Seeking advice and insight for my missing cat.
Here's the history on this horrible situation.
I have 3 cats, 2 males , 1 female, dark silver grey tabby's that will be 5 years old this August, all from the same litter from their feral mother. Four years ago, I moved to a rural / wooded area in northwest Alabama, close to the Tennessee River. I kept the cats indoors for the 1st year, but now are indoor / outdoor cats. Over a year ago, a young male feral cat started showing up at the house, so I started feeding him outdoors. I checked around the area where I lived, but no one around me claimed to know who he belonged to. I had a feeling he did belong to someone else, although he had a habit of showing up when I fed my cats canned food in the evening. He'd disappear again after dinner and many times wouldn't see him again all day. I named him Charley and little by little, he started making his way inside my house, making himself at home. The other cats didn't accept him at first but gradually got used to him. One of my 3 cats, Mikey, was always the one who bonded closet to me, and slept on my bed. Charley the stray cat started showing aggressive behavior toward Mikey. Mikey would usually growl at him, but sometimes Charley would go after him. I think Charley wanted to be #1 for getting the most attention and wanted to take Mikey's place. I needed to either get Charley fixed or take him to a shelter for someone else to adopt. I made the mistake of waiting too long.
Over a month ago, Charley the stray went after Mikey on my porch after dinner and Mikey was screaming out. I decided I was going to take Charley to a shelter, rather than pay the money to get him fixed......since I wasn't sure if that would solve the problem.
I should have done it the next day. The following night, with storms coming and going , Mikey disappeared and I haven't seen him since. My guess is that Charley chased him into the woods. It's really quiet here, so If something attacked Mikey, he would have let out some loud shrieks, which I'd think I would have heard. I haven't seen any foxes or coyotes in months, so I don't know what happened to him. I've been praying and searching every day and might, put fliers out with his picture on it into people's mailboxes, and knocked on doors around my area.
Nothing has come up. I took Charley to a shelter a few days after Mikey disappeared, since I thought if Mikey's still close by that he won't return home as long as Charley was hanging around. I blame myself for not getting Charley fixed......I waited too long. I miss Mikey a lot and of course I'm worried about him, not knowing if he's even alive........this has been really tough emotionally to deal with.
I feel bad for Charley too, because he shouldn't have to be stuck in a shelter for just being a cat who wasn't fixed.
Any thoughts or suggestions you care to share is greatly appreciated.
Here's the history on this horrible situation.
I have 3 cats, 2 males , 1 female, dark silver grey tabby's that will be 5 years old this August, all from the same litter from their feral mother. Four years ago, I moved to a rural / wooded area in northwest Alabama, close to the Tennessee River. I kept the cats indoors for the 1st year, but now are indoor / outdoor cats. Over a year ago, a young male feral cat started showing up at the house, so I started feeding him outdoors. I checked around the area where I lived, but no one around me claimed to know who he belonged to. I had a feeling he did belong to someone else, although he had a habit of showing up when I fed my cats canned food in the evening. He'd disappear again after dinner and many times wouldn't see him again all day. I named him Charley and little by little, he started making his way inside my house, making himself at home. The other cats didn't accept him at first but gradually got used to him. One of my 3 cats, Mikey, was always the one who bonded closet to me, and slept on my bed. Charley the stray cat started showing aggressive behavior toward Mikey. Mikey would usually growl at him, but sometimes Charley would go after him. I think Charley wanted to be #1 for getting the most attention and wanted to take Mikey's place. I needed to either get Charley fixed or take him to a shelter for someone else to adopt. I made the mistake of waiting too long.
Over a month ago, Charley the stray went after Mikey on my porch after dinner and Mikey was screaming out. I decided I was going to take Charley to a shelter, rather than pay the money to get him fixed......since I wasn't sure if that would solve the problem.
I should have done it the next day. The following night, with storms coming and going , Mikey disappeared and I haven't seen him since. My guess is that Charley chased him into the woods. It's really quiet here, so If something attacked Mikey, he would have let out some loud shrieks, which I'd think I would have heard. I haven't seen any foxes or coyotes in months, so I don't know what happened to him. I've been praying and searching every day and might, put fliers out with his picture on it into people's mailboxes, and knocked on doors around my area.
Nothing has come up. I took Charley to a shelter a few days after Mikey disappeared, since I thought if Mikey's still close by that he won't return home as long as Charley was hanging around. I blame myself for not getting Charley fixed......I waited too long. I miss Mikey a lot and of course I'm worried about him, not knowing if he's even alive........this has been really tough emotionally to deal with.
I feel bad for Charley too, because he shouldn't have to be stuck in a shelter for just being a cat who wasn't fixed.
Any thoughts or suggestions you care to share is greatly appreciated.
