My beautiful girl went missing a week after moving house...3 months ago.

[bringportiahome]

I've done everything. Posters, flyers, phoning vets and rescue's, emptying the hoover bag outside, going out in the early hours calling for her...nothing has worked. I'm devastated. What are the chances of her coming home after 3 months?

The vet said a week after moving house would be fine for me to let the cats out....we had a cat when I was a kid who went out the day we moved and had no problems, so I had nothing to compare it to. I let both cats out a week later like the vet said, and both went missing. Effie was found two weeks later and returned to me...Portia is still missing. Have had many false alarms.

I feel like such a failure and my confidence has been severely knocked. I love her and miss her with every fibre of my being and I blame myself completely. Is there still hope? And if there isn't, how do I move forward? My husband is convinced she won't be back and he seems to be healed, but I'm getting worse every day. I'm trying everything. As she is chipped is there still a chance?

101579_a.jpg

• bringportiahome
• Aug 6, 2016

 

[gypsyish]

Oh no, I am so sorry. Have you posted anything near your old home? Cats have been known to travel long distances to get "home".

First things first. I lost the love of my life two years ago. I had him seventeen years. I was far too attached and I never thought I would get over it. Slowly, it becomes easier. You will get past it, I promise. You cannot blame yourself, you sought and followed advice.

Secondly, there is absolutely hope. A few years ago I found a cat playing in my leaf piles. I took her to the vet to see if she was microchipped (after she gave me a heck of a time playing catch) and it turns out she belonged to a family who lived miles away and lost her six months before. In fact, they had gotten another cat in the meanwhile, certain she was gone.

There is always hope. It is likely she was taken in by a nice family or is hanging out in someone's garage. I truly hope she turns up very soon.

 

[ginny]

I would stay in contact with Animal Control at your old place and your new one too (if you moved out of the area) just to make sure she hasn't been picked up by them.  Tell them when she went missing and they can check their records for that week.  I'm so sorry about your lost kitty.  I hope she comes home!

 

[thekittykeepers]

I am so sorry about your lost kitty, I am wondering how far from the old house did you move? When I was young, we moved a lot, and our cat would always return to our old house even though it was miles away.

If you did not move far, I would recommend going to your previous residence and looking there. I hope this is resolved with a happy ending and I will follow this thread until the conclusion. Good luck with your baby, I am sure she misses you just as much as you miss her.

On a related note, one of our cats went missing last year. Probably chased away by dogs or other widely feel in the area. He was gone for months, and my wife saw him while walking the dog. Just blind luck really. He was terrified, and she held on to him while flagging down a passing motorist to have them notify me. He scratch and bit her, but she never let go, and I got there about 15 minutes later to help with bringing Panda and the dog, Logan, back home. He has been fine ever since. We know the torment of losing a cat, all our cats (more than 30)are now indoor only, we won't risk the disease and vehicle/animal attacks anymore. It's difficult, but the price of keeping them alive, healthy and happy is worth it. Sincerely, the kittykeepers.

 

[bringportiahome]

We moved 10 miles away from the old house, so if she's trying to get home she could still be travelling there?

I can't stop shaking and crying. I don't want her to be scared and hungry and crying for me. Everyone who lives here seems to have given up. Shops don't put my posters up anymore.

 

[thekittykeepers]

She would be back in the area of the old house if that is where she traveled too, 10 miles is not that far, even for a cat. Also, there is a good chance that a dual lifestyle cat (indoor/outdoor) will have all the skills necessary to stay alive and quite healthy even without human intervention. She could also have the tools required to entice someone to open their home to her, which is what I suspect she has done while waiting for her humans to return home.

I hope that you can travel back to the old house and find her there, she won't forget you either, she may be scared at first, but that goes away over time. In the future, I recommend keeping your cats exclusively indoor, they are far safer there from predators and humans/vehicles. We used to have dual lifestyle cats, until we also lost one. We know he is found by another family and too handsome to give up, but as long as he is happy and safe, we can deal with it. We won't allow that to happen again.

Let me know how the search goes, we really understand the sorrow you feel. Others that don't have the same kind of connection with a cat won't ever understand. I have a good feeling about your old neighborhood, good luck when you go back there, I am sure it will be a wonderful reunion. Sincerely, the kittykeepers.

 

[bringportiahome]

I go to the old house at least three times a week to visit my mother. She's keeping an eye out for her too and will call me if she finds anything. She doesn't like people and not sure if she would let anyone take her in, but then again, if she was hungry she might have let people take her and look after her.

All future cats we get will be indoor only. We tried keeping out other cat inside as she did a disappearing act at the same time as Portia. We kept her in for 7 weeks, and the she was pooing everywhere because she wanted to go out. I went to a different vet and they said she's probably unhappy being inside. So reluctantly we let her out, BUT she never goes out without me. I'm never letting her out unsupervised again.

I've found a farm at the end of our street, so there's a chance she could be hiding in there. I had a look today and saw a black cat, I could have cried, but I got closer and saw the cat had white on it too so it wasn't her, but there's still every chance that she could be hiding there, so will find the owners of the farm and give them a leaflet.

 

[thekittykeepers]

That's a great idea, and a farm is an ideal hiding place for a cat in new surroundings that frighten her, so I hope you are correct. Cats are very mysterious and can survive even the most harsh conditions, smart, resourceful and cunning, they find a way. I am sure she is alive and actively trying to find you, or reluctantly accepting food from another in the time away. We have 3 black cats, and they have awesome personalities as well as being beautiful, keep me in the loop, and more luck in the coming days that you will find her. Sincerely, the kittykeepers.

 

[frajude]

I had a cat named "Shen Tu".  I inherited a puppy Saluki and both got along famously but when I got outside dogs things changed.  One day she jumped the fence and they ran up to her. She handled it well and walked off ( had she run they would have killed her)  but then disappeared.  Years later I found her at a house and had been adopted but I felt that she was loved and better off with that woman.  She definitely knew me and I petted her and she responded to her name but she had a new home.   She may not be far away but don't be sad either.  

 

[Norachan]

A few things you could try.

Make some Lost Cat posters that say something like "Reward for any information leading to the recovery of Portia" You need to have the word Reward in big eye-catching letters. Have a clear picture of Portia on the poster. You don't need to say how much the reward is, you can decided that when you get Portia home again. If you don't want to put your phone number start a new e-mail account for people to respond to instead.

Have a look on a map and find out the most direct route between your current house and your old place. But up Lost Cat posters along that route. Cats have a good sense of direction and Portia could be heading for her old home.

The barn sounds like a good place to look. Go along and knock on the door of the farm and politely ask if you can check their barn. If they're kind enough to let you look around you could go back later with a little gift for them to say thanks. It pays to have as many people on your side as possible. Leave a poster with them and ask people to get in touch if they see her.

Good places to put posters are bus stops, near post boxes and post offices, near ATM's, near school gates and near garbage drop off sites. Everyone in the neighborhood goes to those kind of places so they'll see the posters.

Cats are active right before dawn, when there are less people about. Ask your husband to get up early with you and go and look for her early in the morning. Mark which areas you checked on a map so you can be sure you haven't missed any streets.

She's out there somewhere, you just have to keep looking.

 

[bringportiahome]

Will try all of them. Thank you!

I'm feeling so down today. I miss her terribly. And something happened today that made me feel worse.

These owners have two cats that go missing for months at a time. They never report them missing and when microchip company phones them saying "Your cat has been found, do you want him back?" They say no. One of the cats is hungry and miserable. I take him food but I can't do much else as owners won't sign him over to RSPCA though they clearly don't care. Their other cat turned up in someone's garden with badly infected wound on it's shoulder. The people who own the house took kitty to the vets today, he's now in there overnight on anti biotics. Owners were contacted and rather than being relieved that their cat was found alive, they complained about the vet bill. It hurts me that people like that get to know where their cats are and people like me who have been waiting months with no news never get to see their cats again.

Why get your cat microchipped if you're going to complain everytime someone calls them because they've found their cat? Why have cats at all? I can't stop crying.

 

[bringportiahome]

I'm not sure how many of you believe in this...but it fits. Bear in mind I never mentioned the words Oak or Alan to my friend. She used a spirit board and it told her that Portia was on a farm, and the words Alan and Oak were significant.

I looked on a farm for her yesterday. Now, there's a school called Oak Community School next to said farm..and the farm is being sold by an estate agents called ALAN and Harris....

I hope this is a sign that she's in there! And that she'll stay in there long enough for me to find her!

 

[ginny]

I would follow any lead you have!  Keeping my fingers crossed!  Hugs.

 

[bringportiahome]

 
I would follow any lead you have!  Keeping my fingers crossed!  Hugs.

Thank you. I feel like a crazy person but it doesn't sound like something she could make up.

 

[frajude]

When we love it is always CRAZY but it makes us whole. . I had a stray cat named Missy who has come here for 3 or 4 years.  She has not been back for about two months now but there was another stray who came also (Lulu) and she is still coming.  Missy was also black, meowed a lot if you patted her but then would come up and rub against her.  She ran in the house one time but then ran out and I could never get her to come in after that. The last few times she came she ate very little but she looked okay. I will pray that you find Portia.  She is a beautiful baby.(PORTIA) with a beautiful name.  Good luck!

 

[bringportiahome]

 
When we love it is always CRAZY but it makes us whole. . I had a stray cat named Missy who has come here for 3 or 4 years.  She has not been back for about two months now but there was another stray who came also (Lulu) and she is still coming.  Missy was also black, meowed a lot if you patted her but then would come up and rub against her.  She ran in the house one time but then ran out and I could never get her to come in after that. The last few times she came she ate very little but she looked okay. I will pray that you find Portia.  She is a beautiful baby.(PORTIA) with a beautiful name.  Good luck!

I hope Missy is back soon!

I love Portia's name. I named her and her sister (Effie) after characters from The Hunger Games series. The problem with naming your pets after books and movies is that when something happens to them, it pretty much ruins the books/movies for you. I can't read/watch The Hunger Games anymore.

 

[bringportiahome]

13022205_464134643795921_1144465918_n.jpg

• bringportiahome
• Aug 8, 2016

13010879_464047003804685_4914524228082397875_n.jpg

• bringportiahome
• Aug 8, 2016

13010902_465070720368980_1006713340378302362_n.jpg

• bringportiahome
• Aug 8, 2016

The last pictures I took of her before she went missing. Apart from putting them on missing posters I haven't looked at them. She seemed to be settling so well. I never expected her to leave me.

Where are you, beautiful? Mummy misses you so much. I'm sorry for whatever I did wrong.

 

[Primula]

I cannot believe your vet said it would be okay to let your cats outside after a week. Don't blame yourself - he gave you very bad advice.

There is a great chance Portia will be found because you had her chipped.

 

[Norachan]

 
Will try all of them. Thank you!

I'm feeling so down today. I miss her terribly. And something happened today that made me feel worse.

These owners have two cats that go missing for months at a time. They never report them missing and when microchip company phones them saying "Your cat has been found, do you want him back?" They say no. One of the cats is hungry and miserable. I take him food but I can't do much else as owners won't sign him over to RSPCA though they clearly don't care. Their other cat turned up in someone's garden with badly infected wound on it's shoulder. The people who own the house took kitty to the vets today, he's now in there overnight on anti biotics. Owners were contacted and rather than being relieved that their cat was found alive, they complained about the vet bill. It hurts me that people like that get to know where their cats are and people like me who have been waiting months with no news never get to see their cats again.

Why get your cat microchipped if you're going to complain everytime someone calls them because they've found their cat? Why have cats at all? I can't stop crying.

That would drive me crazy too. I hate it when people don't take proper care of them animals. Could you report them to the RSPCA? Leaving an injured cat untreated or letting an animal go hungry is simply unacceptable.

The barn sounds like a great place for Portia to hide. Have you thought about getting a trail camera? It's a camera that you can leave outdoors, padlocked to a fence or tree, that will take a picture or shoot a few seconds of film every time something moves in front of it.

I have this one. It's been left out over night in blizzards and monsoon rains and it still works fine.

http://www.acorncamera.com/ltl-6310mc-hd-new-version-trail-camera.html

You can leave some cat food out to attract cats, I'm sure there must be a few other strays around. Another thing that works well is Asian Fish Sauce (Nyanpura?) you dilute it with water and put it in a spray bottle and then squirt the grass and bushes near to where you set up your camera. It really stinks, but it brings all the cats in the neighborhood to check it out.

Good luck, keep us posted on how everything goes.

 

[thekittykeepers]

I am still hopeful that she comes home, she is so beautiful, reminds me of my Bruce. Not a follower of the stars, but looking anywhere can think of, is always a good idea. Keep the hope, sincerely, the kittykeepers.