I Lost My Cat, Help

[User1189]

My beloved cat Marshmallow got out last month. It has been 35 hard days since she left. We usually let her play in the backyard and she never leaves. She has gone missing twice before, but only for a few hours both times. My mom decided to adopt a new cat, and I’m worried the new cat will affect Marshmallow’s return. I love the new cat, but she’s not marshmallow. What should I do? I really miss marshmallow

 

[Elfilou]

Put up signs in the neighborhood, call around to vet's offices to ask if they found her, walk around and call her name - she might still be out there.

Enclose your yard. Cat-proof it. Google "enclosed cat garden" it's common in Europe, so there will be pictures for ideas and inspiration.

 

[danteshuman]

Also don't forget to check your local animal shelters .... especially the kind that will kill a cat if they aren't picked up/adopted in a certain time frame. You might want to give them a flier. Just in case because Marshmallow kept escaping, if you her back (and maybe the new cat to) why not microchip her? You ask your local shelter or vet what brand they recommend. That way if your cat gets out again, the pound will contact you automatically.

 

[User1189]

Also don't forget to check your local animal shelters .... especially the kind that will kill a cat if they aren't picked up/adopted in a certain time frame. You might want to give them a flier. Just in case because Marshmallow kept escaping, if you her back (and maybe the new cat to) why not microchip her? You ask your local shelter or vet what brand they recommend. That way if your cat gets out again, the pound will contact you automatically.

She is microchipped. If any shelter finds her (even the ones who euthanize unclaimed animals) would they contact me?

 

[danteshuman]

Yes they should, but it doesn't hurt to call. I would also put out fliers in a 5-10 mile radius. One of my cats ran away for 2 weeks and came back fatter! (I think he was dumpster diving.) After that he never wanted to go outside again. I hope you get her back.

 

[User1189]

My cat Marshmallow, left about a month ago. Should i still be hoping she comes back? There aren't really that many threats to a cat around our area, and we haven't found any cat corpses in our area. It IS getting pretty cold already; around 0-2 degrees mostly. Everyone is telling me to give up, but I really am hoping she comes back or we can find her. She is microchipped and no shelters have contacted us. I think she is definitely still in our neighbourhood. Maybe someone took her?

Will she come back?? I know I should be considering moving on, just in case she's not coming back. But I really love her, and am truly heartbroken. Can she survive on her own?

+My parents adopted this new cat. Is it possible the new cat could prevent Marshmallow's return?

Please help

 

[danteshuman]

I wouldn't give up. Given how cold it is it is likely someone found her & adopted her. Just in case I would leave dry food by the door she most likely exited. Also I would keep handing out fliers. Going door to door if necessary. I personally would hold out hope for 6 months. I hope she returns. If she doesn't please know she probably was found/adopted.

Indoor cats have not been taught how to survive in the wild. That is why keeping them in is such a big deal. In between going door to door with fliers, why not start training your other cat to avoid the door using a penny can every time you enter/leave?

 

[User1189]

I wouldn't give up. Given how cold it is it is likely someone found her & adopted her. Just in case I would leave dry food by the door she most likely exited. Also I would keep handing out fliers. Going door to door if necessary. I personally would hold out hope for 6 months. I hope she returns. If she doesn't please know she probably was found/adopted.

Indoor cats have not been taught how to survive in the wild. That is why keeping them in is such a big deal. In between going door to door with fliers, why not start training your other cat to avoid the door using a penny can every time you enter/leave?

Should I keep the new kitty or would that prevent Marshmallow from returning?? sorry for bothering you

 

[amethyst]

A month isn't that long, I would give it more time before giving up hope. Did you put up lost pet posters in your area? Ask neighbors if they have seen her? Maybe even post online on local social media sites just in case someone took her and rehomed her? I know this is a long shot now since it's been a month, but if you still have anything that smells like her around, a dirty litter box works best, put it outside so she can hopefully smell her way home. Also did you call shelters and vets in the area? or are you just figuring no phone call means they don't have her? Not all microchips are the same and there is no universal scanner so they may have either not scanned or didn't use the right one.

If the new cat is an outside or inside/outside cat then yes a new unfamiliar cat claiming the territory and chasing her off can prevent her from being able to come back.

I would say it depends on a lot of factors if she could survive or not. Is there anywhere in the area she might be able to find shelter from the cold? Do your neighbors like cats? Is she normally an indoor or an outdoor cat? Do you know if she can hunt or not? not all cats can successfully. Also do you live in a town, city, or rural area? How much traffic is in your area, as well as how many predators, both wild animals and stray cats and dogs that might kill her?

 

[danteshuman]

I doubt your new cat will prevent her from returning. However if you get her back you will probably need to go through the introduction process. Every weekend walking around within a mile with a color pic in your hand plus fliers to leave door to door might be your best chance. Talk to every one you can, so that way hopefully word of mouth will spread. Also don't forget to put an add out in the newspaper, in case an older couple found her.

 

[User1189]

A month isn't that long, I would give it more time before giving up hope. Did you put up lost pet posters in your area? Ask neighbors if they have seen her? Maybe even post online on local social media sites just in case someone took her and rehomed her? I know this is a long shot now since it's been a month, but if you still have anything that smells like her around, a dirty litter box works best, put it outside so she can hopefully smell her way home. Also did you call shelters and vets in the area? or are you just figuring no phone call means they don't have her? Not all microchips are the same and there is no universal scanner so they may have either not scanned or didn't use the right one.

If the new cat is an outside or inside/outside cat then yes a new unfamiliar cat claiming the territory and chasing her off can prevent her from being able to come back.

I would say it depends on a lot of factors if she could survive or not. Is there anywhere in the area she might be able to find shelter from the cold? Do your neighbors like cats? Is she normally an indoor or an outdoor cat? Do you know if she can hunt or not? not all cats can successfully. Also do you live in a town, city, or rural area? How much traffic is in your area, as well as how many predators, both wild animals and stray cats and dogs that might kill her?

You're right, thank you. I will call the shelters. I live in a moderately quiet neighbourhood in the city, not a lot of wild animals. Not much traffic usually, but lots of dogs. The thing I'm worried about is that she didn't have the chance to learn how to survive/hunt/find shelter. She was an indoor cat. It was her first day being outside, and she somehow escaped.

 

[danteshuman]

Like I said I would be handing out fliers everywhere within 6-10 miles (cats can roam far.) I would also be calling every vet & animal shelter within 50 or so miles. I would ask each vert office/grocery store/laundry mat if you can hang this flier for your lost cat. Be sure to put the day she went missing, that she is an indoor kitty, any identifying marks/pattern & color of her fur, what name she responds to, that she has a chip (and the brand of a chip) & a few pics from different angles are not a bad idea. A reward isn't a bad idea either (?$100?) If nothing else it tells the people who may have found her, re-homed her that you love her & are willing to put effort into caring for her.

 

[User1189]

Like I said I would be handing out fliers everywhere within 6-10 miles (cats can roam far.) I would also be calling every vet & animal shelter within 50 or so miles. I would ask each vert office/grocery store/laundry mat if you can hang this flier for your lost cat. Be sure to put the day she went missing, that she is an indoor kitty, any identifying marks/pattern & color of her fur, what name she responds to, that she has a chip (and the brand of a chip) & a few pics from different angles are not a bad idea. A reward isn't a bad idea either (?$100?) If nothing else it tells the people who may have found her, re-homed her that you love her & are willing to put effort into caring for her.

The fliers we put up kept getting ripped off (eventually we kind of lost hope and gave up but that was a bad idea) which is why I'm slightly suspicious that someone kept her. I'll put more up; maybe someone has seen her. Thank you for the tips and support!

 

[danteshuman]

That was why I was talking about going door to door and knocking on people's doors. That way you can plead your case in person. I know if I found a lost cat & fell in love I might want to keep her. However if I was assured that she belonged to a loving family who would make sure she didn't get out ever again, I would give the cat back. I wouldn't give the cat back to owners I viewed as negligent or abusive.
* It could just be teenagers trying to be rebellious ripping down your fliers.
** My stepbrother (the jerk) dropped our cat with bladder issue in a field a few miles away from home (she passed away peacefully years later.) She was declawed. Days later she returned home. My mom never knew or she would have killed him (& hearing the story I wanted to kill him.) My point is even declawed & lost a cat can still find their way home. Have hope.

 

[User1189]

That was why I was talking about going door to door and knocking on people's doors. That way you can plead your case in person. I know if I found a lost cat & fell in love I might want to keep her. However if I was assured that she belonged to a loving family who would make sure she didn't get out ever again, I would give the cat back. I wouldn't give the cat back to owners I viewed as negligent or abusive.
* It could just be teenagers trying to be rebellious ripping down your fliers.
** My stepbrother (the jerk) dropped our cat with bladder issue in a field a few miles away from home (she passed away peacefully years later.) She was declawed. Days later she returned home. My mom never knew or she would have killed him (& hearing the story I wanted to kill him.) My point is even declawed & lost a cat can still find their way home. Have hope.

Thank you, I am feeling happier about Marshmallow now. I will try to go from door to door again, considering I haven't done that in 3 weeks

 

[User1189]

It has now been 41 days, and Marshmallow still hasn't returned. Help! What do lost cats do? She isn't familiar with the area, but she was allowed to stay in the back yard. Has she gone far?

 

[User1189]

Marshmallow went missing on September 5th. It is October 23rd. I can’t believe it’s been 48 days with out my fur baby. How can I find her? I’ve put up flyers, and my family is in the process of calling shelters. Where do cats hide during cold weather? It’s getting pretty cold here in Canada. Do you think someone has taken her in? No one has seen her. Everyone really misses her and we hope to shorten the amount of time left before she returns.

 

[vyger]

One very dangerous place they like to get into is car engines. When the engine is warm it's a really nice place to sit. I am guessing that many people there have plug in engine heaters. We do here in Montana. Those keep the engine warm and once again draw cats to them. People who care about the problem will bang on the hood before they get in and start the engine. I had to pull a feral kitten out of my wheel well once. I had insulated leather gloves on and the kitten made a pretty good effort and biting through them. It's to bad that they don't get it that you are trying to save their lives. Any way, that is one place they like to get into. Hopefully your cat has found someplace better. Or someone. By the way, they can handle pretty cold temperatures with no problems. That fur is a very good insulator. At this time they will not be so worried about a warm place as much as food. Places where a cat can find food is where they will be hanging out. That includes places like behind grocery stores and restaurants where lots of food gets thrown away. Also if there is someone who puts food out for stray and feral animals they will draw a crowd. Remember they can smell food from far away. Right now to find where the cats are look for where the food is.

 

[User1189]

Marshmallow has been missing since September 5th, 2017. Almost 3 months. The weather here is getting cold, usually around -5° to -20°. What happened to Marshmallow? We all miss her so much. Do cats know how to survive in winter? She was allowed outside, but never out of our backyard before she escaped, so she’s never really gotten a chance to learn. What do you think happened to Marshmallow? She wasn’t obviously sick or anything when she left.

 

[Draco]

Have you called around shelters and vets to see if anyone turned her in? posted flyers and checked in with neighbors to see if anyone has seen her? Also have neighbors check their garages/sheds- sometimes cats go in for warmth and people don't realize there's a cat in there and shut the door and trap them in.

Have tried putting smelly food out for her?