in the home. I never had to replace her rabies tag.
Check with your veterinarian about an appropriate collar. The size, fit and stretch are critical. Cats are liquid, and try to squeeze into the strangest places.
You don't want a panicked cat stuck and struggling where it is hard to reach.
posted by TrishaU at 10:16 AM on July 26, 2022
Hooray! Glad the fuzzy little jerk has returned. I'm sure he's appropriately chagrined, right?
I bought my cats various cute collars on Etsy, but somehow they manage to wiggle out of them even indoors. I can't imagine they'd stay on long outside. You'll want one with a safety release buckle so that they don't get stuck if your cat snags them on something during An Adventure, and on my experience, those just don't stay buckled very well. Not sure what the best solution is.
posted by easy, lucky, free at 10:24 AM on July 26, 2022
I bought my cats various cute collars on Etsy, but somehow they manage to wiggle out of them even indoors. I can't imagine they'd stay on long outside. You'll want one with a safety release buckle so that they don't get stuck if your cat snags them on something during An Adventure, and on my experience, those just don't stay buckled very well. Not sure what the best solution is.
posted by easy, lucky, free at 10:24 AM on July 26, 2022
Best answer: P.S. Here's the fella I wrote about earlier. As you can see, he knew he was superior to all living beings and wasn't afraid to show it.
posted by easy, lucky, free at 10:28 AM on July 26, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by easy, lucky, free at 10:28 AM on July 26, 2022 [2 favorites]
What pretty eyes!
posted by jenfullmoon at 11:14 AM on July 26, 2022
posted by jenfullmoon at 11:14 AM on July 26, 2022
He knew it. :)
Despite having FeLV he lived to be 13. He was my special Soul Kitty.
posted by easy, lucky, free at 4:56 PM on July 26, 2022 [1 favorite]
Despite having FeLV he lived to be 13. He was my special Soul Kitty.
posted by easy, lucky, free at 4:56 PM on July 26, 2022 [1 favorite]
Associate the collar with special treats. Start out slow. Work up to full-time collar-wearing.
I just did a search and there's plenty of clickbait on this. Here's one from an SPCA branch: https://ontariospca.ca/blog/how-to-train-your-cat-to-wear-a-collar/
posted by aniola at 7:55 PM on July 31, 2022
I just did a search and there's plenty of clickbait on this. Here's one from an SPCA branch: https://ontariospca.ca/blog/how-to-train-your-cat-to-wear-a-collar/
posted by aniola at 7:55 PM on July 31, 2022
This thread is closed to new comments.
He probably got "stuck" in a bush not far from home because it was raining and now he doesn't want to take the chance that he'll get rained on again so he's sulking under the bush.
posted by cooker girl at 12:00 PM on July 25, 2022 [7 favorites]