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

Called the garbage department again this morning after about 2weeks. I know some cities or towns in Japan keep a good record of the dead animals in town, not mine. I had an emotional talk with them 2 weeks ago when they kept saying all they had on record is that whether it was a dog or cat, not the color, not the exact location. This morning, I was told on July 10, in a general area about 500m from mine, had a report of a dead cat. Again, no color, could not confirm with the person who found it, no other records. I asked if they ever record at least the color, they said not in this city. But I reported before once, and I told them the color and exact location and my phone number. They took the information. Why not now? they were so unhelpful, I got very upset, and told them, they need to understand the emotional stress I am going through and I apologized for being so persistant and such a pain, and begged them to ask the workers to look out for an orange cat.

Another day with no leads, no calls, but I got my trail camera today. So I will try to set it up.

I'm sorry that you're finding the the garbage department so unhelpful. Japanese officials are like that, they drive you crazy with how inefficient they are sometimes. But you know how many stay cats there are in Japan, chances are it wasn't your cat.

Do you know the rough location of where the cat was found? Why not put notices up in that area saying;

Reward for any information about the whereabouts of missing cat.

and a picture of Daizu? Then if anyone did see a cat of his description and call the garbage department about it they might call you too.

Fingers crossed for you and your boy.

 

Norachan

I know I shouldn't have gotten upset and emotional but the way they answered my questions was infuriating, like why are you fussing around for a cat. I did go to that area and put up posters and realized I already posted there before. Then slowly I walked back to my house, amd saw a man flashing a flash light in the middle of the road. I looked closely, and saw blood stains. I asked him what happened and he told me a kitten was killed by a car. It was a kitten he had been feeding over the years. He lives in Tokyo and came all the way to my city to take care of a few stray cat families. He know all the family members, and said the unlucky one looked just like its grandmother. There are racoon dogs in the neighborhood, and I have seen them too. We talked for a long time and I felt a bit better.

I am back to the same area and look again tonight as there was an ambiguous sighting this morning.

Have you heard anything about George?

Hi Nekomaui,

It's nice to know that some people, like the man you met, care about the stray cats. Do you think the kitten that was killed was the one that garbage men had a record of picking up?

There are lots of tanuki in this area too, and foxes, but they aren't dangerous to adult cats. They'll take small kittens if they can find them but they won't attack anything as big as a cat. They're mainly scavengers, not hunters.

I never had any positive sightings of George. I had posters all over town and his photo on the local TV channel for over a year. I got lots of calls from people who feed stray cats or had seen a cat like George in their neighbourhood, but it was never him. It's like he vanished into thin air that night.

How is your search for Daizu going, any more leads?

Norachan,

That man picked up the kitten's body to bury at a grave. I didn't ask further, because I could see he had the body in a plastic bag he was holding. I assume he had his own place for the unfortunate ones.

Same here, I haven't had a positive sighting after that night he got out. All the info I got was that people saw a yellow tabby that looked like the picture on the poster. I have seen 5 of them now, and they all had yellow eyes while Daizu has aqua blue/green eyes. Yesterday, an old man saw a yellow cat sleeping between the first floor roof and the second floor balcony at the house across his. I have a similar structure at my house so I went there after work. He was really kind and showed me the house across his, and coincidentally, the guy living next to the balcony house saw a yellow cat a few days ago. In the end, I got his help to set up the trail camera today pointing at the exit where stray cats come and go between the houses. I am not too hopeful though. There is an animal hater beyond reasoning living on that block. So he didn't want to cause problem putting out cat food that may attract many cats. So for now, I just set the camera there.

I also feel that Daizu has disappeared into thin air like George. Not one confirmation with my own eyes. I really admire what you do with all you cats, and understand the bond between you and George. I don't know sometimes if I should give up or not. It really requires luck in searching for a catm doesn't it?

Just an update, I went to the house to collect the camera yesterday and because of the rainy weather, it didn't capture anything. Perhaps the kitties were hiding for the day. I had a feeling that the man felt that he tried what he could and I couldn't ask him to try another day. So I took the camera and said my thank you.  I guess during this search, being alone in a foreign country makes it even harder. I understand I have to be the one doing the search. I should get up every night at 2am to search at different areas. I did that for the first 2 weeks and gradually stopped. I could barely function at work the next day. And I feel guilty for not being able to do that. Today marks 6 weeks, and tomorrow is the 7th week.  Time is slipping by and I don't like to sound negative and gloomy. But I have a pain in my stomach, and my head is heavy all the time.  I couldn't help crying and sometimes, even in front of strangers. I just can't control it. I am sorry I keep posting these negative messages. I do hope everything will turn out OK for all of us. 

Oh Nekomaui, I'm so sorry.

   

I know exactly what you are going through, please don't feel that you have to apologise for anything. I used to walk around in the early hours of the morning, crying but trying to keep my voice sounding upbeat when I called George's name. It's just the worst experience to go through. The feeling of helplessness and the not knowing and the imagining all the different scenarios of what might have happened. Lots of people here have been through the same thing. We know how you feel so please go ahead and post whatever you want to post. The best way to get rid of those negative emotions is to express them.

I know that you're worried about Daizu, but cats are amazingly resilient. In a town with plenty of places to hide and take shelter, with people leaving food out for cats and bags of trash left out on the street for him to forage through he has a really good chance of making it on his own until you can find him.

What's Daizu's history? Was he a stray cat originally?

Maybe there is another spot that you could set the camera up and catch any cats that are using the balcony to sleep on?

Don't give up. With all this warm weather and plenty of rain leaving puddles for him to drink from Daizu will be faring much better than you think.

Losing a loved pet is so very hard.  I know this is out there, but have you thought of contacting an animal communicator.  Many of us have used them.  You might look for one who specializes in lost pets. 

You and your lost boy are in my thoughts.

Thank you Norachan, Shadowsrescue,

I think I will leave that neighborhood in peace for a while. The vibe I got from that man is that there is nothing they could do. The houses there are built close to each other like my neighborhood. The only way to set the camera will be on the second floor of the house with the balcony which I think would cause problem.

No one knows about Daizu's history but the previous owner until he was 2 had developed allergies, so she//he gave up Ponta who is 3 months older than Daizu, and Daizu.
When I had them, Daizu was almost 3. It is possible he was from a feral or stray mother. But there is no way to find out. The staff at the rescue center ARK is changed completely since I got them in 2010. So records may be scarce.

I used an animal communicator in week 4, she specializes in lost pets and uses email with me which made the time difference easier to handle. I tried to ask her about Daizu's favorite treat, but she couldn't give me the correct answer. That maybe because it is a special Japanese treat that looks like fake crab meat for pets. Anyway, she gave me fragments of landmarks and said Daizu isn't ready or couldn't come home. That he was on an adventure. But it wasn't a planned escape, because he opened the door to get in to a fight with the boss cat. If the boss cat hadn't come to the house, Daizu would never even attempt to open the mosquito screen. Every summer, I leave the window or sliding door open wide enough for them to get out, and with the screen closed but not locked. They never even think about getting out. That is why I got careless and left the 2cm open gap this time.

I am going to post some fliers today about 3 to 4 km from here. Some vets I visited were not really helpful. I guess living in a somewhat urban city doesn't help. Neighbors hardly talk to each other, not to mention a stranger coming from far to look for a cat.

Just a thought, but maybe he is going back to his old place of residence. How long have you had him? I have a trail camera that I put out every night myself. I have two ferals outside and one of them I have to catch and get neutered. So I am watching to see what time the one I want always comes. Set your camera up where he got out and see if he is coming around.  One of my cats got out one night and I had no idea until that morning she wasn't in the house. So we looked all the next day and nothing. But we decided to leave the garage door open enough for her to crawl in, and that night she was at the inside door. I think she was so scared in the daylight that she wouldn't come out, because we called and called and nothing. So try leaving the screen door open where he went out a  few nights and the camera on and see what happens. Maybe leave a little bit of food. Not sure if that is safe to do for you or not. I have a slider on my porch but I also have a door to my house that can be locked. Just be safe about it.  Cats are in and out and you don't see them. So he may be there and your not seeing him. They know where there food was coming from. How about this boss cat, do you see it around still? Maybe this cat is keeping your cat from coming home. If you can't leave the door open , then try leaving some food outside and put your camera up. Not sure if you said you lived in a house or apartment, because that changes the way you have to do things. Just keep your spirits up and lots of positive thoughts and he will be back. 

buffy2011

Thanks for thinking about Daizu and your ideas. I live in a small house in a bedtown city near Tokyo. Ponta, Daizu and I have lived here for 4 years since 2010. We moved from a place where Ponta and Daizu really spent maybe 6 months, and before that they came from the previous human, who I believe live at least 30 or 40 km to the west. So this is the house they have lived the longest. I also thought about him either going back to our last place which is 10 km northeast. I have no idea where he lived before then.

Ever since I moved here, I have never seen any cat passing in front of my house. I did put some food out and the boss cat ate it. I left the door where Daizu got out open during the first week but the boss cat came in and sprayed at my stuff. I had sort of sealed that room so Ponta couldn't get out. But I felt the boss cat was being very bold and he even hissed at me through the window once when I tried to sleep in that room in the first week. Then I started chasing after him and spraying water at him. He hasn't been coming so much lately. Ponta is a softy and never wanted to fight, but Diazu really hated the boss cat.

I only managed to put out fliers and posting for 4 hours today about 2 to 3 km away, talked to one person who also lost and found bios cat once thanks to the fliers. He said his cat was found 2km from home and came when he called her name. I wonder if that would ever happen with Daizu.

I just woke up with a terribly painful feeling of loss. Just last night, I was feeling ok to look for half an hour at midnight, though I couldn't see any cat. It's a public holiday but I have work today. It's horrible like a panic attack. So I had to write something here.

nekomaui said:

buffy2011

Thanks for thinking about Daizu and your ideas. I live in a small house in a bedtown city near Tokyo. Ponta, Daizu and I have lived here for 4 years since 2010. We moved from a place where Ponta and Daizu really spent maybe 6 months, and before that they came from the previous human, who I believe live at least 30 or 40 km to the west. So this is the house they have lived the longest. I also thought about him either going back to our last place which is 10 km northeast. I have no idea where he lived before then.

Ever since I moved here, I have never seen any cat passing in front of my house. I did put some food out and the boss cat ate it. I left the door where Daizu got out open during the first week but the boss cat came in and sprayed at my stuff. I had sort of sealed that room so Ponta couldn't get out. But I felt the boss cat was being very bold and he even hissed at me through the window once when I tried to sleep in that room in the first week. Then I started chasing after him and spraying water at him. He hasn't been coming so much lately. Ponta is a softy and never wanted to fight, but Diazu really hated the boss cat.

I only managed to put out fliers and posting for 4 hours today about 2 to 3 km away, talked to one person who also lost and found bios cat once thanks to the fliers. He said his cat was found 2km from home and came when he called her name. I wonder if that would ever happen with Daizu.

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If that is a big tom cat that is coming and spraying, maybe that is why he isn't coming home. Animals mark  territory to keep other cats away.  Has he ever been outside of your home?  Do you know what direction he headed in when he left.? I would put my camera up and leave it up to see if he is coming around.  This may take awhile but just keep checking the camera to see what is going on. He knows where his food came from and he was happy so he should want to come home;. 

nekomaui said:

buffy2011

Thanks for thinking about Daizu and your ideas. I live in a small house in a bedtown city near Tokyo. Ponta, Daizu and I have lived here for 4 years since 2010. We moved from a place where Ponta and Daizu really spent maybe 6 months, and before that they came from the previous human, who I believe live at least 30 or 40 km to the west. So this is the house they have lived the longest. I also thought about him either going back to our last place which is 10 km northeast. I have no idea where he lived before then.

Ever since I moved here, I have never seen any cat passing in front of my house. I did put some food out and the boss cat ate it. I left the door where Daizu got out open during the first week but the boss cat came in and sprayed at my stuff. I had sort of sealed that room so Ponta couldn't get out. But I felt the boss cat was being very bold and he even hissed at me through the window once when I tried to sleep in that room in the first week. Then I started chasing after him and spraying water at him. He hasn't been coming so much lately. Ponta is a softy and never wanted to fight, but Diazu really hated the boss cat.

I only managed to put out fliers and posting for 4 hours today about 2 to 3 km away, talked to one person who also lost and found bios cat once thanks to the fliers. He said his cat was found 2km from home and came when he called her name. I wonder if that would ever happen with Daizu.

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buffy2011

Daizu has never been outside since I got him in Sep 2009 as a foster mom. I officially adopted them in March, and moved in July 2010. The tom cat definitely wanted to own my house, perhaps Daizu knew it and got uptight about it. Then the inevitable happened that night. I will try to set up the camera somewhere. It isn't that easy because the houses here are smal, built to the very edge of the lot. Unlike houses in Canada where I am from, we don't have a yard in this neighborhood. The distance between my house and the house on each side is about 60 to 80 cm! While a cat can get through easily, no human can walk through with a stone half wall set in the middle making the gap 30 cm wide. I have left food outside for the last few nights at the front and only attracted slugs.

I also have another puzzling thing happening. Every time I post in a new further out area, there is always a call from someone the next day claiming to have seen Daizu.When I ask about the details like tail and eye colours, the answer was always vague. And most of them said they saw him the day or morning before if not longer. So I have been to different areas but never seen Daizu with my own eyes. I happened to see a few lookalikes without the witnesses. So it could be the same wrong cat or it just happened to be Daizu that they saw and I saw a different cat. My point is that I don't want to stop searching but am stuck about where to look. The feeling is overwhelming and maybe taking a toll on me.

nekomaui said:

buffy2011

Daizu has never been outside since I got him in Sep 2009 as a foster mom. I officially adopted them in March, and moved in July 2010. The tom cat definitely wanted to own my house, perhaps Daizu knew it and got uptight about it. Then the inevitable happened that night. I will try to set up the camera somewhere. It isn't that easy because the houses here are smal, built to the very edge of the lot. Unlike houses in Canada where I am from, we don't have a yard in this neighborhood. The distance between my house and the house on each side is about 60 to 80 cm! While a cat can get through easily, no human can walk through with a stone half wall set in the middle making the gap 30 cm wide. I have left food outside for the last few nights at the front and only attracted slugs.

I also have another puzzling thing happening. Every time I post in a new further out area, there is always a call from someone the next day claiming to have seen Daizu.When I ask about the details like tail and eye colours, the answer was always vague. And most of them said they saw him the day or morning before if not longer. So I have been to different areas but never seen Daizu with my own eyes. I happened to see a few lookalikes without the witnesses. So it could be the same wrong cat or it just happened to be Daizu that they saw and I saw a different cat. My point is that I don't want to stop searching but am stuck about where to look. The feeling is overwhelming and maybe taking a toll on me.

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I found that when I was looking for my Patches and I would send out new fliers or deliver them to vets I always had a rush of calls right away.  Most of the time, the cat ended up looking similar but people who are not cat people do not notice the distinct differences between cats.  I had a few sightings as well and always rushed to the location and never ever did I spot him. 

Have you tried placing the trail camera on your property? 

ShawdowRescue,

I set it at the front for a night but had nothing. Last night I put it at a house where I got permission before to put food there. A yellow tabby has been seen there. I saw it twice from afar. Probably a wrong cat again, but just wanted to make sure. I will check later but honestly, there aren't any cats that hang around. I haven't seen the tom boss cat for a few days now. Japanese people tidy up their surrounding every day. There is a lot of commotion, not to mention the only storage outside is between the gaps of our houses. That is why I think he is out of this area and found a more spacious area. There are wealthier land owners around here.
I just don't know which way to go look for him.

I just checked the camera and got pictures of a yellow tabby eating the food. But for some reason the pictures before dawn were over exposed? like they were white. But he came back after dawn just 30 min before I arrived. Including the over exposed pictures, if it was the same cat, then he came at 12, 2am, and 6:30. He didn't eat a lot. Also he face was partially blocked by a weed, so I can't see all the markings. I set the food at a staircase where he was always seen, so there is only one place where I can set the camera. But I will set it up again tonight with video mode. At least I know that cat is eating something. I wonder if the color of a cat's eyes can change with malnutrition. Daizu has light greyish green eyes, and I think this cat has light yellowish eyes.

Hi Nekomaui,

Just a few camera tips. Video mode seems to work better than still mode as the camera has a few seconds to adjust to the light source.

The pictures you get, particularly those shot with very little light, don't give you an accurate idea of the colour of the cat. My black cat Jiro looks like a really dark tabby on film. He must have the tabby gene, his mother was a tabby, but the M on his forehead and stripes on his legs only show up if I catch him on film at night.

If you put the camera in a cardboard box or have something above it to shade it a little the pictures come out better exposed.

Have you tried leaving a piece of your clothing near the camera, something with you smell on it that Daizu will recognise? 

Good luck. I'm so sorry you're going through this.

nekomaui said:

buffy2011

Daizu has never been outside since I got him in Sep 2009 as a foster mom. I officially adopted them in March, and moved in July 2010. The tom cat definitely wanted to own my house, perhaps Daizu knew it and got uptight about it. Then the inevitable happened that night. I will try to set up the camera somewhere. It isn't that easy because the houses here are smal, built to the very edge of the lot. Unlike houses in Canada where I am from, we don't have a yard in this neighborhood. The distance between my house and the house on each side is about 60 to 80 cm! While a cat can get through easily, no human can walk through with a stone half wall set in the middle making the gap 30 cm wide. I have left food outside for the last few nights at the front and only attracted slugs.

I also have another puzzling thing happening. Every time I post in a new further out area, there is always a call from someone the next day claiming to have seen Daizu.When I ask about the details like tail and eye colours, the answer was always vague. And most of them said they saw him the day or morning before if not longer. So I have been to different areas but never seen Daizu with my own eyes. I happened to see a few lookalikes without the witnesses. So it could be the same wrong cat or it just happened to be Daizu that they saw and I saw a different cat. My point is that I don't want to stop searching but am stuck about where to look. The feeling is overwhelming and maybe taking a toll on me.

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I know its overwhelming and heart breaking but keep looking and think positive.  When these people call you did they see him in the day time? Hopefully you can get a call that they have seen him right now and you can go see for yourself. How about any of your neighbors. Have they seen him? Also if you see people outside if your walking up and down the street, start asking them. That's what I did, I drove my car around and started looking and asking anyone that I saw outside. Do you have a porch you can set the camera up on? Their expensive so put it somewhere no one will get it. So how long has it been since he got out? Have you tried sitting outside at night to see what is roaming around? How is the other cat doing without him? He might just be really scared if that tom chased him away. Keep writing so we know how you are doing. 

Norachan

Thanks for the camera tips. It was indeed under a night lamp in front of the house turned apartment. But the good thing is that I looked briefly at work today and got some good frontal pictures in colour taken at 6:30 am. I was about to go get the camera at that time, but decided to go 30min later. So I was lucky. Although that's the first time I got any animal on camera, and there was a weed that blocked part of his left eye, plus there is a stairrail post in the way on the side, I got some clear frontal picutre. my conworker also saw the pictures and I could find a few similarities and feel that it is more than 80 percent chance it wa Daizu. the eye color also appeared to be grayish. the m marking was quite similar. the only thing is that the tip of his nose has a black mark that may look like dirt? I will try to upload the pictures once Inget home tonight.

buffy2011

I do talk to everyone I meet on the street, some were nice and some weren't. I did manage to see a couple lookalikes right there with the people that called so I can't complain because people are trying to look out for me. It's the seventh week, so I am a bit tired. But will post again in a few hours.

Thank you all so so much.