Should I Still Be Hoping My Missing Cat Will Come Home?

I'm sad to see no George yet, but I love reading all of the compassionate discussions on this thread in particular, so many of you I want to hug and say thank you for caring for needy cats. I dfo the same and know how overwhelming and heart breaking it can be but it's worth it in the end.

I'm putting this little "essay" in here for the next person who might be worried about swollen base of tail and abscesses and/or needing restraint advice! I worked on it awhile in response to an old thread where somebody was asking why their cat's base of tail was swollen and only a couple of replies, very brief and mostly "take it to the vet". So I felt moved to give a thorough answer to her question even though it's a year or two ago, it still will be available for anyone else going to that thread for advice. Please lmk honestly if it is too much (it is REALLY long). If you like it and want to cut and paste/edit for own purposes or sharing that's ok too. plz correct me if I've given wrong advice. Thanks!

You'll also see what my opinion is of unhelpful 5 word replies like "take it to the vet" although it is certainly warranted in some cases:

It could be an unopened abscess. It will be hard, swollen, hot, and painful. The hair may be missing due to licking or just the swelling and infection may cause it. If it has opened on it's own it can be shocking to someone who's never seen that, especially a large one, but it will look like a red bloody icky hole and can definitely bring to mind bad spider bites or gunshot hole (both fairly uncommon but not unheard of)

I have found when the base of tail is swollen it is almost always an abscess from a puncture or bite (since one cat will usually try to turn and run they get it on the butt) but it also could be something else, perhaps infected anal glands that would need veterinary intervention. I understand it being difficult to go to a vet, so UNTIL you CAN...try to apply warm epsom salt compresses. you may have to restrain (hopefully you know the various methods but if not, try youtube), it takes practice but I have found that once they realize you aren't hurting them, they seem to appreciate the warm compress. You would need to do it several times a day for about 20 minutes each time if possible. It may open on it's own but you will probably still need some antibiotics, probably Clavamox (augmentin). If not the vet will need to open it and debride it. I never use neosporin on an abscess, it causes the top to heal before the inside and then the abscess closes up and then you're back to square one. The open wound needs to kept open and I do that by syringing bottled water (vet will sometimes prescribe a wound disinfectant) into it. In a really bad case they will insert a "wick" which is a strip of gauze or plastic tube that keeps wound draining as it heals...in that case an e-collar is needed. I just read that a tincture of valerian root given orally, will sedate and calm a cat before doing a procedure. Ive always added a pinch of valerian root to catnip bc they go nuts for it but after a bit they do mellow out.

I hope some of the following links help somebody!

AND both on restraining ...keep in mind that you need to be calm, firm, decisive,committed and confident about the technique or the kitty will sense your hesitation and will re-double their efforts  to escape or bite. If you are NOT confident and all wishy-washy about restraining it also makes the cat feel more out of control and they will fight harder. Some cats respond well to gently jiggling their scruff while you are holding. you also need to be aware of what vet says about cutting off cat's ability to breath (2nd link) if it continues to fight really hard and you scruff too long and tight. Cats that continue to thrash and don't give up need different methods. You can practice on mellow kitties at first to become familiar, and if you are scruffing don't scruff too low or they can twist around and bite, and definitely try to get a helper the first few times or when doing certain things you MUST have a second person. It is best to scruff as high on neck as possible but still have a good amount of skin in your hand to hold onto, while using length of your arm against their back to press their body down and restrain.sometimes I have used an e-collar when trying to restrain to help prevent biting. I need to get a cat muzzle. I work with ferals a lot. So much of the time, once I have nursed a feral or aggressive cat back to health, esp one with long recovery time, they come out of it much friendlier and trusting, even though I'm doing things to them that they don't like much. If they are seriously ill though, many of them they know you made them better and appreciate you for it <3.

(a VET explaining abscesses)

(GREAT ONE ON TREATING AT HOME EXPLAINED BY A VET, although his advice is only for an already opened wound. I feel you can usually get it to open with warm compresses and then follow his advice, if it won't open in a day or two, or cat gets worse/ ill, you will need to go to vet!! I also learned about some new natural alternatives, esp the oregano oil.)

(this is what you can expect a vet to do, it is video uploaded by a dog owner whose vet was kind enough to let him video record the visit. He was quoted $800 and could not afford it. (although my dog, several years back was "only" $300.) He took the dog home and the abscess opened on it's own, but nobody evidently told him how to take care of it so it got infected and there is an update video link with pictures of the drain tube in the 2nd vet visit in the about section of his first video)

There are tons more videos of cat abcesses, treatment, and also tons on how to restrain for various problems on youtube BY actual vets and professionals.

I hope a little education on swollen tails is appropriate here. I hope you do too. I absolutely love this site, it's the only one I have set up for notifications, although I don't usually have time to go online too much, rescue work is overwhelming and none of the animals get as much play and cuddling time as I'd like, so they come first) and I must say I was surprised to see no "until you get to the vet" advice on this thread! (a different thread from this one) What's important here is that the cat is cared for as best as possible while people gather the resources they need to actually get the cat to a vet. Also I am tired of seeing so many basic problems being rushed to an expensive vet when the majority of complaints can be treated at home and shots can be administered by the owner if they are shown how ( was a vet tech in my 20's and a nurse as an adult). We are all brainwashed and threatened into believing a vet or doctor and pharmaceuticals are always necessary. We are cowed by the medical establishment by fear of legal repercussions. Unless you are misrepresenting yourself I think it is our right to share medical knowledge we have gained by either being in rescue or just because personal pets have been thru it and you want to share what you learned. Having said that, I know there are still many instances in which it is imperative to go to a vet for diagnosis and treatment. I was just dismayed to see the lack of practical knowledge being shared. Note that I did not say medical advice, although that is just a matter of semantics which I don't particularly care for. Many times I have sobbed with an animal in my arms, saying "I'm sorry, I don't know what to do, I can't take you to the vet" and the only thing that comforts me at those times is knowing I would if I could and then I try to find answers online or thru friends, while trying to raise the money thru a donation drive. I am appalled how when loving owners can't go to vet and they turn to HS or spca etc, they have to SURRENDER the animal!!!! Or pts if your vet won't set up payment plan and animal is suffering. WRONG< WRONG< WRONG!!!  So let's help each other

I am walking around in shock  ....I can hardly believe what happened this weekend....  after spending an hour handing out another set of flyers to homes in my area about my missing Kuzon, I went home to clean out the bird cage.  The dog came rushing over to see what I was doing and startled my budgies and before I could slam the cage door shut, out flew out and of course the door was open (STUPID ME) and out he went.  I saw him fly high and make a turn and then he was gone.  My daughter and I ran around the neighborhood and actually found him high in a fir tree...probably 50 feet up....singing and chirping so happily.  I'm sure after he got over the shock of being free and finding a perch he was thrilled!  It was late in the day however and nightfall came and no more singing.  We put his cage up on the roof of our house so he could see it and put budgie sounds on a loop and we are playing it all day long but nothing.  He's been out 2 days now with no food and intermittent rain.    After starting to come to terms with my beautiful boy Kuzon, I am now missing my lovely Atticus!  It has been a HORRIBLE 4 months...and this one is more distressing because it was so preventable.  What was I thinking????  I've had animals all my life...i can't remember when our house didn't have a menagerie and I have NEVER had any cats go missing or been so stupidly remiss in cleaning the bird cage.  I am now faced with a second set of flyers and making rounds to the Humane Society and craigslist.  I am too in shock to even cry...I just want to crawl into a hole...it is too horrible to be so attached and to not know if they are alive or dead, scared or hungry....Now it is absolutely too much to hope i will get both of them back and I find myself making a pact with God....and asking for Kuzon if it can only be one of them.  Isn't that horrible...because I loved Atticus too, just not quite in the same way as Kuzon.  And then I feel even guiltier....Ugh....I really need a miracle!!!!!

Oh, LuvNickles, I'm so sorry to hear that. I'm afraid I don't know anything about birds so I can't give you any advice. Do budgies respond when you call their name? How good are they at finding their way back home? Sorry, these are really dumb questions but I've never had a pet bird.

Mega vibes that you get some good news about Kuzon and Atticus soon.



You deserve a miracle.

Oh No LuvNickles.  I am hoping and sending good thoughts your way that Atticus finds his way back home.  It truly is a very rough time for you right now.  Please know that we are all here for you. 

This is a very hard thread to read and I dearly hope everyone finds' their lost companions. I have gotten a lot of good information about how to find a lost cat from it though. Thank you.

Norachan and ShadowsRescue - thanks so much for your kind words.  I thought of you guys after I got over the initial shock and just wanted to put a message on here because I knew you would understand. Atticus is finger tame but he wouldn't come to anyone calling him.  I'm afraid that he likely was picked off by one of the many crows or hawks in the neighborhood.  He is bright blue and yellow and unfortunately that makes him a huge target.  There are stories of budgies joining flocks of sparrows but that is a rarity.  Still, I am playing budgie sounds well into the night hoping the sound will attract him home just in case he has made it this long...but with the rain which has of course FINALLY come, i am not hopeful.

I did get a call today from a woman who has one of my flyers.  She just called to see if Kuzon had been found and to let me know that she and a couple of her neighbors are looking out for him.  Such kindness!  it makes me feel so good that their are people out there who don't know me but who have a soft spot for animals and are making it a personal mission to help him come home.  She said she puts a white light around his picture which she is keeping on her fridge.  If some random person can do that for Kuzon how can I lose hope or give up? 

So this weekend, despite losing Atticus, and just wanting to be beyond all this pain,  I will turn my attention back to walking a new neighborhood and handing out more flyers for Kuzon  And Atticus is posted on craigslist too, just in case.

I am thinking of George and Patches too of course.  and also, ShadowsRescue - please is there any update on your dog??

PangurBan - this IS a hard thread.  I wish we weren't in the position we are in, but it is so helpful to talk to each other and cheer each other on.  There is nothing like talking to someone who really understands what you are going through, and there IS a lot of good info for everyone else.  George, Patches and Kuzon just HAVE to come home....what a wonderful miracle if we could get all three back...and all the other missing kitties who have been mentioned here.  If that happens, I'll write a book about the adventures we have all had on this very difficult journey!

Luv Nickles.. It is so sad to hear about your Atticus. Let me tell you a true life experience of birds maybe it can motivate you and also give some hope. My house is always occupied with all sorts of birds..the reason being I feed them..with grains to boiled rice and nuts they have all sorts of treats from me. Also water fountain for them to bathe and enjoy...It is not that I have caged them but they all are free to come and go and from parrots, woodpecker, kingfisher, pigeons, cranes, water hens, bulbuls and mynahs and the house sparrows. Once these house sparrows built there nest under a water pipe that drained out from terrace below. Beneath little space under this water pipe they laid eggs. And with time the eggs hatched and day night we heard chirping of baby sparrows. The mom sparrow was in habit to stay with young ones at night too but the male sparrow never took the pain to look after the young. One night at dinner time I saw that mom sparrow came out of the nest and came to my kitchen asking for food. It as so late and I was surprised she was still awake. Maybe she wanted that her young ones grow soon and thus thought to feed them at night too. I took a plate and put some hot rice and boiled lentils that I had prepared for dinner. And I thought to let it cool under the fan inside the dining room so that it can be given to mom sparrow. Mom Sparrow was observing this and she saw me put the plate under the fan upon dining table. I went back to kitchen to fetch salad for family and as I returned I was shocked. Mom sparrow was inside the room and took few rice grains from that plate which were cooled and flew back outside towards her nest but unfortunately on her way back she dashed with the running fan and fell down and died. I was so sad to see this and that night I was so uncomfortable and I cried so much blaming myself for her death. The next day I heard the babies crying for their mom and for food and there was no bird to help them. All the birds heard their crying and came but none helped them. The male sparrow too came but he went away with other sparrows. The whole day babies cried and I was helpless. Second day came and now I had to take some action. I climbed the water pipe with the help of wooden stair and to my surprise there were three babies with no feathers only flesh and eyes tight shut crying helplessly. I took them out of the nest one by one and came down and placed them in a shoe box which I had prepared for them to stay. I had laid hay and soft cotton for them to lay on. Now it was my responsibility to feed them and make them grow. I talked to many people around asking what such young ones eat and no one knew much then I searched the internet and read books on birds. I had a plastic eye dropper and I mixed milk with egg yolk, and mashed rice, mashed bread and started feeding them. I also brought worms from my garden and gave them to eat. I was so confused as all were just flesh and looked alike and I forgot whom I had fed and whom I not And all opened their mouth together. And the feeding was every half and hour as their mom did. I left my job just to make them grow and be with them 24 hours. Soon they grew and had feathers as if some weaver is weaving around their flesh. One by one the feathers came and soon they had fluffy fur like feathers. Their eyes too opened and they saw me first that this is the mom who is serving us and in reality they believed me to be their mom. They slept with me on my bed placing themselves under my chin, neck and arms and they pulled my hair and my earrings and my clothes. And they followed me wherever I went around in the house. They ate from my plate and drank water from my glass. They bathed with me and dried on my clothes. It was so much love they gave me. But when they grew up it was time for them to learn to fly high. They flew inside the house but never much higher. And again I had to taught them. I went up the terrace and like bird showed them that they have to come up towards me to play with me. And they obeyed and after many days of my calling them towards the terrace and after their falling many times they were successful. And one day they made it. And when they came up and looked at the open vast blue sky they were amazed and happy too. First day they flew down back inside the house as they were afraid. But next day when they came up again they saw other birds too. And they flew towards the sky away from my home and vanished far far away. I had tears in my eyes and I smiled too that at last I was successful. I thought now they will never come back to me. But as I was looking towards the vast sky I saw them flew back towards the house but they lost track and sat on my neighbours roof. I called them back and they flew and sat on my shoulders. But there was one thing which we humans cannot train them. And that is to train them and tell them about their attackers that are hawks and other big birds. Out of these three children two were females and one male. They made many birds as their friends and used to flew with them and wander and at night they used to come back to me and slept in the wooden house that I had built for them. All were happy and I too as they had learnt to fly. But as I had thought and feared the females flew one day never to come back again and I believed that they will. But as I knew hawks were around and I believed thus that they might have been picked up by hawks and killed as these female kids never returned back to me. The male sparrow used to come each day back to me and cuddled me and loved me. He also got married in between (he mated with a beautiful sparrow) But after a year he too vanished and never came back. And I am sure he too was killed by hawk. Otherwise he never would have left me. My shoulders which were helipad for him are still waiting for him to land on them. But now as it has been many years I think he is no more.

Also here in India there are bird catchers and catch birds for food, to be sold in market etc and such birds easily fall in their trap.

One thing what I wish to say to you is that:

1. Birds have strong memory and they can never lose their way back home. They love their human owner and that bond makes them back home. It has been in history that birds do return to their homes longer than their being away from home more than 10 years or longer.

2. Birds are easily attacked by hawks and if they are a prey we can never expect them back home

3. The birds that are groomed at home and are homely are more prone to such attacks as they do not understand the wild predators and their cunningness to eat them up.

4. If your birdie has gone out for the first time he might have lost his way. Hang your clothes around or like his cage (if you caged him) so that he may recognise and come back.

5. He might also not return if he joined his flock.

I will not say you lose hope. Because hope and prayers can move all hurdles. Look into the tree tops around your neighbour, call him in and around. if he is safe he will return. Hang your clothes or any such article which he loved. Hang that outside at higher plane towards the sky somewhere near a tree in neighbour hood. And think positive.

I pray for all the lost pets...and I understand the pain of each one.. after all it is love that makes us cry for them. I am waiting for Norachan to give me news that George has returned. I am waiting to hear that Kuzon has returned. And I know they will. Keep the faith.

winkie said:

I pray for all the lost pets...and I understand the pain of each one.. after all it is love that makes us cry for them. I am waiting for Norachan to give me news that George has returned. I am waiting to hear that Kuzon has returned. And I know they will. Keep the faith.

Click to expand...

OK - your story of the three baby sparrows that you raised brought tears to my eyes. I envisioned a mini-movie in the making here. So very, very sweet and loving and yes, in the end - they had to "fly" the nest as all birds do. What an incredible story and one I will not soon forget.

We all thank you for your prayers for the lost animals. Keeping the faith is what will keep those going.

Winkie,

That was just a most heart warming loving story.  You are truly a remarkable person for all you do for the animals.  It is a true lesson in hope.

LuvNickles,

I had so hoped Atticus would be home.  Please keep hoping and talking with him.  He may very well surprise you and return to you soon.  Maybe he is out searching for Kuzon!!

Patches continues to come about 5 days a week.  Yet I only catch glimpses of him in my cameras.  I tried to go out the other evening when it was still light out and he came, but Shadow and Stellar came bounding out to see me and Patches ran.  Last night he came late and I was already in bed.  He went into the shelter with Shadow there and even went into the heated part.  He is very curious.  I moved the shelter I had for him out from under the deck.  He wasn't using it at all.  I moved it back onto the deck in a separate area from Shadow and Stellar. 

Misty my sweet girl is doing fair.  The cancer is confined only to the urethra so it hasn't spread at all.  This is good news.  We opted to do the radiation treatments.  She will have 19 low dose treatments M-F for 4 weeks.  It is not an easy task.  The treatments take almost 2 hours and plus drive time there and back.  She has to be put to sleep each time.  The stress of the treatments and the anesthesia make her very sleepy.  She also have some complications from the position they place her in for the treatments.  Tuesday and Wednesday were rough, but today is better.  I hate to see her not feeling well and not her usual bouncy noisy self.  Yet, I hope that 6 weeks of not feeling well will balance her with lots more time to live.

Here is a picture I took from the camera I have under the deck of Patches when he came the other day.  He had heard me come out on the deck and was deciding whether to run or stay!


Keep posting fliers, contacting vets and keeping hope and faith. 

Hello Winkie,

That's an amazing story. It made me cry to hear how your little birds all flew the nest and disappeared. I never realised that birds were so smart, but I guess if they can migrate over thousands of miles and find their way back to the same nesting spots every year then they must be.

LuvNickles, I really hope that Atticus finds his way home. Maybe he's just having an adventure and he'll head home when he's had enough.

ShadowsRescue, Patches looks pretty good in that picture. Sweet that he's standing next to his shelter and food bowl, like he is waiting for you to come out and feed him.

I hope that your poor dog is feeling better soon. Fingers crossed that she has many more happy, bouncy years ahead of her.

Winkie,

Your story of raising the sparrow babies was lovely.  Thank you so much for taking the time to care for those helpless babies.  It made me smile.  I look for Atticus when I walk my dog and call to him, but no sign of him.  The weather is warm now...i think Spring is here for good.  It is back luck he got out the last weekend of bad weather.  Still, if the hawks and crows didn't get him, I suppose it isn't beyond reason that I might get him back.  He was such a bright, lively boy.  Nimby, his mate, just isn't the same without him.  I couldn't stand seeing Nimby mope, so I got him a new companion who I have named Remy.  He is very different from Atticus...much quieter and I fear that the energy i used to see and hear from their cage is going to be different now forever, but Remy could brighten up after a while...he is still new to us.

ShadowsRescue,

So good to hear that Misty is undergoing treatment that might make a difference.  I am keeping my fingers crossed!

On the subject of health - Just curious what you all feed your babies?  I have converted all my animals to home made food.  Mostly raw and have seen a lot of improvement in skin conditions and weight control.  I have started reading a lot of literature on keeping our dogs and cats healthier by feeding raw and learned that kibble and other canned food was introduced during WWII to make it easier on the housewives left behind to care for the kids and the house and the pets.  Since that time, the life expectancy of dogs and cats has declined and the number of animals falling ill to disease and chronic conditions has increased.  Pets were fed from the dinner table for years and lived long lives and hardly ever went to the vet!  I wonder if ShadowsRescue, you would consider doing some research and perhaps converting Misty's diet when she is better to see if that helps.    this is a VERY controversial topic, but out here in California, we are seeing more and more organic, raw pet food and I wouldn't be surprised if in another 5 - 10 years, it becomes more of the norm.  It is definitely more work but I find it is actually less expensive.  Kuzon was on a raw food diet for a few months before he went missing and he was gaining weight...he always scared me with how thin he was and I was so pleased at how healthy he had started to look.  One of my other strays was the opposite - he can't stop eating and I think he had an allergy to the kibble I was feeding which caused a terrible skin condition.  I converted him too, and his skin condition has almost completely cleared up and his weight is much better...still has a way to go, but at least he is able to move without wobbling!

Now that the time has changed, and the days are longer and warmer, I am hoping that Kuzon will come home.  I can't help thinking he was taken in by someone, hopefully unknowingly, and he will begin to get out and find his way back.

Patches came home after all...maybe not exactly in the way that ShadowsRescue wants, but he does have some bond and tie to the house.  George and Kuzon can't have forgotten us.   Please come home babies....we love and miss you!!!!

ShadowsRescue said:

 
Norachan,

Let us know if anything turns up at the new site you drove by.  You just never know.  Maybe you could post a lost cat flier nearby so if the site has caretakers they might alert you if they have seen George.

Patches came last night around 9pm so I got to see him.  He was starving.  He ate 2 1/2 cans of wet food, but he was a frantic scared mess.  When I went out to take him food, he ran to the opposite side of the deck.  He came to when I called him and meowed softly.  He gobbled and gobbled his food and I gently pet the top of his head.  He started almost wheezing and then shaking all over.  I think he was just really really scared.  I decided it was best to let him be and allow him to eat as much as needed.  Each time I went out to refill the bowl, he would just shake all over.  I still cannot get over how different he looks.  He body is sunken in and his head is so large.  If he got an ear tip it is the world's smallest one.  He really needs food to eat.  I hope he will continue to come for food so he can get stronger.  I have no idea how he survived the -39 wind chill earlier this week.  I feel sad about Patches, but know I will do what I can for him and maybe in time he will decide he wants or can tolerate human contact again. 

Click to expand...

Was Patches an inside cat at the beginning?  I have a few feral cats coming to eat and I noticed that they are jumpy because some of them don't get along, and they mark there territory letting other cats know. So maybe Patches is hungry but afraid of other cats. If it was an inside cat maybe you can try to get it and get it into the house.  Sounds like maybe it could be sick if it is wheezing. Just getting it inside and warmed up could make a big difference. Well good luck and I hope the best for Patches.

LuvNickles said:

ShadowsRescue,
So good to hear that Misty is undergoing treatment that might make a difference.  I am keeping my fingers crossed!

On the subject of health - Just curious what you all feed your babies?  I have converted all my animals to home made food.  Mostly raw and have seen a lot of improvement in skin conditions and weight control.  I have started reading a lot of literature on keeping our dogs and cats healthier by feeding raw and learned that kibble and other canned food was introduced during WWII to make it easier on the housewives left behind to care for the kids and the house and the pets.  Since that time, the life expectancy of dogs and cats has declined and the number of animals falling ill to disease and chronic conditions has increased.  Pets were fed from the dinner table for years and lived long lives and hardly ever went to the vet!  I wonder if ShadowsRescue, you would consider doing some research and perhaps converting Misty's diet when she is better to see if that helps.    this is a VERY controversial topic, but out here in California, we are seeing more and more organic, raw pet food and I wouldn't be surprised if in another 5 - 10 years, it becomes more of the norm.  It is definitely more work but I find it is actually less expensive.  Kuzon was on a raw food diet for a few months before he went missing and he was gaining weight...he always scared me with how thin he was and I was so pleased at how healthy he had started to look.  One of my other strays was the opposite - he can't stop eating and I think he had an allergy to the kibble I was feeding which caused a terrible skin condition.  I converted him too, and his skin condition has almost completely cleared up and his weight is much better...still has a way to go, but at least he is able to move without wobbling!

Click to expand...

I had looked into  raw previously with Misty, but she has had ongoing urinary tract issues her entire life.  Too much protein causes an imbalance for her.  If she were younger I would look into it, but at this point I cannot risk causing another imbalance and causing more UTI's.  The special food she is on does the trick.  I tried over and over years ago to take her off and she always ended up with a raging infection and urinary crystals.  It may be something for me to look into with my cats in a few years. 

Patches continues to visit for food and is now coming 2x a day!!  Unfortunately he only will eat under the deck and will not come out at all if I remain on the deck.  It makes me sad, but it's more important that he eat and build his strength. 

I just know that both George and Kuzon can make their way home.  Winter is winding down and change is in the air! 

buffy2011 said:

 

ShadowsRescue said:

 
Norachan,

Let us know if anything turns up at the new site you drove by.  You just never know.  Maybe you could post a lost cat flier nearby so if the site has caretakers they might alert you if they have seen George.

Patches came last night around 9pm so I got to see him.  He was starving.  He ate 2 1/2 cans of wet food, but he was a frantic scared mess.  When I went out to take him food, he ran to the opposite side of the deck.  He came to when I called him and meowed softly.  He gobbled and gobbled his food and I gently pet the top of his head.  He started almost wheezing and then shaking all over.  I think he was just really really scared.  I decided it was best to let him be and allow him to eat as much as needed.  Each time I went out to refill the bowl, he would just shake all over.  I still cannot get over how different he looks.  He body is sunken in and his head is so large.  If he got an ear tip it is the world's smallest one.  He really needs food to eat.  I hope he will continue to come for food so he can get stronger.  I have no idea how he survived the -39 wind chill earlier this week.  I feel sad about Patches, but know I will do what I can for him and maybe in time he will decide he wants or can tolerate human contact again. 

Click to expand...

Was Patches an inside cat at the beginning?  I have a few feral cats coming to eat and I noticed that they are jumpy because some of them don't get along, and they mark there territory letting other cats know. So maybe Patches is hungry but afraid of other cats. If it was an inside cat maybe you can try to get it and get it into the house.  Sounds like maybe it could be sick if it is wheezing. Just getting it inside and warmed up could make a big difference. Well good luck and I hope the best for Patches.

Click to expand...

If you read through the entire very long thread, you will see that the above cat was not Patches.  It was a cat that looked very similar to my Patches.  The cat mentioned above got very sick and I had to get him emergency vet care.  Unfortunately he tested positive for FIV and was too sick to survive.  I had to have him euthanized. 

My real Patches did show up in early Februray.  He was never a house cat, he is a feral/stray cat.  Patches lived on my deck for about 9 months then disappeared and then came sporadically again last winter.  He disappeared for over 10 months after I neutered him.  He will never be a house cat.  I was able to pet him and he would come into my house (with the door open) for short visits.  This time around, I cannot even catch a glimpse of him except on my outdoor surveillance cameras.  He has turned completely feral.  He is reconnecting a bit with my feral, Shadow who he was buddies with.

Thank you for thinking of Patches.  It has been a long road.  I have pretty much resigned myself that Patches will always come and go as he pleases.  He will never stay long term, but knows I am here if he needs help.  If he feels me getting too close, he will leave.  I do the best I can for him. 

ShadowsRescue said:

 
I just know that both George and Kuzon can make their way home.  Winter is winding down and change is in the air! 

Click to expand...

From your mouth to God's ears!!  please please please!!!!!!

Dear friends, I am crying right now and cannot stop my tears. My sweet henry has been missing since three days. He went outside the house around 11.30 pm night and has not returned home. Usually he comes back by 2.30 pm or by 3,00 pm. I am extremely worried. As I fear again my neighbour must have trapped him/killed him,

He never went far since his injury of spine and lower back and always came home as I used to take out his stool as he was not able to do so himself. He only went to two three gardens nearby and came home. And I have searched all the area for three nights and day I am calling him  and no response and people think I have gone mad. But no clue.

Please pray for his return. 

Please pray for my henry.. Here is his latest photo It was the day he left home that I clicked as he was meowing the whole day to me for hugs and cuddles and kisses.

AWW he is adorable.

Does you neighbor trap domestic cats???

If he does and kills them I want his name- that is terrible what a beast.

Be sure to tell your neighbors, I had a cat get locked in my neighbors shed. Also if there are kids in the neighborhood they are vital to help find pets because they are outside alot. My cat that was missing two weeks was found by my neighbors sone up a tree in the woods.

My friends puppy was found under a neighbors deck so be sure to alert everyone in the vicinity right away.

Signs helped me also, i always got calls with signs when my cats disappeared. Don't give up go out early in the morning ( 4-5 am) when it is quiet and call then listen for him he may be afraid to come out.

Late at night with a  flashlight too.

My cat Fred - whenever he snuck out only came to me around 5 am. If I called him at 6 he would never come out. It was odd, but he he would rush out at least once a month to the point I knew I could find him at 5 am hiding in the woods behind my garage.

Stay calm and be diligent many times they don't go far but they can hide n small spaces and high up. YOU have to go after him if he is scared he won't come out. Fred always got hungry after 3 days and finally would come out, if he was gone longer then three days then I stepped up my searching. But he may not be far, just hiding somewhere.

Oh no, Winkie. I'm so sorry to hear that.



I hope he has just gone for a wander and not met your horrible neighbour again. He doesn't go near your neighbour's house, does he? I think he must have been so scared last time he would know better than to go back there.

I agree with Alisa, putting some posters up is a good idea. Make some with a picture of Henry on and the words

REWARD For Any Information Leading To The Recovery of Henry

on them in big letters. You don't have to say how much the reward is, but putting this word first gets more attention than the words Lost Cat.

Getting local kids to help you search is a good idea too. Is there a school near your house? Maybe you could put up some posters near the school gates.

I really hope Henry comes home soon.

*sigh* I was hoping for some good news today. George has been missing for almost a year now. I've been trying to put together an album of photos, but it's really hard. I still can't look at photos of George without getting upset and I don't want to be left with nothing but memories of him. I want him to be here with me.

Mega vibes that Henry comes home to you.



Don't give up. Lizzie was lost in the snow for ten days and she made it home. I'm sure Henry will too.

Oh Winkie I am so sorry to hear about Henry.  Post fliers, go door to door, alert all your neighbors asking them to check their garages.  You just never know where he might be.  You are in my thoughts.  Please come home Henry.