Havent seen one of my strays for over a week.

Has anyone ever had one of their feral cats from a colony go missing for a while and later return? The cat that is missing I raised since finding him at about 3 months old last year. He was tnr'd about a month and a half ago, and always would show up everyday, sometimes every other day, but has never gone missing for this long, about a week now. Ive searched around my neighbors backyards, as well as printed up about 60 small flyers that I dropped off in the mailboxes on the two adjacent blocks of mine to check their garages and or sheds in case he wandered in and got stuck. He's a friendly cat that does enjoy getting pet every once in a while, so I am hoping maybe somebody took him in. We have raccoons and the occational skunk or possum in my neighborhood, as well as cars that sometimes drive a little too fast down my block. Hope I see him soon. 

I have three "formerly feral" cats that I care for. Two of them are always around the yard every day. The other one has always been a little unpredictable. She will be here to be fed every morning and every night for a week or more and then she may skip a day or two...several times in the three years I've been taking care of them, she has disappeared for weeks. After not seeing her for a month, I've decided she surely has been killed. And then one day there she is crying for food. We do live out in the county...not in town, so there's lots of wooded areas and fields to hunt in. When she returns she is always really hungry but doesn't appear to be starved. So, all of that to say, "yes, it's possible" that he will return.

Since it is summer time, the ferals are sometimes out hunting or enjoying the weather.  One of the ferals I feed was gone for 10 days this summer.  I was certain something bad had happened to him.  He has hardly missed a meal since.  Some of the other ferals I have cared for will also go out and about for a few days too.  I worry and worry and then they show up and wonder why I am so crazy!!!  It's good to put up fliers in case he is stuck in someone's garage.  Also I know one of my ferals was getting food elsewhere.  This allowed him to stay away from my property for longer periods. 

Hopefully your guy will show up soon.  Sending good vibes your way.

Agree with ShadowsRescue. Vibes he returns soon, so you can relax a little. I know you won't be able to relax a lot, because you care so much.

When he was younger, my feral would disappear for 2-3 days every month. Now that he is older, he may go AWOL for a day here and there, but he always returns. The longest he's been gone was this past February, for a week. When he returned, he had a bite injury on his ear from fighting. Since then, he has stayed close to home. Yes, I worried myself sick while he was gone, but the good thing is that many people in my neighborhood now know about him from my searching and showing his picture around. Experienced ferals don't get lost--only domesticated strays do--so it is very likely he will find his way back to you after his little adventure. It's also possible someone took him in. Have you posted his picture on the internet for the pet lost and found website for your county? The Humane Society has lost and found websites. If he was caught and taken to a shelter, this is a good way to find out. Also, if someone took him in, they may be looking on those sites to see if he belongs to someone. 

It does happen.  My original colony was 11 early spring and now I'm down to 7.  The reality is that because they are not indoor cats, bad things can happen and I just have to accept this fact.