Cat disappeared...

My wife and I recently adopted a stray cat who had been kicked out of her house up the street. We named her Stormy. In the process of slowly introducing her to our other two cats, we let Stormy stay in our garage with food, a litter box, and a straw shelter for the really cold nights. We soon found out that Stormy was NOT an indoor-always cat. She would bury her food in straw and knock over her water bowl if we left her inside for more than 8-9 hours at a time. So, every morning at 7:30am when I would leave for work, I would let her out. Then, at 11:30, I would come home for lunch, stand on our porch, and yell her name. She would always come running on the first or second yell. I would then let her in so she could eat/rest. Friday (two days ago) she did not come when I yelled, nor did she come when I came home from work for the day around 3:30pm. My wife and I haven't seen her since. We have checked a five block radius in all directions. There's no sign of predation, and I last saw her at 7:30am and called for her at 11:30am not exactly prime time for predators in a city. I don't think she was hit by a car...no evidence, body, and our streets aren't busy anyway. I still have a few houses to knock on and residents to talk to. Any suggestions?

Oh, and she had been with us for about five months before this, so she was definitely on a schedule...which makes us worry even more now that she has disappeared.

Is she fixed? could be searching for a mate? 

Unfortunately, the fact that there's no body, nor evidence she may have been hit, doesn't mean something hasn't happened.

One of mine vanished without a trace in April of last year. I had Kîa and her brother from kittens of ten weeks, she had known no other home, was very happy and supremely confident, and never strayed far. But ten months later, and despite searching, letter-box drops, advertising and posters all over the place (real and virtual), no trace has ever been found. This street is very quiet, and there was no reason ever to think she would come to harm.


I have to assume either that some lunatic got hold of her, or that she was hit, badly hurt and vanished somewhere to die: possibly down a storm-water drain. Not a very pleasant thought, but something cats sometimes can do if badly hurt.


Definitely, I'd be trying to check to be certain Stormy's not hurt and hiding somewhere, or been locked in a shed or garage. Dawn and dusk are the best times to search, when she's likely to be most active and calling for help.

She is fixed. We took her to the vet when we first adopted her to confirm

I highly doubt the lunatic theory. We live in a small town with a decent stray cat population and everyone feeds/shelters them. Although possible, I don't think it's very likely. And I'd think if she were hit by a car on a road, she wouldn't be able to crawl away. I can only see this happening if someone ROLLED over her, not ran over her. Possible, but still unlikely.

Thanks for the replies so far. Every suggestion/theory/info helps!

I hope she is ok, I would keep searching for her, I am hoping for a happy reunion.

There is some good info here http://www.catsinthebag.org/ 

Also this site is very useful http://www.helpinglostpets.com/v2/Pets.aspx 

If she is injured or sick, she might have gone to hide some where. Dusk is a good time to look for her. You can take a flashlight and shine it around under bushes and look for the glow of her eyes to spot her more easily. I hoping it ends well!

Put posters everywhere, in each houses mailbox. She hasn't gone far. I found one of mine once the next street over locked accidentally in a shed. Ask your neighbors to check their outbuildings. Also, I had one that had apparently been hit by someone riding an ATV through the woods by my house. I'd put up posters everywhere, so when a neighborhood kid saw her after playing in the woods, he told his dad, who called me. It was very sad, but I was able to bury her and stop searching. I'd probably walked by her several times, but just didn't see her. She was maybe 50 feet from my backdoor. They really don't go far. It could be that she's hanging out at someone else's house, especially if she found a food source. But put up posters on stop signs and in the mailboxes. You'll find her. You'll have better luck spotting her at 2 or 3 a.m. its quiet then, a good time to walk the street listening for her. Hope this helps.

There is also a chance that she may have been hit and a neighbor buried her,wanting to do the decent thing. Hopefully not, but the worrying is the worst.