Distressing story about an adopted cat

I recently adopted a 2-year old cat named Jasmine from a family who was unable to care for her sufficiently any longer. I have a roommate who effectively lives with me part time, and I told him that I'd be bringing a cat in--when I adopted Jasmine, he was traveling. Jasmine's adjustment period was challenging, she was constantly marking her territory frequently and repeatedly, marking me (A LOT!!), cutting me off when I'd walk down the hallway, and attempted to take over my bed a few times, going so far as to lay down on it and growl when I approached. Generally speaking she didn't like to be petted, really hated being held, and would be somewhat aggressive, randomly attacking my ankles. She hissed a lot, often without provocation (and almost always when I went to pet her after she walked next to me). Honestly, some of this behavior made me wonder what she'd dealt with in her previous life, but I figured she just needed time to adjust. I attributed at least some of it to being in a new space, but she really seemed to have a hard time settling down.

After she'd been in the house about five days, my roommate came back. She responded to him the same as she responded to me. I ran out the next morning for some errands, and came back and...Jasmine was gone. I demanded to know what happened, and after some pretty vehement arguing, my roommate confessed that Jasmine had snapped at him when she was lying on his bed, and he responded loudly, and she went on a tear. Several items were strewn about on the coffee table and another table, so it looked as though something had happened. He did not specify what and I couldn't get anything out of him. Why she didn't hide I didn't understand. Or at least, he said she didn't hide, instead jumping on the window sills. So, he said he put her outside. She had no experience as an outdoor cat, and we live in a small house in a fairly urban part of the city, but overall safe. He said that he just left her out there a few minutes to "cool off," and that she was just cowering in a corner on the back porch. But when he went back to bring her in, she was gone.

So, obviously, I've kicked him out. But Jasmine is GONE. I've put notice in the neighborhood and have looked up and down my street, but I'm at a loss. I had transferred her microchip credentials to me, but there's been no response or notification. The weather is turning cold and there's a lot more rain, so I'm worried about her safety. Is there anything I can do here?

Oh god, that's awful!  So glad you kicked him out!

As far as what to do, it sounds like you've already posted flyers.  Have you included a reward?  It's amazing how motivated people are when there's money involved.

Given her behavior, but sure to contact your local TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) groups.  She might get caught up in a trapping campaign and they can notify you if they find her (I'm not sure if they all check microchips or not, so it might be good to put them on notice.)

I don't know if there are different microchip companies, but the one that my cats have is HomeAway, and they have a way you can have emails sent out that your pet is missing.  I would assume you do it from their website, but calling them would help too.  Whatever microchip company you use probably has the same thing.

Another thing is notify the local shelter.  They often have a "Lost & Found" website.  And go there physically to look for her frequently.

There also can be independent websites in your area for Lost & Found pets.

As far as her behavior if you do find her, I'm using a Feliway diffuser for a feral cat that I'm socializing and it's done wonders for him.  I've also watched The Cat Whisperer episodes on Netflix and learned a TON about these issues on there and how to resolve them.

I really hope you find her.  Sounds like she needs a good home with someone who loves her and has some patience to let her come around.  Keep us posted!

You know, you could put some wet food out and see if she turns up, but it sounds like you might need to trap her.  However, you might end up trapping other cats in the meantime.  If you do, there are low-cost spay/neuter places, and it would be wonderful if you were to get them fixed so that they are in a better state and will stop the flow of suffering kittens.

She may try to get back to her previous home. Not sure how far it is but you'd be amazed at what a cat will do to return to familiar territory. Notify the family, just in case.

Facebook also has lost and found pages for various areas, so try there, too.

If you can get a humane trap, bait it with wet food. Try to set it out at dawn or dusk. I wouldn't leave it out overnight. It may attract other critters and if you trap her, she'd be in the trap overnight.

Good luck!

Ondine, you have a really good point!  I forgot about that!

I rented a house once from a guy whose elderly father had owned the house but he got really sick and he ended up staying with his son a few towns away.  The elderly father had a cat who was mostly outdoors, and the son kept feeding it at the old house.  A few days after I rented the house he picked the cat up from the property and took it home.  It had only been at the new home a few days and disappeared.  The guy mentioned this, and said if I saw it show up, to let him know.

Well, damned if the cat didn't show up a week or so later at my new place.  It crossed three towns (one of which was a college town with heavy traffic) and a brook near the house, to get back to where it came from.  It was almost creepy!

So yes, this does happen, and I've seen it with my own eyes.  Cats will make their way back, and since this cat was only adopted a few days before, she might very well try to do that.

Thank you all SO much for this advice. I'll definitely give trapping a shot and see how it goes...sounds like it'd be a helpful thing to do regardless.

I really hope she didn't try to get to the old home. Make sense that she would try but from what the family told me, she never got out of the house so how would she know where to go? Additionally, it's a dangerous path back. Heavy traffic and a bunch of busy urban areas.

Also...I'm not sure what exactly my now former roommate did to her but it seems like she was pretty riled up. So if there was any physical abuse, how badly would that traumatize her and for how long??

Cats that don't have any experience of being outdoors look for the closest safe place and freeze there. I doubt she will have gone far, she's probably too scared to move. The best time to look for her is between midnight and dawn, when it's quiet out. Take a torch with you and some of her favourite snacks. Check under cars, up inside the engine cavity and in the wheel arches, sheds, garages, wood piles, any tiny little space she could have crawled into.

If you can get one of the motion sensitive trail cameras you could leave that out over night with some food to see if she'll come out to eat. If she's really scared it can take 3 to 5 days before she's hungry enough to move from her safe spot.

You can use some of the litter from her litter box to mark a circle around your house so she can smell her way home. You can also use dust from the vacuum bag as this will contain some of her hair. I've heard of house cats going missing in urban areas and turning up weeks later. They stay close to home and just stay hidden until they feel safe enough to come out again.

Wet weather is actually to your advantage as cats don't like to move far when it's raining. Don't lose hope.

Okay! At least some good news. I left a can of tuna outside last night, and it was gone in the morning, and I left one out tonight after work and it was emptied within an hour. So I'm guessing she's out there, or nearby...or there's another cat in need of a home I suppose.

I haven't acquired a trap yet but I suppose that will be necessary. Just worried about how traumatized she's likely to be after being rescued. Any insight into that?

She will definitely be upset. New home, bad treatment from the ex-roommate, being outside for the first time. All scary events. Once she's trapped, she'll be upset about that, too. But I guarantee you that with a quiet routine and good food, she will adjust. It may take a year but she will adapt.

Still praying she's home safe soon.

Thank you so much. I've gone back and forth about whether or not she'd be better off "going feral" with as much managed care as I can give and that she's willing to take, but...I'd really rather have her in my home. She's spayed so if she went feral I guess that'd be okay but it still doesn't feel right at all.

I'm still a little perplexed by her initial behavior, because she had been socialized when a kitten and had spent over a year with a family. A new environment is of course distressing to a cat, but she wasn't particularly friendly (as far as I could tell) with her previous owners, and she was NOT into being petted or even approached by me. She bit my leg, and swiped at me when I was just sitting in a chair doing some work. She did that numerous times, repeatedly. I'd say it was because she wasn't getting attention, but when I tried paying her attention--gently!--she wasn't having it. I could sit on the floor and she'd come up to me and hiss. If I tried petting her, she'd his and swipe my hand. And the constant territory marking...she must have been very stressed at her previous home.

Either way the advice given here has been incredibly humane and valuable.

She may very well just be a grumpy cat. We have one of those. She literally yells at us when we enter her room. (Yes, she has her own room. She hates our other cats). I realize now I spoiled her but oh well. She is eight years old and is just now realizing she likes being brushed. And she yells at us when we brush her!

Cats are like people, different all. I would rather have a non-social cat inside than outside every day. They are just safer.

We ended up with two outside cats who were semi-feral. We simply had no more room in our house. So I built them an enclosure, to make sure they were safe from the road, rotten people, other critters. Best decision I ever made regarding pets. I don't worry about where they are and they have actually become more social.