I haven't seen Shy, my male feral in two weeks, yikes!

About two years ago, three feral kittens were born in an abandoned garage next door and I began feeding them and their mother.

I named them Shy, Patch and Alley. At around eight months or so,  I trapped Shy and Patch and had them neutered.  Alley had disappeared after around six months although I thought I saw him/her once or twice after that but couldn't be sure.

Anyway, now I haven't seen Shy in two weeks.  He is a really good cat.  He and his brother, Patch, are usually sitting at

our back door waiting for me to come out and have a cigarette ( yeah, I smoke, sorry).  Shy will let me pet him and I have

picked him up briefly on occasion.  I have never been a big cat lover, but these are good little guys and now he's gone and I am sad. Patch came around a couple of days ago and I asked him where his brother was but he wasn't talking.

I guess maybe since he is two years old maybe he went off to stake out new territory. 

I just hope he is OK. 

Shypatch

If he's neutered and there is enough food for him and his brother it's unlikely he would just decide to move off. What's the neighbourhood like? Rural or urban? Have you tried putting up lost cat posters or calling local shelters? If you live in an area with lots of stray cats someone doing TNR might have trapped him then taken him to a shelter when they saw he'd already been fixed.

Keep looking and asking around. I've had feral cats take off for longer than this and then show up again, so don't give up hope.

Thanks so much for your reply.  It's good to hear there is a chance he will return.  We live in the city and there are other ferals in the neighborhood along with the occasional possum and raccoon.  I haven't seen Patch in a couple of days now either. 

But, unlike dogs, cats are aloof and totally independent critters who do things their way and I just have to get used to it I guess..

I'll keep looking and hoping.

Thanks again..