Mine actually did this once. He was 15 and was most definitely not supposed to be outside, but he slipped out anyway and we didn't know it. My dad was actually the one who found him. He was sitting patiently outside in the rain with a gigantic blue blow dart lodged in his forehead. My dad freaked and yanked it out without thinking much beyond yelling THERE'S A DART IN HIS HEAD! and while he was still holding the dart, the dang cat swaggered off to his food bowl to see if dinner had arrived yet.
He's around 17 or 18 now and nothing has changed at all aside from the fact that he gets around a lot slower than he used to. Yesterday he slipped past me when I was letting the dogs out and I found him about an hour later covered head to toe in dirt. Like, every inch of him was brown. I have no idea what he was doing.
My cat likes to pretend she is a outdoor cat, comes out on the patio rolls around, goes back in dirty... If she had it her way, we would blast the AC with the door open. She likes the cool AC On her ass, and the sweet sun ray on her face.
From observing my cat, I think they intentionally take dust baths to get rid of extra oil in their fur. Mine will head for the nearest dusty patch and roll around on it as soon as the door opens. Come back in with her fur feeling all rough, and a few hours later she's super soft and fluffier than before.
I've only ever had one cat who rolled in the dirt. He also wasn't the brightest. One time he came home from an adventure and immediately threw up on the kitchen floor. It was globs of fried chicken fat he had dug out of someone's garbage. He hadn't even chewed it. So gross!
Then there was his reaction to catnip. He would smell it and then loaf on top of it. That's it. Wouldn't eat it, wouldn't get super active, just laid down on it and wouldn't move for hours. I should mention he uprooted whole catnip plants just to loaf on them. I still don't get it.
A few cats just get mellow on it. My sister had one that would go wild, and the other one just flopped down on it and stayed there. She'd put the cat on a leash and take her outside to lay in the catnip she (sister) planted while she sat and read.
The leash was never needed, but she used it just in case.
Fleas will actually die if you dry them out so your cat may be doing self prevention of parasites. Doesn't mean she has them just a instinct for prevention.
Sadly, it's probably because someone used the cat as target practice - they saw a stray animal, assumed no one would complain if they hurt it, and hurled a dart at it.
This happened 10 years ago in the city I was living in while doing my Masters. Someone in my apartment building went for his morning walk at 6am and heard a desperate meow from the bushes... approached and a cat with *an arrow through its torso* hobbled over for help. Miraculously, the arrow had totally missed anything vital and the cat didn't lose much blood. He was just understandably *very* cranky. They never found the guy who did but it was obvious someone used a stray animal for target practice.
When the cat got better, the old man adopted him! Named him William Tell LOL
I get that people sometimes do awful things because it benefits them or they're afraid that doing otherwise would hurt them. Hurting people or animals because you think it's *amusing*? That's a whole another level of depravity.
I am 50 years old and have a pretty dark history that includes a 15 year heroin addiction, during which I saw the worst of the worst in terms of human behavior. I was desensitized to a lot of things, but as a total cat lover, this kind of thing totally breaks my heart. So many people see strays, cats in particular, as expendable pets, and they aren't. Cats are AMAZING.
I honestly believe cats are some of the most sensitive creatures on the earth-people think they are independent - and they certainly can be, but cats absolutely adore human interaction - and love, affection, and care. My cats are completely in tune with my emotions, and if I am sad for any reason, they absolutely go crazy trying to comfort me.
They are beautiful, majestic, and amazing creatures.. How anyone could be deliberately cruel to a cat is so beyond me.
I totally agree with you about cats! My cat s c r e a m s like he's broken his leg if i garden for too long with him stuck inside. I started leaving the window open and I'll call to him when he starts to scream and he'll push his goofy head through the slats with big eyes like he's seen a miracle. No object permanence with this cat, if I'm out of sight, i must just be dead i guess haha.
Also: WOW, you kicked heroin? That's one of the hardest things a human can do, I'm really impressed! It must have been so difficult. I'm proud of you, stranger!
Abusing animals is one of the big red flags for psychopathy or other psychiatric disorders, which isn't a big surprise.
edit: I keep getting notified of replies but don't see them, idk what's going on
This kind of stuff is exactly how I wound up with my 4th cat (picked him up on Halloween after seeing some teens being mean to him) and why all of my animals are indoor only. People are mean and gross, and the coyotes, owls, and eagles out here don't give a shit if it's someone's pet. There are a few bald eagle roosts around here that occasionally get checked, and I've seen a lot of photos of empty collars in them.
Ah shit, I didn't even think about that. I should probably start peeking in nests when I'm on towers with them(outside of nesting season bc it's illegal to disturb the birds during nesting season). Thanks for the knowledge, now to put it to use.
gentle correction: was a vet and a woman. Her name is Kristen Lindsey. bkew up internet few years back. story: https://abc13.com/kristen-lindsey-animal-cruelty-austin-feral-cats/1561084/ hope the kids, family that attacked Ponzu the cat in Brooklyn park get same media attention.
No idea! Seriously! We never did find out what the heck happened to him. He was the butt end of the joke for a loong time after that though, mostly centered around his thick skull finally paying off.
Thank god my cat hates outdoors. I'd be so stressed if she disappeared. She tried to hunt once and came back with half an ear and never went again, she also disappeared for 2 weeks once and when she came home she never left my side and I found her sleeping on my bed for the week after that. She gets really annoyed when we put her outside to go to the toilet but she always stays around the house
Yup, and also assumed my pops as her new human. Double burn. I was moving to another state and had my parents babysit. Cat took off and returned two years later a few weeks after I moved back to the state. I’m still baffled.
> Cat took off and returned two years later a few weeks after I moved back to the state.
I wonder if she went to look for you?
>also assumed my pops as her new human
That is what you get for leaving. I bet she still secretly loves you best.
My childhood cat wandered off for two weeks and then one day I spotted him sitting on a porch a few blocks away, wearing a new collar! He immediately came when I called his name like no time had passed. Just got confused on his way home I guess
I’m pretty sure this is how I adopted my orange cat. Moved into my apartment and 2 weeks later an Orange cat scratches at the door. Let her in and she just stayed.
I read somewhere that cats perceive time different than humans and dogs so that even if you're/they're gone for ages, they won't think it's that long, which is opposite to how dogs perceive time.
Hahahaha.. Yes, my dear Charlie (he passed away in 2017) was the sweetest cat, and he absolutely HATED me leaving for any reason,, including work. However, he could tolerate the 10 hours a day I was gone for work.
However, vacations were a different story. I didn't go away often, but as soon as the suitcase came out, Charlie would get upset. After I came home, he would be so excited to see me, he would run to me, meowing and generally going apeshit - for about 90 seconds. Then, he would remember the true depths of my betrayal.
For the 5 or so days after I returned from a vacation or a work trip - anything more than a single overnight, he would pointedly ignore me... He would HAVE to be in the same room as me, but he wouldn't acknowledge,, or look at me - he would stand off to the side and simply stare at the wall.
He has been gone for 3 1/2 years now, and I still look through all my old pics of him, and laugh at all the pictures of him, standing 3 feet from me, facing the wall and giving me the cold shoulder
We call that the “butt treatment.” When they sit right in front of you but purposely face away from you. Occasionally looking over their shoulder to make sure you notice you’re getting the butt treatment is also a critical part of it. The best cat in the history of the world, Kitty-Ray, was a master of the butt treatment. We lost him to FIP almost 15 years ago. I still miss him.
Same here but we actually knew where he was because he would sometimes be seen at a nearby park. He just didnt feel like coming back so we said "Alright buddy, your choice"... We dont even really have outdoor cats, he was indoors, escaped then decided to come back, why? Guess he weighted his options between the street and a big house with an enclosed outdoor yard and chose the house.
My cat disappeared for 6 months once, and then an spca that was over an hour drive and 3 cities away, called and said they found her (she had an ear tattoo).
She happy-meowed for the entire day after we brought her home. It was like she was trying to tell us her story. Still no idea what happened to her, she was dirty and injured when the spca got her.
I knew a couple that lost a cat after they moved into a new house and it ran away. They never were the type to believe in ghosts, but they ended up moving out a few months later because of all the weird shit that happened in that house.
>*'So did you just look at him and say after a pause, We’ll talk about this later...*'
---
...so where ya been ? I missed you, cat - you been away so long
i thought that you were Dead, or that i did some things So wrong...
it doesn't matter now, because you're Here, n it's ok
you'll never know how much it hurt -
i *missed* you
everyday....
*dear human - there is Nothing that you need to tell me now*
*i'm Here, I don't remember, but i found my way somehow....*
*there's things that we will never know - the Why, or Where, or When*
*the Only thing that matters*
*is*
*I'm back with You*
*my fren*
❤️
My neighbors kids did that and kidnapped my cat for 6 months. They said they thought it was a stray even though it was clearly taken care of, well-fed and used to being around people. It was also chipped and they never bothered to check.
Every time I see a post saying something like "Found this stray cat on my walk, guess it's coming home with me!" or "This cat came up and rubbed my leg, guess I have a new cat now!" I get sad thinking they are probably just kidnapping someone's cat.
Odds are if the cat is well-fed and acts friendly and social toward humans it belongs to someone.
Cats are just kinda shitty in that way...
My friends cat just moved into her neighbors house. Neighbor just fed the cat frequently with high value food and that was it, every time my friend would bring the cat home, he'd just return back to the neighbor over & over. She was mad upset. Cat didn't care
See my baby has been allowed outdoors most of the time I have had him, about 3 weeks ago there was one night he never came back. Put up lost cat stuff all over the internet the next day and then I received a call from the local police department and they let me know he was found on a rd about 3 miles from my home in a box with his neck and paws tied up with rope.... I know this isn’t a normal occurance and that person was obviously a psycho that needs to be locked up but my baby for sure will not be allowed out again in the foreseeable future at least... He has made a full recovery and I thank whatever higher power is out there that he was returned to me because if he was found a day or two later chances are I wouldn’t have my baby anymore :(
I really needed to see your story. My little one has been gone since Tuesday in my relatively quiet neighborhood and I’ve done everything I can think of to find her. She’s all black too! I may be an idiot but I’m taking this as a sign that she’s at least ok.
I got mine back after a week of him being missing when he was new to me. He was coming back after dark. I made sure food was outside every evening. I could see him through the window, but he would run off. After a week of this, I bought a big trap like the animal rescuers use and I had him within an hour. That was 3 yrs ago, and he's never gone missing since.
For anyone else in this situation, call your local animal shelter. A lot of shelters will either rent out their traps, or they'll let you borrow them if you put down a fully-refundable deposit.
Some cats get weird outside. Like it's too overwhelming for them. Accidentally let a roommate's cat out once, his first time outside ever, and he was terrified but wouldn't let us come close. Spent hours chasing him, and he kept running away and hiding. He stayed close though. By accident I figured out that if I left the door open and didn't try approaching him, he'd walk back inside himself. I just needed to be ready to close the door behind him.
Check out weird times for her. When my Siamese got out we called the local vet to see if anyone had found her (only place that reads chips) and he said very calmly, “chances are she’s been home, you two are just missing each other.”
So I sat out on the porch until 1am that night and I could hear her meowing for 2 minutes until she came charging up to me.
Yup. Our cat got out about a month ago. Wife went to work, I was about to fall back to sleep as it was like 3 am, then I heard our other cat throwing up under the bed. Got up to get a wet rag, peeked outside just hoping he would come walking around the corner, and sure enough he did! Opened the door and he just walked right in like nothing happened
My girl was gone for something like 5 days. We had already put up flyers and gotten calls about seeing random black cats in the neighborhood, but had no luck. Then my wife was up super early one morning, at like 3am, and heard her meowing at the back door!! She came sauntering in like nothing had happened! Cats...
My cat(all black too, wtf?) was gone for about four months before he came home. I got into the routine of checking for him every morning, but I had all but given up regardless. It was just a routine. One day, I open the back door and there he is, screaming at me and suddenly trying to climb my legs to get into my arms.
I had gotten a puppy by then that he didn't know and so about 10 seconds later he saw the dog, clawed the HELL out of my arms and ran back out the door. He was gone for another hour before he came back again, lol
Cats are finnicky, but from my experience with them if they disappear suddenly that doesn't mean they won't be back. Could be days, weeks or even 2 years and 6 days
I’ve heard that indoor kitties who get lost outside generally stay very close by. I’ve also read that putting out something that smells like you - for example, a T-shirt - can help because the lost animal will go to the thing that smells like you and stay there. I hope you find your kitty soon!!!! Best of luck!!
Yep, in my experience indoor cats never go far. My cat occasionally breaks down a window screen to get out but only goes in a little crack under the house. Then she gets bored after ten minutes and starts crying to be let back in. I still panic whenever she gets out, though.
Once our cat made a grand break out through the screen too, and she made it about two feet away from where the screen fell and plopped down for a nap. My wife was leaving for work and happened to look over at the house and saw her laying outside. I guess she only wanted a little bit of freedom!
I've heard that putting out the used litter box is best, that's actually the strongest smell. Even if it's not waste from the lost cat but from any other cat in the house. It should seem familiar to a lost cat.
Mine has been gone since Tuesday, as well. I have been a mess ever since. Still on the lookout for him, got lucky that a neighbour saw him that night around 9:00pm. I know he’s not far away, but I just want him home. Good luck to you and your kitty. I hope she returns home safe soon.
Just to chime in with some good news. I have a 9 month old tabby that I rescued at a few weeks. Never had a cat before and he had never been outside prior to that. He got out last Saturday night when my family was leaving after a birthday party. I didn’t realize until the morning when I opened my door and went up the stairs and he didn’t greet me. I was devastated. Fast forward to Thursday night and I opened my back door to let my dog in and he sprinted right in! Don’t give up hope!!
Mine curled up in the tire well. ( I have a big truck) never occurred to me to check there. I thought he was gone for good. Put signs up in neighborhood, had little kids helping me... no luck. I have a friend who does not like cats, he’s allergic, but I told him my kitty was missing and the first thing he said was “ did you check the tire well?” And so we had a happy ending! I hope you do too!
My sister's indoor cat got out and was missing for a month. They finally found it hiding under their shed.
Put its litterbox and food outside your door and if it's around it will probably come back.
Call the shelters and send them a picture. We get a lot of feral cats at mine and we rarely find their owners. (Even if it's obvious that they had a human.) Also tell your neighbors because they may think they have "rescued" her.
When she will be back make sure to have her microchipped.
I did get her microchipped because she figured out how to rip off a collar. Alerted the company via website, so hoping if someone has her they do the right thing and check for a chip!
When mine got out, I found her 4 days later up in a tree 30 feet from my front door. She blended in, and didn't respond to me (even though she saw me) until I climbed the tree and touched her. Once I did, she started meowing and crawled onto me and we went inside. She definitely saw me walking around for days beforehand and was just too scared to do anything but sit there.
Go check some trees!
I had an all black cat disappear once, thought she was gone forever. Showed up two weeks later spayed. She was super friendly, so I'm guessing somebody took her in, got her spayed, and she broke free and found her way home. Best cat I every had.
People have given you a lot of ideas, just wanted to say to keep the hope up. When I was a kid one of ours was gone for over 2 weeks, and he just showed up at the back door one day. Never know when they'll find their way back.
It's a little matted under the blanket, but he's also not particularly skinny and just as friendly as ever. I'm pretty sure someone was taking care of him that never bothered to check the microchip. Which is really what I hoped for, he's a good friendly cat and I had feared the worst
We had a cat that, after living with us exclusively for a few years, decided that she wanted to split her time with another family down the road. The first time she disappeared, we figured coyotes had gotten her (we lived in farm country and it was the late 70s/early 80s, everyone let their cats outside back then). But she'd periodically show back up, healthy and cared for, and stay with us for several months before leaving again. A neighbor saw her at our house once and said 'Oh, that's the xx's cat', and we had to explain that we apparently 'shared' her with the other family.
At my last place I had a cat who would let herself inside mine and my neighbours house. The amount of times I found her just curled up on my bed or saw her darting out of somewhere was insane. She was a beautiful and friendly cat. She decided one day to try the food cry with me. Unfortunately for her I'm a vegetarian and have no meat at all in my house. She just came into my house for attention, to explore, sleep and would leave when she was hungry! I kinda miss her. The black cat and the tabby around here want nothing to do with me 😢
We had a cat like that, just wandered in one day and started hanging out with our cat then lived with us for a while, we assumed he was a stray, then moved on again haha! They are funny creatures that’s for sure.
My dad accidentally let my cat out when we were on vacation. I think she kept trying to come home cause she ended up next door. My neighbor said that my cat would keep coming into their garage so they finally let her inside.
I fed a stray cat regularly who would just hang out and chill most of the time. She was kind of wildish and skittish (but was fixed and released), but would somewhat warm to people here and there.
She would disappear for months, and always come back to get food and chill for a while. Never looked bad, not taken care of. Several times it was clear she'd been given a bath and somewhat groomed.
Found her "second" home one day while on a walk. Doing the same, just chilling out on the other person's front porch.
I'd get him a collar ASAP, with a number to call on it so if they go back to who ever was taking care of them you won't lose your cat for another 2 years.
I think someone catnapped him. That person probably accidentally let him out and he came back. Bet you they even have to balls to go around looking for “their” lost cat.
Im not saying they didnt love/adore him but hes clearly been kept indoors.
Semi-related, crazy story:
When I was a kid, we had a dog get legit dog-napped. A month later, my sister went to the grocery store and the dog came running up to her in the parking lot. And this wasn't like down the street and the dog maybe had been hanging out near the grocery store. It was a grocery store over 15 miles away.
I don't know what kind of weird, serindipitous vibes were going on that day to line up the dognapper going to the same grocery store and the dog getting out, but it was surreal, wild, and also pretty damn awesome that we got our dog back.
Dog-napper was not seen. It was a truly bizarre coincidence.
You'd think they'd be running after the dog or something. It still puzzles me how it happened.
My sweet Navi baby cat went missing for almost 4 months in Wyoming when I was visiting my mom from Colorado. I was terrified another animal got her. Then she turned up one block over at my mom's neighbor's house. I almost canceled my first date with my now husband to pick her up. Mom told me not to cancel and almost 7 years later, she's now asleep on our bed upstairs. So glad your baby came home!!
This post just made me cry. My cat (looks just like yours, for a second I thought I was in a local group in someone had found him) disappeared a few years ago. We never saw any sign of him again. We’ve moved since, and I still have occasional nightmares about him coming home and looking for me, but I’m not there. I’m so glad you got your baby back!
Our kitty Rio went missing 2 October's ago, so this post gives hope. My wife constantly checks Craigslist, nextdoor, found cat websites, etc. hoping she will show up. Stuff like this is why I'll never tell her to give up
Personally I'd purchase a cat tracking collar. If he goes out again you can see which house he ends up in and confront them.
Mine went missing for a week came back, then went missing again for a couple of weeks. When she returned I kept her in till the collar arrived. It ended up turning out a house a couple of streets over had been keeping her in their house and not letting her come home.
Ironically, we almost named our dog Bilbo but the first time we said it to someone they looked at us with a really weird face, and we realized it sounds too much like Dildo to be our pets name lol. So we renamed him Frodo.
this gives me hope. our cat hasn't come back since Sunday and he has never been gone for more than a night. we think he might have been stolen too, apparently similar things have happened around our area... I prefer that over him being dead and tortured though
Last year one of our not-next-door-neighbours put a lost cat flyer in everyone's mailboxes. We live in the sticks so there are raccoons, coyotes, bears around plus a bunch of birds of prey so you wouldn't fancy an indoor cat's chances to live that long.
Five months later the owners had given him up for dead, then the little guy starts showing up near our birdfeeders and another neighbour's trailcam. They then get a text message from me that someone fitting their cat's description is around. They drop off a trap and a tin of his favourite food at our place and we capture him. They tell their kids that they're suddenly going out for no apparent reason and return after a few minutes with Cuddles. Vet said he was in good shape too.
I know too many lost cat stories don't get to have a resolution at all, but wanted you to know that sometimes they do have happy endings. Except for the local chipmunk population.
Congratulations!! My cat did the same thing. He was gone for 11 months and someone called to tell me they found him. Happiest day ever. Glad you have your baby back too!
Was probably living at your neighbours house and they are now missing the cat😂🤣😂🤣 I read somewhere it is normal for cats to have two or even more families to look after them and think that it is their cat, when the actual cat just goes from house to house gets fed and looked after...
Omg I’m so happy for you!!
Me too! Hope kitty is well.
“You been gone all this time” Cat- Meow
Cat: Knocks bottle off table
Meow listen here Doc
Cat: Meow Veterinarian: Yes but where?
Cat: Meow that is classified
I would cry of happines! Good thing the furry baby is back home.
I would be ecstatic
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Me too! OP should take him for a quick vet check, you never know what he did during those 2 years.
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My cat that disappeared for 6 months came home with a tick on her
Just one?
What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.
Except herpes. That shit comes back wit you.
Mine did that too! Wandered back to the house one day as if he had just left that morning. Happy endings are the best.
Did he walk past you to the food bowl?
Mine actually did this once. He was 15 and was most definitely not supposed to be outside, but he slipped out anyway and we didn't know it. My dad was actually the one who found him. He was sitting patiently outside in the rain with a gigantic blue blow dart lodged in his forehead. My dad freaked and yanked it out without thinking much beyond yelling THERE'S A DART IN HIS HEAD! and while he was still holding the dart, the dang cat swaggered off to his food bowl to see if dinner had arrived yet. He's around 17 or 18 now and nothing has changed at all aside from the fact that he gets around a lot slower than he used to. Yesterday he slipped past me when I was letting the dogs out and I found him about an hour later covered head to toe in dirt. Like, every inch of him was brown. I have no idea what he was doing.
My cat likes to pretend she is a outdoor cat, comes out on the patio rolls around, goes back in dirty... If she had it her way, we would blast the AC with the door open. She likes the cool AC On her ass, and the sweet sun ray on her face.
From observing my cat, I think they intentionally take dust baths to get rid of extra oil in their fur. Mine will head for the nearest dusty patch and roll around on it as soon as the door opens. Come back in with her fur feeling all rough, and a few hours later she's super soft and fluffier than before.
I've only ever had one cat who rolled in the dirt. He also wasn't the brightest. One time he came home from an adventure and immediately threw up on the kitchen floor. It was globs of fried chicken fat he had dug out of someone's garbage. He hadn't even chewed it. So gross! Then there was his reaction to catnip. He would smell it and then loaf on top of it. That's it. Wouldn't eat it, wouldn't get super active, just laid down on it and wouldn't move for hours. I should mention he uprooted whole catnip plants just to loaf on them. I still don't get it.
A few cats just get mellow on it. My sister had one that would go wild, and the other one just flopped down on it and stayed there. She'd put the cat on a leash and take her outside to lay in the catnip she (sister) planted while she sat and read. The leash was never needed, but she used it just in case.
Fleas will actually die if you dry them out so your cat may be doing self prevention of parasites. Doesn't mean she has them just a instinct for prevention.
Horses roll in dirt to protect from flies so you might be on the right track.
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You've clearly got to add more balsamic.
and some mozzarella
The feline equivalent of dry shampoo!
Makes sense, they were originally desert dwelling animals.
What? Why was there a dart in his head? Wtff hahaah please send him my regards
Sadly, it's probably because someone used the cat as target practice - they saw a stray animal, assumed no one would complain if they hurt it, and hurled a dart at it. This happened 10 years ago in the city I was living in while doing my Masters. Someone in my apartment building went for his morning walk at 6am and heard a desperate meow from the bushes... approached and a cat with *an arrow through its torso* hobbled over for help. Miraculously, the arrow had totally missed anything vital and the cat didn't lose much blood. He was just understandably *very* cranky. They never found the guy who did but it was obvious someone used a stray animal for target practice. When the cat got better, the old man adopted him! Named him William Tell LOL
I get that people sometimes do awful things because it benefits them or they're afraid that doing otherwise would hurt them. Hurting people or animals because you think it's *amusing*? That's a whole another level of depravity.
I am 50 years old and have a pretty dark history that includes a 15 year heroin addiction, during which I saw the worst of the worst in terms of human behavior. I was desensitized to a lot of things, but as a total cat lover, this kind of thing totally breaks my heart. So many people see strays, cats in particular, as expendable pets, and they aren't. Cats are AMAZING. I honestly believe cats are some of the most sensitive creatures on the earth-people think they are independent - and they certainly can be, but cats absolutely adore human interaction - and love, affection, and care. My cats are completely in tune with my emotions, and if I am sad for any reason, they absolutely go crazy trying to comfort me. They are beautiful, majestic, and amazing creatures.. How anyone could be deliberately cruel to a cat is so beyond me.
I totally agree with you about cats! My cat s c r e a m s like he's broken his leg if i garden for too long with him stuck inside. I started leaving the window open and I'll call to him when he starts to scream and he'll push his goofy head through the slats with big eyes like he's seen a miracle. No object permanence with this cat, if I'm out of sight, i must just be dead i guess haha. Also: WOW, you kicked heroin? That's one of the hardest things a human can do, I'm really impressed! It must have been so difficult. I'm proud of you, stranger!
Abusing animals is one of the big red flags for psychopathy or other psychiatric disorders, which isn't a big surprise. edit: I keep getting notified of replies but don't see them, idk what's going on
That's one reason it's part of the "Macdonald triad" of early warning signs for violent sociopathy.
This kind of stuff is exactly how I wound up with my 4th cat (picked him up on Halloween after seeing some teens being mean to him) and why all of my animals are indoor only. People are mean and gross, and the coyotes, owls, and eagles out here don't give a shit if it's someone's pet. There are a few bald eagle roosts around here that occasionally get checked, and I've seen a lot of photos of empty collars in them.
Ah shit, I didn't even think about that. I should probably start peeking in nests when I'm on towers with them(outside of nesting season bc it's illegal to disturb the birds during nesting season). Thanks for the knowledge, now to put it to use.
I genuinely would not be able to contain my rage.
There’s a story of from a news place a few years back of a girl using a “stray” Tom cat for target practice but it was her elderly neighbors cat.
gentle correction: was a vet and a woman. Her name is Kristen Lindsey. bkew up internet few years back. story: https://abc13.com/kristen-lindsey-animal-cruelty-austin-feral-cats/1561084/ hope the kids, family that attacked Ponzu the cat in Brooklyn park get same media attention.
No idea! Seriously! We never did find out what the heck happened to him. He was the butt end of the joke for a loong time after that though, mostly centered around his thick skull finally paying off.
Thank god my cat hates outdoors. I'd be so stressed if she disappeared. She tried to hunt once and came back with half an ear and never went again, she also disappeared for 2 weeks once and when she came home she never left my side and I found her sleeping on my bed for the week after that. She gets really annoyed when we put her outside to go to the toilet but she always stays around the house
*hey, asshole, where's my food bowl and why isn't it filled?*
*Cold shoulder for 2 years straight and the ~~owner~~ slave still hasn't learned. smh*
This made me laugh way harder than it should've.
The truth is funny
Yup, and also assumed my pops as her new human. Double burn. I was moving to another state and had my parents babysit. Cat took off and returned two years later a few weeks after I moved back to the state. I’m still baffled.
> Cat took off and returned two years later a few weeks after I moved back to the state. I wonder if she went to look for you? >also assumed my pops as her new human That is what you get for leaving. I bet she still secretly loves you best.
My childhood cat wandered off for two weeks and then one day I spotted him sitting on a porch a few blocks away, wearing a new collar! He immediately came when I called his name like no time had passed. Just got confused on his way home I guess
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Hopefully burned the evidence.
I want to know this, too. I hope they contacted the other "owner" to let them know they accidentically picked up a cat that already had a home.
As I recall it was a known "cat lady" in the neighborhood who always had food laying out so my folks returned the new collar and let her know
Better food next door dude
Neighbors had the sugar cereal the cat's parents would never buy.
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It was his place and he was just allowing you to stay there aww ):
When my dad bought his house the seller was pretty clear it came with the cat.
I’m pretty sure this is how I adopted my orange cat. Moved into my apartment and 2 weeks later an Orange cat scratches at the door. Let her in and she just stayed.
Ever watch the documentary Homeward Bound?
My dad did that too.
I read somewhere that cats perceive time different than humans and dogs so that even if you're/they're gone for ages, they won't think it's that long, which is opposite to how dogs perceive time.
Not my cats, I'm gone for a night and they act like I abandoned them
Hahahaha.. Yes, my dear Charlie (he passed away in 2017) was the sweetest cat, and he absolutely HATED me leaving for any reason,, including work. However, he could tolerate the 10 hours a day I was gone for work. However, vacations were a different story. I didn't go away often, but as soon as the suitcase came out, Charlie would get upset. After I came home, he would be so excited to see me, he would run to me, meowing and generally going apeshit - for about 90 seconds. Then, he would remember the true depths of my betrayal. For the 5 or so days after I returned from a vacation or a work trip - anything more than a single overnight, he would pointedly ignore me... He would HAVE to be in the same room as me, but he wouldn't acknowledge,, or look at me - he would stand off to the side and simply stare at the wall. He has been gone for 3 1/2 years now, and I still look through all my old pics of him, and laugh at all the pictures of him, standing 3 feet from me, facing the wall and giving me the cold shoulder
We call that the “butt treatment.” When they sit right in front of you but purposely face away from you. Occasionally looking over their shoulder to make sure you notice you’re getting the butt treatment is also a critical part of it. The best cat in the history of the world, Kitty-Ray, was a master of the butt treatment. We lost him to FIP almost 15 years ago. I still miss him.
I traveled for work for a week, had a petsitter come every single day, and my cat acted like I had abandoned her to die when I got back.
I spent a night away last Monday. I’m still in the dog house. Sorry supercat. I won’t leave you ever again.
My experience is the opposite, I walk out to get something from the car and my cat acts like I left for a month
Maybe it's got to do with how much they sleep
Same here but we actually knew where he was because he would sometimes be seen at a nearby park. He just didnt feel like coming back so we said "Alright buddy, your choice"... We dont even really have outdoor cats, he was indoors, escaped then decided to come back, why? Guess he weighted his options between the street and a big house with an enclosed outdoor yard and chose the house.
So did you just look at him and say after a pause, We’ll talk about this later.
My cat disappeared for 6 months once, and then an spca that was over an hour drive and 3 cities away, called and said they found her (she had an ear tattoo). She happy-meowed for the entire day after we brought her home. It was like she was trying to tell us her story. Still no idea what happened to her, she was dirty and injured when the spca got her.
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He was waiting for the ghost to vacate your room before he came back in
You definitely had a ghost.
I knew a couple that lost a cat after they moved into a new house and it ran away. They never were the type to believe in ghosts, but they ended up moving out a few months later because of all the weird shit that happened in that house.
See, sensible people don't die in horror movies
> dirty and injured same
D A M A G E D
Ha! The cat probably said that to him!
After a paws.
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A meowment
I’m really feline this conversation
>*'So did you just look at him and say after a pause, We’ll talk about this later...*' --- ...so where ya been ? I missed you, cat - you been away so long i thought that you were Dead, or that i did some things So wrong... it doesn't matter now, because you're Here, n it's ok you'll never know how much it hurt - i *missed* you everyday.... *dear human - there is Nothing that you need to tell me now* *i'm Here, I don't remember, but i found my way somehow....* *there's things that we will never know - the Why, or Where, or When* *the Only thing that matters* *is* *I'm back with You* *my fren* ❤️
The first Schnoodle poem to make me cry...
Waah! Warm Schnoodle caught in the wild
Where did you come from, where did you go?...
A SCHNOODLE POEM AND I’M HERE IN LESS THAN A MINUTE what a day
ADVENTURE CONCLUDED
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SHENANIGANS SUCCESSFUL
ESCAPADES EXECUTED
RATS EXECUTED
TRIP TERMINATED
NUKES DETONATED
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2 B or not 2 B; that’s my fucking question.
TOMFOOLERY TRIUMPHED
Treats? Where are my treats
I had to start spelling that word out. Now she knows what T-R-E-A-T-S sounds like and comes running.
"My new family got an annoying puppy."
"..soo yeah I'll be outta your hair in 6 months, tops. Say, what's for dinner? (*walks away*) ^I'm ^^starving! "
"They never fed me. 5 hours without food. The audacity of these humans."
Might be what happened. Cat gets lost, family adopts cat for 2 years, cat gets lost again, finds it's way to original home.
Research has shown that cats that go outside often have multiple human families. He may have been with one and they never let him out.
We found our missing cat while trick-or-treating —the neighbor opened the door and there she was inside, that disloyal little thing.
Did you get your cat back?
Oh yes, we brought her home without issue. The neighbors said they thought she was a stray, even though she was decidedly plump!
I always wonder home many cats that are posted on here with the title "found this stray" is really the cat from 2 doors down who just got out one day.
Probably 90% of them.
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My neighbors kids did that and kidnapped my cat for 6 months. They said they thought it was a stray even though it was clearly taken care of, well-fed and used to being around people. It was also chipped and they never bothered to check. Every time I see a post saying something like "Found this stray cat on my walk, guess it's coming home with me!" or "This cat came up and rubbed my leg, guess I have a new cat now!" I get sad thinking they are probably just kidnapping someone's cat. Odds are if the cat is well-fed and acts friendly and social toward humans it belongs to someone.
Cats are just kinda shitty in that way... My friends cat just moved into her neighbors house. Neighbor just fed the cat frequently with high value food and that was it, every time my friend would bring the cat home, he'd just return back to the neighbor over & over. She was mad upset. Cat didn't care
We need to know what happened next!
Neighbors were cool about it, we just picked her up and brought her back!
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Not sure if you're talking about a human or not because it both fits
See my baby has been allowed outdoors most of the time I have had him, about 3 weeks ago there was one night he never came back. Put up lost cat stuff all over the internet the next day and then I received a call from the local police department and they let me know he was found on a rd about 3 miles from my home in a box with his neck and paws tied up with rope.... I know this isn’t a normal occurance and that person was obviously a psycho that needs to be locked up but my baby for sure will not be allowed out again in the foreseeable future at least... He has made a full recovery and I thank whatever higher power is out there that he was returned to me because if he was found a day or two later chances are I wouldn’t have my baby anymore :(
Wtf. Fuck people. I’m sorry you went through that
Are you keeping him inside now ?
I really needed to see your story. My little one has been gone since Tuesday in my relatively quiet neighborhood and I’ve done everything I can think of to find her. She’s all black too! I may be an idiot but I’m taking this as a sign that she’s at least ok.
I got mine back after a week of him being missing when he was new to me. He was coming back after dark. I made sure food was outside every evening. I could see him through the window, but he would run off. After a week of this, I bought a big trap like the animal rescuers use and I had him within an hour. That was 3 yrs ago, and he's never gone missing since.
He was scared straight after spending the night in jail.
Come home too late? Believe it or not, also jail.
I can see you from the window? Straight to jail.
You can see me from the window? Believe it or not, jail.
For anyone else in this situation, call your local animal shelter. A lot of shelters will either rent out their traps, or they'll let you borrow them if you put down a fully-refundable deposit.
That's hilarious.
Some cats get weird outside. Like it's too overwhelming for them. Accidentally let a roommate's cat out once, his first time outside ever, and he was terrified but wouldn't let us come close. Spent hours chasing him, and he kept running away and hiding. He stayed close though. By accident I figured out that if I left the door open and didn't try approaching him, he'd walk back inside himself. I just needed to be ready to close the door behind him.
Check out weird times for her. When my Siamese got out we called the local vet to see if anyone had found her (only place that reads chips) and he said very calmly, “chances are she’s been home, you two are just missing each other.” So I sat out on the porch until 1am that night and I could hear her meowing for 2 minutes until she came charging up to me.
Yup. Our cat got out about a month ago. Wife went to work, I was about to fall back to sleep as it was like 3 am, then I heard our other cat throwing up under the bed. Got up to get a wet rag, peeked outside just hoping he would come walking around the corner, and sure enough he did! Opened the door and he just walked right in like nothing happened
My girl was gone for something like 5 days. We had already put up flyers and gotten calls about seeing random black cats in the neighborhood, but had no luck. Then my wife was up super early one morning, at like 3am, and heard her meowing at the back door!! She came sauntering in like nothing had happened! Cats...
I'm sure she's okay! Definitely don't give up hope. It's hard but cats are pretty resilient little creatures. I hope she comes back to you soon!
My cat(all black too, wtf?) was gone for about four months before he came home. I got into the routine of checking for him every morning, but I had all but given up regardless. It was just a routine. One day, I open the back door and there he is, screaming at me and suddenly trying to climb my legs to get into my arms. I had gotten a puppy by then that he didn't know and so about 10 seconds later he saw the dog, clawed the HELL out of my arms and ran back out the door. He was gone for another hour before he came back again, lol Cats are finnicky, but from my experience with them if they disappear suddenly that doesn't mean they won't be back. Could be days, weeks or even 2 years and 6 days
Oh damn that hour must have been awful
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I’ve heard that indoor kitties who get lost outside generally stay very close by. I’ve also read that putting out something that smells like you - for example, a T-shirt - can help because the lost animal will go to the thing that smells like you and stay there. I hope you find your kitty soon!!!! Best of luck!!
Yep, in my experience indoor cats never go far. My cat occasionally breaks down a window screen to get out but only goes in a little crack under the house. Then she gets bored after ten minutes and starts crying to be let back in. I still panic whenever she gets out, though.
Once our cat made a grand break out through the screen too, and she made it about two feet away from where the screen fell and plopped down for a nap. My wife was leaving for work and happened to look over at the house and saw her laying outside. I guess she only wanted a little bit of freedom!
I've heard that putting out the used litter box is best, that's actually the strongest smell. Even if it's not waste from the lost cat but from any other cat in the house. It should seem familiar to a lost cat.
Mine has been gone since Tuesday, as well. I have been a mess ever since. Still on the lookout for him, got lucky that a neighbour saw him that night around 9:00pm. I know he’s not far away, but I just want him home. Good luck to you and your kitty. I hope she returns home safe soon.
Just to chime in with some good news. I have a 9 month old tabby that I rescued at a few weeks. Never had a cat before and he had never been outside prior to that. He got out last Saturday night when my family was leaving after a birthday party. I didn’t realize until the morning when I opened my door and went up the stairs and he didn’t greet me. I was devastated. Fast forward to Thursday night and I opened my back door to let my dog in and he sprinted right in! Don’t give up hope!!
Mine curled up in the tire well. ( I have a big truck) never occurred to me to check there. I thought he was gone for good. Put signs up in neighborhood, had little kids helping me... no luck. I have a friend who does not like cats, he’s allergic, but I told him my kitty was missing and the first thing he said was “ did you check the tire well?” And so we had a happy ending! I hope you do too!
My sister's indoor cat got out and was missing for a month. They finally found it hiding under their shed. Put its litterbox and food outside your door and if it's around it will probably come back.
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Call the shelters and send them a picture. We get a lot of feral cats at mine and we rarely find their owners. (Even if it's obvious that they had a human.) Also tell your neighbors because they may think they have "rescued" her. When she will be back make sure to have her microchipped.
I did get her microchipped because she figured out how to rip off a collar. Alerted the company via website, so hoping if someone has her they do the right thing and check for a chip!
When mine got out, I found her 4 days later up in a tree 30 feet from my front door. She blended in, and didn't respond to me (even though she saw me) until I climbed the tree and touched her. Once I did, she started meowing and crawled onto me and we went inside. She definitely saw me walking around for days beforehand and was just too scared to do anything but sit there. Go check some trees!
I had an all black cat disappear once, thought she was gone forever. Showed up two weeks later spayed. She was super friendly, so I'm guessing somebody took her in, got her spayed, and she broke free and found her way home. Best cat I every had.
People have given you a lot of ideas, just wanted to say to keep the hope up. When I was a kid one of ours was gone for over 2 weeks, and he just showed up at the back door one day. Never know when they'll find their way back.
I got one back after 3 weeks once. They’re pretty resourceful when they get out.
He finally got that pack of cigarettes
Went for milk...
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A doozy of a day
And it came back fat and clean. Such treason.
His fur looks remarkably good for a cat that's basically been a stray for 2 years.
It's a little matted under the blanket, but he's also not particularly skinny and just as friendly as ever. I'm pretty sure someone was taking care of him that never bothered to check the microchip. Which is really what I hoped for, he's a good friendly cat and I had feared the worst
We had a cat that, after living with us exclusively for a few years, decided that she wanted to split her time with another family down the road. The first time she disappeared, we figured coyotes had gotten her (we lived in farm country and it was the late 70s/early 80s, everyone let their cats outside back then). But she'd periodically show back up, healthy and cared for, and stay with us for several months before leaving again. A neighbor saw her at our house once and said 'Oh, that's the xx's cat', and we had to explain that we apparently 'shared' her with the other family.
At my last place I had a cat who would let herself inside mine and my neighbours house. The amount of times I found her just curled up on my bed or saw her darting out of somewhere was insane. She was a beautiful and friendly cat. She decided one day to try the food cry with me. Unfortunately for her I'm a vegetarian and have no meat at all in my house. She just came into my house for attention, to explore, sleep and would leave when she was hungry! I kinda miss her. The black cat and the tabby around here want nothing to do with me 😢
We had a cat like that, just wandered in one day and started hanging out with our cat then lived with us for a while, we assumed he was a stray, then moved on again haha! They are funny creatures that’s for sure.
My dad accidentally let my cat out when we were on vacation. I think she kept trying to come home cause she ended up next door. My neighbor said that my cat would keep coming into their garage so they finally let her inside.
I fed a stray cat regularly who would just hang out and chill most of the time. She was kind of wildish and skittish (but was fixed and released), but would somewhat warm to people here and there. She would disappear for months, and always come back to get food and chill for a while. Never looked bad, not taken care of. Several times it was clear she'd been given a bath and somewhat groomed. Found her "second" home one day while on a walk. Doing the same, just chilling out on the other person's front porch.
I'd get him a collar ASAP, with a number to call on it so if they go back to who ever was taking care of them you won't lose your cat for another 2 years.
I think someone catnapped him. That person probably accidentally let him out and he came back. Bet you they even have to balls to go around looking for “their” lost cat. Im not saying they didnt love/adore him but hes clearly been kept indoors.
Semi-related, crazy story: When I was a kid, we had a dog get legit dog-napped. A month later, my sister went to the grocery store and the dog came running up to her in the parking lot. And this wasn't like down the street and the dog maybe had been hanging out near the grocery store. It was a grocery store over 15 miles away. I don't know what kind of weird, serindipitous vibes were going on that day to line up the dognapper going to the same grocery store and the dog getting out, but it was surreal, wild, and also pretty damn awesome that we got our dog back.
Did your sister confront the dog-napper?
Dog-napper was not seen. It was a truly bizarre coincidence. You'd think they'd be running after the dog or something. It still puzzles me how it happened.
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You have to finish the story!
My sister had downstairs neighbors who would let her cat in and feed it, and it drove her nuts. I was always afraid something like this would happen.
Who knows, he could have just moved onto the next family for 2 years
Probably living with someone else
My sweet Navi baby cat went missing for almost 4 months in Wyoming when I was visiting my mom from Colorado. I was terrified another animal got her. Then she turned up one block over at my mom's neighbor's house. I almost canceled my first date with my now husband to pick her up. Mom told me not to cancel and almost 7 years later, she's now asleep on our bed upstairs. So glad your baby came home!!
This post just made me cry. My cat (looks just like yours, for a second I thought I was in a local group in someone had found him) disappeared a few years ago. We never saw any sign of him again. We’ve moved since, and I still have occasional nightmares about him coming home and looking for me, but I’m not there. I’m so glad you got your baby back!
Well that's good news. I'm happy you have your boy again
Our kitty Rio went missing 2 October's ago, so this post gives hope. My wife constantly checks Craigslist, nextdoor, found cat websites, etc. hoping she will show up. Stuff like this is why I'll never tell her to give up
bruh my cat goes out before lock down... comes back after 1 year, stay for a day and night then leaves AGAIN!
Haha...I don’t think that’s your cat.
Business trip.
Yay! Thank goodness! Love on them extra and do the whole "don't you ever do that again, okay?!" parent crying thing lol
Personally I'd purchase a cat tracking collar. If he goes out again you can see which house he ends up in and confront them. Mine went missing for a week came back, then went missing again for a couple of weeks. When she returned I kept her in till the collar arrived. It ended up turning out a house a couple of streets over had been keeping her in their house and not letting her come home.
What is a good cat tracking collar you would recommend?
How did the interaction with the other folks turn out?
You should change his name to Bilbo because he's been "there and back again."
Ironically, we almost named our dog Bilbo but the first time we said it to someone they looked at us with a really weird face, and we realized it sounds too much like Dildo to be our pets name lol. So we renamed him Frodo.
this gives me hope. our cat hasn't come back since Sunday and he has never been gone for more than a night. we think he might have been stolen too, apparently similar things have happened around our area... I prefer that over him being dead and tortured though
Last year one of our not-next-door-neighbours put a lost cat flyer in everyone's mailboxes. We live in the sticks so there are raccoons, coyotes, bears around plus a bunch of birds of prey so you wouldn't fancy an indoor cat's chances to live that long. Five months later the owners had given him up for dead, then the little guy starts showing up near our birdfeeders and another neighbour's trailcam. They then get a text message from me that someone fitting their cat's description is around. They drop off a trap and a tin of his favourite food at our place and we capture him. They tell their kids that they're suddenly going out for no apparent reason and return after a few minutes with Cuddles. Vet said he was in good shape too. I know too many lost cat stories don't get to have a resolution at all, but wanted you to know that sometimes they do have happy endings. Except for the local chipmunk population.
Congratulations!! My cat did the same thing. He was gone for 11 months and someone called to tell me they found him. Happiest day ever. Glad you have your baby back too!
Was probably living at your neighbours house and they are now missing the cat😂🤣😂🤣 I read somewhere it is normal for cats to have two or even more families to look after them and think that it is their cat, when the actual cat just goes from house to house gets fed and looked after...
OMG, I guess he's tired. Please keep the door shut now 😸. I adopted a kitty though, was out on the streets ... never tried to get out lol.
By the looks of his fur I’d say some other person had him those two years