I'm looking for info/advice. This may be lengthy so bear with me please. 8 years ago a feral female from the colony two doors down had two kittens and abandoned them. They were both female and just kind of hung around my house and the house directly next to mine. One day one of the females just took off. The next day or so, I put food and water out for the remaining black one assuming she would leave in time. She did not.She followed my dogs in through the doggie door and jumped up on my lap. I immediately took her and had her spayed thinking she was 3 to 6 months old. She settled in real well but would never use a litter box and loved to be outside. So, for the past 8 years, she would come in and go out but never went farther than our back and front yard.....until August 2015. We were having a lot of feral cats roaming in our front yard from around June/July 2015. Normally, Casey (my cat) would just hop the fence and come inside until they left. My question is could or would she revert back to her feral instincts and leave home if she felt threatened by the other cats coming around? I have searched the neighborhood practically every day since she went missing but haven't found her. There are a couple of cats that look like her at the colony house and I have called her name and they seem interested but won't come all the way up to me. By the way,her sister does live at the colony house. Any information or advice would be greatly appreciated since I don't know much about cats having been a dog person all my life. Thank You!
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Semi Feral cat
- Thread starter cawlady1
- Start Date
How long has Casey been missing? If it happened recently, and she's been tolerating the feral cats for months with no issue, I'm not sure why she would suddenly run away, unless one of them became aggressive towards her. Also since she knows she has a safe haven on the other side of the doggie door, it doesn't make sense she would suddenly forego that safety unless something new happened. Have you had any new, aggressive ferals appear on the scene? Have any kittens grown up and become aggressive toms? I'm wondering if her safe passage to the doggie door might have been blocked.
Lost cats do come home, sometimes after months, so don't give up hope yet. In the meantime, have you put up and/or distributed Lost Cat fliers and spoken to neighbors? We've had many lost cats come home after some kind soul recognized them from a flier and let the owners know where they were. And sometimes, well meaning neighbors take in strays, not realizing they have homes.
[article="32600"]Help My Cat Is Lost [/article]
Lost cats do come home, sometimes after months, so don't give up hope yet. In the meantime, have you put up and/or distributed Lost Cat fliers and spoken to neighbors? We've had many lost cats come home after some kind soul recognized them from a flier and let the owners know where they were. And sometimes, well meaning neighbors take in strays, not realizing they have homes.
[article="32600"]Help My Cat Is Lost [/article]
I agree, its probably something happened, as much more probable than any regress to feral instincts.
Lets hope for the best!
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You say there's a feral colony in your neighborhood, so were they part of a TNR - Trap-Neuter-Return? If so, they should have clipped one of their ears to let others know they are part of a TNR colony, have been altered, and are being fed. Just curious if that's the case and if her ear is clipped as well. If not, perhaps the feral kitties are being rounded up and altered and she got caught in the mix? Might try talking to that neighbor of yours two houses down. Otherwise, it's possible something did happen to her... Sadly, indoor/outdoor cats don't always live as long due to the hazards of the outdoors. But it's also just as likely that someone did "adopt" her not knowing. Wishing the best for your kitty.
Hopefully she'll return! DOn't give up hope by any means. I'd definitely check with the neighbor that's working with the colony - - -even if the neighbor didn't pick them up, it's possible the neighbor has seen her. It's highly unlikely she'd "revert" to being feral. I'm not saying she couldn't have been scared by something/someone into deviating from her normal routine (and the comfort of your company/house/food) - very much a possibility.
Since she is a friendly cat - it's definitely possible someone picked her up, thinking she was abandoned. It's a big help to put flyers up in your neighborhood - even taking some (and talking to) vets and humane societies in your immediate area. A well-meaning stranger picking her up would hopefully check these places. Our area also has an online community for posting lost cats/dogs. I'd check to see if your area has one - and post about her. Reaching out to any animal-friendly organization in your community just spreads the word - - - most "animal people" truly sympathizes with you missing your furry loved one and will be happy to spread the word and help find her. If you have a social media outlet you use (like Facebook or Twitter) - - don't hesitate to use it! The shelter I volunteer for also uses their social media pages to put out the word on any lost pets that they hear about.
Good luck - keep us posted!
Since she is a friendly cat - it's definitely possible someone picked her up, thinking she was abandoned. It's a big help to put flyers up in your neighborhood - even taking some (and talking to) vets and humane societies in your immediate area. A well-meaning stranger picking her up would hopefully check these places. Our area also has an online community for posting lost cats/dogs. I'd check to see if your area has one - and post about her. Reaching out to any animal-friendly organization in your community just spreads the word - - - most "animal people" truly sympathizes with you missing your furry loved one and will be happy to spread the word and help find her. If you have a social media outlet you use (like Facebook or Twitter) - - don't hesitate to use it! The shelter I volunteer for also uses their social media pages to put out the word on any lost pets that they hear about.
Good luck - keep us posted!
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #6
Thank you all for the replies. I have talked to the lady at the colony house and other neighbors as well. No seems to have seen her. I highly doubt that she has been hit by a car since she never ventured towards the street and would often run to the back yard if a truck or loud car came by. I am just at a loss because she has been with me for 8 years and then just disappeared. 
Just remember - VERY possible someone picked her up if she was friendly. Another kind, kitty loving soul like yourself 
I hate to even throw this in the mix - but at 8, she's actually pretty old for an outdoor kitty. While completely indoor kitties can often live to 16 or 17 or even 21 or 22, outdoor kitties, even with food, water and shelter often are lucky to make it to 10. Without shelters, food and water - they're lucky to make it to 2 or 3. I'm absolutely not saying she's gone - - please don't give up hope!
Definitely try to do the flyer/other shelters/web site things I suggested - they can make a big difference. Wider net and all that
Good luck ! We all hope for a happy ending.
I hate to even throw this in the mix - but at 8, she's actually pretty old for an outdoor kitty. While completely indoor kitties can often live to 16 or 17 or even 21 or 22, outdoor kitties, even with food, water and shelter often are lucky to make it to 10. Without shelters, food and water - they're lucky to make it to 2 or 3. I'm absolutely not saying she's gone - - please don't give up hope!
Definitely try to do the flyer/other shelters/web site things I suggested - they can make a big difference. Wider net and all that
Good luck ! We all hope for a happy ending.
(I just realized @jahraza mentioned the lifespan thing - sorry to repeat the obviously sad issue).
Branching out beyond immediate neighbors can make a big difference....we've seen many people reunited with lost pets after reaching out on things like Facebook and at shelters. Yes - the animal usually isn't too far away - but you never know. And a well-meaning person could have seen him outside while driving, worried about him and picked him up. Just a thought!
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #10
Someone would have had to come in my yard probably to pick her up since she didn't roam far. I also forgot to mention that when she was outside I could call her name and she would come to me. If she did not want to come in right then, she would just meow and let me know where she was,usually in the front bushes. I just don't know if I should give up looking.
I wouldn't give up yet. She could have been scared off by another cat coming IN versus her going out.
