Minus one cat, other cat distraught?

outadablue

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I need some advice real quick. In July, I adopted 2 kittens from my local area shelter. Everything going great so far. I began to let kittens out on my 2nd floor balcony during the day to have a dose of "outdoor" life. These 2 kittens/cats are playmates and they slept together every night. One of the cats escaped from the balcony (apparently) and I'm guessing somebody picked him up and took him home. Both of my shelter kitties have a micrchip implant and I have yet to receive a phone call from anyone regarding a lost cat.
Here's the problem. The younger "brother" to the runaway cat seems to be having an emotional reaction to all of this. He's sleeping a whole lot. Once quiet, he now meows all day long. He follows me every single step during the day.
I have been giving him extra attention and affection but worry that he will become accustomed to all day attention and not stop the meowing. What should I do? I feel like he misses his brother and is going through some very trying times. I need to know how to handle this situation, can anyone relate to my recent loss?
 

sakura

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Oh I'm sorry


The younger brother sounds like he is acting normally given the circumstances. He doesn't have a playmate anymore, he's probably bored. That, and he knows that the other creature that he shares space with is now gone. I would suggest getting a cat that is very close in age, is that something you'd be comfortable doing?

You should keep cats indoor only, especially living on a 2nd floor. They don't need a "dose of outdoor life", it's not safe. I hate to be the negative person but I'm willing to bet that nobody picked up the other kitten and that instead something bad happened (like it was hit by a car or became prey). Every shelter (or at least 99% I'd guess) can check for a micro-chip so if it was picked up they'd contact you. More and more people are aware of micro-chips too so even if someone picked up the kitten, it doesn't mean they would have kept him. If you want to take them outside, make sure they are supervised and on a harness.
 

kluchetta

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Sounds to me like the left behind kitty is grieving for his playmate. I would consider getting another kitten - but then I almost always think kitties should be gotten in 2s.
 

cattiew

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Both of my shelter kitties have a micrchip implant and I have yet to receive a phone call from anyone regarding a lost cat.
did you put any indication of an household pet before you let your cat go outdoor?

if he look like a normal homeless, i don't think people will bother to take him scan for microchip information. however good luck!!! and i hope you can find your kitty
 

artgecko

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My friend's cat jumped off of their 2nd story balcony and it took them 1 day to find her...Apparently cats aren't shy about jumping from a great height.

I agree, you may want to go ahead and get another kitten close to your's age range so that the will have a playmate, if you can handle getting another this soon. I am sorry that no one has notified you. Have you put up flyers or talked to people that live near you etc? One of them could very well have found your kitten. Also, like was noted above, many times, if the kitten has no collar, people just assume that it is a stray and homeless and won't bother to take it to be scanned. If they take it to a vet, the vet might scan it, but if not, then there's no way for them to know. Also, have you checked the "found animal" ads in your local paper? I know that when I found a stray dog, the first thing I did was place an ad in the paper and call all of the vet's offices/shelters to see if anyone had contacted them about having a missing dog.. I eventually found the owner, just down the street from me, who had not bothered to put an ad inthe paper, call their vet, etc...They just happened to see me out walking their dog... So it would have been much easier to find them if they had contacted someone, etc.

Art
 

2furbabies

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Aww... sounds like the poor kitty is grieving the loss of his buddy. As others have suggested, maybe think about getting him another playmate close in age.
 

sakura

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I forgot to ask, have you put up "lost" signs around where you live? I would put a lost ad on Craigslist too. Check local newspapers and local shelters just in case.

Was the cat wearing a collar? If so, there is a slightly higher chance that someone will recognize it as someone else's lost pet.
 

yiplong

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Sorry to hear about your lost cat. I hope you find him soon.

As for you other cat, I don't think he/her cares about the disappearance of the other. If the remaining cat looks a little down, it is probably because he's bored (not having his usual playmate), rather than anything emotional. Only the most sophisticated animals are capable of feeling "sad", example would be elephants, gorilla, etc. Cats are not particularly emotional animal.
 

hissy

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check out my website www.lost-pets.org chances are strong your kitty is still nearby. If there is someone in your area who has a tracking dog, talk to them about finding your cat. Call a local kennel club and see what they can offer.
 

sierra_k

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I went through this about 1 1/2 years ago. I got another kitty, and it was the best decision I could have made. I really don't know how someone could say that your remaining cat probably doesn't care....mine was sooooo depressed when her buddy died suddenly. She moped around, searched all over for him, cried by his "bed"....it was horrible.
She took a few days to warm up to the newcomer, but then she decided to bathe him, and now they are inseparable. They are always together....they look like tabby bookends!
Good luck, and I hope maybe you'll find your lost baby.
Sierra
 
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