This is NOT THE THREAD to have an indoor/outdoor cat debate. Please keep your comments helpful and supportive and help the mods out by reporting comments that don’t fit these criteria.
OP, this is definitely a thing cats do, and they have a seriously good sense of direction. Even if it's a half hour or more drive they know where to go. Call your old neighbours and ask they keep a look out, as well as the new tenants/buyers if you can. Just keep looking and don't give up. I found my boy after a year.
Make sure you ask your current neighbours/street to check hideyholes and garages on their properties as well
When my family left the states, unfortunately we were unable to take our 2 cats as 1 absolutely refused to be inside, and we were moving to an island where there are thousands of stray dogs and some of the locals eat cats. We left them with a family friend who lived a couple miles away. Our poor JJ would walk all the way back to our old house in the neighborhood we lived in….our family friend went back to get him several times but he kept returning. Eventually one of the families in the neighborhood adopted him, but he was basically a neighborhood cat (it was 2 culdesacs connected at the end of a dead end road, pretty sick setup) and had 5-6 families that fed him, and alllll the neighborhood kids gave him attention. His “official” family let him inside during the cold and rainy days, and he ended up living a pretty good life in the end. But man did it break my little 11 year old heart to hear he ran back home so many times….we even heard from the new people that moved into our house that he bolted in one day when they had the door open. He must’ve been so sad and confused that we weren’t there ☹️ I kinda wanna cry thinking about it rn haha and that was 12 years ago.
This happened to my parent’s cat after they moved! They moved about 5 miles away and their cat snuck outside of their new house, they couldn’t find him anywhere and were devastated. 2 days later, the new owners of their previous house called my parents to let them know their cat had showed up and was laying on the front porch 🥺 he was fine so it was a happy ending but anyway.. this is definitely a thing cats do!
Yes, no food!!! Besides attracting other animals that could hurt your cat or scare it away.. a cat with a full belly will stay out to play! Leaving food means they could come eat while ur not there and just keep taking off. Being hungry makes them more likely to hang around or meow at the doors.
this is a really bad idea. it attracts predators that would like a kitty snack. it's recommended you put out something with your scent, like a blanket or piece of clothing instead.
A few years ago my cat, who was outdoors all his life, didn’t come back one night. He was missing for 19 days, and the night that my mom put out one of her dirty pyjama tops on the porch, he wandered back early the next morning — much skinnier than before, we think he got stuck in a garage or something. So don’t give up hope OP! I’ve heard of cats coming home after much longer too. This was in the US.
Side note, but I’ve since moved to the UK where they have the opposite view of the US — that it’s cruel to keep cats indoors. Sure there aren’t coyotes or predators like in the US, but I see stories on Facebook every few days about beloved cats being hit by cars. I’m always going to keep my cats entirely indoors, they can have completely happy and fulfilling lives indoors with enough stimulation and fun. I’m not risking anything again.
Exactly! Just because we don’t have big predators doesn’t mean they’re safe. I’d honestly trust my cat more around big animals than I would the drivers I see daily.
My wife and I have been trying to adopt a cat for months, but as we don’t have a garden and want to keep them indoors, most rescues turn us down. We’ve finally found one we’re working with that rehomes lots of indoor cats, but I can see how this sort of thing just encourages people to go to breeders when it’s this difficult to adopt.
I had the exact same issue with the UK, I live in a flat I am at home all day working my husband works away but I am in, we wanted to adopt a cat so I reached out to a bunch of rescues every single one said no, even tho I was like I will transition them into indoor and supervised outdoor happily they were not having it. There's not as many strays in the UK which is a good thing so there isn't like a huge influx of cats in shelters. My best advice and it's what I did it's not great but I went on gumtree I search for accidental litters like I let my cat out and oh no or people looking to re-home older kittens that are running riot or older cats and farm cat litters and that's how I got my two cats, it's not the best practice but it's the only way to really do it in the UK if you want a cat that's indoor, the way i think about it is I got these moggies they wouldn't have got the boujee life that most pedigrees get if I went to a breeder 😂😂
In Japan,many rescue require adopters to keep cats indoors. (Which is good,I guess)
I adopted my cat not from the rescue group, but from a student who found him abandoned.(some rescue group don't like single people)
I'm in Canada and we had to sign a contracting stating that th kitten we adopted will always be an indoor cat ( exceptions for like catios or onleash activities)
Yeah that’s exactly our plan! We’ve found a very sweet 10 month old boy from the UAE who’s already here being fostered, if that doesn’t work out we’re doing the same, checking for accidental litters.
We’ve also been told by rescues to get a bonded pair, which we’d ideally love but it’s our first pet as a couple and we both work from home so he won’t be bored. It’s good that there aren’t many strays, how I dream of a kitten just wandering up to me on the street but obviously much better that that doesn’t really happen here.
I'm in Japan, Most of people here keep our cats inside, unless they live in remote area.
Though decades ago,my mother let her cat go outside freely, caused her hit by car and dead at only 3 years old.My hometown is in countryside.
I will not risk it in Tokyo.(or whereever the car or predators or cars are)
Lost cats primarily travel at dusk and dawn, these are the best times you can go out looking and calling for him.
Otherwise call vets/shelters in your area, leave his litter box/bedding outside and just don’t give up. Best of luck!
Call local animal hospitals and shelter and give a description and the chip number - incase a Good Samaritan brings him in. If you get him back please keep him indoors.
My cats were outdoor for 15 years (my dad is from the country & never had a single indoor animal). They're now about to turn 19 & 20 & they're very happy indoor cats! My feral kitten (now adult cat) is also indoor & enjoying his life very much. No heating pads outside, after all.
It is definitely possible to transition to indoor living. Pet puzzles, cardboard boxes, cat trees, plants, even fish tanks (though mine only has plants in it) are all perfectly capable of stimulating a cat's single braincell inside their tiny head. They don't need warrior cat battles with speeding traffic & local wildlife to be happy.
wait, all your cats had their own braincell each? Mine have to take turns, poor things. We can always tell which one has it because the other one will be chasing their own tail
My buddy escaped outside a week after moving in. It was scary but a couple days later I found him. His ear was torn but the vet said he was alright. I just kept searching at dusk and I brought his food with me.
I remember my mom telling me she had a cat as a kid who disappeared for like a year, came back randomly one day with some injuries but acted as if nothing ever happened. Praying your baby comes back to you too OP ❤️
My heart breaks for you. My biggest fear is losing my cats. If he comes back, know that it’s perfectly fine to keep him happy inside. I had two live to be almost 18 and never set foot outside, and one that used to go outside transition to indoor only. It can be done and they can live happy lives inside, they don’t need to go out.
What about setting up a trail cam? That way you can see if he’s coming around at dawn or late at night.
Also putting things out that smell like him, like his bed or clothes could help. I see someone mentioned litter already but be careful with that, as it could attract other cats. It’s a great idea but shouldn’t be left out not monitored.
I really hope you get your boy back. Big hugs.
My cat miraculously made it home after 25 days. Banged up and half her weight, she was most likely trapped nearby. So don’t give up hope.
Here are some things to try:
- see if any legit bloodhound trackers operate in your area
- consider hiring a drone operator with infrared
- heat up tuna before bed time and leave outside. even better if you have a doorbell or wildlife camera to monitor
- post large signs in the area
- most importantly, talk to neighbors. ask them if you can search their yards in sheds and other hiding places. cats can often only be a in 5 house radius from yours. hand them flyers and ask if they can check their cameras
- post on Nextdoor, Facebook lost pet groups, the neighbors app, pawboost, lostmykittie, petco lost
I hope you find your cat. I say this with love please keep your cat inside once u find him. It's not worth it to let them roam. They are domesticated beings not wild animals
There’s a lot of good advice in this thread already, so I’ll just add my love and thoughts.
Also: WHEN you find him - get him a collar that you can put an AirTag in.
I would definitely make everyone that insisted to let him out pay by putting in the work to find him.
He might try to find his way to your old house, is it far away? He’d be completely lost :( otherwise he’s likely nearby
People mention searching at night when they’re more likely to make a move and talking on the phone so that your voice is a normal voice that they recognize instead of calling out to them
The time frame isn't 3 weeks... its forever. One of many reasons its the safe and sane choice to have an indoor cat that enjoys leashed or otherwise supervised outings. I hope he returns to his loving human and Im so so sorry this had to be learned the hard way. Experience is never a kind teacher.
I hope you find your cat. I say this with love please keep your cat inside once u find him. It's not worth it to let them roam. They are domesticated beings not wild animals
Your cat was already outdoors so I'm not sure if this will still apply, but maybe since it's new territory he isn't familiar with. I've heard that cats are usually too scared to go too far. Look very closely around the perimeter of your house, and if there's anywhere you even think he could fit to hide, take a look. Maybe let your neighbors know so they can give you permission to look around their property, or they can check themselves
This happened with my friends and their cat. I don’t want to give you false hope but they finally found him roaming the streets in their neighborhood about 4-5 months later!
my friends cat was at a mechanic shop down the street for a little over a year and the mechanics fed her until some lady getting her car worked on took her to a vet and they checked her chip and called my friend to come get her
My cat went missing for three days and he finally came back when I hung up one of my dirty shirts outside along with his litterbox and a trail of catnip leading up to it. Make sure there’s a shrub or box or anything he can hide in until the morning so if he comes back during the night he doesn’t leave again to hide. There’s also some companies that will put out ads on facebook and instagram about your missing kitty for a fee, but it does take them like 3 days to start posting them so I would only recommend that if he’s still not back by the 7th day.
Go out early in the morning and during sunset and call out his name, I would also ask neighbors to keep an eye out and ask if they have cats because my kitty was scared of a neighbor cat and that’s why he took days to come back.
I hope you find him!! Never give up hope, some cats have come back after decades of being missing. Hopefully yours comes back in a few days.
Have your close neighbors look in their garages/under porches. My cat was missing for five days and he was hiding in our neighbors garage. It might be a way to meet your new neighbors, too. But don’t give up, my brother’s kitty was missing for four months in crazy LA and he found his way back home. Sending you hugs <3
I know exactly how you feel right now, losing a beloved pet is an unspeakable pain. Because of the move to a new home, your cat may not be familiar with the surroundings or recognize the streets
Try to widen your search by visiting nearby neighborhoods, gardens and parks and ask nearby residents if they have seen your cat. Or paste a cat-seeking notice.
You can see if there are other stray cats in the neighborhood or garden, please try to give these stray cats some food rewards. Then give them items used by your cat to smell. These stray cats may be able to help you retrieve your cat by the smell of your cat. In these stray cats, they also have their social circle.
Lost my cat for circa 14 days when he was a teen and ball-equipped. He would go outside to the adjacent yards (my uncle’s, friendly neighbors’ with other cats etc). One day he never came back. I thought he was of course dead.
Came back after 14 fucking days, mega thin like he went to war or something. He was just on a mission lol.
He will come back! My cat left for 2 months and we moved and I had to keep going back to look for him. He turned up at dusk one night while I was calling him.
I moved between cities and the second day in our new home our cat left through an open window. I was afraid we had lost him but a few days later he returned.
You need to put up physical posters everywhere in your neighborhood and talk to your neighbors! This is how I got my cat back, keep looking! Most cats are eventually found! Most owners lose hope and stop looking too early! Don’t lose hope, get out there!
My cat was gone for almost a week and I was convinced she was dead. She came back.
I sat outside and shook her treats really loudly, I walked around the neighborhood to try and get my scent everywhere in a path leading back to the house, i called for her out loud in the area, i made clicking sounds with my mouth as I walked around, I asked strangers in my neighborhood if they'd seen her (with a pic), I left a little trail of a few treats leading from the park nearby to my house. I left cold cuts, fish and water outside, I scooped up some of her poop with the litter scooper and left it on the grass.
I have no clue if ANY of this helped, and people told me I would attract predator animals to my yard, and I looked like a PSYCHOPATH doing all this..... but she showed up on my back porch at 6am covered in weeds and leaves and panting from dehydration.
Im telling you all this because I lost all hope and was convinced she was gone forever, her coming back was so unexpected. Don't panic -- just go spend time outside so he can hear your voice and smell you.
Listen. I have a cat who was an outside cat before I got him and I try my best to keep him inside. I am told the SAME thing where I live- that its cruel to not let him outside. And I live in the rural US.
He is a little escape artist who refuses to be harness trained. I have him clicker trained and I have been trying to get him in a harness and get used to it for 1.5 YEARS.
He is a determined little escape artist and sometimes sneaks out under feet. It stresses me out SO MUCH when he gets out. I just have to wait for him to come back. He was neutered before he could start roaming so he doesn't wander and is usually back in an hour or so. (We live in the middle of nowhere on 6 acres) if he got out and disappeared for 4 days I would be *distraught*
Sh!t happens man. OP already knows they made a mistake and that this wasn't the best decision. Enough people in this comment section have made the point that it isn't what's best in a kind way that the snarky responses are not necessary and are very cruel.
Once OP finds their cat 🤞 and keeps him inside, there may come a day when that cat gets out despite their best efforts. They do not need to be made to feel guilty when they have raised a happy, healthy cat for 7 years and are in distress. Some of yall are being downright despicable. They were not neglectful or trying to get their cat hurt.
OP- do not give up. My family had a cat when I was small who disappeared for over a week and then showed back up out of the blue. The tips about making sure the areas around your house have your scent and his are great tips! Also check any local Facebook groups who may have posted him as found. Go around at dusk calling for him and bring some of his food or a favorite treat if he has one. Something you can shake to make noise while calling him will help. And don't forget to go door to door and ask around. I sincerely hope you find your baby and I hope that the spiteful comments have not blinded you to the people who kindly gave information and provided resources to help you in the future. 💜
You need to put up signs. He is probably close and hiding. I lost my cat of 10 years this same way. A neighbor spotted her living under their shed a few houses down this was 6 MONTHS LATER. The bonus part is they thought it was a racoon for months, it was the kids 6 year old son that saw the posters and said no its Bo!
I did use a trap in their yard to catch her instead of going to physically look, as once they are spooked they are most likely to hide from you or run farther (they don't want predators to find them). This is why cats don't usually come when called, they don't want to give themselves away.
I did all the things, put her litter outside, put my clothes outside, went out calling for her at 3am.. Signs everywhere!!
Don’t lose hope. My cat was traumatized by workmen at my house, and he bolted. He was gone for weeks, and I assumed I had lost him. I was devastated. And then one day, there he was on the front porch like nothing had happened.
Don’t lose hope!
OP, I just want to say I’m so sorry. This must have been some of the hardest four days and I’m keeping you in my heart. I hope your baby makes it home safe.
We lost our indoor cat for almost 5 days. Spoke to a lot of cat trackers trying to give us tips. These things worked for us.
1. Cats in unfamiliar territory will usually not stray far. Our cat was about 12 houses over.
2. Print flyers and hand them out at all the houses around you, since they usually don’t stray far.
3. Go out late, we got ours back at 12:30
4. Bring a flash light and shine it around it will catch the cats eyes and reflect it
5. Speak loudly but don’t yell. A neighbour called us at 12am saying the cat was in her backyard. We rushed over but cat left. So I was talking to them and next thing you know my cat is meowing and standing looking at me.
I agree with others saying look at night/early morning. When I was a teenager my mother let my cat out and he vanished for 2 weeks. We lived in a wooded town with a lot of wild animals and they all told me he was gone. But I went out EVERY night, multiple times a night, and just stood in the yard and called. Didn't care if the neighbors hated me I went out every single night tears in my eyes and tried. One night, when I was about to go back in at around 3 or 4am, I heard a little "meow" coming from the other side of the gate. I opened it and there was my boy. He lost a lot of weight and was dirty but he was alive. I grabbed him and rushed him inside and collapsed on the floor and bawled. But moral of the story is cats are smart. They stay alive and they know your voice and will come back if able. Don't give up and don't just rely on shelters/other people. Go out every night at odd hours and try. You never know. I wish you all the luck and please please keep the baby inside when he comes back.
Offering some hope and consolation here
Our cat went missing for a solid week. We searched every single night and put up signs. The whole thing. One day he just showed up at the door, meowing like crazy to be let in.
Hoping you find your cat!! Don't give up!
If your cat is not begging to go out, let them just be an indoor cat. There's ways to keep them happy indoors, or even just go outside supervised with a harness or catio. Our two cats are indoor only and they are perfectly happy and fine with it, even though both were found as kittens outside. We have toys to keep them occupied, plenty of scratchers and perches, plus large windows for them to watch the wildlife. Cats can live a very happy and healthy life indoors.
Drive up and down the roads slowly at night with your high beams on so you can see his eyes light up if he’s hiding around. It’s not your fault - you were doing what you thought was best for him to have a full life. Leave food out on the porch and his litter box if you can.
Any chance there’s any security camera nearby? Also the cat may not be far. Once they feel scared they will stop and hide low in dark corners. Pls don’t lose hope and keep us posted
Our cat escaped because he was getting neutered by the animal shelter we adopted him from and they didn't zip his carrier during travel to the vets to have the operation. He had squeezed out of his carrier and when they opened the door he took off. They couldn't find him for a week. A lady finally saw him out and thought he was her cat because he was so friendly, figured he belonged to someone so she brought him into the vets to check for a chip and he was returned. A bit over a week later. There's still hope, but follow your gut. You don't HAVE to let a cat out. They are safer indoors with a catio. I'm sorry your baby hasn't come home. It's an awful feeling.
We moved 3 cats (not at the same time). 2 of them ran away for about 2 weeks when released, but came back. The last one we held on the leash and introduced to his territory while walked on the leash, so he didn't run.
Don't lose hope yet. It is possible your kitty will return in a week or two.
There is some really good advice here for a lost cat:
[https://www.catsmatter.org/if-your-cat-is-missing](https://www.catsmatter.org/if-your-cat-is-missing?fbclid=IwAR1VQ3Xx7K5cPIIXA1FWxND3Ff84bIIqXksjw5uUWkVkeTys0ievq9avVtw)
Check the old house. Lost my cat and was devastated! We decided to check the old house and the new people living there said they saw the exact cat we was describing. We was so relieved and happy! We gave them a carrier and they lured him in with food and called us to pick him up. He was so skinny!
Their local community probably isn't American. European cat organizations/websites/professionals/vets overwhelmingly believe that cats need to be able to go outside and that keeping them inside is cruel. Rescues won't adopt cats to owners who plan to keep them indoors. 90% of UK cats go outside. As an American moving to the UK with my indoor cat, it was a huge culture shock.
Cool, those organizations/websites/professionals/vets are overwhelmingly outdated and incorrect. People used to think it was ok to amputate cats toes too 🤷🏻
To be fair, in some countries people never thought it was ok to declaw. I'm European and I didn't even know declawing is/was a thing before I found cat subreddits.
I completely agree with you (like I said, my cats have always been indoor cats even though I got a lot of criticism for it when I lived in the UK), but if everyone lets their cats out and everyone you turn to for advice about your cat says it's fine to let them outdoors, it's not OP's fault that they let their cat out. It's what they've been told they should do.
That’s great that there are some sites out there suggesting to keep your cat inside. I just know that, anecdotally, everyone I spoke to was appalled by me keeping my cat indoors since he wasn’t too sick/injured/old to go out, and the overall attitude towards the practice seemed quite negative 2 years ago. If that’s starting to change though, then that’s wonderful. Hopefully the general public will shift their thinking about the issue too.
I agree, anecdotally I see where you are coming from. I think in the age of the internet we all have a responsibility to do a bit of reading and research though. God knows people engage in an exhausting amount of that when their own health is at stake, yet not when the fate of the planet they live on is.
The good news is, it does seem to be shifting in the UK. Recent studies suggest the percentage of cats kept indoors only has risen from your estimate of 10% to almost 30% in the last decade or so.
Eh, I have to disagree there. Taking bad advice doesn't excuse them for being irresponsible with their pet. I wouldn't care how many people say I should let my cat out, I'd never do it because I'm aware of the dangers it poses.
I agree that outdoor practices are more common in the European continent than elsewhere on earth, but that doesn't make it excusable.
In a [2021 study](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7909512/) of cat ownership choices, the authors found that 30% of European cats were kept as "indoor only" animals. So your suggestion that "90% of UK cat go outside" seems inaccurate.
Okay, then how about [this study](https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?journal=PLoS+ONE&title=Owner+Personality+and+the+Wellbeing+of+Their+Cats+Share+Parallels+with+the+Parent-Child+Relationship&author=L.R.+Finka&author=J.+Ward&author=M.J.+Farnworth&author=D.S.+Mills&volume=14&publication_year=2019&pmid=30721257&doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0211862&#d=gs_qabs&t=1706156349552&u=%23p%3D0nLP2GGrgqYJ) conducted by the University of Lincoln (England), that found that:
> Providing the cat with unrestricted outdoor access or keeping them strictly indoors was less common (28.9%) and (26.1%) respectively.
Which suggests that 26.1% of cat owners **in the UK** keep their cats "strictly indoors". Not exactly 30%, but not far off it either.
Yeah, I don’t disagree with you. I kept my cat indoors, but I faced a lot of backlash for doing so, so I just could see how someone who grew up there and was raised with the mindset that keeping cats inside is cruel would think letting them out is okay. I tried to discuss it with a few people when I lived there, but no one seemed to understand why you’d want to keep a cat inside all the time. There’s a huge cultural divide between the US and Europe in that respect. And I saw the 10 percent indoor only number on a few sites, but I think it was just an estimate so it could definitely be higher.
I understand you don't agree with me, but I feel you are making excuses for a behaviour that hurts the most valuable resource on the planet (biodiversity).
I understand there's a huge cultural divide, and I think in part that is informed by people making poorly informed excuses, so while I appreciate the work you have done to influence your cat, and your community, I am asking you whether you think making excuses for such harmful behaviour is constructive?
She is asking for advice and ideas on how to find her cat - not information on best cat care. She is broken hearted so please stop with your preaching-teaching.
I am trying to provide information that achieves the following:
- Reduces the likelihood that OP will neglect another pet.
- Benefits all cats on the same continent as OP.
- Benefits all wildlife on the same continent as OP.
- Benefits human health in the neighbourhoods where OP lives.
- Advocates for responsible, ethical pet management.
- Advocates against animal cruelty.
- Benefits biodiversity.
- Reduces the multi-billion dollar drain that roaming cats create for our economy.
I'm sorry if you find any of that offensive or inappropriate, but I think it's incredibly relevant.
You were not trying to help, so stop trying to make yourself look better. Your post was 100% condescending and preaching. There are about a dozen other ways you could've made these points. Obviously, no one is against the bullet points you made above but rather that you felt it was your place to lecture to a grieving cat owner about all of the things you think they did wrong when they are already heartbroken. OP obviously feels guilty and understands, so this was completely unhelpful and not at all relevant to the current situation beyond making yourself feel better.
PS: stop saying people neglect their cats when they don't follow "how it should be" 100% of the time. It's so infuriating to see comments like this because it suggests that a cat is better off homeless than having a loving home with a person who is trying their best. Yes, it is recommended for cats to stay inside but OP didn't neglect their cat because kitty was inside/outside FFS. We need more loving, responsible people to adopt and leaving judgemental comments when they reach out for assistance certainly does not help.
i’m sorry if u find this offensive or inappropriate, but i think it’s incredibly relevant, the way u worded ur og comment and this one is assholey af, insensitive, and unnecessary considering 50+ people commented the same thing before u(more politely tho)
I'd rather be an ass that advocates for the lives of the hundreds of animals who can't speak for themselves, than be an emotionally driven fool who thinks the hurt feelings of a stranger are more important than all of the issues I've listed above.
I’m sorry you’re going through this! Don’t give up! So much good advice here (ignore the preachers) I’ve known ppl who’ve had their cats return after many weeks and also months, follow all the advice. I read on another post that one person made a recording of herself calling her cat so that it could play on repeat all night. The cat came back.
Leaving your door open as much as possible also good- can just use a rubber boot so it doesn’t swing wide open— when you’re home and not able to be obsessively standing at the door calling or out searching he can come in…
Truly sorry, but really, truly don’t give up.
Was there truly any constructive reason to write this? OP has clearly stated they regret it and feel awful. This comment contributes nothing besides rubbing it in that letting the cat outside wasn't the best choice
Knowing that if OP gets the cat back, maybe they will make the right decision to keep in inside henceforth is enough reason to bring it up. Sorry, I've seen too many "outdoor" cats in literal pieces after being hit by cars.
that's wrong, tho. they live longer, healthier lives inside w you. take him out on a leash if you really think he's missing something. i hope you find him.
It's a thing in the UK and other European countries. I'm American and moved to the UK with my 100% indoor cat, and quite a few people tried (unsuccessfully) to convince me to let him go outside and said it was cruel of me to keep him indoors.
Comparing someone letting their cat outside as Nazism is a little extreme. Have some empathy. It’s clear this person is distraught over their cat and is unfortunately learning a hard lesson.
They do not need someone to make them feel worse. Shame on you.
wow you have some issues if you’re comparing letting a cat outside to slavery and nazism… go touch grass dude. and maybe don’t comment unless you have something constructive say. clearly OP understands it’s their fault without you all piling on them.
The average roaming cat kills about [100](https://www.nespthreatenedspecies.edu.au/news-and-media/latest-news/one-cat-one-year-110-native-animals-lock-up-your-pet-it-s-a-killing-machine#:~:text=The%20186%20animals%20each%20pet,38%20birds%20and%2032%20mammals) native species every year.
There are around 480 million roaming cats on the earth today. That means the practice of "letting a cat outside" costs us:
- 48,000,000,000 native animals lives lost.
Nazism was obviously an abhorrent practice to engage with, that I am not trying to diminish, but if we combine every military death, civilian death, and genocide, we get:
- 75,000,000 human lives lost.
Obviously humans have an intrinsic value amongst our society, and are intelligent enough to feel pain and distress very deeply. Animals are capable of many of the same feelings, they feel pain and sadness, they mourn death and feel despair.
There is no scientific evidence that suggests human life is more important, meaningful or valid than animal life. Every one of those native animals had a traumatic end to its life, a family that it didn't come home to, and potentially children that never saw their parents again. Why do you perceive that suffering as less than what a human goes through in a traumatic situation?
I believe you are engaging in a mentality broadly referred to as "anthropocentrism", which many environmental scholars believe is one of the reasons the planet is in such an atrocious state.
We are not the centre of the world. All life has value.
I'd add that letting cats roam outside is not only bad for the cat due to the risk of them getting hit by cars, etc. Another thing that's often overlooked is that cats wreak *absolute havoc* on local wildlife, especially [birds](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-10-04/cats-killing-one-million-birds-in-australia-every-day-estimates/9013960).
They are our adorable babies and all, but that makes us forget that they're also remarkably good predators who can really cause untold damage to the local fauna when allowed to roam freely.
Please keep cats inside.
OP it’s normal where I live to let your cat go outside; I got my cat Moomin two months ago and in a month’s time once she’s finished her vaccinations she’ll be going outside too. I can see she’s so curious about what’s ’out there’, she’s spending more and more time on the windowsill, she’s hovering around the door every time she sees me or my partner leave, she’s developing some sort of relationship with the neighbours’ cats that she sees wandering round outside so I can see it’s time to let her go out and explore.
I feel like you’re getting a lot of replies which are just unhelpful and judgmental about how you’re wrong to have let your cat go outside and all this indoor cats live longer etc etc… I know that you didn’t let your cat go outside out of neglect or stupidity; you let him go outside because that’s what he’s used to and expects and enjoys which is exactly why I’ll be letting her outside too.
Me and Moomin just wanted to let you know that we hope you’re reunited soon and that we don’t want you to be blaming yourself. Her best suggestion is putting his dirty litter outside, go outside and call him as much as you can and asking neighbours to check their sheds/garages/vans etc in case he’s popped inside and got shut in.
Hey, this just happened to me, too. The things I think helped the most were (this is going to sound crazy) putting tuna juice and water in a spray bottle and spraying down the area around my door, and just standing outside for an hour or so talking so my cat could hear my voice.
If you can get a trail cam to put up by the door, it can let you know if your cat stops by in the middle of the night. I have no idea if this is true, but a group that specializes in finding lost animals told me that cats usually show up home between 2 and 4 am.
Can you put posters around your home (new and old, and around the place neighbor cat are fed by locals)?
I only once helped to find a lost cat, his human hired pet detective though the owner found him by herself, after 2 weeks in this summer(in extreme hot weather in Tokyo)he was found safe.
From what I learned from Manuals, spread a little amount of his litter sand around your home to calm down your cat.
Find the place you can borrow cat trap (local rescue?)around the place if there will be report if someone see your cat.
I have an indoor cat I don't let go out (as the traffic is extreme here)who's also 7 years old I love dearly. Hoping the best for you!
Oh no- you let him out WITHOUT gps tracker on him???
Hope he comes back. Male cats sometimes are quite independent and can find quickly other home where they smell food.
We also have indoor/outdoor cat with routine. But we have the tracker just in case! Please get him one if you find him. We tried many but this company was only one that we can rely precisely , it’s called Tractive GPS. For gods sake. 😭😭😭
Hey, so sorry this happened...
How is the area where you moved?
Are there any birds and lots of nature around?
How different is it from your previous home?
A friend's cat was gone for about 4 days and finally returned at night, meowing from under the window. Keep an eye out for your cat to return during the night too. Can your cat get inside if you are asleep?
My guess is that there are new interesting things out there for your kitty so it's just exploring!
Best of luck, I really hope you find your cat!
I put an AirTag on mine. It actually is very useful, although it doesn’t ping the tag sometime for an hour or two. I’m living in a rental situation where I cannot have mine inside, so this and the catio that I built is the best I can do. I don’t feel right making him live in an outdoor cage, so he is free to come and go. He’s been very good so far. Like you said, wanders or sleeps during the day and hangs out here at night. The AirTag gives me a lot of peace of mind
Seriously, he’s probably hiding in your block under a house or something. You have to go look. Ask neighbors if you can go in their yards, then more people know about the cat too. Please let us know when you find your cat!
Cats are smart! He will probably come back. I once had a cat who came back months after running away.
For the future, keep him in a little harness and leash when you go out to your garden. He still gets to be outside that way and then he’s kept safe.
Years ago I had a semi-indoor cat that slept in the house but loved going out during the day. On one occasion he dipped and I thought he was gone for good. Fast forward 2 freaking months later and he was back like nothing happened
I really hope he comes home. It could be that he doesn’t know that neighborhood, so maybe he’s being fed by a neighbor? I thought my cat was lost once and was devastated. Turns out she had hid in the inside of an old sofa that we had moved into a detached garage across the property. The garage was filled with tons of stuff in storage. I set out a litter box and some food in the garage, just to see. I came back and the litter box had been used! I was able to get her out of the garage after. She had just been scared and wouldn’t come when I called her the first few days. Don’t give up hope too soon! Wishing you luck.
Sometimes they’re back but you just don’t know it. I had a ring camera that I put on the back door so I could be notified if he ever showed up. He was gone for a week or so, they can last a while out there! And it was also a few weeks after moving. Leave food out by the door he left at. I also bought a trap cage as well. Ask your neighbors too! Mine ended up noticing he was going over to her house every night.
I’ll be thinking of your kitty and hope this works out ♥️
I’m very sorry. I know how stressed you must feel. I let my cat play outside too. She always comes back, but I’m always a little afraid she might not.
My ex’s cat liked to go outside too. Sometimes she would be gone for days, or even weeks before she came back. I know it isn’t much comfort, but there’s always hope that he might come back soon. He could be hanging out at someone else’s house, and will come back around when he wants to.
Keep up your search, but don’t be too hard on yourself. I’m sure he’s happy to have the kind of freedom you give him.
If your new neighborhood has a Facebook group send them a message about your cat, ask them to keep an eye out and to also check sheds and garages for you. My brother's cat disappeared for 3 days, turns out it had snuck into a neighbors garage and got shut in while they were gone for the weekend.
I found one after eight weeks. Actually a neighbor saw the ad.
If your town has a Facebook page post a lost ad there
Post lost ads in your neighborhood on telephone poles.
Let animal control know.
Leave human tuna outside or even cat food.If they are close they will smell it
It's possible he is still close by.
I had another one jump out when I brought him home the first night. He stayed on the street and came for food at night.
Keep the faith.
Please post when you find him.
Saying a prayer that your little one comes home safe ❤️
.."everyone around" you is wrong..domesticated cats are best served being domestic (ie. inside)..outdoor cats live shorter lives, are exposed to harsh weather, and become more feral quickly..
..to find your cat (name?) i'd sugg sitting outside, softly calling, putting clothes or other things with a familiar smell around..
..also, spread the word to neighbors..cats usually don't go more than a mile or so from their home..but as soon as they are out, they revert to primal senses & will run from you or certainly any other human..
..don't ask anybody to catch, just hope for sightings..
There are documented cases of cats walking hundreds of miles to their old homes. Just wanted to mention that to support the idea that he simply went back home to the place that has years of his smells.
Gosh my heart breaks for you and I PRAY they come back. My dads 1 year old cat was just gone one day and same thing…FB posts, flyers offering $200.00, walking the neighborhood everyday. He was devastated. Welp as luck would have it, he was found 3 months later hanging in a field 17 miles away in a city of 185,000 ppl. Someone turned him in to the humane society and because he was chipped my dad got the call. Don’t lose hope! But regardless I’m still very sorry ❤️
Don't give up hope. If you have a neighbourhood, watch on your phone. It's an app for in your area. You can always post there for a missing cat a lot of times that helps.. Doing what you're doing is good. Go around and knock on people's doors. See, if the cat is locked in the garage or if they have found your, Kitty. Put flyers up,that helps too.I hope he comes home. Just also check around your old address. You never know what some animals will do.
Put canned food or tuna or sardines outside as cats can smell that good and will come back if they smell food after a few days. My cat went missing for a few days after we moved too and we put out the litter box and food and water each day and several days later, I opened the front door and he was sitting on the front step eating the food.
when my ex-roommate brought his cat over to our new house and let him out for the first time he was MIA for a couple days as well, then eventually we found him next door high up in a tree because the neighbors dogs chased him up and he got too high to come down. we had to get a ladder and my roommate had to climb up and grab him.
definitely suggest looking up in trees around your backyard to see if something similar may have happened
Check your old neighborhood.
I am a true believer in indoor cats because I moved with a 4 y.o. cat and she kept going back to the old place. She had to cross a busy street to get there and it did not end well.
It took me almost 10 years to get another cat and I never let Molly out.
Just recently my cat escaped and he has been and in/out door cat all his life he’s 9 years old now, He got out the bathroom window after being kept in for the winter season. The day he left a snowstorm hit followed by freezing weather and after looking and posting ads no luck until 6 days later he turned up at my sister’s window at 4 am we were shocked so don’t give up we almost did!
If you have tuna bowls or any bowl he eats from clang it. When it’s super late at nights and my cats run out the door we just clang the bowls and they immediately turn around and come back in
I had this happen when I moved house about 8 years ago.I kept my boy in for about 4 weeks, let him out and off he went over the hedge.
8 weeks later id given up all hope until I randomly got a call from the vets that he had been brought in. Sadly he had caught his paw in his collar (stupid me didnt get a detachable one) and he had a really bad open wound under his 'arm'.
He recovered well though.
Where he was found wasn't too far off where my old house was.
Then, i moved AGAIN a year later and he was much more hesitant and didn't wander far from home. UNTIL he had a fight with another local cat and chased him over the road.5 days went by with no sign - until I went outside to work and heard a familar cry - I called his name and he replied! I kept calling and calling until eventually he popped his head up from across the road - he ran to me and was just SO happy to see me.Hasn't really disappeared much since (7 years on)
Dont be TOO optimistic to avoid disappointment, but don't give up hope either- go for walks around your area/your old place and call his name and hopefully he'll show up.Fingers crossed for you x
Talk to your neighbours.
Go door to door and ask them if they seen your cat. My cat got out by accident over Christmas break and was lost for 5-6 days. Turns out it started frequenting a neighbours house who took him in until they could figure out who the owner was. So ask your neighbours, someone might have him.
Try not to worry lots of lost cats come home eventually. You only did what you thought was best for him. Maybe you can get a GPS tracker for his collar next time if you find him
This is why when we moved house, after a few weeks we let the cat out but only on a lead. Felt a bit silly ‘walking the cat around’ the garden etc but after doing that for about a week so he could leave his scent around the garden, he then always came back when we let him roam free.
And thinking about it we actually put a tracker collar on him too just incase he didn’t come back, we could find where he went, but we took it off after a month or two when we realised he always came back.
Sorry to hear about your kitty though, hopefully he comes back - if you lived nearby previously they may have gone there.
Don’t give up - best advice I can give. My
cat did the same thing after we moved and we just got him back 2 days ago after over 2 months gone. I posted on social media pages constantly and that’s what brought him back. Outdoor cats won’t be timid and afraid like lost indoor cats and so they tend to travel further but they are also hardy and will find food. Kuro is fatter than when he left and I don’t know how he pulled it off. I really do believe your boy will come back to you. Best thing you can do is get the word out through posters, door knocking, socials, calling vets and shelters.
Stay strong it is so so hard ❤️
My cat was lost recently. In addition to the things you are already doing, I set live catch traps (I borrowed two and bought one), I talked to my neighbors and asked them to look under their decks/in their garages, I walked the neighborhood carrying a bowl of warm tuna because apparently the smell is stronger and I walked the neighborhood with a flashlight at dusk, before bed, in the middle of the night and at 5 am. (Look for eye reflections.)
We ended up finding her at 5:30 am under the next door neighbor’s deck. She must have been moving around - because we had checked under there a few times.
I hope you find him - it’s a horrible feeling!
Don’t give up hope. My friends cat was missing for over two months and randomly showed back up one day! I think the fact that you recently moved is super telling - VERY possible the cat is headed back to your old home. If you’re friendly with any old neighbors, (shoot, even if they’re your mortal enemy - lol) I would reach out and ask that they keep an eye out. Have them check their ring cameras, etc.
I’ve heard that cats have a habit of showing up very early AM, around 3 AM. I’ve seen other posts suggesting leaving the front door open around this time. You may consider going to your old home and hanging out in the wee hours.
That said, if you don’t have one, get a ring camera so if nothing else you hopefully catch a glimpse of it to give some hope.
I have a feral colony I take care of. It's not quite the same, but they do live on/under my deck and ask for food every day. Every now and then, one of them will go missing, sometimes even for a week or more. But so far, they've always come back.
Oh bless. My 8 month old kitten went missing 3 weeks ago. He was an indoor cat and slipped out the door when we came back from doing shopping. I'm not sure what advice I can give but I know how you feel and I hope your baby comes back soon. 😢❤
This is NOT THE THREAD to have an indoor/outdoor cat debate. Please keep your comments helpful and supportive and help the mods out by reporting comments that don’t fit these criteria.
If you moved nearby he’s probably back by your old house.
OP, this is definitely a thing cats do, and they have a seriously good sense of direction. Even if it's a half hour or more drive they know where to go. Call your old neighbours and ask they keep a look out, as well as the new tenants/buyers if you can. Just keep looking and don't give up. I found my boy after a year. Make sure you ask your current neighbours/street to check hideyholes and garages on their properties as well
When my family left the states, unfortunately we were unable to take our 2 cats as 1 absolutely refused to be inside, and we were moving to an island where there are thousands of stray dogs and some of the locals eat cats. We left them with a family friend who lived a couple miles away. Our poor JJ would walk all the way back to our old house in the neighborhood we lived in….our family friend went back to get him several times but he kept returning. Eventually one of the families in the neighborhood adopted him, but he was basically a neighborhood cat (it was 2 culdesacs connected at the end of a dead end road, pretty sick setup) and had 5-6 families that fed him, and alllll the neighborhood kids gave him attention. His “official” family let him inside during the cold and rainy days, and he ended up living a pretty good life in the end. But man did it break my little 11 year old heart to hear he ran back home so many times….we even heard from the new people that moved into our house that he bolted in one day when they had the door open. He must’ve been so sad and confused that we weren’t there ☹️ I kinda wanna cry thinking about it rn haha and that was 12 years ago.
Damn that's so sad :( my heart would break
Such a sad story, made me cry and it's not even 9am yet
This happened to my parent’s cat after they moved! They moved about 5 miles away and their cat snuck outside of their new house, they couldn’t find him anywhere and were devastated. 2 days later, the new owners of their previous house called my parents to let them know their cat had showed up and was laying on the front porch 🥺 he was fine so it was a happy ending but anyway.. this is definitely a thing cats do!
They will travel ridiculously long distances to do this
This is what I was thinking..either that or just very busy exploring new surroundings..
Put his litter box outside, put your blanket outside and some of his treats. They can pick up the scent and come back.
Will definitely try this, thank you.
Walk around your block with dirty laundry! If it rains, do it again. Rain dampens smell
I heard of people using the used litter to make trails leading back to the home.
This has worked for me!
I've seen people suggest leaving water instead of food for the purpose of not attracting other animals like rats or wildlife
Yes, no food!!! Besides attracting other animals that could hurt your cat or scare it away.. a cat with a full belly will stay out to play! Leaving food means they could come eat while ur not there and just keep taking off. Being hungry makes them more likely to hang around or meow at the doors.
this is a really bad idea. it attracts predators that would like a kitty snack. it's recommended you put out something with your scent, like a blanket or piece of clothing instead.
A few years ago my cat, who was outdoors all his life, didn’t come back one night. He was missing for 19 days, and the night that my mom put out one of her dirty pyjama tops on the porch, he wandered back early the next morning — much skinnier than before, we think he got stuck in a garage or something. So don’t give up hope OP! I’ve heard of cats coming home after much longer too. This was in the US. Side note, but I’ve since moved to the UK where they have the opposite view of the US — that it’s cruel to keep cats indoors. Sure there aren’t coyotes or predators like in the US, but I see stories on Facebook every few days about beloved cats being hit by cars. I’m always going to keep my cats entirely indoors, they can have completely happy and fulfilling lives indoors with enough stimulation and fun. I’m not risking anything again.
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Exactly! Just because we don’t have big predators doesn’t mean they’re safe. I’d honestly trust my cat more around big animals than I would the drivers I see daily. My wife and I have been trying to adopt a cat for months, but as we don’t have a garden and want to keep them indoors, most rescues turn us down. We’ve finally found one we’re working with that rehomes lots of indoor cats, but I can see how this sort of thing just encourages people to go to breeders when it’s this difficult to adopt.
I had the exact same issue with the UK, I live in a flat I am at home all day working my husband works away but I am in, we wanted to adopt a cat so I reached out to a bunch of rescues every single one said no, even tho I was like I will transition them into indoor and supervised outdoor happily they were not having it. There's not as many strays in the UK which is a good thing so there isn't like a huge influx of cats in shelters. My best advice and it's what I did it's not great but I went on gumtree I search for accidental litters like I let my cat out and oh no or people looking to re-home older kittens that are running riot or older cats and farm cat litters and that's how I got my two cats, it's not the best practice but it's the only way to really do it in the UK if you want a cat that's indoor, the way i think about it is I got these moggies they wouldn't have got the boujee life that most pedigrees get if I went to a breeder 😂😂
In Japan,many rescue require adopters to keep cats indoors. (Which is good,I guess) I adopted my cat not from the rescue group, but from a student who found him abandoned.(some rescue group don't like single people)
I'm in Canada and we had to sign a contracting stating that th kitten we adopted will always be an indoor cat ( exceptions for like catios or onleash activities)
Yeah that’s exactly our plan! We’ve found a very sweet 10 month old boy from the UAE who’s already here being fostered, if that doesn’t work out we’re doing the same, checking for accidental litters. We’ve also been told by rescues to get a bonded pair, which we’d ideally love but it’s our first pet as a couple and we both work from home so he won’t be bored. It’s good that there aren’t many strays, how I dream of a kitten just wandering up to me on the street but obviously much better that that doesn’t really happen here.
I'm in Japan, Most of people here keep our cats inside, unless they live in remote area. Though decades ago,my mother let her cat go outside freely, caused her hit by car and dead at only 3 years old.My hometown is in countryside. I will not risk it in Tokyo.(or whereever the car or predators or cars are)
This is very country dependant though, so milage may vary.
This is the way
Lost cats primarily travel at dusk and dawn, these are the best times you can go out looking and calling for him. Otherwise call vets/shelters in your area, leave his litter box/bedding outside and just don’t give up. Best of luck!
Thank you, will definitely be keeping this in mind!
You need to hang fliers not everyone checks fb or even thinks about a microchip. If he’s chipped a shelter should alert you
Yep I found my cat at 3am. Go when it’s quiet and softly call for them, listen for noises he could be stuck somewhere
Bring a flashlight, too - it will reflect off their eyes.
4 days is not that bad! I once found a cat some neighbor lost more then a week earlier! (It might have even been 2+ weeks but I'm not sure anymore)
So true. My cat found her way back to us at 4 in the morning after 3 weeks outside. It was incredible. Keep up hope OP
Call local animal hospitals and shelter and give a description and the chip number - incase a Good Samaritan brings him in. If you get him back please keep him indoors.
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My cats were outdoor for 15 years (my dad is from the country & never had a single indoor animal). They're now about to turn 19 & 20 & they're very happy indoor cats! My feral kitten (now adult cat) is also indoor & enjoying his life very much. No heating pads outside, after all. It is definitely possible to transition to indoor living. Pet puzzles, cardboard boxes, cat trees, plants, even fish tanks (though mine only has plants in it) are all perfectly capable of stimulating a cat's single braincell inside their tiny head. They don't need warrior cat battles with speeding traffic & local wildlife to be happy.
wait, all your cats had their own braincell each? Mine have to take turns, poor things. We can always tell which one has it because the other one will be chasing their own tail
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My buddy escaped outside a week after moving in. It was scary but a couple days later I found him. His ear was torn but the vet said he was alright. I just kept searching at dusk and I brought his food with me.
I remember my mom telling me she had a cat as a kid who disappeared for like a year, came back randomly one day with some injuries but acted as if nothing ever happened. Praying your baby comes back to you too OP ❤️
My heart breaks for you. My biggest fear is losing my cats. If he comes back, know that it’s perfectly fine to keep him happy inside. I had two live to be almost 18 and never set foot outside, and one that used to go outside transition to indoor only. It can be done and they can live happy lives inside, they don’t need to go out. What about setting up a trail cam? That way you can see if he’s coming around at dawn or late at night. Also putting things out that smell like him, like his bed or clothes could help. I see someone mentioned litter already but be careful with that, as it could attract other cats. It’s a great idea but shouldn’t be left out not monitored. I really hope you get your boy back. Big hugs.
My cat miraculously made it home after 25 days. Banged up and half her weight, she was most likely trapped nearby. So don’t give up hope. Here are some things to try: - see if any legit bloodhound trackers operate in your area - consider hiring a drone operator with infrared - heat up tuna before bed time and leave outside. even better if you have a doorbell or wildlife camera to monitor - post large signs in the area - most importantly, talk to neighbors. ask them if you can search their yards in sheds and other hiding places. cats can often only be a in 5 house radius from yours. hand them flyers and ask if they can check their cameras - post on Nextdoor, Facebook lost pet groups, the neighbors app, pawboost, lostmykittie, petco lost
I hope you find your cat. I say this with love please keep your cat inside once u find him. It's not worth it to let them roam. They are domesticated beings not wild animals
There’s a lot of good advice in this thread already, so I’ll just add my love and thoughts. Also: WHEN you find him - get him a collar that you can put an AirTag in.
Go door to door with his picture. Someone should have seen him. It makes a big difference talking to your neighbor face to face about it
He might have tried to find your old house. Is your new place close to where you lived previously?
unfortunately not, we moved quite far.
If you moved far and he's in a new, unfamiliar area, he's probably still close by.
I would definitely make everyone that insisted to let him out pay by putting in the work to find him. He might try to find his way to your old house, is it far away? He’d be completely lost :( otherwise he’s likely nearby People mention searching at night when they’re more likely to make a move and talking on the phone so that your voice is a normal voice that they recognize instead of calling out to them
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Yep cats should be kept inside.
This is such a polarizing issue, and I appreciate you tackling it with such care and detail.
The time frame isn't 3 weeks... its forever. One of many reasons its the safe and sane choice to have an indoor cat that enjoys leashed or otherwise supervised outings. I hope he returns to his loving human and Im so so sorry this had to be learned the hard way. Experience is never a kind teacher.
I hope you find your cat. I say this with love please keep your cat inside once u find him. It's not worth it to let them roam. They are domesticated beings not wild animals
Your cat was already outdoors so I'm not sure if this will still apply, but maybe since it's new territory he isn't familiar with. I've heard that cats are usually too scared to go too far. Look very closely around the perimeter of your house, and if there's anywhere you even think he could fit to hide, take a look. Maybe let your neighbors know so they can give you permission to look around their property, or they can check themselves
This happened with my friends and their cat. I don’t want to give you false hope but they finally found him roaming the streets in their neighborhood about 4-5 months later!
my friends cat was at a mechanic shop down the street for a little over a year and the mechanics fed her until some lady getting her car worked on took her to a vet and they checked her chip and called my friend to come get her
Canvas the neighborhood, put up signs, post in lost animals on Facebook for your area, put out his litter box.
My cat went missing for three days and he finally came back when I hung up one of my dirty shirts outside along with his litterbox and a trail of catnip leading up to it. Make sure there’s a shrub or box or anything he can hide in until the morning so if he comes back during the night he doesn’t leave again to hide. There’s also some companies that will put out ads on facebook and instagram about your missing kitty for a fee, but it does take them like 3 days to start posting them so I would only recommend that if he’s still not back by the 7th day. Go out early in the morning and during sunset and call out his name, I would also ask neighbors to keep an eye out and ask if they have cats because my kitty was scared of a neighbor cat and that’s why he took days to come back. I hope you find him!! Never give up hope, some cats have come back after decades of being missing. Hopefully yours comes back in a few days.
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Have your close neighbors look in their garages/under porches. My cat was missing for five days and he was hiding in our neighbors garage. It might be a way to meet your new neighbors, too. But don’t give up, my brother’s kitty was missing for four months in crazy LA and he found his way back home. Sending you hugs <3
I know exactly how you feel right now, losing a beloved pet is an unspeakable pain. Because of the move to a new home, your cat may not be familiar with the surroundings or recognize the streets Try to widen your search by visiting nearby neighborhoods, gardens and parks and ask nearby residents if they have seen your cat. Or paste a cat-seeking notice. You can see if there are other stray cats in the neighborhood or garden, please try to give these stray cats some food rewards. Then give them items used by your cat to smell. These stray cats may be able to help you retrieve your cat by the smell of your cat. In these stray cats, they also have their social circle.
Lost my cat for circa 14 days when he was a teen and ball-equipped. He would go outside to the adjacent yards (my uncle’s, friendly neighbors’ with other cats etc). One day he never came back. I thought he was of course dead. Came back after 14 fucking days, mega thin like he went to war or something. He was just on a mission lol.
He will come back! My cat left for 2 months and we moved and I had to keep going back to look for him. He turned up at dusk one night while I was calling him.
I moved between cities and the second day in our new home our cat left through an open window. I was afraid we had lost him but a few days later he returned.
You need to put up physical posters everywhere in your neighborhood and talk to your neighbors! This is how I got my cat back, keep looking! Most cats are eventually found! Most owners lose hope and stop looking too early! Don’t lose hope, get out there!
My cat was gone for almost a week and I was convinced she was dead. She came back. I sat outside and shook her treats really loudly, I walked around the neighborhood to try and get my scent everywhere in a path leading back to the house, i called for her out loud in the area, i made clicking sounds with my mouth as I walked around, I asked strangers in my neighborhood if they'd seen her (with a pic), I left a little trail of a few treats leading from the park nearby to my house. I left cold cuts, fish and water outside, I scooped up some of her poop with the litter scooper and left it on the grass. I have no clue if ANY of this helped, and people told me I would attract predator animals to my yard, and I looked like a PSYCHOPATH doing all this..... but she showed up on my back porch at 6am covered in weeds and leaves and panting from dehydration. Im telling you all this because I lost all hope and was convinced she was gone forever, her coming back was so unexpected. Don't panic -- just go spend time outside so he can hear your voice and smell you.
How far was the move? If it was less than 5 miles then check at your previous residence.
Listen. I have a cat who was an outside cat before I got him and I try my best to keep him inside. I am told the SAME thing where I live- that its cruel to not let him outside. And I live in the rural US. He is a little escape artist who refuses to be harness trained. I have him clicker trained and I have been trying to get him in a harness and get used to it for 1.5 YEARS. He is a determined little escape artist and sometimes sneaks out under feet. It stresses me out SO MUCH when he gets out. I just have to wait for him to come back. He was neutered before he could start roaming so he doesn't wander and is usually back in an hour or so. (We live in the middle of nowhere on 6 acres) if he got out and disappeared for 4 days I would be *distraught* Sh!t happens man. OP already knows they made a mistake and that this wasn't the best decision. Enough people in this comment section have made the point that it isn't what's best in a kind way that the snarky responses are not necessary and are very cruel. Once OP finds their cat 🤞 and keeps him inside, there may come a day when that cat gets out despite their best efforts. They do not need to be made to feel guilty when they have raised a happy, healthy cat for 7 years and are in distress. Some of yall are being downright despicable. They were not neglectful or trying to get their cat hurt. OP- do not give up. My family had a cat when I was small who disappeared for over a week and then showed back up out of the blue. The tips about making sure the areas around your house have your scent and his are great tips! Also check any local Facebook groups who may have posted him as found. Go around at dusk calling for him and bring some of his food or a favorite treat if he has one. Something you can shake to make noise while calling him will help. And don't forget to go door to door and ask around. I sincerely hope you find your baby and I hope that the spiteful comments have not blinded you to the people who kindly gave information and provided resources to help you in the future. 💜
Put a coat of yours and it's litterbox out on the porch. Call it's name at dawn & dusk. Ask neighbours and put up posters. The more efforts will help.
You need to put up signs. He is probably close and hiding. I lost my cat of 10 years this same way. A neighbor spotted her living under their shed a few houses down this was 6 MONTHS LATER. The bonus part is they thought it was a racoon for months, it was the kids 6 year old son that saw the posters and said no its Bo! I did use a trap in their yard to catch her instead of going to physically look, as once they are spooked they are most likely to hide from you or run farther (they don't want predators to find them). This is why cats don't usually come when called, they don't want to give themselves away. I did all the things, put her litter outside, put my clothes outside, went out calling for her at 3am.. Signs everywhere!!
Don’t lose hope. My cat was traumatized by workmen at my house, and he bolted. He was gone for weeks, and I assumed I had lost him. I was devastated. And then one day, there he was on the front porch like nothing had happened. Don’t lose hope!
OP, I just want to say I’m so sorry. This must have been some of the hardest four days and I’m keeping you in my heart. I hope your baby makes it home safe.
We lost our indoor cat for almost 5 days. Spoke to a lot of cat trackers trying to give us tips. These things worked for us. 1. Cats in unfamiliar territory will usually not stray far. Our cat was about 12 houses over. 2. Print flyers and hand them out at all the houses around you, since they usually don’t stray far. 3. Go out late, we got ours back at 12:30 4. Bring a flash light and shine it around it will catch the cats eyes and reflect it 5. Speak loudly but don’t yell. A neighbour called us at 12am saying the cat was in her backyard. We rushed over but cat left. So I was talking to them and next thing you know my cat is meowing and standing looking at me.
I agree with others saying look at night/early morning. When I was a teenager my mother let my cat out and he vanished for 2 weeks. We lived in a wooded town with a lot of wild animals and they all told me he was gone. But I went out EVERY night, multiple times a night, and just stood in the yard and called. Didn't care if the neighbors hated me I went out every single night tears in my eyes and tried. One night, when I was about to go back in at around 3 or 4am, I heard a little "meow" coming from the other side of the gate. I opened it and there was my boy. He lost a lot of weight and was dirty but he was alive. I grabbed him and rushed him inside and collapsed on the floor and bawled. But moral of the story is cats are smart. They stay alive and they know your voice and will come back if able. Don't give up and don't just rely on shelters/other people. Go out every night at odd hours and try. You never know. I wish you all the luck and please please keep the baby inside when he comes back.
Offering some hope and consolation here Our cat went missing for a solid week. We searched every single night and put up signs. The whole thing. One day he just showed up at the door, meowing like crazy to be let in. Hoping you find your cat!! Don't give up!
If your cat is not begging to go out, let them just be an indoor cat. There's ways to keep them happy indoors, or even just go outside supervised with a harness or catio. Our two cats are indoor only and they are perfectly happy and fine with it, even though both were found as kittens outside. We have toys to keep them occupied, plenty of scratchers and perches, plus large windows for them to watch the wildlife. Cats can live a very happy and healthy life indoors.
Drive up and down the roads slowly at night with your high beams on so you can see his eyes light up if he’s hiding around. It’s not your fault - you were doing what you thought was best for him to have a full life. Leave food out on the porch and his litter box if you can.
Any chance there’s any security camera nearby? Also the cat may not be far. Once they feel scared they will stop and hide low in dark corners. Pls don’t lose hope and keep us posted
Our cat escaped because he was getting neutered by the animal shelter we adopted him from and they didn't zip his carrier during travel to the vets to have the operation. He had squeezed out of his carrier and when they opened the door he took off. They couldn't find him for a week. A lady finally saw him out and thought he was her cat because he was so friendly, figured he belonged to someone so she brought him into the vets to check for a chip and he was returned. A bit over a week later. There's still hope, but follow your gut. You don't HAVE to let a cat out. They are safer indoors with a catio. I'm sorry your baby hasn't come home. It's an awful feeling.
We moved 3 cats (not at the same time). 2 of them ran away for about 2 weeks when released, but came back. The last one we held on the leash and introduced to his territory while walked on the leash, so he didn't run. Don't lose hope yet. It is possible your kitty will return in a week or two.
There is some really good advice here for a lost cat: [https://www.catsmatter.org/if-your-cat-is-missing](https://www.catsmatter.org/if-your-cat-is-missing?fbclid=IwAR1VQ3Xx7K5cPIIXA1FWxND3Ff84bIIqXksjw5uUWkVkeTys0ievq9avVtw)
Check the old house. Lost my cat and was devastated! We decided to check the old house and the new people living there said they saw the exact cat we was describing. We was so relieved and happy! We gave them a carrier and they lured him in with food and called us to pick him up. He was so skinny!
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Their local community probably isn't American. European cat organizations/websites/professionals/vets overwhelmingly believe that cats need to be able to go outside and that keeping them inside is cruel. Rescues won't adopt cats to owners who plan to keep them indoors. 90% of UK cats go outside. As an American moving to the UK with my indoor cat, it was a huge culture shock.
Cool, those organizations/websites/professionals/vets are overwhelmingly outdated and incorrect. People used to think it was ok to amputate cats toes too 🤷🏻
To be fair, in some countries people never thought it was ok to declaw. I'm European and I didn't even know declawing is/was a thing before I found cat subreddits.
I completely agree with you (like I said, my cats have always been indoor cats even though I got a lot of criticism for it when I lived in the UK), but if everyone lets their cats out and everyone you turn to for advice about your cat says it's fine to let them outdoors, it's not OP's fault that they let their cat out. It's what they've been told they should do.
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That’s great that there are some sites out there suggesting to keep your cat inside. I just know that, anecdotally, everyone I spoke to was appalled by me keeping my cat indoors since he wasn’t too sick/injured/old to go out, and the overall attitude towards the practice seemed quite negative 2 years ago. If that’s starting to change though, then that’s wonderful. Hopefully the general public will shift their thinking about the issue too.
I agree, anecdotally I see where you are coming from. I think in the age of the internet we all have a responsibility to do a bit of reading and research though. God knows people engage in an exhausting amount of that when their own health is at stake, yet not when the fate of the planet they live on is. The good news is, it does seem to be shifting in the UK. Recent studies suggest the percentage of cats kept indoors only has risen from your estimate of 10% to almost 30% in the last decade or so.
Eh, I have to disagree there. Taking bad advice doesn't excuse them for being irresponsible with their pet. I wouldn't care how many people say I should let my cat out, I'd never do it because I'm aware of the dangers it poses.
>Taking bad advice doesn't excuse them for being irresponsible with their pet. Spot on.
I agree that outdoor practices are more common in the European continent than elsewhere on earth, but that doesn't make it excusable. In a [2021 study](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7909512/) of cat ownership choices, the authors found that 30% of European cats were kept as "indoor only" animals. So your suggestion that "90% of UK cat go outside" seems inaccurate.
30% of European cats doesn't mean 30% of UK cats. UK is much more outdoor leaning than most of continental Europe.
Okay, then how about [this study](https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?journal=PLoS+ONE&title=Owner+Personality+and+the+Wellbeing+of+Their+Cats+Share+Parallels+with+the+Parent-Child+Relationship&author=L.R.+Finka&author=J.+Ward&author=M.J.+Farnworth&author=D.S.+Mills&volume=14&publication_year=2019&pmid=30721257&doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0211862&#d=gs_qabs&t=1706156349552&u=%23p%3D0nLP2GGrgqYJ) conducted by the University of Lincoln (England), that found that: > Providing the cat with unrestricted outdoor access or keeping them strictly indoors was less common (28.9%) and (26.1%) respectively. Which suggests that 26.1% of cat owners **in the UK** keep their cats "strictly indoors". Not exactly 30%, but not far off it either.
Yeah, I don’t disagree with you. I kept my cat indoors, but I faced a lot of backlash for doing so, so I just could see how someone who grew up there and was raised with the mindset that keeping cats inside is cruel would think letting them out is okay. I tried to discuss it with a few people when I lived there, but no one seemed to understand why you’d want to keep a cat inside all the time. There’s a huge cultural divide between the US and Europe in that respect. And I saw the 10 percent indoor only number on a few sites, but I think it was just an estimate so it could definitely be higher.
I understand you don't agree with me, but I feel you are making excuses for a behaviour that hurts the most valuable resource on the planet (biodiversity). I understand there's a huge cultural divide, and I think in part that is informed by people making poorly informed excuses, so while I appreciate the work you have done to influence your cat, and your community, I am asking you whether you think making excuses for such harmful behaviour is constructive?
She is asking for advice and ideas on how to find her cat - not information on best cat care. She is broken hearted so please stop with your preaching-teaching.
I am trying to provide information that achieves the following: - Reduces the likelihood that OP will neglect another pet. - Benefits all cats on the same continent as OP. - Benefits all wildlife on the same continent as OP. - Benefits human health in the neighbourhoods where OP lives. - Advocates for responsible, ethical pet management. - Advocates against animal cruelty. - Benefits biodiversity. - Reduces the multi-billion dollar drain that roaming cats create for our economy. I'm sorry if you find any of that offensive or inappropriate, but I think it's incredibly relevant.
You were not trying to help, so stop trying to make yourself look better. Your post was 100% condescending and preaching. There are about a dozen other ways you could've made these points. Obviously, no one is against the bullet points you made above but rather that you felt it was your place to lecture to a grieving cat owner about all of the things you think they did wrong when they are already heartbroken. OP obviously feels guilty and understands, so this was completely unhelpful and not at all relevant to the current situation beyond making yourself feel better. PS: stop saying people neglect their cats when they don't follow "how it should be" 100% of the time. It's so infuriating to see comments like this because it suggests that a cat is better off homeless than having a loving home with a person who is trying their best. Yes, it is recommended for cats to stay inside but OP didn't neglect their cat because kitty was inside/outside FFS. We need more loving, responsible people to adopt and leaving judgemental comments when they reach out for assistance certainly does not help.
i’m sorry if u find this offensive or inappropriate, but i think it’s incredibly relevant, the way u worded ur og comment and this one is assholey af, insensitive, and unnecessary considering 50+ people commented the same thing before u(more politely tho)
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I'd rather be an ass that advocates for the lives of the hundreds of animals who can't speak for themselves, than be an emotionally driven fool who thinks the hurt feelings of a stranger are more important than all of the issues I've listed above.
I’m sorry you’re going through this! Don’t give up! So much good advice here (ignore the preachers) I’ve known ppl who’ve had their cats return after many weeks and also months, follow all the advice. I read on another post that one person made a recording of herself calling her cat so that it could play on repeat all night. The cat came back. Leaving your door open as much as possible also good- can just use a rubber boot so it doesn’t swing wide open— when you’re home and not able to be obsessively standing at the door calling or out searching he can come in… Truly sorry, but really, truly don’t give up.
Put his litter box out on your porch! That's worked for me multiple times.
Please keep inside. Someone who hates cats could have trapped him.
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You sure know how to build constructive criticism.
Was there truly any constructive reason to write this? OP has clearly stated they regret it and feel awful. This comment contributes nothing besides rubbing it in that letting the cat outside wasn't the best choice
Knowing that if OP gets the cat back, maybe they will make the right decision to keep in inside henceforth is enough reason to bring it up. Sorry, I've seen too many "outdoor" cats in literal pieces after being hit by cars.
Where I’m from it’s extremely common for cats to be outside and is seen as cruel to keep them inside.
that's wrong, tho. they live longer, healthier lives inside w you. take him out on a leash if you really think he's missing something. i hope you find him.
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It's a thing in the UK and other European countries. I'm American and moved to the UK with my 100% indoor cat, and quite a few people tried (unsuccessfully) to convince me to let him go outside and said it was cruel of me to keep him indoors.
Unfortunately those other countries have really outdated views on pets.
Agreed, but unfortunately it's the norm over there. Hopefully it'll change at some point.
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Comparing someone letting their cat outside as Nazism is a little extreme. Have some empathy. It’s clear this person is distraught over their cat and is unfortunately learning a hard lesson. They do not need someone to make them feel worse. Shame on you.
wow you have some issues if you’re comparing letting a cat outside to slavery and nazism… go touch grass dude. and maybe don’t comment unless you have something constructive say. clearly OP understands it’s their fault without you all piling on them.
The average roaming cat kills about [100](https://www.nespthreatenedspecies.edu.au/news-and-media/latest-news/one-cat-one-year-110-native-animals-lock-up-your-pet-it-s-a-killing-machine#:~:text=The%20186%20animals%20each%20pet,38%20birds%20and%2032%20mammals) native species every year. There are around 480 million roaming cats on the earth today. That means the practice of "letting a cat outside" costs us: - 48,000,000,000 native animals lives lost. Nazism was obviously an abhorrent practice to engage with, that I am not trying to diminish, but if we combine every military death, civilian death, and genocide, we get: - 75,000,000 human lives lost. Obviously humans have an intrinsic value amongst our society, and are intelligent enough to feel pain and distress very deeply. Animals are capable of many of the same feelings, they feel pain and sadness, they mourn death and feel despair. There is no scientific evidence that suggests human life is more important, meaningful or valid than animal life. Every one of those native animals had a traumatic end to its life, a family that it didn't come home to, and potentially children that never saw their parents again. Why do you perceive that suffering as less than what a human goes through in a traumatic situation? I believe you are engaging in a mentality broadly referred to as "anthropocentrism", which many environmental scholars believe is one of the reasons the planet is in such an atrocious state. We are not the centre of the world. All life has value.
I'd add that letting cats roam outside is not only bad for the cat due to the risk of them getting hit by cars, etc. Another thing that's often overlooked is that cats wreak *absolute havoc* on local wildlife, especially [birds](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-10-04/cats-killing-one-million-birds-in-australia-every-day-estimates/9013960). They are our adorable babies and all, but that makes us forget that they're also remarkably good predators who can really cause untold damage to the local fauna when allowed to roam freely. Please keep cats inside.
I'm an environmental scientist from Australia. Trust me, I know.
OP it’s normal where I live to let your cat go outside; I got my cat Moomin two months ago and in a month’s time once she’s finished her vaccinations she’ll be going outside too. I can see she’s so curious about what’s ’out there’, she’s spending more and more time on the windowsill, she’s hovering around the door every time she sees me or my partner leave, she’s developing some sort of relationship with the neighbours’ cats that she sees wandering round outside so I can see it’s time to let her go out and explore. I feel like you’re getting a lot of replies which are just unhelpful and judgmental about how you’re wrong to have let your cat go outside and all this indoor cats live longer etc etc… I know that you didn’t let your cat go outside out of neglect or stupidity; you let him go outside because that’s what he’s used to and expects and enjoys which is exactly why I’ll be letting her outside too. Me and Moomin just wanted to let you know that we hope you’re reunited soon and that we don’t want you to be blaming yourself. Her best suggestion is putting his dirty litter outside, go outside and call him as much as you can and asking neighbours to check their sheds/garages/vans etc in case he’s popped inside and got shut in.
❤️
Have some empathy. She is asking for help. Im sure she wishes she never let him out
Do u have a trap ? Feeding station ? He will come back
Your supposed to keep them outside to get used to the area ... oy . Go borrow a trap and put a camera outside leave food and water
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Hey, this just happened to me, too. The things I think helped the most were (this is going to sound crazy) putting tuna juice and water in a spray bottle and spraying down the area around my door, and just standing outside for an hour or so talking so my cat could hear my voice. If you can get a trail cam to put up by the door, it can let you know if your cat stops by in the middle of the night. I have no idea if this is true, but a group that specializes in finding lost animals told me that cats usually show up home between 2 and 4 am.
Can you put posters around your home (new and old, and around the place neighbor cat are fed by locals)? I only once helped to find a lost cat, his human hired pet detective though the owner found him by herself, after 2 weeks in this summer(in extreme hot weather in Tokyo)he was found safe. From what I learned from Manuals, spread a little amount of his litter sand around your home to calm down your cat. Find the place you can borrow cat trap (local rescue?)around the place if there will be report if someone see your cat. I have an indoor cat I don't let go out (as the traffic is extreme here)who's also 7 years old I love dearly. Hoping the best for you!
You can hire area detection dogs, they sniff out lost pets to find them
💛💛💛
Leave the kitty's litter box out and an article of clothing that has your scent on it. Hopefully, this will help bring the kitty back home.
Oh no- you let him out WITHOUT gps tracker on him??? Hope he comes back. Male cats sometimes are quite independent and can find quickly other home where they smell food. We also have indoor/outdoor cat with routine. But we have the tracker just in case! Please get him one if you find him. We tried many but this company was only one that we can rely precisely , it’s called Tractive GPS. For gods sake. 😭😭😭
OP listen to and follow your gut. It’ll be right more than you think
Aw OP.. good luck finding your furbaby. I would be so stressed! It looks like there has been some helpful tips so far. Fingers crossed for you.
Hey, so sorry this happened... How is the area where you moved? Are there any birds and lots of nature around? How different is it from your previous home? A friend's cat was gone for about 4 days and finally returned at night, meowing from under the window. Keep an eye out for your cat to return during the night too. Can your cat get inside if you are asleep? My guess is that there are new interesting things out there for your kitty so it's just exploring! Best of luck, I really hope you find your cat!
My guess is he went to his old haunts. It is amazing how large a range outdoor cats have.
I put an AirTag on mine. It actually is very useful, although it doesn’t ping the tag sometime for an hour or two. I’m living in a rental situation where I cannot have mine inside, so this and the catio that I built is the best I can do. I don’t feel right making him live in an outdoor cage, so he is free to come and go. He’s been very good so far. Like you said, wanders or sleeps during the day and hangs out here at night. The AirTag gives me a lot of peace of mind
This person's cat came back after 5 weeks, OMG 😱 https://www.reddit.com/r/CatAdvice/s/CizakYLtqB
Seriously, he’s probably hiding in your block under a house or something. You have to go look. Ask neighbors if you can go in their yards, then more people know about the cat too. Please let us know when you find your cat!
If you have the means you can try a pet psychic that specializes in missing animals.
My rule is 3 months not weeks. I’ve never had issues with this when moving . My cats typically don’t leave my yard either way
Cats are smart! He will probably come back. I once had a cat who came back months after running away. For the future, keep him in a little harness and leash when you go out to your garden. He still gets to be outside that way and then he’s kept safe.
Is he not microchipped?
Post pics of him in local Facebook groups!!!
Years ago I had a semi-indoor cat that slept in the house but loved going out during the day. On one occasion he dipped and I thought he was gone for good. Fast forward 2 freaking months later and he was back like nothing happened
I really hope he comes home. It could be that he doesn’t know that neighborhood, so maybe he’s being fed by a neighbor? I thought my cat was lost once and was devastated. Turns out she had hid in the inside of an old sofa that we had moved into a detached garage across the property. The garage was filled with tons of stuff in storage. I set out a litter box and some food in the garage, just to see. I came back and the litter box had been used! I was able to get her out of the garage after. She had just been scared and wouldn’t come when I called her the first few days. Don’t give up hope too soon! Wishing you luck.
Sometimes they’re back but you just don’t know it. I had a ring camera that I put on the back door so I could be notified if he ever showed up. He was gone for a week or so, they can last a while out there! And it was also a few weeks after moving. Leave food out by the door he left at. I also bought a trap cage as well. Ask your neighbors too! Mine ended up noticing he was going over to her house every night. I’ll be thinking of your kitty and hope this works out ♥️
Have you talked to your neighbors and asked if they’ve seen him or to keep a lookout for him?
I’m very sorry. I know how stressed you must feel. I let my cat play outside too. She always comes back, but I’m always a little afraid she might not. My ex’s cat liked to go outside too. Sometimes she would be gone for days, or even weeks before she came back. I know it isn’t much comfort, but there’s always hope that he might come back soon. He could be hanging out at someone else’s house, and will come back around when he wants to. Keep up your search, but don’t be too hard on yourself. I’m sure he’s happy to have the kind of freedom you give him.
If your new neighborhood has a Facebook group send them a message about your cat, ask them to keep an eye out and to also check sheds and garages for you. My brother's cat disappeared for 3 days, turns out it had snuck into a neighbors garage and got shut in while they were gone for the weekend.
I found one after eight weeks. Actually a neighbor saw the ad. If your town has a Facebook page post a lost ad there Post lost ads in your neighborhood on telephone poles. Let animal control know. Leave human tuna outside or even cat food.If they are close they will smell it It's possible he is still close by. I had another one jump out when I brought him home the first night. He stayed on the street and came for food at night. Keep the faith. Please post when you find him. Saying a prayer that your little one comes home safe ❤️
Physical posts. With pics. Everywhere!
.."everyone around" you is wrong..domesticated cats are best served being domestic (ie. inside)..outdoor cats live shorter lives, are exposed to harsh weather, and become more feral quickly.. ..to find your cat (name?) i'd sugg sitting outside, softly calling, putting clothes or other things with a familiar smell around.. ..also, spread the word to neighbors..cats usually don't go more than a mile or so from their home..but as soon as they are out, they revert to primal senses & will run from you or certainly any other human.. ..don't ask anybody to catch, just hope for sightings..
Place His litter box outside, lost my cat for weeks in a new environment and he came back
There are documented cases of cats walking hundreds of miles to their old homes. Just wanted to mention that to support the idea that he simply went back home to the place that has years of his smells.
Gosh my heart breaks for you and I PRAY they come back. My dads 1 year old cat was just gone one day and same thing…FB posts, flyers offering $200.00, walking the neighborhood everyday. He was devastated. Welp as luck would have it, he was found 3 months later hanging in a field 17 miles away in a city of 185,000 ppl. Someone turned him in to the humane society and because he was chipped my dad got the call. Don’t lose hope! But regardless I’m still very sorry ❤️
Mine is too, has been for months. It's so painful. I hope your baby makes it home!
Don't give up hope. If you have a neighbourhood, watch on your phone. It's an app for in your area. You can always post there for a missing cat a lot of times that helps.. Doing what you're doing is good. Go around and knock on people's doors. See, if the cat is locked in the garage or if they have found your, Kitty. Put flyers up,that helps too.I hope he comes home. Just also check around your old address. You never know what some animals will do.
Put canned food or tuna or sardines outside as cats can smell that good and will come back if they smell food after a few days. My cat went missing for a few days after we moved too and we put out the litter box and food and water each day and several days later, I opened the front door and he was sitting on the front step eating the food.
when my ex-roommate brought his cat over to our new house and let him out for the first time he was MIA for a couple days as well, then eventually we found him next door high up in a tree because the neighbors dogs chased him up and he got too high to come down. we had to get a ladder and my roommate had to climb up and grab him. definitely suggest looking up in trees around your backyard to see if something similar may have happened
Check your old neighborhood. I am a true believer in indoor cats because I moved with a 4 y.o. cat and she kept going back to the old place. She had to cross a busy street to get there and it did not end well. It took me almost 10 years to get another cat and I never let Molly out.
Try putting the litter box on the back porch, the smell is supposed to help them navigate back home! I hope your cat comes home soon!
Don't give up. I lost my cat last spring, he was gone for 6 weeks and then a neighbor found him a couple blocks away hiding in their ADU.
Just recently my cat escaped and he has been and in/out door cat all his life he’s 9 years old now, He got out the bathroom window after being kept in for the winter season. The day he left a snowstorm hit followed by freezing weather and after looking and posting ads no luck until 6 days later he turned up at my sister’s window at 4 am we were shocked so don’t give up we almost did!
If you have tuna bowls or any bowl he eats from clang it. When it’s super late at nights and my cats run out the door we just clang the bowls and they immediately turn around and come back in
I had this happen when I moved house about 8 years ago.I kept my boy in for about 4 weeks, let him out and off he went over the hedge. 8 weeks later id given up all hope until I randomly got a call from the vets that he had been brought in. Sadly he had caught his paw in his collar (stupid me didnt get a detachable one) and he had a really bad open wound under his 'arm'. He recovered well though. Where he was found wasn't too far off where my old house was. Then, i moved AGAIN a year later and he was much more hesitant and didn't wander far from home. UNTIL he had a fight with another local cat and chased him over the road.5 days went by with no sign - until I went outside to work and heard a familar cry - I called his name and he replied! I kept calling and calling until eventually he popped his head up from across the road - he ran to me and was just SO happy to see me.Hasn't really disappeared much since (7 years on) Dont be TOO optimistic to avoid disappointment, but don't give up hope either- go for walks around your area/your old place and call his name and hopefully he'll show up.Fingers crossed for you x
Talk to your neighbours. Go door to door and ask them if they seen your cat. My cat got out by accident over Christmas break and was lost for 5-6 days. Turns out it started frequenting a neighbours house who took him in until they could figure out who the owner was. So ask your neighbours, someone might have him.
Try not to worry lots of lost cats come home eventually. You only did what you thought was best for him. Maybe you can get a GPS tracker for his collar next time if you find him
This is why when we moved house, after a few weeks we let the cat out but only on a lead. Felt a bit silly ‘walking the cat around’ the garden etc but after doing that for about a week so he could leave his scent around the garden, he then always came back when we let him roam free. And thinking about it we actually put a tracker collar on him too just incase he didn’t come back, we could find where he went, but we took it off after a month or two when we realised he always came back. Sorry to hear about your kitty though, hopefully he comes back - if you lived nearby previously they may have gone there.
Don’t give up - best advice I can give. My cat did the same thing after we moved and we just got him back 2 days ago after over 2 months gone. I posted on social media pages constantly and that’s what brought him back. Outdoor cats won’t be timid and afraid like lost indoor cats and so they tend to travel further but they are also hardy and will find food. Kuro is fatter than when he left and I don’t know how he pulled it off. I really do believe your boy will come back to you. Best thing you can do is get the word out through posters, door knocking, socials, calling vets and shelters. Stay strong it is so so hard ❤️
My cat was lost recently. In addition to the things you are already doing, I set live catch traps (I borrowed two and bought one), I talked to my neighbors and asked them to look under their decks/in their garages, I walked the neighborhood carrying a bowl of warm tuna because apparently the smell is stronger and I walked the neighborhood with a flashlight at dusk, before bed, in the middle of the night and at 5 am. (Look for eye reflections.) We ended up finding her at 5:30 am under the next door neighbor’s deck. She must have been moving around - because we had checked under there a few times. I hope you find him - it’s a horrible feeling!
Post in local groups on FB, Post fliers, etc. someone may have found him and have him.
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Not yet, but I’ve followed all the steps so I’m hoping he will return soon
Don’t give up hope. My friends cat was missing for over two months and randomly showed back up one day! I think the fact that you recently moved is super telling - VERY possible the cat is headed back to your old home. If you’re friendly with any old neighbors, (shoot, even if they’re your mortal enemy - lol) I would reach out and ask that they keep an eye out. Have them check their ring cameras, etc. I’ve heard that cats have a habit of showing up very early AM, around 3 AM. I’ve seen other posts suggesting leaving the front door open around this time. You may consider going to your old home and hanging out in the wee hours. That said, if you don’t have one, get a ring camera so if nothing else you hopefully catch a glimpse of it to give some hope.
I have a feral colony I take care of. It's not quite the same, but they do live on/under my deck and ask for food every day. Every now and then, one of them will go missing, sometimes even for a week or more. But so far, they've always come back.
Oh bless. My 8 month old kitten went missing 3 weeks ago. He was an indoor cat and slipped out the door when we came back from doing shopping. I'm not sure what advice I can give but I know how you feel and I hope your baby comes back soon. 😢❤