One of my strays has strayed

Why does it seem that it is always our "favorite" that goes missing?  Is it because even though we try to give all cats equal care and attention we always have one that we like just a little more than the others and maybe the other cats don't like it?

Anyway, my cat, Queenie has been gone for a week and I'm devastated.  I spent a few days reading Norachan's ordeal with her beloved cat George whom she never was able to locate.  I feel her pain.  That thread is packed with all sorts of tips on what to do when your cat is missing and I was so grateful to have it to read.

This particular cat was one that was pregnant when I began feeding her but I was unable to get her inside before she gave birth.  She had her kittens underneath a neighbor's house.  I had to be stealthy and follow her back to her nest one night after I fed her to see where they were.  Once I knew where they were I was able gain her trust and take them all out there when the kittens were about five weeks old.  I kept them all in my guest room until her milk dried up and I could take her to be spayed.  During that time my husband built an outdoor enclosure because I had already been taking care of two of her boyfriends and we needed a place to shelter all of them.  I also have two full time indoor residents.

Once the kittens were old enough I began to transition them to the outdoor enclosure only letting them out for brief periods and locking them in at night.  I did that for several weeks and then I began leaving the cat door open for them 24 hours so the boyfriends could also begin using it to get out of the rain and to sleep at night.  I was also getting ready to go on vacation and thought it would be easier for my cat sitter to not have to worry about who was where and at what time.  All seemed fine while I was on vacation but when I returned I began noticing that Queenie was spending less and less time in the shelter.  Instead of lying in her comfortable bed, she was choosing to lie behind a large truck toolbox and the fence.  I thought maybe she just preferred being by herself.  Now, in hindsight, I think she was having disputes with one of the males and that he has driven her away.

I have been watching the house she chose to hide her kittens under and I have a trail camera on order.  I have also been scouting other houses for possible hidden cat dens.  These are the places where I will begin my surveillance.

I empathize with everyone who's missing a cat no matter how long they've been gone.  I read this gut wrenching feeling will always be there for our beloved but absent cats.

Oh dear. Vibes you are able to locate her and make arrangements where she will feel comfortable. Is there a way you can enlarge the enclosure and give her her own little corner? Nora Chan did that for Happy, if I am not mistaken.

We did that and now have an 8'x4' area we can block off in case we have any new visitors who need a home. I pray every night we won't have to use it but I am prepared now, just in case.

That is a great idea and I'll do anything to make it work for her.  Errr...I should say I'll get my husband to do something.

Thanks for the vibes!

If you give her plenty of shelves/vertical space, the space itself doesn't have to be huge.  Glad your husband is handy!

I can completely sympathize.  I do hope that Queenie will return soon.  Make sure you move the trail camera around to different locations.  If you have electricity outside, ip wireless cameras are awesome.  I have many so I can keep an eye on my cats.  Let me know if you want info on them. 

My first feral, Shadow went missing after having issues with a new male that came for shelter.  I had hoped that once he was neutered things would settle down.  Yet they did not.  Shadow was forced out of his shelter and I moved him to my front porch and bushes.  Yet, this did not stop the newcomer from continually stalking Shadow.  Shadow went missing for a few days.  I cried non stop.  I knew at that moment something had to change.  The new cat was most likely a stray turned feral.  I knew there was a slim chance the two were going to get along.  I made the decision to try and find a shelter to take the new kitty.  Yet it was May (kitten season) and there was no room.  He would be euthanized if sent to a shelter since he was not adoptable at the time.  So I decided to give him a chance and bring him into the house.  It took me 4 hours to get him into a carrier ( he wouldn't go into a trap since I had done TNR on him just 3 months previous).  He lived in an upstairs bedroom for one solid year.  I worked so hard with him.  Yet it ended up being a great decision.  He turned out to be a wonderful loyal kitty.  He is still very very skittish and no one knows he lives here but us as he hides from everyone.  But he is so sweet and loving to us.  Shadow my feral boy is happy once again and lives with 2 others in his shelter now. 

I had some issues this summer too when a feral I trapped last Aug (2014) returned.  He was gone 8 months.  He decided upon his return to live on the deck with my other two.  There were some issues with space.  I was sure to add lots of additional sleeping spaces.  It was a bit over kill, but this way they all had options.  It really allowed them to take the getting along phase at their pace.

Have you thought of contacting an animal communicator?  I have used one many times. 

Please come home Queenie.  I will send lots of positive vibes your way.

We looked at wireless security cameras yesterday, it just so happens.  Yes, I've decided its the best way to keep an eye on what is going on back in the enclosure and also other cats that are up in front during the night.  We may end up cat fencing the backyard.  I didn't want to do this because we have a very private, secluded, wooded area behind our back yard that the cats love to hunt and be cats in.

I know Queenie is close by.  They say spayed females don't go far.  When I was scouting for places to set up the trail camera I found dozens of possible hideouts.  I also accidently found another stray Tom cat's den, so I guess I'll be trapping him too.

Dandila said:

 
We looked at wireless security cameras yesterday, it just so happens.  Yes, I've decided its the best way to keep an eye on what is going on back in the enclosure and also other cats that are up in front during the night.  We may end up cat fencing the backyard.  I didn't want to do this because we have a very private, secluded, wooded area behind our back yard that the cats love to hunt and be cats in.

I know Queenie is close by.  They say spayed females don't go far.  When I was scouting for places to set up the trail camera I found dozens of possible hideouts.  I also accidently found another stray Tom cat's den, so I guess I'll be trapping him too.

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I use the Foscam 8905 and 8904 cameras.  Once you get them set up they are pretty easy to use.  I love that I can watch them remotely when I travel.  It does give me peace of mind.  I have also been able to figure out if there are predators or other cats in the area.  Sometimes I see things I wish I didn't see, but I take the good and the bad.  I find the best prices for the cameras on Amazon and Ebay. 

I'll check out Foscam...what sort of things do you see that you don't want to see?  I'm intrigued.

Dandila said:

 
I'll check out Foscam...what sort of things do you see that you don't want to see?  I'm intrigued.

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Mostly, skunks.  Lots of them under my deck.  Also lots of fox and a few coyote.  I know they are out there, but I hate when they come into my yard. 

I do get to see lots of deer which is nice!

Interesting...are you rural?  I set 3 dry food bowls out at the most probable sites last night and all of them were empty.  I bet  at least a couple of them were skunks.

Dandila said:

 
Interesting...are you rural?  I set 3 dry food bowls out at the post probable sites last night and all of them were empty.  I bet  at least a couple of them were skunks.

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Not rural at all.  It's amazing.  I like in the middle of suburbia.  There are just some wooded areas near my home.  You will see who eats the food once you get the trail camera.  I can't leave anything out much past 8pm.  The opossums come up onto the deck every night looking for morsels.  Yet they are so friendly with the cats.  One of my cats will sniff noses with them.  But the raccoons are awful.  Once they get a tiny bite they are horrible to get rid of.  Last winter I had one squeeze into one of the cats heated shelters.  I could not get the darn thing out for hours.  There was no food, he just wanted a warm bed.  Fortunately it only happened once!

I have the same situation with food here.  If I've not picked up food bowls by the time the sun goes down the opossum are on my patio.  I was shocked the first time I saw one come for food with three cats on the patio with him.  The cats just watched him eat their food like it was no big deal!

I am surprised, too, that the bowls were all empty further up the street where it is not wooded.  I didn't realize that the critters stray so far from the woods.

We now have security cameras in our enclosure and are in the process of observing my alpha male's behavior toward all the others.  Just in case, we were able to enclose one of the kennels and if need be, I can lock him up separately.  The trail camera came today so I will situate it in front of some food close by her old nest.  I noticed a couple of dogs in that yard the other day so I'm not really sure if she would go underneath that house or not.  If not that one there are plenty of others she could use.  So we shall see.

Just wishing you good luck. Both with the alpha male and with finding Queenie.

Good idea about the cameras. I may try them out myself. Thank you

After a couple of malfunctions with my new camera I finally got 10 stunning videos of opossum snarfing up cat food.  So...onto another site.  I'm slowly losing hope.

Dandila said:

 
After a couple of malfunctions with my new camera I finally got 10 stunning videos of opossum snarfing up cat food.  So...onto another site.  I'm slowly losing hope.

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Oh, don't lose hope.  I have had 2 different ferals go missing for months and months.  Who knows what makes them disappear or leave for awhile.  She may very well be frightened to come back.  I had my cameras running every single night and each morning I was sad that my boy did not show up.  Yet, one day he did.  You just never know.  Keep the camera running.

The opossums around here LOVE cat food.  Yet, at least they are fairly harmless.  It's the raccoons I cannot stand.

Hey, I finally got a cat on video!  Unfortunately, all the opossum ate the food so this cat only entered the corner of the frame for a couple of seconds and I couldn't tell if it was her.  It was small like she is.

It looks to me like the opossum come to feed between nightfall and 12:00 a.m..  I caught the cat on video about 1:15 so I'm thinking of waiting up to set out food until after midnight.  Yeah, that is what I'm going to try next.  At least this was a tiny victory, finally.  Thank you for the encouragement.

Dandila said:

 
Hey, I finally got a cat on video!  Unfortunately, all the opossum ate the food so this cat only entered the corner of the frame for a couple of seconds and I couldn't tell if it was her.  It was small like she is.

It looks to me like the opossum come to feed between nightfall and 12:00 a.m..  I caught the cat on video about 1:15 so I'm thinking of waiting up to set out food until after midnight.  Yeah, that is what I'm going to try next.  At least this was a tiny victory, finally.  Thank you for the encouragement.

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Yea!!!  Hopefully the cat will reappear.  Good idea to try and stay up and set out food later.  Come home Queenie!!!

The last few nights have been unproductive but my plan to set the camera out later after midnight seems successful.  I'm getting cat video now and without possum.  Saw a lovely Siamese or Tonk last night that I have never seen during the day.  Sneaky cats, you have to admire their ability to not be seen.  I'm ordering more trail cameras.