My Cat Came Back...Almost

My cat Boots ran away in early July, and I did the usual look for him in near by areas. We live in a rural area so theres many places he could have gotten hurt, run over etc. Anways Im watching the ball game tonight on tv when I see an orange cat walk up to our glass patio door, looks a little bigger than mine was but he was only about 10 months old then, hence in 2 1/2 months he's gotten bigger, as soon as I got up I was startled and I ran to open the door and he ran away.

I walked around our yard calling him and I saw him by the fence, he wouldn't let me get within 7 to 8 feet of him before he started running away, Im 99% sure it was him!! I put food outside the door I really hope he comes back again! I've heard of cats finding there way home but after this long Im completely shocked!

Here is some advice:

Most people donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t differentiate between searching for a dog and searching for a cat, which is a huge mistake, because they are like apples and oranges. Cats are territorial, so when an indoor cat escapes outside, they feel displaced into unfamiliar territory. A displaced cat (and also an injured or sick cat) will hide and they will be silent. So walking around and calling the catâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s name doesnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t work.

What that cat does is to look for the first place where she can hide, and she will stay there. Weâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]ve had people who have recovered their cats six weeks later, and the cat was two houses down, living under the neighborâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s house or under their deck.

Weâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]ve actually recovered lots of cats by treating them like ferals and setting a humane trap. These cats will sit there and watch and even listen to their person calling, but they will usually not respond.

Eventually, some of them will reach a threshold point between the seventh and tenth day where they finally do meow or they go into the humane trap, but many of them, especially the ones with skittish temperaments, just continue to hide.

As for a cat who is used to going outside, we really do advocate making your cats indoor-only. However, if an indoor/outdoor cat does go missing, it may be that theyâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]ve been chased by a dog or beat up by another cat. They may run into an unfamiliar area, and they may hide in fear as well, or than can be transported out of the area by crawling into a car or the back of a truck.

Outdoor cats are still territorial. They donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t generally travel great distances by themselves, so theyâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]re going to be found within their territory or just beyond it. Youâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]ll want to get into your neighborâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s yard to search under their porch, under their house, and in potential areas where the cat is trapped, because, again, the behavior of an injured or sick cat is that they will crawl in or under something thatâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s familiar to them and they will hide. And again, they wonâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t answer your call.

I do hope this is your cat and once you get him back....please take him to the vet to be looked over and if he isn't already neutered, now would be the time to have that procedure done.

Katie

I drove down the road a little while after and actually saw him in the ditch (eating something) and Im 100% sure its him, I got within about 5 feet and bent down and whispered his name, he picked up what hes eating and ran off.

What kind of traps could I use for him? I find it odd because him and my other cat usually ran to the door where ever they were when I call.

Cats also will run from their owners (or humans, not sure anyone ever "owns" a kitty) after they've been out for awhile - they are scared, become almost feral in come cases. Cats tend to not go that far - and my guess tho I could be wrong - is that yourcat has not been all that far in the time she has been away. You almost need to treat her as if you were trapping a feral cat. Acquire a cat friendly trap (Human Socirty or Animal Control could prob lend you onw) and plave the smelliest food you have (tuna, sardines) in it. You may well (I hope!!!!) find your kitty in it the next morning.

Cats tend to feel their way by their sense of smell so if he has been away this long, you may not smell familiar to her anymore. I would place in the trap something really smelly of yours - old laundry or do a workout and then use something you wore. That way, by the time you come to find him in the trap, (and admittedly, it may well take days), he will be sort of accustomed to your smell.

One pet detective draws a grid when he searching for animals and his work is pretty accurate. But I would start with the trap first.

You can never give up on finding cats. This little one sounds like he has managed to do quite well outside but they never go that far unless something brings them - they get trapped in a van for example As soon as you get him back, he will need to see a vet and hopefully she has not been bitten by any other cats or contracted any diseases. (Am assuing she has had his vaccinations and is spayed - also assuming he is neutered tho if he wasn't, that migfht account for his disappearance. - Wanderlust and female kitties calling and all that.) But hopefully, he is a healthy neutered boy and won;t come home scratched and bitten from fights with other Toms.

I used to help my grandmother and now I do it myself when she had a feral colony and oh my, the cuts and abrasions these Toms would have until they were neutered. Not to mention the poor fellowes who ended up with FeL postive!!! Anyway, I did not mean to digress.

Good luck in getting him back - I suspect the trap is the best way tho if he is really hungry, you might lure him - but if he is acting afraid of you, he may be scared and your best bet is to handle him as if he were feral unless you want lots of bites and scratches yourself.

With work, he will come around once you have him but he may not recognize his old home (smells and such will be different from last time) and people. Good luck!!

Originally Posted by TheBud

I drove down the road a little while after and actually saw him in the ditch (eating something) and Im 100% sure its him, I got within about 5 feet and bent down and whispered his name, he picked up what hes eating and ran off.

What kind of traps could I use for him? I find it odd because him and my other cat usually ran to the door where ever they were when I call.

Click to expand...

You can ask your local humane society or vet to borrow a Humane Trap.

Katie

When you see him outside again, don't try to get close. He has probably had bad encounters with other people, and he does not recognize you. Don't look straight in his eyes, because that is seen as aggressive. If he does look right at you, blink slowly. If he blinks back, that is like a dog wagging his tail.

Give him time to get used to you again. While waiting, call the vet or an animal rescue nearby to borrow a trap. That may work quicker to get Boots safely back inside. If you trap him, treat him like a scared, wild cat. Don't try to grab him and hug him. Let him go in a small room with food/water/litter. Give him time to remember you. And definitely a vet check real soon. (Maybe before you let him go in your house.) Poor little Boots, I hope he finds his way home soon!

keep us updated, I'd like to know the outcome

any updates on Boots?

I too hope you find your kitty and can get him back safe and sound.
Linda