So all of y’all are saying how your cat ran away. here’s my story. I adopted 2 cats yesterday. One was a mama cat who was taken from her babies. And the other was a kitten. Both of these came from a shelter. Well the next morning when I woke up. The mama cat was nowhere to be found and no one has opened a door that night period. I’ve looked all day and flipped this house upside down and still no cat. the baby is still here but not the mama one. I’m so confused

Our cat has crawled up inside the box springs of the bed (shredding the fabric to get there). I’m sure you have looked in the tops of closets, under sofa, etc. good luck.

Leave some wet food and water out at night and keep the kitten in the bedroom with you. The next morning, check to see if the food has been eaten during the night.

The only cat I’ve ever had disappeared one night 3 weeks ago. Kit Kat was a neutered orange tabby that showed up at our door one day, no collar, a young adult. We had no idea where he came from and he wouldn’t go away so we fed him. He made himself at home and for the next 14 years he became a part of our family. Up until he disappeared, he caroused the rural large lot area we lived in and honestly was in heaven. He was a hunter at night and brought us many “goodies” to our doorstop to show us how proud he was of his abilities to hunt. Our neighbors said he kept the mice away. He came in the house sometimes to sleep and drink out of the dog bowl (for some reason he preferred that) but always wanted to be outside at night no matter what! He has never disappeared overnight before so when he did recently, we got very worried. He was treated for hyperthyroidism and high blood pressure but I noticed in the last weeks he seemed to lose weight but with the heat starting up in NC in May and June shedding starts. Since he disappeared, I actively looked, Posted social media, scoured neighbors outside houses. Made flyers and handouts. I setup a wildlife camera after getting advice from a professional pet tracker and added a feeding station. No signs of any wildlife. Not knowing was killing me!!! Then I put the camera in an area on the Kit Kat’s territory perimeter with approval from my neighbor. While setting up the camera and only getting possums and coyotes the nights prior, I had my dog with me and he got a whiff of something and started tracking a scent. 75’ later he found a carcass in the woods. i Don’t want to be too descriptive, but after examining the bones and some hair we are 99% sure it is our Kit Kat. He was in an area he frequented but we don’t know if he went there to die or was attacked and chased at night. Has anyone had a cat disappear and go off to die? I am grieving like everyone else and depressed. I know every day may get better but I have to trust this was the way he wanted to go and remember the love he gave me. I will miss him terribly forever.

I let my cat out one morning too, 7 months later she is still gone, I went over to my neighbors house she rescues cat's and I have asked her multiple times if I could see her cat's to see if one of them is my beloved Cutie, and she avoids the question anyway when I dropped the rescue cat's to her a cat that looks like mine jumped in the window to greet me, she said that it ain't my cat she found it blah blah blah, so I left without the cat tmw I am going over to her house with pictures of my cat and tell her to let me look at that cat,, I am going to get my cat back or she will wish she never knew me

My cat was 8, had him since a kitten. He goes out in the nice months but not for long and always returns. He was overweight a bit, never went far. He was attached to me, slept on the bed, etc. One morning I let him out at 5AM and it was the last I saw him. On the Ring, he went under my back fence looking as if he were scared of a truck next door. That was 7AM. But he goes under the fence all the time. There's a meadow back there and woods next to a big property home for disabled, he likes to hunt for little critters and hang out. I called for him around 8:30AM and nothing. Got nervous around midday and searched for him on foot. Soon realized he was really gone :(. Posted in all the online groups, on apps, called shelters, posted flyers, searched more in neighbors that would let me and in the area. Got some texts and pictures from people on the apps but it was always a look a like and not him. He is a black and white cow cat, there seem to be many of these cats. Anyway, 2 months and I still get distraught. I miss him terribly. I feel bad for letting him out and not being up sooner to let him in. Over time I have grown to have a feeling one of my neighbors did something to him, I won't go into why but it's plausible. Just don't know for sure. I'm glad I found this thread. Reading all the stories makes me feel like I'm not alone. Don't know how long it will take for me to get over this. I miss my Charlie boy so much.

I am also the verge of a breakdown. I have had this feral go through two liters ! The first were spayed & neutered. 2 nd I found homes for. I had the mom 4 years now , her litter the 1st one here outside living too. The liter started fighting, she left 3 days ago .i have called and walked all over. I’m leaving in a couple days for a vac I booked months ago. I have a friend. One by to feed the cats outside while I’m gone. she I’d this a few years ago so I’m hoping it’s a repeat . I cant stop thinking is she ok and cry.

Trap the mom and get her spayed. Contact a local rescue or shelter and ask for help.

No. Someone either kidnaps them (happened to my cat as a child) or they become victims of tragedy.

i have a 7 month old kitten who mainly stayed inside and went out for a few hours a day, we had him neutered and he never strayed far from the yard. 2 days ago he vanished and hasn't been back since, im worried something has happened to him as its usual for him to not return home. Any ideas on what is going on ?

Have you looked for him? Do you live near wooded areas? Ask the neighbors, call local animal shelter? Local Vets?

i've looked everywhere for him and asked a few neighbours, no sign of him. I'm going to ring the local vets today and ask a few more neighbours. we have another stray cat around that tries to eat his food and has attacked my kitten before, do you think it would of attacked him?

It's very possible he was chased by this other cat and is either hiding or ran so far away he is lost and cannot find his way back.

Outside poses many dangers for cats - besides being hit by cars they can be chased or attacked by dogs or wildlife, exposed to other feral cats with diseases, they are attracted to anti-freeze which is poison, some humans will go out of their way to harm cats. They can get locked in someone's garage, get injured by construction debris or climbed a tree and fallen, get spooked and seek a place to hide, and wander off and get lost. Cats don't always have a sense of direction nor just walk away from the person that feeds and cares for them. Another danger is if they catch a rodent that someone baited. If they were to eat the sick rodent they can be poisoned. And lastly, someone may have found him wandering and thought he was a stray. Is he micro-chipped and if so, did you register the chip in case someone finds him and turns him in to a shelter? Most Vets and shelters will scan for a micro-chip if a stray is dropped off.

Do you give him treats from a container that when shaken and he hears it he comes running to the sound. If so, walk around and call him and make some noise with it. If he is micro-chipped you can post a 'lost' notice with a picture on PetLink so others in the community, including Vets, animal control, or rescues and shelters may see it.

Hope he finds his way home soon!

I'm experiencing this exact same thing with my Jinx. He too was a stray that we fed daily until one day he showed up after a fight and we took him to our vet and nearly 1500 dollars later he became our cat. We had to neuter him and quarantine him for 4 months, but during the quarantine he started to trust us and we knew he was going to be part of the family. That was over a year ago. He too like your girl would go out in the morning after his breakfast and chase the squirrels and hang out with our other cats both front and back yard, coming in and out throughout the day, He too would come in for the night before dark. This last Wednesday was just like any other, but I was busy cleaning the house so I didn't check on him as much as other days. After dinner he was nowhere to be seen I checked with everyone, searched, called and made report on websites and with the animal rescue service....I don't understand how he disappeared without a trzce....I'm so sad and anxious, I keep looking for him throughout the day and night. What could possibly have happened.....I don't know

I never did find my beautiful Midnight. She was a stray I took in and didn't have any idea she was pregnant! Her kittens were all grown when she just went out and never came back. :(

I picked up a cat 4 years ago during winter. It was very cold and all the shelters were plum full. We decided to keep her, plus she was expecting. She had 5 babies, my mother n law kept 2 and we kept 3. We already had 3 cats before I rescued her. We live out in the country and our cats have a cat door leading to the basement where they stay. It is nice and cozy for them. About 6 months ago she started wandering off being gone for a day or 2 then come back to eat and rest. She wandered off again, but she hasn’t come back and it’s been 2 weeks. We also heard coyotes in the back of our house, pretty much in our yard yelping like crazy in the evening and again about 1:00 am. I am hoping she comes back. I hope they didn’t get her.

The merits of keeping them indoors outweigh the advantages of letting them roam where dangers lurk at every turn.

I "rescued" multiple feral kittens from two different female cats. I think they were mother and daughter and thought they were one cat they looked identical. I already had 3 cats and within 2 years I had 10. Finally TNR'd one of the moms and the other elderly one disappeared after bringing her last litter of kittens to eat. I believe she was once domestic and abandoned as her kittens were quite tame and the mother was not fearful of humans just cautious around them. Sadly, returned for a couple of days with a mouse in her mouth calling out to her kittens. It was hard to watch her search for them.

All the cats except the last two kittens were caught 16-22 weeks old and they were too wild to adopt out so I kept every one of them, had them neutered and spayed - the works and never let them outside ever again. They eventually tamed - I guess you would call them semi-feral but they are all lovable and have quirky personalities.

Someone once said to me 'indoor cats will not miss what they don't know' in other words being outside but my rescues were born and lived outside for a time, yet anytime I open the door they run away from the door. They have no desire to go outside and I have no intention of letting them out ever!

HU, it's more likely if you have a number of cats that there may have been territorial issues going on with them. Sometimes it can be kind of subtle - doesnt necessarily involve a lot of hissing and fur flying. The reason I think that is because she was going off for periods of time before disappearing.

Thats assuming she was spayed after having the kittens - if not, then she was out looking for a mate and may now be hunkered down somewhere with her new kittens. Not saying that coyotes getting cats doesnt happen - just that there are any number of other possibilities with free range cats including getting stuck in buildings and chased from their territory by dogs or other cats. Cats are pretty savvy and generally know how to evade predators and keep hidden - that instinctive behavior is what makes them so hard for us humans to find them sometimes.

I too am looking for my cat since may 20th of this last year, she too was pregnant and ready to deliver, I felt she left because of another female cat I have that was not good to her. If only I had set her room up a day earlier, if only had gotten her fixed, I am beyond heartbroken still, the worst part is at the time of her leaving, (that she made that decision, instinct) I did not make her feel safe and for this I have been so deviststated. People tell me in a way, to get over it, I find this very difficult. I just want to know if someone has her but knocking on doors, even if they did have her I don't think anyone would give her up.

I'm senfing you this because I know your heartache your going through and I'm so very sorry, I'm right there w you. There's so many people experiencing this as well, there's so many lost pets daily,

I hope you find your baby. I still look for her but have to take breaks as I get so overwhelmed w emotion it makes me sick.

Good luck to you and her safe return home.

HUGS

It has been several years and Midnight never did return:) Good luck to you though.

Our 2 year old male cat went missing Dezember 31. Around 3 pm.

January 1, I informed all my neighbors, if they saw a kitty with a collar.. One day later I made flyer, put it everywhere, noone see him at all. Until now January 14.

I don't give up, I know he is still alive, I don't know how many people are looking.. I have to say, we just moved, we kept all my cats indoor for a week.. But there was some aggressive cat outside who attacks him 4 times in 3 days. I think he got chased away from him.

I don't give up, I know he is there somewhere.

I know from a cat who escaped the vet. He run over the street, then back to the forest area. We put flyer in that area, and put it on Facebook. The first day someone saw him. Then noone saw him again, until six weeks later. Someone found him in the kitchen..

I will not give up..

I

I know its 10 years later, but what happened with midnight?!!!!!! I REALLY NEED TO KNOW!!! this story is so sad I've crying for an hour now. This story is so tragic...

She never did come back. I still look for her. My husband got me another black cat for Christmas because I was so sad without Midnight, So now I have a black cat named Sabel, but still miss Midnight.

I have been feeding stray cats inside my apartment complex , there were like at least 6 of them , I put food outside everyday and they were always around playing with each other , i even made a box outside for them to sleep , and starts from 10th of Feb , 2 cats starts to missing , and in another 10 days , all of them are disappeared , I thought the apartment management did something I called animal control and humane society , they don’t have them , now I’m so so worried and I don’t know what to do , I miss them so much ! i miss that when I open the door , they will run to hide somewhere close and watch me , as soon as I get inside they shoot out to eat , I’m so heart broken !

My son let my female pet cat "Trudy" outside at 1:30 am on Saturday, March 13, 2021. He checked on her a half hour later but she didn't respond to his calling her. An hour after that, he called her name again.. No response. We both walked & checked everywhere - even the woods - in the hope that she may have wandered off & she'd hear us call her name. Early evening came & I began to worry a lot. She's 10 years old - part Siamese but looks like a full Siamese with vivid blue eyes. Her fur is like a very soft lamb wool. She rarely left the yard. She sometimes went under the hedge or crawled under the cedar fence on the one side of our property but mostly she stayed in the front yard or would lay on the roof of my truck. I wish my son had stopped letting the cat out in the dark. It got to be a habit - his giving into the cat. Our cat has been gone for nearly 63 hours! I keep hoping she'll reappear soon. Trudy has always been so good natured & I won't give up hope. Our other cat Morris went outside on June 28, 2014 at 4:00 am & he also disappeared. We found the cat dead on a neighbour's lawn at 7 pm that evening. I live on Embleton Crescent in Courtenay & I gather that many cats in this neighbourhood have mysteriously disappeared. I get cats doing their business in my flowerbeds all the time but in no way would I set a trap to relocate them or resort to poison. I love all cats!

For whatever reason, I read through all of these sad, sad stories, wondering when I was going to see someone mention building a catio. Since 2010, I saw only Debbie Downer in 2018 say she built one for her "indoor/outdoor" cat for $300. Good job.

Of course accidents happen. Some get a cat and are not accustomed, or somehow think cats will be "street smart" or whatever, or seem to live outside....until they don't. Where I live, coyotes jump over 6-8 foot fences. I see them every day, though my neighbors never see them at all. But we have dogs who point them out to us. Coyotes can clean jump back over a 6' fence with a cat or small dog in the mouth. Bigger dogs they kill in your yard quickly.

My philosophy is this: if I have a pet I'm going to protect that pet. If I have a horse, I will have a secure, well-built, big-enough corral with proper shelter. I wouldn't have a dog outside under 30-40 pounds without a leash, period. Even then, coyotes get small dogs on leashes, too.

BUILD A CATIO. Yep, $300 should do it. Then your cat gets to be outdoors, and you aren't letting your cat crap all over the neighbors' yard and get into fights over there, and you aren't responsible for yet another cat getting hit by a car.

If you feel bad about losing your cat, I do hope you find them, and find them well.

I'm just saying, protect the ones you still have, and protect your next cat. If you tame or keep an animal, you owe it to give it good care and protection.

Well said Mrs. S. They are sad stories and probably sad endings for many of these cats mentioned, but it does not have to be that way. I advocate keeping cats indoors with the exception of a stray that I had sheltered outdoors and micro-chipped. The reason due to too many cats already. She is inside permanently now and 18 years old. I cannot stress the dangers lurking for any cat roaming outside.

Hi, my name is Peter, 15yo boy, I have a cat that I adopted it when it was 1 week old, it recently became 10months old, it usually go hunting for 2 or 4 hours per day and sometimes it go at night and come back in the morning, it is indoor and outdoor cat, but last Saturday at night it disappeared, and since that day till now I'm searching for it and I can't know if it's alive or dead, my heart is really broken, I'm just reading now all stories about missing cats on google so they may increase my hopes to find it with their happy endings, it never went more than 8hours and it usually sleeps behind me, I'm literally sleeping crying each night and praying for it to come back.

Peter, a lot of people near me post great advice on Nextdoor about finding lost cats. I wouldnt' give up hope. I read that it's a good idea to put the litterbox outside. Put some signs up. Post on your local "Nextdoor" app or Facebook, or both. I would also go look for your cat. Are people still setting off fireworks where you are? Animals can become quite scared. Maybe your cat is just hiding. I would check under bushes, ask neighbors to check their garages, and don't give up.

When you get your cat back, consider building a "catio" which is an outdoor, safe place for a cat to spend part of their day outside. Good luck.

Maybe Midnight wasn’t a stray and she went back to her original owner. When you find a ‘stray’ cat or a cat without a collar don’t assume it’s a stray. Take the cat to a vet and see if it has a microchip before incorporating it into your family. My black cat went missing 10 days ago and I’m holding out hope that she will be returned to me.

Hi, sorry I forgot to mention, my cat returned some days ago!

it was dirty and I think it was stuck somewhere

but I'm really happy that it returned :D

hopefully everyone in this thread that have missing cat, will find it soon!

Peter, is your kitty a male or female. So glad he/she came home. Have you spayed or neutered and gotten vaccines and rabies shot? So critical if you allow him/her outdoors.

Hello everyone….me and my family have been heartbroken, our black 6 y/o cat named Khloe totally vanished without a trace a little over a week ago. I’m still trying to have hope, but no sign of her anywhere…it makes me so sad thinking about a coyote grabbing her off of our front porch and dragging her into the woods while she was probably just sleeping peacefully 😭

my cat seaweed was gone too its a stray i miss her any tips to get it back plz

Andrea I too came here looking for answers as our little "Willie" has been gone for over 2 weeks now sadly.... He was born to a feral cat, with 3 other siblings, almost 3 years ago, in our garage. He was the only one that has stayed here the whole time. The others come and go, but he has laid his claim here and lets them know it! At the end of August I noticed an owl in a dead tree in the woods behind us. I thought it was pretty cool at first. I noticed it 2 other times, the last being the 9th of Sept. It even swooped down literally feet from me and scared the crap out of me then turned towards the neighbors yard, it was so quiet I didn't even realize it was coming till it was here. Willie has been missing since the 6th. I have been going crazy since and hate to think it's possible that the owl is what happened to him! Sadly I guess it is possible, but I keep holding out hope. He was the sweetest little boy, I sure do miss him.... This was a great horned owl from what I could tell of it and pretty big also! Sigh, I hope your cat with the surgery has recovered.

Im so sorry but unfortunately ni wud assume the owl is responsible. The barred owl got 4bof my cats and thevone hevwasnt able to kill has recovered thank

Is your cap key broken? Spellcheck not working?

Your two posts are unintelligible!

Thanks Andrea, I have seen this owl back so many times and I am heart broken to think that is what happened, he was such a sweet lil boy!!! We miss him so much! I see the barred owl is similar to the horned owl. Circle of life suxs sometimes ;(

Stax, I can read it.... Just be nice! It's not that hard.

This thread again! Instead of, or in addition to posting here please check out the many websites which now offer good, accurate, science-based advice about how to go about finding a missing pet.

Sometimes, probably mostly, they come back on their own. But often not, and in cases where the cat may have been terrorized/driven out of their territory by a dog or aggressive cat, or been injured you really do need to go the extra mile and do a physical search and/or up your outreach and publicity. Sometimes a cat will go into what's called "feral" or survival mode and not come or reply when you call - sometimes trapping is necessary to recover a particularly skittish animal.

Time consuming, emotionally exhausting? Yes unfortunately sometimes it is. But to get your cat back or to see him on trail cam footage and know he's alive - priceless!!! The research indicates that most cats not found are not dead, but are simply absorbed into the feral population. They are smart resourceful animals with strong survival instincts, and chances are good your cat can be found using a thorough and effective search methodology. No guarantees of course, but speaking for myself when my cat went missing for 6 weeks I just felt I had to do everything I could so I would have no regrets. So I did.... and after six week succeeded in getting him back! Wishing you all a similar good ending.... or at least peace with however it turns out.

https://missionreunite.org/find-a-lost-cat-1

https://www.missinganimalresponse.com/lost-pet-help/

http://www.3retrievers.com/lost-cats-guide.html

Well, I can't. The poster should attempt a modicum of courtesy to those trying to help. And refrain from using profanities that even dazymae "can read"

And you should butt out! ni wurd (si Do you condone the use of the F Word in a post here? Then why defend that poster's illiterate and foul post? Moronic!

I just lost my feral cat! it was with us for almost 10 years, i just assuming she was hit by a car. i don’t know how she made it to come and said ”Good Bye.” i love you Momma Cat! hope yours come back sound abd safe.

My black cat didn't come home last night he's being gone for 2 days

My sweet baby girl went missing right before Xmas. I’m so worried for her.

I had a black and white cat name Smudge who was a semi feral cat who we became bonded. I had scheduled him to get neutered 5 days before he went missing a year ago. he never returned. I miss him and still think about him. in the back of my mind I wonder if my neighbor did something to him. He would let his dog come over and chase our cats. sometimes he would sic the dog on my feral cats. I confronted him about that and told him to stop or i would call the law and animal control on him. He told a friend of mine that he shot a black cat crossing the bottom of his yard..... that is animal abuse.

I felt so sad reading these heartbreaking posts. I am crying. Our beautiful semi feral cat disappeared about 2 months ago, She " adopted " us 18 months ago when we saw her catching and eating rats in our garden . she came from nowhere and has gone , I posted on social media and in the local paper , and got a reply from someone about a mile away , that she has been seen in gardens over there. She is very nervous , though she let my partner stroke her when she was here. She seems quite young though fully grown and she had a luxury pad here in the conservatory , with several cat beds and a duvet and plenty of food my partner bought her . She seemed to trust us though seemingly petrified a lot of the time. Its such a worry about what will happen to her. Maybe a dog or badger chased her. We always had indoor cats before , only let out under guard! I am a widow and found this man who also loves animals and wildlife. We were happy, We cant get another cat due to our age and the thought that somehow she might return. I am praying and hoping.

this just happened to me September 11, 2021. She is still missing. Did you ever find your kitty?

my cat just vanished I've feed them for almost 5 years and I haven't seen them since 5 das ago or more I cant give up hope either they are amazing

Yes, but they'll learn and find their way back. Let's just pray they're safe.

Mine disappeared 5 days ago, 10 days after she was spayed. Her kittens are still here, thank God they were 10 weeks old and mostly weaned. She never goes very far away from the house, but we have coyotes in our area and hear them often. She and her neutered brother would go out for a short hunt after the evening meal and leave the kittens inside. Everyone was here the next morning but her. In May our neutered 19 month old male, who adopted the pair we had now until the female disappeared, also disappeared. His littermate disappeared 14 months earlier than him. The first two were chipped. Never saw a sign of them again. The neighbors who have "barn" cats have lost many of them. If you have coyotes nearby, I hate to say this but that's probably where your baby went. My heart goes out to you. I know mine is aching!

Keep your cat indoors! Better fot the cat and better for the wildlife!

Sheesh!