Cat 'disappeared' indoors for four consecutive days...?

[droktober]

Hi everyone.

We really don't know how could anyone help us with our sad issue but here we go;

We have around 7 yrs old cat (we took him when he was approx. 1 yr old, as per the vet's estimation as we didn't know his exact date of birth).

He was an abandoned cat, which the previous owner just cruely left in the empty apartment when moved away. 

We sometimes travel abroad (for max 1-2 week period, 2-3 times per year) and the past 2 times we did, we gave him to a friend of ours.

He did get always a tad depressed our friend said, some meowing during the first nights, no sightings of him except for litterbox usage and feeding, but in less than a week he started to socialize with

our friend eventually. Our cat is one of those types which you could call shy, and timid. Whenever me and my wife are home, and if the doorbell rings or lots of noise is coming from outside, he tends to hide. When the owners of our flat come to collect the rent, the cat is

in 'survival mode' and we don't see him for at least solid 30 - 60 mins even after the visitors have left.

Otherwise, he can be very social with us. He never showed any signs of illness' and ate, drank and used the litterbox normally.

Here I will note that he is and always was an indoor cat. He is scared of going out. Really.

Now we are with my wife currently still abroad, and we gave him again to the same friend of mine to be looked after.

His flat can get quite hot in the summers (but not as hot as one of our previous flats where our cat had no issues with the heat. Even when tempature rose up to 90 fahrenheit/32+ celsius). He didn't even pant or anything. He seemed always good.

Our friend just emailed us that in their city there was a heatwave, but nothing abnormal or nothing that our cat hadn't gone through before.

He said there was those signs of a cat being more lazy than before and just lying around, but still close to a window, which he also was afraid of whenever a louder noise would be made by ongoing traffic etc. The apartment is on a 2nd floor by the way.

Our friend says that last weekend (26 or 27th of July) was the last time he clearly saw our cat in the flat doing his normal things.

This thursday he tells us that he hadn't seen any trails or signs of activity in the house (food not really touched or litterbox used) and

he thinks that maybe the got ran away. However me and my wife knowing our cat better (and even the friend admitted that he never had to worry about the cat bailing as he was very afraid of new people and noises) are pretty damn sure he did not escape. But he is not simply able to find our cat no longer. Which strikes as a very odd thing, considering cats do not leave safe shelters and reliable food sources. Indoor cats especially I would think.

This is now 4 days ago and our friend says still that hasn't seen any signs of him. He's checked the cats usual hideouts, favorite being behind his refridgerator. Granted in the past two times at his place, he said he thought he didn't see the cat for days but noticed that at least food is being eaten etc. He only said that the cat seemed depressed in the weekend (when last seen) and he only understood that something may be not right when he was cleaning the litterbox and there was nothing to be cleaned since the last time. Also that sometimes the cat actually came to greet him when he arrived from work. In the beginning the cat was eating like a horse he said, and then towards that last weekend, a little less. But then it was already very warm and that is always when I noticed our cat eating less. 

Maybe he was fueling himself? Can it be that our cat is still in his apartment (after all, they are hard to be found if they choose to really hide) but it's just strange that all of a sudden he changes his behavior so. Did he get so depressed (or scared of something) that we took him there again that he has decided to remain hidden? Granted this time abroad is a little over 2 weeks this time, and last travel took only as long as til the time he now misteriously disappeared? Our friend is saying maybe he escaped to go home. We seriously doubt this as he's never been an outdoor cat and we took him always by car to this friends place. Our friend didn't mention anything like that the cat would've been vomiting or panting so I'm just praying he hasn't gotten ill despite that Our trip abroad is ruined and we'll be flying back coming Tuesday (6th of Aug) and we're hoping by this time, he would actually be found, safely, unharmed, inside the flat. We of course acknowledge the fact that the cat may have ran away, but certainly not for very far. Our friend has gone to the neighbours and is looking every day few times the building around (however if he has left the flat, it would be very unlikely that he would've even gotten out from the building due to the always closed main doors). 

I guess what would calm our minds is to know if anyone here has experienced something similar? I know cat's can get depressed and thus being very antisocial and stay hidden for very long periods. But knowing how his flat is, we don't really see where the cat could vanish. And what worries us is the fact that there seems to be no signs of litterbox usage or drinking water and feeding. Our friend keeps saying he has tried looking even from the most 'silliest' places for him, but to no avail. 

My wife's mom shared something similar from her past; Their house cat was once so shocked and/or scared of another cat having visited their place, that the cat hid for 15 consecutive days, behind their stove! And they had been using it and the cat never dared to come out. And this whole time without eating and drinking or going to the toilet. He turned out fine in the end. 

Apologies for this long note, I hope someone had the patience with us and can share us their thoughts/experiences.

Would be highly appreciated. This cat is our family. We miss him and it kills us that we have to wait 4 more day before we can

even ourselves to go there to look for him. 

 

[tulosai]

I don't think he is still in the apartment.  Bluntly, cat urine stinks and it would not be possible for your friend not to smell it if the cat was still in the apartment and urinating outside the box, especially since by now that would have needed to happen multiple times.  I am assuming the water dish is also untouched.  If so, the cat is either not in the apartment or has passed on, since cats can usually only go a little over 24 hours with no water.

I hope this doesn't sound heartless and I know it's not what you want to hear, but I would definitely be expecting the worst. I just can't imagine a situation where he has been in teh apartment for 4 days without eating, drinking, or using the litterbox but is just hiding and is totally fine.

 

[valen8iada]

The whole story is really strange since the feedback is being provided and no one can actually say for sure what really happened. What i would like to say is that its impossible for a cat to "pass on" only by the fact that it was let without food and water for more than 24hrs. Yes, its cruel and sad if this happened but all cats have a survival instinct which will lead them to food and water more over when this is provided.

Reading carefully i dont see a way out from the flat and since cat's personality is so shy its more likely to be somewhere hidden.

Personally i have an experience of a cat who was left without food and water for 7 days and when i got to know (was a neighbours cat) i just couldnt believe it. Cats are strong, clever and born survivors!

I m wishing from my heart that your cat is somewhere just hidden and maybe a little bit angry for your vacations and also i would like to kindly ask from all the friends in this forum to carefully select their wordings since its really hard for someone who is far and asks for help to read lines which are just based on personal thoughts and not facts.

 

[tulosai]

Again, I am sorry if I am coming across as insensitive.  I do try to choose my words as carefully as I can.  However, I see at least 2 ways the cat could have gotten away- out through the window (which it sounds to me may have been open due to the heat and a lack of air conditioning) or through the door when someone wasn't paying much attention. It is possible if he wasn't wearing a collar that some 'good samaritan' took him in even if he couldn't get out the front doors of the building.  He may also be hiding somewhere else entirely in the building.  Has the OP's friend looked for 'found' signs in or around the building?

While some cats can live a week without water (or at least there are urban legends about them) most cats can't go without water for more than a few days max depending how well hydrated they were before the access to water stopped. I am not a vet but I have worked extensively with shelters since I was 18 and have seen lots of cats who were either very sick or else had passed on from lack of access to water for 24-36 hours. Of course cats, like humans, are individuals.

I do hope the cat is okay, but I still really don't see how he could be in the apartment, not use the litterbox for 4 days, and have no one smell the urine.

I do agree that at this point, to some extent, anything anyone says is speculation.

 

[droktober]

I forgot to add in my original post that our friend did however keep changing his drinking water (which is anyway a large bowl) so I would think it will be difficult to spot if he has been coming to drink. Same with his food, putting new food twice a day. Also, I think this friend of ours is not that detail-oriented and maybe can not spot even the little signs of food and water having been consumed. I know I sometimes fell for this in our apartment and ended up emptying his foods which he just hadn't finished or sometimes barely touched. Thus me and my wife are a little more optimistic here.

About the litterbox, yes we also thought that if he was peeing elsewhere, it would be smelled. For sure. But also from some little experience (but just not from this long period) the cat could well hide his pee at the very bottom of the litterbox, hiding it with more litter. And once I saw this at our home, I thought OK I don't need to change the litter, but once I gave a closer look; moving the box and scraping it some, i realised it was halfway 'wet'. That being said, our friend might not have given a proper look at the mentioned factors here. We have emailed him today about these very issues, but he hasn't replied as of yet.

It can be that in the worst case scenario, tulosai is right. Our cat has passed on but we also think hardly for the said reason, as Valen8iada mentions. Also it could be that our friend is not telling us the truth. Afraid of our reactions. Maybe he neglected the cat and/or something else happened. Don't know. Or he simply escaped and is somewhere nearby. As indoor cats do not tend to go on journeys where there are no familiar scents and their territorial smells. 

Thanks for the responses thus far. Really appreciate it.

 

[tulosai]

I forgot to add in my original post that our friend did however keep changing his drinking water (which is anyway a large bowl) so I would think it will be difficult to spot if he has been coming to drink. Same with his food, putting new food twice a day. Also, I think this friend of ours is not that detail-oriented and maybe can not spot even the little signs of food and water having been consumed. I know I sometimes fell for this in our apartment and ended up emptying his foods which he just hadn't finished or sometimes barely touched. Thus me and my wife are a little more optimistic here.

About the litterbox, yes we also thought that if he was peeing elsewhere, it would be smelled. For sure. But also from some little experience (but just not from this long period) the cat could well hide his pee at the very bottom of the litterbox, hiding it with more litter. And once I saw this at our home, I thought OK I don't need to change the litter, but once I gave a closer look; moving the box and scraping it some, i realised it was halfway 'wet'. That being said, our friend might not have given a proper look at the mentioned factors here. We have emailed him today about these very issues, but he hasn't replied as of yet.

It can be that in the worst case scenario, tulosai is right. Our cat has passed on but we also think hardly for the said reason, as Valen8iada mentions. Also it could be that our friend is not telling us the truth. Afraid of our reactions. Maybe he neglected the cat and/or something else happened. Don't know. Or he simply escaped and is somewhere nearby. As indoor cats do not tend to go on journeys where there are no familiar scents and their territorial smells. 

Thanks for the responses thus far. Really appreciate it.

I guess this does change my opinion somewhat.  If your friend is a non-detail oriented type and keeps refilling the bowls, your kitty might be waiting till your friend goes to bed to go eat and drink.  I still think the litterbox thing is weird, but hopefully you are right and the kitty is just burying thoroughly.  Hopefully your friend will be able to answer your questions soon.

 

[ritz]

Ask your friend to sprinkle baby powder or corn starch in every hidden crevice he can find.  Wait over night.  Then see if there are any paw prints on the baby powder/corn starch.  Remember, if the cat can fit his head into a space, he can fit his entire body.

In case he is outside, close by:  put out smelly food (yeah,  you may be feeding racoons.  or your lost cat) and a litter box.  And maybe some smelly clothing of yours or your cat's favorite blanket. 

If/when you find the cat, vet asap; he may be very sick.

A cat ("Buckley") a friend and I were socializing in her home escaped, first through the crawl space, then the eaves; and then two weeks later, two miles away, he returned to the cat colony from where he had been removed.  He was at my friend's house for at least six months--and still remembered how to get back to where he originated from.

Good luck, and let us know the outcome.

 

[sivyaleah]

Ritz, that is a great idea.  

It's amazing what a small ball a cat can curl up into and hide.  Our younger one, when we first got her, got spooked once and we eventually found her behind one of the old radiators in the house.  She was in such a tiny ball, she looked half her size and she isn't big to begin with.  We had to lift up the radiator cover and it was not easy even reaching behind the unit to get her.  Poor thing had peed and pooed herself she was so scared.  Another time, we thought she had gotten out, my BF was searching for her literally for hours and I came home early from work because I was so upset about it, to help find her.  We did what Ritz said to do; put all her things on the front porch along with food, water, litter box.  Went out looking for her.  More hours went by and while I was sitting on our couch, I decided to look one last time behind it.  Again, like a small ball, there she was wedged against the furniture and since she's the same color as it, who could see her?  Thankfully, the sunlight hit her eyeball just in the right way for me to realize she was there.  

Truly it is remarkable how they can hide when they need to.  I suspect that your cat got out somehow also - it seems far more likely than not from what you write.  If you do find him, I hope you reconsider who watches him from now on if you really need to continue taking such long trips.  Finding a certified pet sitter would give you much more peace of mind.  

 

[tulosai]

Truly it is remarkable how they can hide when they need to.  I suspect that your cat got out somehow also - it seems far more likely than not from what you write.  If you do find him, I hope you reconsider who watches him from now on if you really need to continue taking such long trips.  Finding a certified pet sitter would give you much more peace of mind.  

I was thinking that too. 

 

[droktober]

Ask your friend to sprinkle baby powder or corn starch in every hidden crevice he can find.  Wait over night.  Then see if there are any paw prints on the baby powder/corn starch.  Remember, if the cat can fit his head into a space, he can fit his entire body.

In case he is outside, close by:  put out smelly food (yeah,  you may be feeding racoons.  or your lost cat) and a litter box.  And maybe some smelly clothing of yours or your cat's favorite blanket. 

If/when you find the cat, vet asap; he may be very sick.

A cat ("Buckley") a friend and I were socializing in her home escaped, first through the crawl space, then the eaves; and then two weeks later, two miles away, he returned to the cat colony from where he had been removed.  He was at my friend's house for at least six months--and still remembered how to get back to where he originated from.

Good luck, and let us know the outcome.

Thank you for the replies everyone.

Needless to say, if our cat is found alive and well, that was his last trip to that apartment.

Like I already said, knowing the nature and behavior of our cat, he has not tried to escape through the door. Never has. 

Actually, he has never ever shown any signs or actions towards escaping. Ever.

I will ask our friend to try out the baby powder trick. Truly a clever one. THANK YOU!!

 

[catapault]

If your cat was dead in the apartment in a heat wave there is no way your friend, however inattentive he is, would not be aware of it. We once had a mouse die in the walls and the stench was unbelievable.

It is amazing where cats can get to. One of mine got onto the upper kitchen cabinets that are hung on the wall. Walked over to the end adjacent to a wall and slid down 7 feet through a 3 1/2 inch wide gap at the top. It took several hours before we found him. Since your cat is so timid he could be in some similar "who would have thought he could get there" kind of space - duct work, under radiator. When it is time to take a cat to the vet they somehow know and I swear, disappear into another dimension.

A cat recently survived a long journey in a cargo container aboard a ship from the Philippines to Los Angeles. No food, no water for 3 weeks. http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local/los_angeles&id=9189962 It was frail and weak, of course needed vet care, but it survived.

I truly hope your cat is ghosting through the house at night when all is quiet, taking a nibble of food and a sip of water, then retreating to his hiding place.

I'll be thinking of you and waiting for a positive message once you are back home and your cat is found.

 

[franksmom]

I have two cats and both love to torture me sometimes and hide. I swear they think it is a game because they come sauntering out at the point where I am on my hands and knees weeping on the floor.

My cat frank is also a scardy cat and is afraid of the outdoors. When he was younger if I had visitors he would also hide and sometimes it would take an hour of meticulously searching to find him. My kitten ava isn't as bad and she usually comes when I call her, but she does hide when I go to work. She disappeared one day when my mother was home and her and my sister searched everywhere for hours. My mother was hysterical and came to pick my up from work while my sister searched. When I came through the door calling her name she came bounding out to greet me. She had somehow wedged herself under the couch and despite looking their numerous times she was able to stay undetected.

I have the impression that your friend hasn't searched too hard and it is very possible for cats to get into very tight areas. I saw a thread on here a few months ago where a cat had gotten stuck in a vet and was there for days. I would have your friend look in any vents and loose ceiling tiles. Behind the fridge and the stove are other locations they can get stuck. They can also get inside furniture through holes in the fabric. My kitten started working her way through a whole under a living room chair and I caught her just before she jumped in.

To be on the safe side I would get your friend to call all the local shelters and vets.

I also agree the powder idea is genius and I would suggest putting it in front of the water dish too.

 

[droktober]

I have two cats and both love to torture me sometimes and hide. I swear they think it is a game because they come sauntering out at the point where I am on my hands and knees weeping on the floor.

My cat frank is also a scardy cat and is afraid of the outdoors. When he was younger if I had visitors he would also hide and sometimes it would take an hour of meticulously searching to find him. My kitten ava isn't as bad and she usually comes when I call her, but she does hide when I go to work. She disappeared one day when my mother was home and her and my sister searched everywhere for hours. My mother was hysterical and came to pick my up from work while my sister searched. When I came through the door calling her name she came bounding out to greet me. She had somehow wedged herself under the couch and despite looking their numerous times she was able to stay undetected.

I have the impression that your friend hasn't searched too hard and it is very possible for cats to get into very tight areas. I saw a thread on here a few months ago where a cat had gotten stuck in a vet and was there for days. I would have your friend look in any vents and loose ceiling tiles. Behind the fridge and the stove are other locations they can get stuck. They can also get inside furniture through holes in the fabric. My kitten started working her way through a whole under a living room chair and I caught her just before she jumped in.

To be on the safe side I would get your friend to call all the local shelters and vets.

I also agree the powder idea is genius and I would suggest putting it in front of the water dish too.

Yes we recall from our past occasions when for instance, had invited few people to come over, and Taboo (our little cat's name) disappeared for half a day. Especially if a larger group of people came to visit.

We too think our friend has sort of stopped really looking for him in the flat. He said he goes outside still everyday though. 

The litterbox has remained untouched he confirmed. This is the only rational fact that actually really worries me, stuggesting that he may not be anymore in the flat despite Taboo's timid character. However, I feel I need to mention and some may judge us over this, is that our friend is not the most cleaniest and tidiest person. The other times when we went to pick Taboo up, the flat stank of cat pee and of cat. You know in that way when someone is not cleaning their apartment for months. Stuffy and so forth. And most likely because he kept emptying the cat litter to a large grocery pag, and never took it out to the garbage!! Just kept it inside the flat. But nothing ever suggested that

Taboo would have been suffering from malnutrition or in generally being badly taken care of. Whenever our friend saw him around, at least in his own words, he tried to play with him etc. But Taboo never seemed to be up to it that much. 

Reason we always trusted our friend to look after him was because he does like animals. He as a young boy, had cats in their home. Living in a farm house, so they were outdoor ones who occasionally of course came indoors to eat. And whenever he visited us, Taboo wasn't that afraid of him. He came quite quickly out from his hideouts and was almost his normal self while he was there.

I believe cat's can sense this in people, who likes cat's (or animals in general I guess) and they sense the people who aren't cat fans. So I have learned from Taboo's reactions and behaviors with different friends coming by. Those who weren't fans of cat's came over, Taboo didn't show himself for the entire time being. And took time until he got the courage to come out again. 

So that of course calmed my mind about our friend knowing that Taboo wasn't actually very intimitated of him. Also what we do know of our friends daily routines are that he goes to work

early. Stays normally quite late (we are all colleagues) and doesn't necessarily go home right away. So there's plenty of time for Taboo to be alone in the flat. And roam around if he chooses to.

We have asked him to try out the baby bowder trick. We'll see in time.

Thank you Catapault for the interesting link and Franksmom for the similar story. It does give us some more hope in our case. What I'm struggling with is that what on earth could've scared our Taboo so badly that he remains so hidden? Our friend don't seem to think of any reason either. He did say he had a group of people come over that very weekend, when he thinks he saw him last time. That could be one reason Taboo freaked out.

And our friend is not really giving us much to grasp on as he keeps saying he has 'blurry' memory of exactly when he saw last time traces of Taboo. Which confirms more the fact that he is not paying that much of attention to the cat and his trails. We really hope that is the case. 

We hope when we go finally to the apartment, that once hearing our voices he would appear. My wife keeps always telling me that she has never seen a cat been so dependant and ponded with someone like with me. 

Thank you all again for the good thoughts and replies. 3 more days and we can go ourselves to look for him. 

PS. The last time (early this spring) when we travelled and went to take Taboo back, Taboo was so pissed off at me (that is anyway my conclusion) that he didn't come even when heard me calling for him. We did find him hiding behind the fridge and we had to move the whole thing in order to take him. 

Also, knowing that for a cat a change of routine can be a huge shock. However, I also remember reading once that it's better to take the cat to a place where has at least been before (for his own scents most likely still being there) than everytime taking to a new environment, with all new smells and so forth. That is one reason we decided to keep giving Taboo to this friend of ours.

 

[droktober]

Hello again

Being as frantic as we are currently, we can't help but think about what's going on with our Taboo.

Now that the inital shock has passed and had the time to think a little more, more rationally and calmly at least, I thought of posting

something else regarding the apartment Taboo was (hopefully still is in...).

The apartments kitchen window which was the only one used to be kept open, is facing the innerside of the building.

And yes, basically Taboo could've escaped through it. It has bars outside but he could've easily managed to slip through.

However as per our friends words, he is terrified of the traffic noises (and remember this was on the 2nd floor) and so

always tended to run off to his hideout(s) if noises got louder. Or the doorbell even rang.

If Taboo would've had escaped through the window, there is no free-fall to the ground floor. But under the window right below is a corridor way which is like an open one. No roofs etc.

And this corridor has at the end has closed doors (it's about 8 meters/23 feet from the window), which otherwise would leave to the staircase (sorry for my English, it's not my native tongue)

Thus making it, in our opinion, even more unlikely that he all of a sudden got this 'adventure burst' and just manages to go downstairs/upstairs from there. Upstairs they have an attic, but the door is always closed. 

Downstairs they have a cellar, which is kept open occasionally but today at least is closed we were told. Later on our friend will go today to check that place and put some water and food there.

So, if thinking logically. It does sound as if the cat would most likely be hiding in the apartment. 

I could bet my both thumbs for the fact that he is not far. 

In any case, I will let you all know of updates and the eventual outcome. 

Thank you

 

[ritz]

As a rule of thumb, cats if/when they do escape, stay within 100 feet (football/soccer field length) of their home.  Your friend should look behind/around/under any bushes/trees.  if your cat is  a climber, then in the tree.

 

[dreamraider]

Any update?

 

[droktober]

Hi everyone and sorry to keep you waiting!

GOOD news finally!!! 

 On Monday evening there was sighting of a cat in the building where our friend lives (had freaked out some lady in her kitchen and then ran off).

So yesterday we flew back home, went directly there and we found our Taboo !!!!  

He had been hiding in a construction site next to this building (for 7 days) which fortunately had no constructions going on for the past some months'. 

The site had only 2 large shipping containers and poor Taboo was under one of them (but not stuck, it was his 'safe' place for then).

Taboo is back home 

Doesn't look as bad as we thought he might (and today he seems even better), and his spirit and mood is also good and his general well-being

He purrs and seems happy!!! Of course he was a little exhausted last night and he has lost some weight. But once we arrived home, he was very calm and I would say normal, considering the circumstances. He was quite thirsty and hungry naturally.

Long story as short as I can put it; 

As he was under a container, I couldn't fit under it, and the ground beneath was too hard for digging. I sat down and had his favorite sleeping blanket and his toy with me.

Put some water and food there and just waited. He didn't want to come out. Instincts had taken over is my thinking. But hadn't gone feral totally.

After 3 hours I decided to try to 'smoke' him out of there. I found a steel rod, used that to make him move around under the container, and one point

he cornered himself there, and I just sneaked to the other side of the container (as I saw that he was getting tired) and I snatched him!! I literally did a blind move

to catch him. I couldn't see him from that angle and side, but that was the corner I knew he was at. 

The veterinarian friend I spoke with said (on the phone) that judging from his mood, behavior and desire to drink and eat, he is not in critical condition. Just basic blood tests etc will be done.

He has used his litter box at home, which also is a good sign. Also I did that test when you grab the cats neck and see how slowly or fast

it falls back and it did fall back almost instantly. Which is also a sign he isn't too dry.

Oh my God, it was an ordeal I'll tell you. But we are so happy now. SO HAPPY!!!!!!!!

I will put his picture as my avatar so you all can see him!

Thank you all who followed Taboo's story and for all the good wishes, thoughts and everything!

 

[jcat]

that you found him and he's in pretty good shape!

 

[ondine]

Thanks for sharing the good news.  Hopefully, Taboo will be staying with another friend when you have to travel in future!   He (and you) don't need any more of these adventures! 

 

[droktober]

Argh! Forgot one thing aaagain;

We suspect that Taboo just got the courage to go out some point and tried eventually to go back to the window where he left from.

But went instead one floor lower and thus got freaked out (along with the lady, who we did not speak to as of yet anyway) and ran off. The woman was screaming

and being 'crazy', one tenant heard this and mentioned it to us so I guess Taboo got even more scared and jumped from the floor to the construction site. As I was there, looking

at the setting, it did make sense that it went down like so. 

All we care about now is that he is safe and at home