Topic: Missing Cat - Questions (Read 6617 times)

alisonandarchie · « **Reply #25 on:** December 23, 2007, 00:05:33 AM »

I know its very difficult but try to stay positive. We had a cat that was missing for a week, we were frantic and tried everything. He came strolling in at 2am one morning.
About two years ago we had a real shock when we opened our garage to find a cat, thankfully we managed to locate the owners.

Thinking about you and best of luck

Millys Mum · « **Reply #24 on:** December 22, 2007, 20:01:12 PM »

Definately target across the road, if he was spooked by something theres a good chance he will go where you least expect. Cats are good at that!

starch · « **Reply #23 on:** December 22, 2007, 17:38:28 PM »

Ok guys, good advice thanks again.

I have widened our search boundary..the area probably takes in about 60,000 people... ill make what dent into that as i can. Our ad in the main newspaper comes out on Monday so that should help. Meanwhile, off we go to "vandalise" more lamposts and bus shelters with our posters first, then more letter drops. (we already have had at least 1 poster ripped down by men servicing a traffic light outside our house..)

We are bolstered by your encouragements, cheers.

Michelle (furbabystar) · « **Reply #22 on:** December 22, 2007, 17:30:55 PM »

I gotta agree here -
Start looking the other side of the road, leaflets etc
Who knows if Starky has crossed it but you mustn't rule it out.

Fingers crossed, Thinking of you xxxx

madkittyrescue · « **Reply #21 on:** December 22, 2007, 17:07:56 PM »

as BC said... don't assume anything.... they can end up in the strangest of places... and you never know if he has been chased or just wandered.

The more posters / leaflets you can get out the more chance of finding him you will have along with keeping in touch with local rescue's etc.

Good luck.. I really hope you find him soon and get him tucked up and warm again. xx

blackcat · « **Reply #20 on:** December 22, 2007, 17:02:11 PM »

never assume he has not crossed the road. They are capable of all manner of feats when they put their minds to it. draw your circle of search from your home base and take it out 3 miles and saturate the area, both sides of any roads (mind if you are near the river, there may be a quadrant missing from your circle ...

starch · « **Reply #19 on:** December 22, 2007, 16:51:12 PM »

Hi and thanks again guys.

Yep, we have left his blanket and food out, and some contents of the hoover. It was about 1oC and rained last night, but milder today.

We have had a few more calls today of previous supposed sightings through the week and a couple for this morning actually....but... this morning's are on the other side of a 4 lane VERY busy road....
We had to discount that side of the road, because the area is so densely populated we could not cover it all without neglecting the side of the road we live on..

I dont know what to think anymore.. i do know now that there are at least 3 other jet black cats, and i spoke to one man who said our Starsky is the spitting image of his cat... so some of the sightings could have been of his cat..

Do we assume he DIDN't cross the main road..and so focus on our side and leaflet further afield on our side? (though why he cant come home would be the question then...)
OR assume he DID cross the main road, and that is why he cant get home.. and so leaflet much more there? Argh.

We have had about 5 "sightings" some of which contradict each other in terms of distance and timing.. only 2 sightings did the persons feel close to 95% sure it was him, one on each side of the main road.

So far we have leafleted about 400 homes, everywhere around, so that will cover a cats route as well as human routes. Just printed out another 200 leaflets, so on we go i guess. Which side of the road though... (probably a little of both, but more on the other side i guess since we have done less there)

*sigh*

Christine (Blip) · « **Reply #18 on:** December 22, 2007, 15:12:20 PM »

Quote from: starch on December 21, 2007, 20:17:25 PM

Good point blackcat, re the distance travelled.. with so many other cats about and the large number of roads and houses, i am also of the thought that he would realistically only be a couple of miles max.

One thing that i am finding useful is using Google Earth... I can see potential routes of him, mark where i have leafleted, mark possible sightings of him to work out a route maybe, and mark where to leaflet next etc

I am sure you are doing this already, but just in case, be sure to assess possible routes from a cats point of view and not a human one. Zsa Zsa, the cat I found last year, was only a few hundred metres from home, but her family would never have thought of knocking on our door because we are the other side of a maze of gardens, a mews and a large church! An easy straight line for a cat, though.

Yvonne · « **Reply #17 on:** December 21, 2007, 22:25:23 PM »

Good evening Tim and

to Purrs. Sorry that you found us under such sad circumstances.

I think it is still quite early days for you and am hopeful that Starsky will come home to you soon. I cannot add much else to what everybody has said only this might sound quite obvious but are you leaving some food at the door and in a few other places to try and tempt him home?

berties mum · « **Reply #16 on:** December 21, 2007, 21:44:08 PM »

Hi Tim, I've only just seen this and am so sorry to hear about your Starsky. As others have said, there have been a few cases on this forum of cats going missing for quite a while and then strolling back in - including my own black and white baby, Minnie, who wandered off for 19 days in the summer - so keep the faith.

blackcat · « **Reply #15 on:** December 21, 2007, 20:24:28 PM »

10 or eleven at night is quiet enough for him to hear you call him. Dead of night he is quite probably curled up snug and warm in whatever cave he has found. Also, when things first start moving in the mornings, still dark, but when the birds start twittering and scuffling around. Mind you, any self-respecting bird will be spending its time huddled on a sheltered branch in this weather. Hope you are not getting the sort of mist that has enveloped my place tonight!!

starch · « **Reply #14 on:** December 21, 2007, 20:17:25 PM »

Thanks guys. Yep, the "Cleansing" Dept of our Council has not picked up any dead cats in the surrounding areas in the last week.. I will keep at them every few days.

I think i will do that thanks - contact the builders boss.. gotta follow gut instincts.

If/when i get him back i will likely have to keep him indoors permanently... which will be hard as he is used to being out but...
Im in a groundfloor flat, so i cant catproof the garden unfortunately as it is communal and includes parking area etc.

Good point blackcat, re the distance travelled.. with so many other cats about and the large number of roads and houses, i am also of the thought that he would realistically only be a couple of miles max.

One thing that i am finding useful is using Google Earth... I can see potential routes of him, mark where i have leafleted, mark possible sightings of him to work out a route maybe, and mark where to leaflet next etc

To be honest Christmas is cancelled at our place unless we have our own wee miracle. :s

Im going to hit the sack soon as im coming down with a cold after being out too late, too cold, too long.

Q. Ill try looking and calling for him about 4am again i think? What sort of time of night do you think would be most likely for him to be walking? Dead of night when there are least people and cars? Or dawn? I guess if he found somewhere less cold to hide the night would he just stay there? Argh, any advice in this regard would be appreciated so i can best know what time to get up in the night to look again.

Thanks for the sentiments and thoughts, appreciated as ever.

blackcat · « **Reply #13 on:** December 21, 2007, 19:38:20 PM »

Hi Tim, sorry to hear about Starsky, what a rotten thing to happen. Cats do travel quite a bit further than we think they do, but 12 miles would be more likely in a rural environment than in inner city Fulham. Seems that keeping within 3 miles of your place would be more realistic, simply because no sensible cat will wander too far into unknown territory in an area with a large feral population - they would be encroaching on other animals' territory. Cats have no road sense at all, I am afraid. I have seen my siamese dart out immediately in the path of a speeding car (which fortunately went right over the top of him missing iwth all four wheels, and the cat was still running after the car passed, completely unfazed.

Do contact your local council though because even if they do not scan the animals that they collect they usually remember them or record their colour and type. Horrid assumption to make, but you would at least have an answer if that is indeed what has happened.

Hope you have a good Christmas even with Starsky missing, hard, I know.

Take care now ...

Millys Mum · « **Reply #12 on:** December 21, 2007, 17:49:04 PM »

Many cats turn up weeks after going missing so keep up with posters and leaflets.
A good thing is to get people to check their sheds while you wait or if they will let you have a look yourself. Many people can forget to do it.

Have you contacted the bin men, my council are helpful with missing cats but not all are interested

Can you contact someone above the builders and see if they will let you in the house? Its possible he could be stuck in the floorboards, not all cats will shout when trapped.

When you get him back it wouldnt be a bad thing to catproof the garden, going by the sound of the roads you describe.

Fingers crossed hes back for xmas

lucy · « **Reply #11 on:** December 21, 2007, 17:47:52 PM »

So sorry to hear Starsky is missing, hoping he comes strolling back in soon!

starch · « **Reply #10 on:** December 21, 2007, 16:51:26 PM »

Thank you so much everyone, it does help knowing that others understand how my wife and I are feeling; it is now 5 days he is missing.

In response to a couple of questions, yes, Starsky is microchipped. Both him and his brother, Hutch, were chipped when we rescued them in Australia. Now here in the UK they are also listed with the pet database so that all vets 30 miles around were messaged to let them know about him, and they should contact us if he is handed in. We have also postered and contacted all other vets and shelters anyway. We have posters up on bus shelters, lamposts, corner shops, post office, supermarkets and have probably put a leaflet in about 400 houses around us.

Re the building work beside us - i have been around several times when they stopped working and called and listened for him. They wont let me into the house.. but say he isnt there. It is hard not to get paranoid that they may have killed him or stolen him (they are mostly foreign sub contractors - i know this doesnt mean much and i hate to even say it, but a lady across the way told me builders likely stole her dog last year)

We are getting a few phone calls which is great, but so far i have found 4 other black cats.. :/ which makes it hard as well. I just had another call from someone who said they saw a black cat bolt out of their shed on Monday night... so i will go to see him, but that was 4 nights ago now.

Thanks again everyone, much appreciated, and it does encourage me.

Tim

Christine (Blip) · « **Reply #9 on:** December 21, 2007, 16:36:54 PM »

I am sorry to hear that Starsky has gone AWOL. I see from Cat Chat that Sam has emailed her list of useful tips to you.

Keep looking and keep positive: we have had several cases on this forum just recently of cats going walkabout for quite some time and then strolling back as if nothing had happened. I myself found a cat last year who had been missing for three months and had lived off the land (and I live in Fulham, so an urban environment like yours).

sheryl · « **Reply #8 on:** December 21, 2007, 16:27:02 PM »

Fingers crossed that your missing furbaby is home safe and sound soon. Thinking of you x

unseeliechylde · « **Reply #7 on:** December 21, 2007, 16:23:48 PM »

Starch you must be distraught - all the good vibes and crossed everything that you are reuinited soon

Is Starsky microchipped? Have you tried cat and general rescue orgs in the area? he might have slipped his collar, and someone has assumed he is a stray and had him picked up. It's worth ringing round and leaving posters with any / all you can find, as well as local vets. If he is microchipped, it might be worth ringing the company to see what they can do re: alerting rescue centres, vets etc.
Good luck and I hope you find him soon,

dolcetta46 · « **Reply #6 on:** December 21, 2007, 15:40:50 PM »

Oh Starch, my sincere sympathy to you, so sorry I am useless as I have no firsthand experience with cats outdoor, but I am dishing out all my best wishes and positive vibes in your way, that he will soon be home with you, or at least that he is somewhere warm and safe being looked after well for the moment!!

lisa77 · « **Reply #5 on:** December 21, 2007, 14:42:26 PM »

Will keep everything crossed for you. Is there any building going on around you ? My cat once got locked in the housing developement office for a weekend..

starch · « **Reply #4 on:** December 21, 2007, 14:37:22 PM »

Quote from: lisa77 on December 21, 2007, 13:19:53 PM

One thing I will say is cats are great at tracking distances.. have you moved recently ?

We moved to where we are now 1 full year ago. From Australia to the UK..

I just had a reported sighting a couple of streets away, and i ran round, but it wasn't him. Then 30 seconds later i saw a 2nd fully black cat which was limping and cried when i called my cat's name... it also turned out not to be our Starsky..

Talk about roller-coaster emotions.

Thank you so much for your replies and answers both of you, they are much appreciated.

Michelle (furbabystar) · « **Reply #3 on:** December 21, 2007, 13:36:10 PM »

My heart really goes out to you, I can feel how desperate you are.

I will try and answer your questions but please remember they are just my opinion so i'm not saying i'm right.
Q1
I personally dont think a cat travels 12miles during a day and i certainly DONT think its normal.

Q2
I wouldnt be 100% convinced that this person saw your cat, However, i wouldnt dismiss it. Keep up your search locally, Get neighbours to check all outside buildings etc

Q3
I am sorry to say that cats dont tend to use the green cross code

Q4
I do think a cat would know his way home, even if somewhere was blocked

Q5
I am sure a cat would find somewhere warm to sleep on cold nights. Lots of stray and ferel cats live through very cold winters. Cats arnt silly, He would find somewhere to sleep out of the cold

Q6
hiring a trained tracker dog? WHY NOT, anything is worth a try.

The only advice i can offer You is to keep up the searching. Posters are most important.
I truly home you find Starsky - I know what it is like to have a cat missing xxxx

lisa77 · « **Reply #2 on:** December 21, 2007, 13:19:53 PM »

Bless you honey you must be desparate to find him

I wish I could help with your Q's .. One thing I will say is cats are great at tracking distances.. have you moved recently ?

I wish you all the luck in the world finding him xxx

starch · « **Reply #1 on:** December 21, 2007, 11:58:53 AM »

Hi all, I am alternating between utter depression and vigorous hope every few hours now after one of our cats, Starsky, has been missing for 4 days now.

Here is a link to my post in the Lost section of the catchat forum:

http://www.catchat.org/discus/messages/7/65313.html?1198224594

I have a few concerns and questions and would value your thoughts please. I have taken time of work and been looking and postering almost non stop since he didnt come home the first evening.

We live on the corner of a very busy 4 lane main road and another pretty busy 2 lane road. Our garden is walled in and the back faces onto some other large gardens. We keeps our two guys in each evening and night and they are free to come and go during the day via a catflap.

Our missing cat would always have come home throughout the day for naps, especially now it is getting cold. He would not have walked on the footpath, let alone crossed the road, as far as i know..(which is part of my question ill come to)

He is neutered, cautious and intelligent. He wouldn't sit about for someone else to lift him.

Q.1 I heard that David Attenborough said that they tracked a normal domestic cat 12 miles in one day...when its owners thought it just wandered locally... is this "normal"?

I have been searching and posting leaflets in each house where i was pretty sure he would have roamed (very close - about 5/6 houses distance) and also searching beyond that to the end of the streets and those parallel. If however, he potentially could be going miles....I am screwed and can never explore all parts so far since i live in a densely populated part of the city...

Q.2 I have had one sighting reported of him the night after he went missing... of him looking ok..BUT..he was only about 120 meters away from where we live...and he was walking away from our house direction...?

I have shown the person (who says he spotted him) other pics and he is quite sure it was him. I am stumped.. why would our cat, who is soo loving and loved, suddenly for no apparent reason (he is not one who normally does this at all in his 3 years of life or 1 year of living there) do that?

I have stayed out, watching in case i could see this cat to confirm if it was him or not; one night from 6pm-3.30am and the next morning from 6am-8am. I saw a fox and one other black and white cat, but not my guy.

The spotter is a cat lover and observer, so i dont doubt his sincerity, but it just makes no sense to me and is confusing how i should spend my time searching for him - keep looking very locally? or go further out?

Q.3 Does a cat look out for cars before crossing a road (like some dogs know to do) or do they just sprint and it is pot luck?

Q.4 If a cat did cross a road which was quiet at the time, maybe if they were chased for example, but then the road became very busy - would the cat, who was now in unfamiliar territory, still "know" where it's home was and be able to get back via a new route?
(There has been building work next door to us recently which potentially could make him think his way is blocked (though he could sneak past at the back hedge), however i know building work would be very disruptive to him.

Q.5 How well do cats withstand the cold?

He is shorthaired and slim. It has been VERY cold here, down to 1oC at nights as i know because i was out in it for hours on end.

Q.6 Is hiring a trained tracker dog to try and find our cat a feasible and realistic idea or not? Their may be one organisation in my country to do this.. I was told by another that this is usually for humans (obviously) but i wonder if anyone knows of it being done and successfully for cats?

Thank you very very much for reading all this and if you can answer one or more questions i would be so thankful.

Tim and Starsky's family

Author Topic: Missing Cat - Questions (Read 6617 times)