missing cat

shinytoaster

How long do you wait until you report your cat as missing?

I am probably being soft because we bottle fed him and it was touch or go for a wee while but my nine month old kitten vanished during the night. I have turned my house upside and he has definately legged it over the wall.

I have been for a walk in the local area and I haven't found him.

He is chipped and neutered but is a bit dim. Well, very dim tbh.

Thanks in advance

stumpycat

If this is out of character for him, I would start ASAP:
Print out A4 posters, stick them in polypockets (you know the clear things you use in ring binders) & tie them to lamp-posts around your area - chances are he'll be playing a pathetic, starving stray at someone else's house. I have one who did this, despite looking like a cross between Garfield & Bagpuss! :rotfl:

If you don't get a response from that, then I would contact the Microchip company to flag him up as lost, also any rescue centres (CPL, SPCA, PDSA)
I hope he comes back soon, I know how worrying it is. I had to go through the whole process a couple of weeks ago as one of mine disappeared for 5 nights - and then wandered back as if nothing had happened. She has previous though, having had to be rescued from a huge tree 3 times before...

shinytoaster

Thanks for your response
It is out of character and I'm really worried. I am soft in the head though when it comes to my fluffballs.
So far, I have ...
~been out three times
~emailed and spoken with a lovely lady from cats protection
~rang the three vets in my local area
~rang two rehoming centres
~rang **shudder** the cleansing department of the local council as my kitten is a tad dim and there are two main roads a ten minute walk from my house.

stumpycat

It's definitely worth contacting neighbours to check any sheds or garages - or even spare rooms!

cavework

This is going to sound really stupid but..
I have re homed a lot of cats . Some have made a break for the great outdoors on the second day and we live in a very rural area.
I go outside and whistle as if I am calling a dog , high pitched , I also call them .
It worked for me and all my cats got used to me whistling them when they were out.
The 2 I have now usually come legging it into the house when I do this . One is forever ending up shut in our garage.
I really hope your Cat finds it's way home

juliebunny

My cat went missing for ten days and I walked the streets day and night looking for him. Take some biscuits to rattle put up posters and leaflets through neighbours doors. My cat was trapped when I found him - I was out at night when there was no traffic and heard him crying. The fire brigade (called out by the RSPCA) rescued him. Can't thank them enough.

Sadly he got run over not long after at night. And then same thing happened to my next boy.

Now I don't let my cats out at night. The come in and have a litter tray. I am much happier because they are safely indoors with me and they are used to the routine now.

flora48

Never give up hope! My son's cat was missing for nearly a year. Having resigned himself that the cat has expended all its 9 lives he got up one morning to find the cat sitting on the window sill, it strolled in as it had never been away and stayed faithfully till the day it died of old age.

tealady

Hi
I found the following advice useful with missing furbabes.
Vac the whole house and empty the bag on the garden. Apparently they can recognise the smell!
You might get a few odd looks from the neighbours though!
Hope your baby comes back soon.

Mayflower10cat

I'd check on this website http://www.animalsearchuk.co.uk to see if anyone has found him. There's another one you can try www.nationalpetregister.org/ And you can put your boy's details up, too.

I'm very sorry he's gone AWOL - we've had two cats do this over the years. Both came back, but it was a tense few days in the meantime. One was simply hiding on the other side of our fence, tucked up underneath all the brambles and the hedge - too scared to venture out. I was reading recently that the best time to search for a missing cat is at night - during the day they're more likely to hide until things quieten down. I've also heard that the vacuum cleaner bag does work, too.

Search with a rattly tin of cat biscuits, yell and call your boy. Make puss-puss noises, too as the sound carries. I really, really hope you find him.

There_Goes_Trouble

I've just come here to ask the exact same question!

Shinytoaster I hope your cat has come back by now.

My boy is 8 years old and has never not come home at night before. Normally he's waiting for me on the front door step when I get home from work. My neighbour saw him at about 3.30pm. This is totally out of character, but he is a very friendly and inquisitive cat, he could well have got locked in a shed or garage. I have made a poster already, but haven't printed it yet - How soon should I print it? He's only been gone 3 hours! I don't know what to do.....

shinytoaster

Thank-you all for your kind words and ideas. I just want him home. He has everything he needs here. He can go out but he must come back.


I still haven't found him
Was out most of yesterday afternoon and 9.20pm, 2.30am and 6.20am. Doing the latter two strolls tonight. Was out for three hours after work tonight.
+Posters and leaflets made - posters given to: busybosy over the road, woman with a cat in heat down the road, poster in local shop, shoved through the letterbox of a local business, one given to a man at the stables and one in my window.
+Spoken with two bobbies on the beat. I told them not to tell me off first though! haha
+ walked all around the local estate, including back streets. Nosied in gardens from the pavement.
+ walked around the local lake and surrounding green field and bushes. Lots of rattling of biscuit bag and calling of name. Only animal to respond was a massive hedgehog!
+ Registered him on the missing pets website
+ Rang RSPCA but narrowly missed the local branches.
+ Emailed another rescue centre as no one answered the phone.

I am absolutely exhausted and want my furbaby home. My other two know something is up and are acting out of sort.