missing cat/suspicious neighbor!!

I am just catching up on this thread. That must be awful!!! Lexi is a stray and although I never let her out, she was used to being outside and we have to be very careful about leaving doors open even just for a second, because she will sneak out and run away!
I know how you feel because I have felt this way each time Lexi has gotten out and I thought I might not be able to catch her. Oh, that awful, awful man! The nerve of him doing that to cats!
I hope your little boy comes home to you safe and sound! Is there anyway you can get an enclosure like another person mentioned above me? Keep us posted please.

Hi just catching up so sorry to hear about your Mavin my heart is breaking for you . We will all be praying for Mavin's safe return to his mommy. Try not to think of that BAD MAN he will get his when he meets his maker.
I agree that sometimes they can be gone for weeks then just show up like as if they never left.
Also why people judge other's I will never understand what ever you do DON"T feel guilty you are doing all the right things to find Marvin.
Sending a

to watch over Marvin till he comes home .

I also wanted to say to you Marvin is sooooooooo Beautifurr

Love the pic's

Originally Posted by heavenangels


Sending a

to watch over Marvin till he comes home

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what a sweet and wonderful gesture - I am sure theres some RB kitties that will lead Marvin home soon

I am hoping, praying and wishing so hard that Marvin is playing in the woods near you and that mean man hasnt got anywhere near him

Come on Marvin - we need you home now

Thanks guys for all your positive thoughts and words of support. Last night my friends took me out to cheer me up and I was doing much better. Then last night I had a dream he came home - it was so real. When I woke up and realized it was just a dream, I was crushed all over again.

mandini, you really can't let a pet cat run free anymore. I understand you are heartbroken, but the Law is not on your side. As soon as a pet leaves your property, you lose if something bad happens to them.

Oh Sweetie I wish it wasn't a dream my heart aches for you .
I'm glad that at least you went out you need to try to stay busy . I have been in your shoes myself and it was a few weeks before Scrappy came home but she did and I didn't think she would . So I tell you this to bring hope to you .
The

I sent to you earlier she is still watching over Marvin try to remember that and with all the prays from everyone here at TCS how can Marvin not come home.

We are not giving up we will wait for you to tell us he is home so we can

As many older TCS members know back Sept 2004 my favorite cat of nine years disappeared. Other cats had disappeared over the years and it was my neighbor shooting them. He was convicted of animal cruelty but it doesn't bring Sheba back. I would carefully research the domestic animal policy of your state-hopefully your local animal shelter or if you have an animal control offier they should know the laws in your state-I found mine on the state of Wisconsin's website.

Have you checked out the SOS forum-there are many tips. Is Marvin afraid of fireworks?? Perhaps that frightened him.
Good luck with your neighbor-perhaps once you find out the animal laws in your state you could advise him of them (esp if they are in a pet owners' favor)

Good luck and feel free to pm me if you have any questions.

Originally Posted by GailC

As many older TCS members know back Sept 2004 my favorite cat of nine years disappeared. Other cats had disappeared over the years and it was my neighbor shooting them. He was convicted of animal cruelty but it doesn't bring Sheba back. I would carefully research the domestic animal policy of your state-hopefully your local animal shelter or if you have an animal control offier they should know the laws in your state-I found mine on the state of Wisconsin's website.

Have you checked out the SOS forum-there are many tips. Is Marvin afraid of fireworks?? Perhaps that frightened him.
Good luck with your neighbor-perhaps once you find out the animal laws in your state you could advise him of them (esp if they are in a pet owners' favor)

Good luck and feel free to pm me if you have any questions.

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gailC, I'm sorry for your loss. How did you discover that your cat was actually shot and how did you win a conviction for "animal cruelty" against your neighbor?

what is the consensus about hiring a pet detective with a scent-tracking dog?

it's really, really expensive (probably $1000-$1500), but it would be worth it IF we find Marvin.

I just hate to think that I didn't try every resource to find him.

All I can say is try to keep your cat inside, mabye only letting him out for 3 hours per day and keep him inside the rest of the day. That way he can go out, but not for too long. The less they are outside the better.

I doubt he would turn feral, I took in a feral who reverted to a friendly house cat, and if she escapes outside she doesnt go crazy and run away, just sniffs around and comes back in by herself.

A dog or coyote may have chased him away, he may come back once he gets over being frightened.

Leave canned food out when its calm out that may help!

Hope you find him.

Just checking to see if there was any news and to send some

I am so very sorry for what you are going through. As people have stated here....in the ideal world all cats would be inside , but please know you are not judged for this at all, you have done a wonderful thing , taking in this beautiful kitty. I let my kitty out and after 4 days she was taken from me, I loved her more than I can put into words, yet I let her out, of course if I could go back in time ( oh wouldn't that be grand ) of course I wouldn't have, let her out, but that is my point. We love them and sometimes we lose them, either way we do our best, we love our best and we mean only the best, for our furbabies. Best of luck too you and you are in my prayers as is your furkitten Bless you

I have not read this entire thread, so if someone has already said this, I apologize. Indeed the fireworks and partying of the recent holiday may have sent your kitty to a hiding place he normally doesn't go into.

Every time I have had a lost cat or a friend of mine has had one go missing, we have found them stuck in a neighbor's closed garage, up in the rafters of a closed toolshed, under a shed, or stuck under a porch. They are always scrunched into something like that. In every single case the cat was within the same block as its house and terrified.

If you have not rung the doorbell of every neighbor and gotten permission to really go and dig around in those cubbyholes, I think you should consider doing it.

The old man may have done something but it is a long shot compared to the more likely scenario that your kitty is stuck somewhere, possibly got trapped by another animal who owns the cubbyhole he ran into, and he is freaked out. Cats will stay in one hiding spot forever if they really get spooked.

Good luck, I know the heartache of having a missing kitty. It is like a little child out there not knowing how to fend with whatever is happening. If he is scared and disoriented (and by today that is probably the case, assuming he is alive and well) he will not respond to your calling his name and you will have to literally find him physically and then drag him out of wherever he may be. So roll up your sleeves and get a comrade to be with you for moral support if you know someone, and the two of you really scour ever single possible place, no matter how unoccupied they look and no matter how silent and absent of kitties it may seem.

Also don't forget the proverbial up-a-tree. I have not personally experienced this, but there are situations where the cat freaks out and gets stuck and disoriented and a predator down below keeps them trapped.

I know it may seem like a long shot but I think you will feel better and you will have the peace of mind knowing you went the extra mile. He could also be at one of his regular haunts and just stuck on something. If you know where those haunts are, track down to them and again talk to the neighbors so they know what you are doing. I put posters in every single mailbox for three blocks when my kitty went missing. I told people if they saw me looking not to think I was an intruder. Lots of them helped me and it was a comfort.

Good luck again. I hope you are able to rescue your boy!

the pet detective seems awfully expensive, and I coulc not afford it. However, if I could I would probably do it, unless you think it is some sort of sham. I would defintiely want credentials and referrals.

Sometimes it also helps if you put their litterbox outside... I know it's gross but they can smell it.

I accidentally let my sister's cat out when she was on her Honeymoon and I spent all night looking for him. I finally fell asleep for about three hours, went outside to start looking for him again... and heard a meow coming from under the kitchen in our own backyard! He was also a former feral / longtime stray (not sure which of course)

So I agree with Barb-- he is probably nearby, in a crawlspace or a shed or a treehouse or something. Take heart in knowing that he was once feral and he is used to going outside, so he's at an advantage even if he did wander far off and get lost.

It's been six days now since I last saw him. I can't stop crying. I'm staying strong for my other two cats, but Marvin has been my best friend for the past three years.

I think you should follow Barb's excellent advice and do an all-out search of the neighborhood; he may very well be locked in a garage, shed or cellar. Good luck, and don't give up hope yet.

lots of positive come home vibes for sweet Marvin

I hope Marvin comes home safe and sound and very soon.
Like the others have said he very well maybe hiding in plain sight and with all the fireworks and noise on the forth he may simply just be scared to come out of hiding, or he could be locked in a garage or shed right around your home.

My cats always stay indoors, but I've been told that the best time to look for a lost cat is early morning or just after it gets dark.
Maybe go out after the sun goes down armed with a flashlight and shine it into places he could be hiding, you'd be able to see his eyes glowing.
Or even just sit in your yard at one of those times and softly call his name.

Good luck, I'll keep you and Marvin in my thoughts and Prayers.