Missing Kitty Is Still Out There!

On April 9th I took ownership of my friends rescue cat Maya, I wasn't a stranger to her as I always visited her at least once a week since she was found in a cardboard box at a few weeks old (she's now around 6 I think). I collected Maya from my friends house and drove her to her new home which was 20 miles away, she meow'd a bit on the way which I expected. I let her out into the living room and we just went about our daily routine, letting her get used to her new surroundings. Everything was going great and she was exploring different rooms after 3 days and she snuggled up in our 1st floor back bedroom. She was starting to get used to our other cat (even though Bobbie would hiss at her). I hadn't even noticed the window open about an inch but the following morning it was open wider and we found her curled up in a neighbours garden enjoying the sunshine. We tried to call and entice her back but she decided to hop down some gardens to explore a bit more. It's now 2 months later and she hasn't returned. I've been door to door with reward posters posting them in several streets doors (prob about 200-250 houses), posters are up in the local vets and shops and we've registered her with online lost pet sites. I even asked neighbours to check their sheds. Maya is microchipped but didn't have a collar. She could be streets away, miles, or even a few doors away on someones sofa I just wish I knew where she was. I don't think she'd try going back to her old house as it's 20 miles and she'd have to cross motorways and stuff. The picture on my profile is Maya.

Hi, I know you said that you have registered her with local pet finding websites but thought I would mention animalfinders.co.uk. This website sends an alert to all its members in your area whenever an animal goes missing so you have a network of people keeping an eye out for her.

Is it the same as Animal Search uk? I've registered with these and the National Pet Register.

No. They do sound similar I know but this website is the only one I know that has the email alert system. You can also select how far from your area you want to be notified so in your case I would set it to 20 miles just to make sure.
The Cats Protection League recommended them to me.
I found a cat a while ago and listed him here and signed up to receive their alerts, it's good to know that I might actually help a lost kitty find its way back home.

Ok thanks I'll check it out.

I am so sorry that Maya is missing.  It is just heart breaking when you have no idea about the whereabouts of your precious kitty.  Did you notify your friend, that Maya has gone missing.  It is not impossible that she would try to trek home especially if she had previously been allowed access to the outside. 

I am sending good thoughts that Maya is found!

Thanks. My friend is aware of the situation so we'll know if she turned up there, plus I visit my friend every week.

I've registered with Animalfinders but from what I can see they only appear to operate in the Oxfordshire area. That probably won't help me.

wow. I just cant live without my fuzzbutt cat.

Cudzndrips said:

I've registered with Animalfinders but from what I can see they only appear to operate in the Oxfordshire area. That probably won't help me.

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Oops sorry about that. I must have been having a blonde moment!
I've been away for a while, have you heard any news at all on Maya? I do hope so.

Nope nothing at all it's been around 105 days now.

She might still be close by. It doesn't sound like she was scared when she took off, so she could just be enjoying a summer outdoors.

Have you tried using a trail camera? You can get them fairly cheaply on Amazon and other online shopping sites. You need to set up a "Kitty Buffet" in your garden with some strong smelling cat food. Leave the camera close by pointing towards the kitty buffet. It will take a photo or record a few seconds of video every time anything moves in front of it. They're good even in pitch darkness and weather proof too. You'll probably get shots of all the neighbourhood cats, but if Maya is still around she might come back to eat too.

Good luck, I hope she turns up soon.

Well it's been almost 5 months since Maya went missing. We had a few possible sightings a while back but nothing confirmed. We definitely haven't seen her around the area. I did have a poster in our local shop but they would only display it for 2 months and there really isn't any other businesses in the areas I think she could be. The only other thing to do would be to get a few hundred more posters made up and put through doors but she could be anywhere. I think we're starting to realise we may not see her again or know where she went.

Sorry to hear that Maya is still missing. The camera which Norachan suggested sounds like a good idea, you never know she just might still be hiding out close by. If you post some leaflets through doors there might be a possibility that someone has been feeding her and taken her in, they might not have seen the one in the shop window. Don't give up hope, some cats do still come home even after months of being missing.

Well it's been so long since I posted on here. Thought I'd share the good news that we received a phone call Thursday from a stables/kennels. They have had Maya living there for about 8 weeks and it was only when they decided to take her to the vets to scan for a chip the info showed her as LOST. So she was out there for 14 months running around or living from house to house. She appears a little feral but will let my friend stroke her but she goes manic when we try to put her in a carrier so we're getting a cat sitter/behaviourist to spend a day with her. Hopefully we'll be bringing her home after the weeknd and hope she remembers her old home. She looks exactly the same as the day she left, just a little longer in the fur.

I implore all cat owners to please microchip your cats. You never know when you may need it.

This is such good news.  I am so happy that Maya has been found and is alive and well.  Take your time with her and allow her to readjust.  Get some Feliway plug ins and possibly look into Composure liquid max ( a calming supplement) or some flower essences.  Jackson Galaxy's line of Spirit Essences are top notch.

I completely agree that a microchip is a necessity.  It also goes to show that never give up hope.

So glad she will be home with you soon.  Please update on her progress.

That's incredible.  Hoping all goes well with reintegrating her into your home.  

That's amazing! What a lucky girl, I'm so glad you found her again.

So happy that she has made it home!!  My furbaby Shadow has been missing a bit over a month now and have been worried to no end for her ... especially since she's declawed (NOT by my doing!), but is microchipped and had that done not long after I got her in case she went missing!  I'm hoping that either someone has taken her in (even though she's skittish of those she doesn't know).  I haven't heard of anything from like animal control or any place like that who would (or should) check her.  So happy and excited for the both of you!

Thought I'd post a few pics. The first pic is the last time we saw Maya, the 2nd pic is today back at home...

Photo taken 11th April 2014

Photo taken 15th June 2015 (almost 14 months later)

She had to be enticed into a trap and lightly sedated to calm her but once she got back home she knew exactly where she was. We decided she was going back to my friends to live again as she'd been there for 4 years so knew the area and other cats. She was only our house 3-4 days and didn't wanna take the risk of her trotting off again.

She's in great condition, looks the same as the day she left.