Cat was afraid to go outside, but is now missing. Why would he go outside?

corgalas

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Hello everyone,

About a week ago my two year old, indoor-only cat who is terrified of being outside seemed to have disappeared into thin air. 

We searched the entire house multiple times when we first noticed he was missing, and It quickly became obvious he was no longer inside.

It just doesn't make sense for him to have gone outside based on what I know about his behavior. He falls in the Catatonic/Xenophobic type of cat behavior and hates anything that is 'new' to him.

My girlfriend and I have wracked our brains trying to figure out what has happened to him, going so far as to come up with wild theories like "he was stolen". Which we realize seems ridiculous because he isn't a valuable breed or anything, just a plain old black cat.

The only logical explanation is that somehow he managed to go outside willingly, then became scared and went into hiding.

Obviously this conflicts with what I know about his behavior. It isn't like him.

So my question to everyone is, what would cause a cat with a long history of fear of being outside, so suddenly go outside?

It seems like a such a huge and sudden behavior shift.
 
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corgalas

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6 or 7 days at this point.
 

hexiesfriend

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It possible for your scaredy cat to get up the nerve also if he was spooked inside the house and the door was open he could have just ran the first place he saw which happened to be out a door. Have you seen him outside at all?
 
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corgalas

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Absolutely no sighting of him since Wednesday Oct 7 last week when he was safe indoors. All obvious hiding spots in the area have been checked. Were talking under porches and decks, bushes, and any object he could run under.

Wednesday night the door was open all night by accident, however he was accounted for in the morning. He may have used this time to get slightly more comfortable being outside, but given that he was accounted for in the morning that means he would have had to have suddenly turned into an 'escape opportunity' cat and ran out (unnoticed mind you) when somebody was coming in or out of the house briefly.
 

hexiesfriend

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I think he is lost. I'd definitely keep food out for him. I'd also leave your used clothes on you property so he can spot which house is which. I lost my cat for a week and found her 3 streets over sitting in a yard of a house that looked like mine. I live in a developed community where a lot of the houses look the same. I'm sure she chased something like a bird and got turned around yours may have done the same. I would also go back and forth on your street calling for him either in your car or by foot always ending the calling from your house.
 
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macha 143

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Please ask your neighbours maybe they saw him, he must saw something that attracted him and got lost. Check the bushes too maybe he's there hiding and very scared. I hope you can find him poor baby.

My first cat also escaped for more than a week, I was so worried and I asked my neighbours, anyone that passes by I asked. I even knocked the doors and showing my cat pic if they see her. Each day and night I went looking for her, I was afraid she was attacked by other animals and got hurt. I put her blanket, foods, water outside. That night I was  looking outside then I saw a shadow of a cat, I called her name and she responded me. What a great relief to see her again, my poor baby very thin but she came back to me.

Update us please...
 
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Loving Mickey

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Oh, that is sad. Your poor kitty must have somehow ran out and may have gotten lost. It is possible that he is lost somewhere and can't find his way home. As for why he would run outside since he was terrified of the outdoors, cats are just very curious. He may have seen a door open and went out, never realizing that it would lead to the outside. Keep looking and I pray your kitty will find his way back home to you.
 

alisa brown

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I have a cat who is the same (terrified) I looked everywhere for two days and found she had run into the very back of my storage closet when I opened for a second to get something. I rarely open it and completely forgot I had opened it 2 days before. I was frantic with worry running up and down the streets at night and when I finally remembered and opened that closet there she was. I was so angry with myself. If you have checked absolutely everywhere here is a tip I used that worked on a kitty I had run  out and was missing for 2 weeks.

My vet told me cats are afraid of predators and will not come to you sometimes if they have run out.

Tip one:

Go out late at night with a flashlight and shine it under and around your neighborhood and look for glowing eyes. This didn't help me much because I live in the country and there are a lof of cats.

Tip 2: This was a success:

Go out very early in the morning - 4-5 am or whenever it just starts to get light where you live and call them softly, it took me  a few days because the first day I heard him meow but he wouldn't come out and I couldn't pinpoint him exactly. So the second day I shook his food dish to that same area and he came tearing out of the trees. My husband and I had searched that area many times over the 2 weeks he was gone and never did see him. It was not that far from our house at all.

Cats are great hiders and will not give up their position out of fear. Keep trying.

I had one kitty come back once after 6 months. 

My co-workers cat got lost last year when it was 22 degrees out and he came back after 17 days.

Don't give up he is probably just terrified. The key is you will have to go and get him, many times they will not come out of hiding.

I also put up flyers with my phone number to tear off for people and had several siting calls from kids riding their bikes.

Good luck.
 

mollyblue

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I have a cat who is the same (terrified) I looked everywhere for two days and found she had run into the very back of my storage closet when I opened for a second to get something. I rarely open it and completely forgot I had opened it 2 days before. I was frantic with worry running up and down the streets at night and when I finally remembered and opened that closet there she was. I was so angry with myself. If you have checked absolutely everywhere here is a tip I used that worked on a kitty I had run  out and was missing for 2 weeks.

Good luck.
This scenario is a scary one...my cat is always getting locked in my closet... and I don't know why, but she doesn't cry... she will scratch at the doors for a while, but not very loud... my daughter usually finds her before I get home from work so maybe she does start crying by the end of the day, but in the mornings when she gets locked in, she is feeling so cocky about gaining entrance to the closet, she doesn't want me to know she is in there!  But if it were a closet in teh basement, or attic.. I shudder to think of that poor cat trapped inside the  home for a week... and everyone looking all over outside for it!

So please, come update us!  I hope you have found her and everyone is happy.
 

hexiesfriend

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That is scary hope corgalas' cat isn't stuck somewhere in the house this long. All my closets are cracked open for that reason they all end up crawling in one.
 

alisa brown

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That is a great idea, I tried that and ended up with all my clothing and linens dragged out of the closet. 

Yes my cat has loads of fun with my things.

LOL
 
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corgalas

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Day 8 - No sightings yet

Literally nowhere in the house he could be hiding. It's been torn apart.

An old lady who lives in a house behind us says she saw a black cat in her yard about three days ago, but wasn't aware we were looking for him as she had not seen our posters yet. Not  really putting much weight behind her sighting though as it could have been any black cat.

I'm conflicted between scenarios. I feel like only two make sense at this point:

The first being that he is outside lost and in hiding. This is the most realistic scenario, but conflicts with his known behavior of being afraid of going outside. It means he would have had to suddenly have changed his behavior and wanted to go outside. He is also know to frantically scratch at the door when he does manage to find himself locked out on rare occasion.

The second scenario would be that he was physically taken from my house. The issue with this scenario is that it seems so far-fetched and movie like for somebody to secretly enter into my home and take my cat. Just my cat though. Not my TV which is close by the door or anything else of value. On top of that, this particular cat is afraid of anybody he doesn't know and would have been the most difficult of my four cats to catch. The other three would greet a stranger at the door. This scenario would be in line with his behavior though.

We have neon signs up within a three block radius right now and people seem to be taking notice.

We do nightly walks around with flashlights looking his reflective eyes down alleys and under low laying places he could he hiding. Even great and obvious hiding spots close to my house that seem like logical choices for a hiding spot are empty.

I check the lost pet listings in my city daily. He is also micro-chipped so if he is picked by any vet or pound I would be notified.

Losing hope but not giving up.
 

hexiesfriend

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usually you will find a lost cat though neighbors spotting pets. Don't lose hope he's around. Have you left his usual food outside?
 
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corgalas

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We actually just got a new litter box the day went missing and were lucky to have no yet dumped the old one, so we put the old one outside with all his familiar scents.

There's water and food (wet and dry) on the doorstep but none of it has been touched. We placed little snack sized portions of wet food around the block maybe bait him out of hiding and they have been eaten, but I highly doubt by may cat.
 

macha 143

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Please, don't lose hope, he must be somewhere close to your area, cats won't go that far unless of course someone took him *sigh* 

I hope, he is okay and not hurt....yes...please don't give up!
 

Loving Mickey

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I know how hard it must be to keep on hoping, but please do. Your kitty could be so close by and yet to scared to venture out in the open. Many cats are missing for long periods of time and somehow do find their way back home.
Please keep on looking and try not to lose hope. My heart feels your pain. I am truly praying for your kitty to return home to you!
 

alisa brown

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I agree with everyone else and yes please do not lose hope.

If you really believe someone may have taken him, put flyers in mailboxes, also alert the local vet because they may take him for a vet visit. If he has any distinguishing marks please be sure to let the vet and his staff know.

Also if there is an animal shelter check in there everyday too- especially if they take in cats.

Sometimes a person takes a cat in thinking they were abandoned when they just got lost.

I am keeping positive thoughts for you.

One thing I did forget to mention I had one of my outdoor cats go missing for 10 days and he got locked in the neighbors shed by accident- being a curious kitty he snuck in there while the neighbor was doing yard work and was locked in. The next time my neighbor went to cut his grass there was the cat.

If anyone has a shed or any sort of outbuilding be sure to mention on your flyer if they could check those too.
 
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