My baby boy ran away.

This thread isn't about the death of my cat, but his absence. I'm really, really emotional right now and I'm seeking out a cat forum to get support from people who understand why this is so emotional for me.

One of my cats, Nicky, escaped on Sunday. My mother went outside into the garage and somehow, he slipped out. This is the second time it happened - the first time was approximately two years ago, occurring at the same time - in the beginning of December. He was gone for a month.

He wasn't gone so much as he wouldn't come back. When he saw us, he'd run back into the woods. He'd sit on the porch, eat food, and so on. We eventually trapped him in a humane trap and brought him back. I don't know why he was so adamant on avoiding us. The day before he left and the day after he returned, he was crawling all over us. It was so cold outside that he lost the tips of his ears to frostbite.

Now, though, there isn't any sign of him. He disappeared on my Sunday and my mother claims to have last seen him on Monday, clawing at the kitchen window (then bolted when he saw us).

It's been almost six days since he's been seen. I just returned home from college for winter break, so I've been crying all during finals.

Yesterday, my mother said that with the food she put out, someone had eaten over the course of the evening and early morning. I was on patrol today, checking every 10-15 minutes. I saw a glimpse of orange fur . . .

only to discover it was some other cat.

I became hysterical.

I am so upset. I am screaming as I cry. I've ripped out chunks of my hair. I don't know what to do. I don't know how to cope with this.

I love all my cats, but he is my darling. My favorite. He is my baby boy. He's my precious angel. And now I'm never going to see him again. I'm never going to stroke his fur or hold him or rub my face in his furry belly watch him roll around on the floor.

If he doesn't return, there won't be a christmas. I can't celebrate it. I just can't.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrblanche 

There are lots of posts on here about how to attract your boy back.  Food on the porch, with a well-worn unwashed T shirt under it (smelling of you), etc.  A humane trap on the porch might work, too.  Is it snowy there, now?

Food on the porch? Check.

Humane trap? Check.

Snowy? There's snow on the ground, but it hasn't snowed in days.

I'm hesistant about the t-shirt thing because I don't want to scare him off.

I think I saw him this morning. I'm not sure. I didn't have my glasses on and I have bad eyesite, but I'm pretty sure I saw a fluffy orangeish cat about 20 yards from the house, in the woods. If it was indeed a light, orangeish fluffy cat, it was him. I called his name, he turned, and ran away.

I don't know why he does this. We are not abusive or anything like that. He has absolutely no fear of us. He's just being obnoxious.

I'm concerned that he won't fall for the trap again.

I've moved the bowl of catfood to the other side of the railing on the porch so it's closer to him, but still in sight.

There's also at least three cats in the yard, an outdoor cat that adopted us and two bruiser-type strays that I saw go in there. He's a small cat. He's my little boy. I don't want him to run away in the wrong direction.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Feralvr 

I do understand your hysteric's. I have lost a cat or two over the year's, and luckily found them. But I was just like you, crazy with worry and filled with uncontrollable emotion. Try to think about that time two years ago when Nicky got lost. He did come back around. AND you do think you saw him today, right... Probably was him. So you know he is out there and staying safe. Of course, you want to get him back in as quickly as possible, especially of there are other stray cat's outside. Start putting food out on a regular morning schedule and see if you can get him on this morning feeding schedule to at least come for food. The tricky part will be that you will most likely attract other cat's. . If you can get him used to you putting out some delicious food every morning - wouldn't he come and eat with you sitting there? If he is hungry, he will come and eat. But you will have to sit and wait - If you just put food out day and night - he will never begin to come around at ONE specific time to eat each day. So I would suggest only feeding on one set schedule a day and see if you can bring him out of hiding that way. Good luck - and loads of vibes you can catch Nicky very soon

Heh, the last time he was out and we brought out the humane trap, we caught stray cats, possums, and even skunks. Trap and release, that's all we do.

I don't think sitting and waiting for him is going to work, because he runs off really easy.

I'm considering using the trap again. He fell for it once, two years ago - I don't know if he's going to fall for it again.

He is hanging around, thank god. We have food out by the woods, feeding him at the same time every day. I was thinking of putting the trap in the exact same place with the food in it, but my concern is that he won't fall for it, stop viewing it at a food source, and go somewhere else.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Feralvr 

This is what I did for a feral cat's second trapping because I needed to move this cat to another barn and might be something you could try. Tie the trap door open and feed Nicky in the trap for a day or two before you set the trap. You can also slide the trap into a large empty dog food bag (if you can get one ), this will make the trap more appealing and more secure for Nicky to walk into. If you don't want to wait the two days, then I would just start right away and try to trap Nicky as quickly as you can. If he is hungry, he will go in the trap to eat. I would cover at least three quarters of the trap with a towel or blanket from your house that smells like home. You can use KFC Chicken, sardines or tuna. I am just glad Nicky is around the house and you have seen him.

Hi, Feralvr, can you clarify something?

Why should I tie the trap door open and feed him that way if all I want to do is get him inside the trap?

I was thinking about your ideas of concealing the cage with a food bag or towel - but might this make him feel trapped?

We're thinking of making bacon and having the window open when we cook it.

HI all again.

I tried putting the trap out. I haven't him since the night before I put the trap out, so I don't know what to do. Maybe I should try putting the food out in front, but I don't know if he'll come near it at all if the trap is out there. He doesn't have a "bed," - the house is his bed. I do have a towel on the porch, though, although he does not seem to be going for that.

The thing is, he fell for the trap once twice before, two years ago. The first time, we failed to set the trap correctly. He fell for it again a few days later. But now I'm concerned that he's definitely familiar with it and won't go in.

I'm  also hesitant to cover the trap with towels because I don't want him to feel trapped.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Feralvr 

The trap will feel more inviting and safe for him if you have it covered or inside the food bag. I understand that unsetting the trap defeats the purpose of trapping him - it is only suggested to use to get a cat comfortably going in and out of the trap to eat. I do this with feral cat's. Then when they are comfortable going in and out to eat - I make the vet appointment for the TNR and can easily trap them on vet day. BUT for your situation - you just want to immediately trap your kitty and get him back inside .... There is also the crate method of trapping - but again you have to start feeding the cat inside the crate only. And then shut the door on him when he is comfortably eating inside the crate - by using a rope tied to the door and running through the side of the crate. This is more traumatic for the cat because you have to reel the crate in and this is also more time consuming on your part because you have to be there to "trap" the cat inside of the crate. A long waiting game.
You could also do what you suggested by placing the food near the trap and move it closer and inside the trap each day. I would suggest to only put food inside the trap way past the trip plate. Not feed outside of the trap. Nicky will enter the trap when he is hungry - food will win over. Especially if you use something irresistible to him. Either way or whatever way ...... Just loads more vibes and hope that you are able to get Nicky home very soon....

Hi again.

We tried the crate trap two years ago, but it didn't work as he managed to slip out.

I'll try covering the trap. I can't get access to a dog food back, but I'll use towels.

We tried putting the food in the trap for the past two days (with tuna), but he didn't fall for it. I'm really concerned about him refusing to go into the trap, avoiding it, and just moving on to some other place for food, you know?

Why do you suggest only putting food in the trap and not putting it near the trap?

HE'S BACK HE'S BACK MY BABY BOY IS BACK OH MY GOD OH MY OH GOD

He's back

Oh god

Okay, so what we did was a blending of the ideas here. I used towels to cover the back of the cage and front of the cage (the middle had to stay uncovered so the handle could come down in place if the trap was triggered). First, we set the food by the trap for one day. Then we set the food in the very front of the trap for one day.

Today, we set it all the way in the back.

5 hours later, the baby was in the trap.

He's going to the vet tomorrow. Not only is he covered in briars (I mean covered: I've been dealing with cats all my life and I've done some serious grooming in my time and I have no idea how to tackle his tail). Also, his  face is . . . bloody. Sort of. Skin is missing from his forehead and his nose and his nose appears seriously scraped. I don't know if it was due to flailing in the cage or what.

I'm just so glad he's back. I was taking a nap when he was caught and after my mom released him back in the house, she went upstairs to wake me and he followed. He was crawling on me, rubbing against me, etc. but then he was also meowing and going back and forth between windows like he was trapped. He's since calmed down, but . ..

I don't know how to prevent this from happening in the future.

Thank you all for your support. I don't know what I would have done without people to vent to and share my concerns with.