Missing Cat ...question might upset some

Believe it or not it does help...I'm sure my family here misses Mike too...but I think they haven giving him up for dead...I can't do that.....I'm out there searching and calling..not that I want your cat to be missing but its like the only comfort I get is coming here to ppl who really get what's going on....thank you

Originally Posted by Feralvr

So many hugs

to you tonight, I am so very sorry Mike has not come home yet. I am still hoping for this to happen

I do know how you are feeling, if that is any comfort, you are not alone...

Click to expand...

Yes, adding more vibes!

!!!!!!!

Still nothing here but I read in the paper that 15 dogs have been taken and dropped off in a neighbouring town of mine....what is wrong with ppl ? A few dogs were taking from my neighbourhood....so the thought has crossed my mind if they are taking dogs why not cats ? They also wouldn't be easy to spot as a lost dog I would think....I'm not totally giving up hope just yet... Today is day 8 btw ..

I haven't given up hope either. Many times a day, I think of Mike, Sasha, and Yogi, and I say a little prayer that they come home. I'm not a "pray-er" and years go by when I don't pray. I'm an agnostic, at this point, but I hope at least Basket is listening. I pray that these 3 come home, as Dusty and Gemma did. I understand what you are going through, and I'm so sorry that you have to go through this pain and anxiety.

I'll keep up the hope and prayers.

Come on, Mike, find your way home!

Robin

I had someone respond to my online ad...he said a cat fitting my cat's description has been hanging around on his property line for days now...last seen yesterday or day b4...he is very thin and scared out of his mind.. ..he said he just bolts when they try to get near him or even call him...However he is only 6 or 7 house up the street ...so if thats the case why hasn't he just come home ? He is used to being outside...has been going out for 9 yrs now..off and on...
Its pouring rain right now...but I walked up there and went to where he has been maybe spotted and called a few mins...checked under some junk and I didn't see or hear him...I know when its raining and he has been out b4 we don't see him usually til it stops...But would an indoor/outdoor cat be so scared to not even answer me ? I don't want to get my hopes up but I have to wonder if its him ?? I mean when I call him in the past when I see him NOT in my yard...u can see he mellows out when he recognizes my voice..
Could something have happened to him to make him so skittish ?
I emailed them some pics of Mike and gave them my phone number and asked them to call if they see him again...this house is near a semi busy road ...maybe he just lost is bearings ? I so hope its him...

YES! to all your questions about could he be confused and lost his way and he could be so rattled he doesn't come when you call.

Can you get ahold of an appropriate trap to take to that man's yard to get him? Even if it turns out to not be Mike, it sounds like that cat needs help. And it may be Mike!

Sure hope so.

Robin

I went looking and shaking his food dish and calling again in that man's yard...even talked to his neighbour she said she saw a thin dark in colour cat the other day run fast thru her yard..but it had a "fluffy" tail...Mike's isn't fluffy at all..
Like I said its raining alot here and its hard to hear anything but the rain hitting everything ..I'll go again when the rain will stops...and I am not sure where to get a trap other than the animal control guy and he might return my call on the weekend but more than likely not....But I will call around other places and see if I can get one...I think he would let me set the trap in his yard...he cared enough to email me and give me his number in the first place...
I want to thank you Robin and the other ladies on here for sticking this out with me...its comforting knowing other are praying and thinking about me and my missing cat all the way here in Canada

Hi Nance I agree with everything Robin said and I would get a trap out there anyway or at least in your yard. Even if you trap this other cat, at least then you can get that cat some help. Mike might be so scared at this point and just be frightened of everyone. If he does hear you calling him, he just might be to leary to come to you. So the trap might be the answer, at the very least, it is worth a try. More to you tonight. I feel your heartache and know it is so hard, the not knowing what has happened to them.

Yeah ..I couldn't get anyone to help me yesterday with the trap..I even thought hell I will just go buy one ...but no one in my town has any in stock...the feed store said they could order one but gee that takes to long ...So I will have to see if the animal control guy will either set one or lend it to me ..Most ppl in my family don't think its him...they say he is only 8 or 9 houses away he would just come home...But I tell them I can't just not find out ...there is a slight very slight chance it could be him..
I got up bright and early and went back again thinking it would be quiet and the rain has stopped so I'd beable to hear something..but nothing and there is just so much piles of junk and stuff in all the yards that he could be hiding anywhere if he is even in that area still...last time he was seen there was thrus or fri of course if its even him
I won't give up til I get at least a look at this cat ...and try and see if I can help it ...its suppose to not be in great shape

Nance,

This sounds just like what happened with Gemma (and I WAS able to trap her, and bring her home, so please keep trying--you will succeed!). That site I recommended said that most stray cats will have only a 1-5 house range of territory (Gemma was across our street, BTW). It sounds as if Mike is doing the same thing (you may have a lot more space between your houses that I do, which may account for the 9 number. I wonder if the 1-5 houses really means the average space that would take up in land?).

Coudl you borrow or rent (maybe offer a donation, if they don't rent) a humane trap from a local cat rescue? When we trapped Hobbes years ago, we had no trap. A neighbor, who didn't know us, BTW, worked as a volunteer for a small animal rescue, and heard about our plight, and let us use the trap for 2 weeks.

I know it's very frustrating for you, and you want your baby back. I know just how you must feel. If you are persistent, you WILL get your cat back. Enlist the help of every neighbor you can. Get people talking about your cat, and looking. When we went out for our nightly "search for Gemma" strolls, we had almost everyone we ran into asking about her, and they said they were looking for her. And these are neighbors we hardly ever see/talk to. Gemma was actually spotted many times by the kids across the street, who kept searching for her when we weren't able to. If it weren't for them, it would've taken much longer to find her.

BTW, does your cat like catnip? I tried strewing my fresh stuff around to attract Gemma. Not sure if it actually works (I think hunger was the motivation for her to go into the trap), but it may help. I had an idea to make cloth bags with dried catnip in them, and tying them to the trap. As we caught her before I did this, I don't know if it would work, but it's worth a try. You need to make the trap irresistable for your kitty!

Its a h/b and wife at the top of my street that I've been dealing with...so today the wife called and said she spotted "the cat" around 11:30 last night and she called Mikey and he stopped but then took off....As she was telling me about all the maybe Mike sightings then she said omg he is on my step right now....I hung up the phone and ran up there she pointed me in the direction he took off ...but again nothing I stayed and chatted and SHE is 100% sure its Mike...after leaving her home I thought it sure sounds like him..the time he started coming around was correct..she described him perfectly ...she and the neighbour across the busy street have been feeding him....but that has me worried because he is forced to keep crossing this busy road now..
I called around today and found a trap cost me $100.00 but would be worth every penny if its him...they let me set it up on their front step where they had been leaving out food..I brought up his food and a blanket the cats in my house sleep on....I was kinda encouraged today...but others are not so optimistic..
Then while bbq'ing dinner I see this tabby cat kinda looking like Mike but lighter colour and fatter....run along the tree line in my yard...my heart sunk...I thought maybe this is the cat she has been seeing..because I haven't seen that one b4 myself..
I also wonder if this cat will even go in the trap since the neighbour across the street from her have cat food laid out in their shed...we knocked on the door to ask if they could not lay out food for a few days but they are an older cpl and hard of hearing and didn't answer the door...so I didn't want to just go in there..bad enough we looked in there without asking...
Anyways...I sure hope I get a call tonight ...Anything else u think I should be doing ?
Oh btw the cat nip is a good idea...I will try that again if we don't get him tonight ...

I will certainly be praying HARD that this IS your Mike and he goes in that trap tonight at your neighbor's. I do agree with you asking the other people who leave food out for cats, not to at the moment. I am sure they will understand, since they are cat lovers themselves. Many, many vibes your way tonight

I got a call last night .."we got him she says" It was in fact the one I had seen early in the evening...I figured as much but how could I not find out ? This cat was young and fat..I don't think he is a stray ...I didn't want to take him to animal control here cause all they get is 3 days..then they are gased...We have an OSPCA but I am NOT in their area and they won't accept cats from anywhere else...I've tried in the past you have to give your address and postal code and so on..plus if this kitty belongs to someone I'd HATE for someone to do that to me....I will keep an eye on him tho...I brought him down to my house and released him..cause I have a huge field beside my house where he went earlier..
I'm at a loss ...I really think something happened to Mike that thursday he went missing..I really don't believe he is "hiding " he wouldn't just not come home...he isn't like one of these indoor cats getting out... I have not been letting reality set in to much but I'm going to have to let go soon I think...my b/f said if this isn't Mike I'm going to have to believe he is dead cause he sees what its doing to me..just not sure if I can

I am going through the same reality with Yogi. Although he was never MY cat or an indoor cat, he was one of the group I TNRd last December. But he grew on my these last few months and I had a strong bond with him. He has been gone for over two weeks now. I have finally accepted that he is passed on. But, when I go out to feed the other feral's, I still look for him and call his name, just a glimmer of hope, I guess.... even though I just know he will never be out there again.

I am sorry that Mike has not returned either. Just sending you more

Mike was actually born here ..he was the result of a pregnant stray we took in..she would come daily then started to just hang around all the time...but when I saw her belly growning I knew I had to take her in..She was a lovely cat we decided to keep her..She had 5 kittens and we decided to keep 2..my daughter picked out one and I picked the runt..so there was 3 left..I placed an ad at the corner store..within a few days 2 of the kitten found home..But the the calls stopped I thought what the heck...finally my daughter at the time she was 10 told me she took the sign down and pleaded with me to keep Mike..it didn't take much convincing..what was one more tiny kitten We still have his 2 sisters..
I know you can relate and thanks for responding ...I've had to put several cats to sleep for various reasons thur the years..illness ..old age...Don't get me wrong it also very hard on me...But this not knowning..I have nightmares he is meowing and I go searching and can't find it him anywhere..
I am sure like you we will keep calling and looking for sometime to come...
I am going to make up new flyers today and place them all over on telephone poles and back again at the stores.. I heard they were taken down..I guess selling a car or couch is more important than finding a lost cat
I will keep hoping Yogi and Mike will come home...I just don't know how I can not keep hoping..

Oh I'm so sorry it wasn't Mike!

Yes, keep up the hope! I DO think it's possible he's out there and isn't coming home for some (unknown) reason. If something happened to frighten him or cause him to lose his bearings, then he'd be in a state where he DOESN'T come when called.

Keeping up the vibes for you and Mike!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That's a special story about how you ended up keeping Mike. Your daughter knew he was a keeper and was meant to be with the family . That also sounds like something I would have done as a little girl too Still hoping Mike finds his way back home more prayers tonight for Mike

Mike is still missing ..its been 18 days now..pls I could use some more vibes that he shows up soon..Just wondering when I should give up ? Someone keeps removing the signs I post at the local stores...so I guess there is no point in continuing with that...I'm actually depressed I wish I knew one way or the other

I had a cat that for no apparent reason (nothing we ever figured out) moved to our neighbors. She was gone for months before the neighbors noticed her (living in the country it was about a mile away). they brought her home. I had thought she was dead.

My friend's cat went missing in the spring. She supposed a hawk or coyote. late fall the cat showed up and ran into her house. skinnier than it left. All we could figure was it crawled up into a truck and thankfully didn't get injured getting out (I actually have returned several cats that this happened to).

so I know it is hard to give up. Specially when it is a kitty you love so much. I think you will always be having looking. At least that is the way I've always been.

This is a terrible situation for you. Not to know is the worst thing. I'm so very sorry.

I'm still thinking of Mike, and feralvr's Yogi, everyday, several times a day and giving prayers that they both come home safely.

It is very understandable and appropriate that you are depressed about this. It's a devastating loss. I'd be inconsolable.

As long as you have the strength to carry on doing the things you've been trying to do to find him, even putting up the flyers over and over, calling every shelter (or visiting them) within a 30 mile radius, etc. as long as you can stand to do it, it's worth doing. As heidik said, cats are often found long after they are lost.

I won't be stopping my prayers

Robin