Missing Cat.

I'm sorry you're having to go through the woes of cats desiring to mate.  The first cat I ever owned was approximately six months old when she went into heat.  I had been procrastinating her spay surgery because first time cat owners do not realize what they are in for.  My female is a Tonkinese and they are vocal cats on a daily basis.  They think they can carry entire conversations on any number of subjects.  During her heat she would sit in front of the door and make all sorts of blood curdling sounds.  I was looking for a job at the time and had businesses calling me to set interview appointments.  I can only imagine what they thought with her going off in the background.  One day I was sitting on the couch reading a book and she jumped on the coffee table turning her rear end to me and sprayed the book I was reading.  I promptly got off the couch, went to the phone, and made her appointment for the following day.  I'd had enough.

Yeah and He's the worst of any cat I've dealt with lol. That's what makes him so difficult, everything I posted the other cats don't do. My other male will do the cat call, he's not clingy and harassing like Midnight is. I have another male to get in asap, I left my android tablet sitting out on my kitchen table and my other male cat pissed all over it. When I got up in the morning it was sitting in a big puddle of piss. Good thing it still works after I wiped it off and let it dry out. Money isn't so much an issue for me as transportation is. I live in a rural area away from a bus line around eight miles outside the city. Cabs want to charge me between $20 to $25 one way not counting any other stops. There doesn't seem to be anyone offering any financial assistance for pets or anyone that could assist with transportation. I'd ask the neighbors for a ride but every time I do they seem to throw a fit or respond negatively even though I offer gas money. :/

My mother keeps urging me to set up a GoFundMe to assist with my fostering and TNR operation. However I'm reluctant to because I don't feel anyone would donate, besides I don't feel comfortable accepting donations from random strangers. I do everything out of pocket and am the only one doing anything to address the feral cat colony in my neighborhood. A bit of assistance to cover food, supplies, spay/neuter and TNR, transportation costs to vets/clinics, repairing damage caused by cats etc.. would help. I just have too much respect and am inhibited to ask for that assistance that would really help especially random strangers over the internet. I asked the SPCA about another bag of food, last time I received anything was back in January. They seem to be reluctant to even assist with some extra food once in a while.

All my cats with the exception of Midnight were feral cats/kittens at some point. Midnight was a stray that was thrown out with his brother before I adopted them.

crazycatfellow said:

 
Yeah and He's the worst of any cat I've dealt with lol. That's what makes him so difficult, everything I posted the other cats don't do. My other male will do the cat call, he's not clingy and harassing like Midnight is. I have another male to get in asap, I left my android tablet sitting out on my kitchen table and my other male cat pissed all over it. When I got up in the morning it was sitting in a big puddle of piss. Good thing it still works after I wiped it off and let it dry out. Money isn't so much an issue for me as transportation is. I live in a rural area away from a bus line around eight miles outside the city. Cabs want to charge me between $20 to $25 one way not counting any other stops. There doesn't seem to be anyone offering any financial assistance for pets or anyone that could assist with transportation. I'd ask the neighbors for a ride but every time I do they seem to throw a fit or respond negatively even though I offer gas money. :/

My mother keeps urging me to set up a GoFundMe to assist with my fostering and TNR operation. However I'm reluctant to because I don't feel anyone would donate, besides I don't feel comfortable accepting donations from random strangers. I do everything out of pocket and am the only one doing anything to address the feral cat colony in my neighborhood. A bit of assistance to cover food, supplies, spay/neuter and TNR, transportation costs to vets/clinics, repairing damage caused by cats etc.. would help. I just have too much respect and am inhibited to ask for that assistance that would really help especially random strangers over the internet. I asked the SPCA about another bag of food, last time I received anything was back in January. They seem to be reluctant to even assist with some extra food once in a while.

All my cats with the exception of Midnight were feral cats/kittens at some point. Midnight was a stray that was thrown out with his brother before I adopted them.

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Set the gofundme page up. Seriously. Do it. It doesn't cost anything to set up and what's the worst possible thing that could happen? No one donates? Nobody will run you out of town with pitchforks and torches for it, I promise 

You might be pleasantly surprised though. People are a lot more willing to donate when it's for an animal or child in need. People look at at it and then look at their own pet or child and can put themselves in that scenario. People are more generous than you think they are. 

I think it's more me being more reserved, inhibited or respectful lol. Irl I never ask for anything and if I do I always feel I need to offer or give something in return. Like you said it doesn't hurt to set it up and try even if no one donates. My mom does the same as I do, she's rescued ferals and found some feral/stray cats/kittens a forever home. Last year she adopted and socialized a beautiful medium haired female feral kitten.

I will most like be making an appointment for Midnight and my other male cat this month or by next month. I will have to ask around about transportation because I'm not about to pay $50+ atm for a cab to get each cat spayed/neutered.

I know you said you are in a rural area but is there a larger city or town that has an organized rescue or TNR group close by?  Sometimes they receive grants for what is called targeted TNR.  They target areas with large populations of ferals and strays and can come in and scoop up 30-50 cats and get them done in one weekend.

Only organization I can think of is the Humane Society but that's around a forty minute to an hour drive away. More expensive to go there by cab unless I could find someone to take me. Local SPCA is practically useless and very limited with what they can do. -_-

Outside of that there's no groups nearby I know of and a search doesn't turn up any information. Last night I rolled over on my back and was sleeping, got rudely awakened to Midnight kneading on my neck lol.

You might try calling the humane society and see if they are aware of any local TNR groups.  Pet Smart and Petco, if you have them are other places to call and ask.  Out TNR group works in conjunction with our humane society.  Can't hurt to ask and they could really help clean up you cat problems.

Please.. tell me how to shut him up until I can get him in to be neutered. All he does now is yowl and cry - nonstop and while I'm trying to sleep. He'll get in my room to try jumping to a small windows at least four feet off the floor or walk on my bed or over me to get to the window behind me. All he does is yowl and cry constantly, walking back and forth and to the windows. He is on my desk or my computer to get to the window and I can't seem to break him of this. He has one of the worst, sickly and ear bleeding cries - his normal cries btw and his yowling is unbearable. I don't know what to do and I have not given into him, it's been three long weeks trying to keep him in. He's ran out when I've opened the door and I've had to chase him about five times in the past three weeks to bring him back in. The neutering won't be an option until next month. I've not slept well.. at all.

This has increased ten fold since I offered to cat sit a cat for a friend of my sibling at no charge for good reason - potential life or death situation if I didn't. Owners of this cat had to move, their trailer was in deplorable shape. When their pipes busted they had to move, couldn't bring their cat with them. Dunno if they asked or thought to ask family to watch their cat until they had a home lined up for her or why they didn't take her to a shelter. She was left in a hot trailer with no windows open. Friend of my sibling had my sibling going over to give cat food and water. Cat developed a cold or upper respiratory infection I've been treating since taking her. Bad conditions in that home and with the heat she could have ended up dying. Offered to take her to my place and cat sit her until the grandmother to the friend of my sibling moved into a trailer here. All my cats, especially Midnight have been on edge since. There's been hissing and growling, the occasional scuffle. Prior all cats would get along and no fighting. Midnight seems to have a lot of anxiety and those two weeks when he went missing a week at a time seemed to cause him more distress and this strange only made it worse. Midnight and his brother Tiger seemed to suffer from anxiety I dunno if they were mistreated or if it's because their original owner tossed them out and abandoned them.

I've had another cat come up missing after I got Midnight back and kept him inside. Buddy went missing (again) and has been gone about a week. He and another feral cat went missing around the same time. I suspect someone trapped and dropped him somewhere or has him in their house. Buddy might have been an easier target because he is socialized though he only trusts me and my mother plus being partially or fully blind out of one eye. I couldn't keep him inside even though I wanted nothing more than to, he refused to use the litterbox no matter how many times I tried with litter training him. My furniture, carpet and bare floors were his litter box. I gave up and deemed it a lost cause to litter train him and he would be let outside when I couldn't watch him, I would let him in to eat and crash for a bit. I took to realizing when he went to the door he likely had to go potty, if I didn't let him out I would be cleaning up his mess. He would stay around the general area where my home is and wouldn't go across the road. More recently I observed him chasing another cat across the road to another driveway in the park. That's when he first started coming up missing but only a couple or few days at a time, this is the longest he's been gone since he came up missing. I live rurally, there's barely any traffic down the road, it's a back-back road basically. I've deduced he wasn't hit since there's no evidence to support that, no cat has been found dead. There's coyotes and foxes around the area. Even though I fear them being nabbed I don't believe that would be the case since every other cat has been fine and there's plenty of places for them to run and hide from danger in the vicinity. If someone has been trapping cats and dropping them I doubt they'd be talking. Some questionable people around here but I'm certain they pose no danger to the cats or at least I hope so.

I've debated on putting collars on them, I can't imagine I'll have much luck getting collars on the formerly feral cats and keeping it on them. Microchipping would be an effective means of tracking them. SPCA told me they don't do that. I think they lied to me, don't have their facts straight or don't microchip cats. They apparently do for dogs from what I was told by someone else. SPCA has been nothing but a problem for me as if I unintentionally ticked someone off. I don't know where to begin from the time I started dealing with them. Is there anyone higher in authority than my local SPCA I can file a complaint or grievance with?

I will be getting collars and name tags for all cats come next month. At least that will identify them as belonging to someone than being feral or stray. Won't stop someone from taking them for unspecified reasons and dumping them somewhere, which microchipping would assist as evidence I could use.

Thanks. 

In regards to dealing with the SPCA I'll await response before firing off a complaint email and notifying them I'll be filing a grievance higher up. They apparently barred me from posting, commenting and liking posts on their FB page if that's possible or disabled it for all. Odd enough it happened after I replied to someone asking if they do microchipping. I commented I was informed they don't. Today I commented I found out they do. I stated I was either lied to, someone doesn't have their facts and information straight or they only do so for dogs. I insinuated no one seems to care about cats further insinuating dogs get preferential treatment which is biased in my opinion. I did not expect this lack of friendliness, caring and questionable attitude from an organization dealing with animal welfare and rescue. They also neglect to care about my missing cat yet no problem gloating about their rescues, adoptions and catering to the whim of everyone else that had a pet go missing. SMH.

I had the same problem with one of my male cats. Money was a bit tight after getting his sisters fixed so I waited until he was 8 months old before I got him neutered. Big mistake. He went from a cute little kitten to a yowling, spraying monster almost overnight. I'm afraid there isn't much you can do other than get him neutered and even after the operation his hormones will take a while to settle down.



Is there anyway you can get him fixed sooner? It might be worth paying the full amount at a regular vets clinic rather than waiting for your slot at the SPCA. At least you'd get some sleep faster that way.

'I'm sorry that you're going through all this. Neutering him is the only thing that will help. I don't know where you live but I did find this link for low cost/free spaying and neutering

http://www.lovethatcat.com/spayneuter.html

If you have a Petco near you, they have a Vetco mobile clinic that goes to their stores. They do microchipping for $15 and they do vaccinations very reasonably. Unfortunately, they do not spay/neuter

http://www.vetcoclinics.com/services-and-clinics/vaccination-packages-and-prices/

I'm starting to question the local SPCA and their attitude, at least towards me. Read my post, edited in some additional information. No one can understand why I'm being given such a hassle even those with experience dealing with animal rescues, no complaints from anyone else in view of the public eye. I'm sensing unprofessionalism. It isn't just about them being slow and waiting for openings. I think I struck a nerve with someone way back. They used to have another Facebook page but it was a personal profile and not set up as a page like businesses and organizations typically use. Back when I originally reached out about my missing cat Tiger last year I tried messaging them at first. Never received a response. So I tried sending a friend request so I could comment and inquire why I've not heard back.

After waiting for a month without the friend request being accepted I tried to ask my FB "friends" that were on the page to ask for me for my friend request to be accepted and to respond to me. I presumed they never received my message or had anyone checking pending requests. Getting frustrated I messaged them again to inquire why the page wasn't set up as a public Facebook page as it should be rather than the personal profile they set up, there would also be more benefit for them to switch to a public Facebook page. Well.. someone was reading messages. Not long after I mentioned that the profile was closed/deleted and a new public page was set up. Either that struck a nerve or someone there knows me and doesn't like me. I don't believe to have done anything or be at fault, I was fairly cordial. Even when frustrated I remain patient and only ever responded to say "Hey, I've been waiting such and such time and haven't heard back, I would really appreciate posting a missing pet bulletin so I may find and be reunited with my cat."

In February or March I messaged them through their new public page after posting to the page with no response. No response once again to the message. When I go to message them again to say once again I have not received a reply I commented on a post on their page. I stated I messaged them multiple times over the past months without response. Got a reply telling me to email the SPCA and was given the email. So I've been using that but am not having any better of an experience with that.

SPCA apparently does microchipping or so I am told. I'm not sure why they would tell me otherwise if that is indeed the case unless it's strictly for dogs which would be unfair and biased. SPCA is the only place for low cost spay/neutering in my area unless I could make it to the next county and city over an hour away to the humane society. My only hope is waiting for an opening, relying on Gofundme donations  or paying out of pocket which is not viable when there's only minimum wage jobs in the area. I have rent, utilities (high winter heating costs), other bills, personal items plus the cat food and supplies. I can manage just fine as is, I can afford to spay/neuter a couple cats at full price which will be my two housecats. I can not get the ferals in the neighborhood at full price. Someone has to do something and I am the only one here doing anything to lessen the burden of the feral cats and stabilizing the feral population.

I plan to get Midnight in next month. Nothing I can do until then, money is tight. It wouldn't cost much more and just as much to take him to the local vet the next town or two over than paying the SPCA full price.

Norachan said:

 
I had the same problem with one of my male cats. Money was a bit tight after getting his sisters fixed so I waited until he was 8 months old before I got him neutered. Big mistake. He went from a cute little kitten to a yowling, spraying monster almost overnight. I'm afraid there isn't much you can do other than get him neutered and even after the operation his hormones will take a while to settle down.

Is there anyway you can get him fixed sooner? It might be worth paying the full amount at a regular vets clinic rather than waiting for your slot at the SPCA. At least you'd get some sleep faster that way.

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What's odd is that's all he does. He and a couple other unneutered males have not sprayed indoors. The only cat that sprays indoors is my year and a half old polydactyl cat that's never been outdoors since he was rescued by my parents as a feral kitten. The only other cats that release bodily functions outside the litterbox is Buddy which is why he goes outside when I'm away or sleeping or for bathroom breaks. The only thing I caught Midnight doing is peeing in the tub. I think that was because I wasn't on top of keeping the litterbox scooped or cleaned to their standards. Sometimes I get a bit behind if I'm focused on other things, I scoop out the box or change the litter and he stops doing that.

Can  a mod change the title of this thread to Missing Cat? I'm not so sure now about them being stolen since I had another come up missing that's been gone a week. Though I'm starting to suspect someone may be going around and trapping ferals. A 2yr old male feral we've always seen roaming around came up missing around the same time my cat Buddy did. My parents said they saw a cat that looked exactly like him that was quite sadly and unfortunately was hit by a vehicle and dead in the road. I hope that wasn't the feral from the park and my cat didn't have the same happen to him.

I've been planning to purchase collars by next month although I don't know if I am going to be presented with a challenge getting them on the cats. The ferals trust me and love me to pieces like they would their mother but they are still a bit skittish. I can imaging being given a hassle trying to put collars on them.

If possible can anything not directly related missing cats such as my complain about the local shelter be split off into it's own thread in a more suitable section? Thanks.

I'm sorry to say this, but there's really nothing you can do except get him neutered. even then, it'll be a few weeks at least until he mellows out. You're a kind soul to care for him and to keep him along with all his issues. I'd like to thank you for that. As for microchipping, you cannot "track" them by it with any sort of beeper to my knowledge. its just a small chip that has a code on it and once that code is scanned, the number is run through a database and that is how the info is pulled up. None of mine are microchipped. Honestly, if a TNR'd cat was trapped and if they have the traditional ear tip, they should be let free as its the universal sign of TNR. I doubt they even would scan for a chip.

nansiludie said:

 
I'm sorry to say this, but there's really nothing you can do except get him neutered. even then, it'll be a few weeks at least until he mellows out. You're a kind soul to care for him and to keep him along with all his issues. I'd like to thank you for that. As for microchipping, you cannot "track" them by it with any sort of beeper to my knowledge. its just a small chip that has a code on it and once that code is scanned, the number is run through a database and that is how the info is pulled up. None of mine are microchipped. Honestly, if a TNR'd cat was trapped and if they have the traditional ear tip, they should be let free as its the universal sign of TNR. I doubt they even would scan for a chip.

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I see, it seems I misunderstood what microchipping is for. Is there any kind of gps inbuilt into a collar or some kind of tag that can be put on them and is not easily seen or removed? Even if someone does manage to remove it at least there would be some evidence of their location or general area. That's a shame there's nothing else I can do, I found a way to keep him out of my room when I'm in bed but he'll yowl outside the door or around the house, wiggle my bedroom door trying to get in. There's no way I can drown out the noise that wouldn't simultaneously disturb me from sleeping, my fan doesn't help drowning out his cries and yowl.

Next month I'll def be getting him in to be neutered. Since the SPCA has shown a poor, unprofessional attitude towards me I've just decided to take the last four, one a month to the low cost veterinary clinic two towns over. He does it for $50 a cat excluding the cost of shots. I trust doing that over relying on the SPCA until something changes at the local shelter.

There are tracker collars with GPS devices on them. They are noticable. I've not ever seen one used for a cat but I have seen them for hunting dogs. It'll be best for everyone once he's neutered. About the other kitty, the one that was rescued from the trailer. Do you keep that one separate from the rest? 

nansiludie said:

 
There are tracker collars with GPS devices on them. They are noticable. I've not ever seen one used for a cat but I have seen them for hunting dogs. It'll be best for everyone once he's neutered. About the other kitty, the one that was rescued from the trailer. Do you keep that one separate from the rest? 

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I have no way to. The spare bedroom has no door. Bathroom is small and my bedroom has no room for a litter box and food, besides not wanting to stink up the place I sleep. I watch them closely and there hasn't been any actual fighting going on. She stays away from the other cats and the most that happens is when Midnight is near her he growls and hisses at her, occasional swatting at each other. I'll only have her for six more days if my sibling's friend is being honest with telling my sibling their grandmother will take her when she moved into a trailer in the park on the 27th. If the grandmother can not take her they will need to make other arrangements such as having a family member or friend keep her or take her to a shelter.

crazycatfellow said:

 
I see, it seems I misunderstood what microchipping is for. Is there any kind of gps inbuilt into a collar or some kind of tag that can be put on them and is not easily seen or removed? Even if someone does manage to remove it at least there would be some evidence of their location or general area. That's a shame there's nothing else I can do, I found a way to keep him out of my room when I'm in bed but he'll yowl outside the door or around the house, wiggle my bedroom door trying to get in. There's no way I can drown out the noise that wouldn't simultaneously disturb me from sleeping, my fan doesn't help drowning out his cries and yowl.

Next month I'll def be getting him in to be neutered. Since the SPCA has shown a poor, unprofessional attitude towards me I've just decided to take the last four, one a month to the low cost veterinary clinic two towns over. He does it for $50 a cat excluding the cost of shots. I trust doing that over relying on the SPCA until something changes at the local shelter.

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I bought this tag with GPS in it for my cats. It looks like an  ID tag so unless the person knew it was a GPS, they might not be able to tell by looking at it unless they took the time to really examine it. There is an accessory that is sold by the same company to put it on a pet collar and makes it waterproof. the tags can also be engraved making it look that much more like an ID tag, If it's in the holder, it's even harder to tell because only the face shows which would show the engraving if it were on there. 

https://www.thetrackr.com/bravo

There are cheaper ones on Amazon but I don't think they'd work for you. They don't work the same way the TrackRBravo does. They have thebarcode on them that you scan with a smartphone and the contact info comes up. If the person who has the animal doesn't intend to turn him back over to you, the tag is pretty much worthless. The TrackRBravo tells you as you are getting closer to the device how far away you are. You can see from the pictures that it is the size of a US quarter. 

Okay, do you have any crate you can keep her in? I ask this because URI's spread like wildfire, one sneeze and usually everyone catches it, its much like a cold or flu in people.

I only have a small carrier. I've dealt with treating URI's enough that I can treat the others if they catch anything. So far so good and I've been treating the one I brought in. I'm going to suggest scheduling a vet appointment to the grandmother if/when she takes her.

I'd like to know if I can find a way to block this window where they can't look out it would that keep them away from the window, off my desk and computer? That's the prime reason they keep jumping up there. I have a feeling cats are never that simple lol.