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How will my cat return home
- Thread starter yasif
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Was it cold, windy, rainy, or snowy on the day she went missing? Were there any dogs barking, fireworks, or any other loud noises? Are there any garages, outhouses, or sheds that she may have gone into for shelter and then the door was shut? Are there any cars or vans that have been parked outside for a long time, she may have crawled into one via the wheel arch? Did you notice any cars or delivery vans with their does open for a time on the day she went missing that she might have gotten into and gone for an accidental ride?
I've known many cats to go missing for a day, or two; a week, or two; even one for three months, though that is usual. Some cats just like to go off on wee holidays. However, if she hasn't done this before, then she might be stuck or lost.
Cats have no natural sense of direction, they rely on following a familiar route pre-marked with their scent. This is why a cat walks the same route every day, rescenting, and checking its territory. If a cat is suddenly frightened by a dog, storm, fireworks, or any other loud, scary noise it will run off in any direction away from it. When the cat feels the threat has gone, they find that they are lost, even if only a couple of streets away from home. If a scared cat finds itself in an area it hasn't scent marked and is lost, it will often choose to stay put until it figures out what to do or is rescued. So, you need to go outside and walk around your neighbourhood, calling and whistling to her many times a day. Check all possible doors and vehicles that she might be shut in. Do this every day, at different times of day, until she is found.
You could also put "Missing Cat" posters up on the lampposts, trees, street signs, etc around your neighbourhood with a photocopied photo of her, a brief description, and details of the day/night she went missing. Put a phone number or email on tear off strips at the bottom of the posters. Someone may have her at their house and not know where she belongs. Also, call your neighbourhood rescue centres to see if she's been found and handed in. Is she microchipped?
I'm ever so sorry that she is missing. You must be really worried. Please update us as we will want to know that she has been found and is safe.
I've known many cats to go missing for a day, or two; a week, or two; even one for three months, though that is usual. Some cats just like to go off on wee holidays. However, if she hasn't done this before, then she might be stuck or lost.
Cats have no natural sense of direction, they rely on following a familiar route pre-marked with their scent. This is why a cat walks the same route every day, rescenting, and checking its territory. If a cat is suddenly frightened by a dog, storm, fireworks, or any other loud, scary noise it will run off in any direction away from it. When the cat feels the threat has gone, they find that they are lost, even if only a couple of streets away from home. If a scared cat finds itself in an area it hasn't scent marked and is lost, it will often choose to stay put until it figures out what to do or is rescued. So, you need to go outside and walk around your neighbourhood, calling and whistling to her many times a day. Check all possible doors and vehicles that she might be shut in. Do this every day, at different times of day, until she is found.
You could also put "Missing Cat" posters up on the lampposts, trees, street signs, etc around your neighbourhood with a photocopied photo of her, a brief description, and details of the day/night she went missing. Put a phone number or email on tear off strips at the bottom of the posters. Someone may have her at their house and not know where she belongs. Also, call your neighbourhood rescue centres to see if she's been found and handed in. Is she microchipped?
I'm ever so sorry that she is missing. You must be really worried. Please update us as we will want to know that she has been found and is safe.
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Is she spayed?
It's possible for her to return on her own but it might be very difficult for her to find you. You really need to keep going outside, walking around for 10 minutes or longer, and calling her name so that she knows where to find you. You could take a box of kibbles or treats to shake, she might hear the sound of her food being brought out and know that it's safe. She might be hurt somewhere. Where are you? Are you in a town or the countryside?
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I have been there. I share your tears and offer hugs. The idea about putting up fliers with a picture of your baby and a way to contact you can be really helpful. Another thing you could do is contact vets in the area about positing a flyer in their office. You would also want to contact any shelters in your area along with animal control in case she gets turned in as a stray. It will give you additional people watching out for her. One of my cats got out years ago and went into hiding in a wetland area behind our home. After we put up fliers one of our neighbors contacted us after he saw her. We spent time looking for her with help from friends she was familiar with. We even saw her once ourselves but she was so scared that she ran away from us. We had to trap her and it took two weeks to get her back. We had help with the trap from a retired couple that lived a few doors down from us. They kept an eye the trap while we were at work and freed other critters. We gave them cans of her wet food to keep the trap baited when we had to be at work. They called us the day she climbed into the trap finally. The fliers really helped us to identify where she was hiding.
My best friend and cat sitter had one of her cats get out and it took a few months to find her. My friend went out daily looking for her cat and kept expanding the area of coverage for her fliers. She did get her cat back after an elderly lady saw a new flyer and called my friend about a cat she had been feeding in her yard. This lady did not know what a micro chip was and if she had not seen the flier she would not have known the cat had a home. My friend explained micro-chips to her when she went to get her cat. The two woman still keep in touch years later. My friend has actually helped this woman re-unite other lost cat's with their owners by transporting them to the vet to check for micro-chips.
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So glad you have her back. I asked if she was spayed because if she was in heat, she was out finding a mate. Is she spayed?
I too am glad your baby is back. You have thanked us all by letting us know she is home.
@yasif I should have said all this yesterday, sorry. I apologise for the length of this post but I feel it is necessary.
Please don't let her go outside again for at least a week, preferably longer. She needs to get used to being home and feeling safe, surrounded by all her familiar smells and her favourite human, you. She also needs lots of cuddles to know she's loved and was missed. And reward her some tasty treats to know that coming home was a good thing to do. Playing with a string wand toy will also help her feel that home is much nicer than the scary outside. And giving her time to relax in a box under a bed or on top of a cupboard would allow her space to come to terms with her outside ordeal.
If she has not been spayed, please do this for her. There might be cat rescue charities that help towards the cost. But any cost is greatly outweighed by all the benefits of spaying, and would stop her roaming, crying for a mate, and generally feeling out of sorts when she's on heat. Not to mention the horrific trauma that a female cat has to endure whist being forcibly mated by multiple males, it's sounds scary but it really is like being gang-raped. If she hasn't been spayed, she might be pregnant now. If this is the case, you can take her to the vet as soon as possible where they will spay her and terminate the pregnancy at the same time. There's little benefit to bringing yet more kittens into the world when there are plenty already in rescue centres desperately waiting for homes. No one would judge you. We're here to help whatever her situation and what you decide. Please tell us if she has been spayed or not, and if you think she might be pregnant, we will guide you through it....
Also, consider getting her microchipped. Again, this costs money but is only a one-off cost. There might also be charities that help to pay. Here in the UK, we have charities that pay for both neuter/spay and microchipping if you're on a low income. If I ever lost my cat, Dudley, I would be very upset but the thought that he's microchipped would bring me comfort as I would know that he could be identified as living at my house.
Next time that you hear a noisy celebration in your town; or dogs barking; or the weather is bad; or it's a public holiday when people open their outhouses to do odd jobs; or fix their vehicles, please don't let her go outside. Because she was outside for only 3 nights it sounds as though she may have been locked inside someone's outhouse, where she may have gone to shelter.
It's also the timespan for mating and getting pregnant. Please take her to a vet to find out. You can look for signs of mating on the scruff of her neck, which will have been quite badly bitten, the hair at the bottom of her back near her tail might be rubbed, and her genitals will be red and sore. As mentioned, if you get her to a vet asap, they can stop a pregnancy at the same time as spay, but only if done early.
And if she is not spayed and you don't want her to be, then please make preparations for a possible pregnancy, birth, and litter weaning, which would take about 4+months, or 17 weeks in total. And, then you would need to learn the signs that she is on heat again and to not let her go out; she can come into heat every two weeks in mating season, which is now. Sounds like a headache, to me.
If she has already been spayed, then everyone here will breathe a sigh of relief, and much of this post will be redundant. But I wanted to write about it not only for your benefit but also the other newby readers of this thread.
Once again, I'm so very happy for you both that she is home. Please reply telling us her name, age, and her spay details. And also which country you are from so that we have a better idea on ways to help in future.
I hope that you remain on the CatSite and become a part of this lovely community.
Please don't let her go outside again for at least a week, preferably longer. She needs to get used to being home and feeling safe, surrounded by all her familiar smells and her favourite human, you. She also needs lots of cuddles to know she's loved and was missed. And reward her some tasty treats to know that coming home was a good thing to do. Playing with a string wand toy will also help her feel that home is much nicer than the scary outside. And giving her time to relax in a box under a bed or on top of a cupboard would allow her space to come to terms with her outside ordeal.
If she has not been spayed, please do this for her. There might be cat rescue charities that help towards the cost. But any cost is greatly outweighed by all the benefits of spaying, and would stop her roaming, crying for a mate, and generally feeling out of sorts when she's on heat. Not to mention the horrific trauma that a female cat has to endure whist being forcibly mated by multiple males, it's sounds scary but it really is like being gang-raped. If she hasn't been spayed, she might be pregnant now. If this is the case, you can take her to the vet as soon as possible where they will spay her and terminate the pregnancy at the same time. There's little benefit to bringing yet more kittens into the world when there are plenty already in rescue centres desperately waiting for homes. No one would judge you. We're here to help whatever her situation and what you decide. Please tell us if she has been spayed or not, and if you think she might be pregnant, we will guide you through it....
Also, consider getting her microchipped. Again, this costs money but is only a one-off cost. There might also be charities that help to pay. Here in the UK, we have charities that pay for both neuter/spay and microchipping if you're on a low income. If I ever lost my cat, Dudley, I would be very upset but the thought that he's microchipped would bring me comfort as I would know that he could be identified as living at my house.
Next time that you hear a noisy celebration in your town; or dogs barking; or the weather is bad; or it's a public holiday when people open their outhouses to do odd jobs; or fix their vehicles, please don't let her go outside. Because she was outside for only 3 nights it sounds as though she may have been locked inside someone's outhouse, where she may have gone to shelter.
It's also the timespan for mating and getting pregnant. Please take her to a vet to find out. You can look for signs of mating on the scruff of her neck, which will have been quite badly bitten, the hair at the bottom of her back near her tail might be rubbed, and her genitals will be red and sore. As mentioned, if you get her to a vet asap, they can stop a pregnancy at the same time as spay, but only if done early.
And if she is not spayed and you don't want her to be, then please make preparations for a possible pregnancy, birth, and litter weaning, which would take about 4+months, or 17 weeks in total. And, then you would need to learn the signs that she is on heat again and to not let her go out; she can come into heat every two weeks in mating season, which is now. Sounds like a headache, to me.
If she has already been spayed, then everyone here will breathe a sigh of relief, and much of this post will be redundant. But I wanted to write about it not only for your benefit but also the other newby readers of this thread.
Once again, I'm so very happy for you both that she is home. Please reply telling us her name, age, and her spay details. And also which country you are from so that we have a better idea on ways to help in future.
I hope that you remain on the CatSite and become a part of this lovely community.
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