Cat lovers - What's the longest one of yours has stayed away?

[TexasBushwhacker]

One of my cats, a 3 year old neutered male, decided to go for a stroll on Friday. He and his two female pals are basically indoor cats. They just venture out now and then to explore. Well, it's been over 48 hours now and the weather has been very rainy on and off. I've gone all around the neighborhood calling for him, and I'll put flyers in mailboxes tomorrow. I was just wondering if anyone had a cat that had gotten lost and come back. How long did they stay gone?

I've already checked with the local shelters. I was just wondering how long I should wait before I should consider him gone for good? :cry: This happened with one of my mother's cats a few years ago under similar circumstances. He went out on a rainy day and just never came back. I realize there's always the possibility they've been injured or killed, but I don't see adult cats that have been hit by cars all that often. They're usually smart and quick enough to get out of the way.

[LauraT28]

1. our Girl Disappeared for 4 days toward the begining of last spring

We thought she was gone. When the go for that long around here, an Eagle or a dog has gotten them. But she came back! I hope yours returns.

[BoX o BooX]

2. Keep the faith.

My boy wandered off a few weeks ago. I had given up on him, as he has never stayed out more than a few hours in the 8 years we have owned each other.

After ten days, a neighbor knocked on my door at the same time I heard his meow. My boy waltzed in, skinny as a rake, casual as Dean Martin.

My neighbor explained that my boy had gotten himself locked in another neighbor's garage for TEN DAYS. No food or water. TEN DAYS.

My boy is fixed AND declawed. He shouldn't be out at all, but it's nigh impossible to stop him. They're cats; you can only do so much.

God bless you and your boy.

[ogradda]

3. 4 days

is the longest i've ever had one gone that came back. good luck.:hug:

[forgethell]

4. Forever,

that's why I NEVER let my cats out, anymore.

:cry:

[redstateblues]

5. My neighbors had a cat that was gone for the winter and came back neutered

True story. Plus, when I was a kid we had a cat that was gone for a year. We had given her away to another family because we had to live in an apartment for a while, and when we moved back into the house she had found her way back home from 10 miles away. Cats are amazing. 48 hours is too soon to panic for a male cat being gone- male cats are roamers - even neutered ones.

[Liberal Veteran]

6. The tricks male cats will go to just to get outside...

Mischief has this new stunt where he sees us getting ready to leave and so he will go near the door and flop down and close his eyes like he is asleep.

The moment the door is open, he springs into action....often fast enough to get down the front porch stairs where he celebrate his freedom by rolling around in the pine straw that fell off my tree onto the path to the car.

It's really very endearing.

[redstateblues]

8. My female cat knows when the door is open for longer than the

normal time that it takes to walk in or out and she makes a jail break if it's a second longer.

[miss_kitty]

7. It's worrying

one of our cats disappeared for days. He had gotten into the garage and up into the attic crawl space, and I guess we weren't going into the garage often

My neighbours cat , a neutered male wanders for blocks and days. he ends up getting calls for all over the area. He just wanders into someones house and naps.

chip your cats.

[Nicholas_J]

9. My latest cat slipped out of the house a few years ago

and was lost for 3 days, Was all cut up from hisind inside of cars. I put up a sign for a reward, adn itseems he got disoreinted because he kept showing up in front of the people who lived in the apartment biolding opposite ours, in the exact same position that our apartment would be in if we were in that building,

On a stranger note, a good friend of mine emailed in extreme joy that his cat that went missing 14 years ago just showed up all old and sickly. Got here straight to the vet to be looked at and now she is all comfy in a nice cat bed and being fed and pampered.

[3113]

10. 5 days longest for me.

I have four cats, all neutered. We moved to the country in the woods about 8 months ago. All go in and out as they please via a pet door, and are in more than out. One female was gone for five days a couple of months ago, and again for four days a couple of weeks ago.

[FloridaPat]

11. One forever, another for a month. Possible someone took

him in because of the weather. Their homing instincts are absolutely amazing. Just hang in there.

[XOKCowboy]

13. Yep...

Cats are amazing. We had farm cats that would disappear for weeks and come home eventually. I always kept my city cats inside even though it was a struggle. My boy had a game. Every time I'd open the door he'd try to get out. I got very good at "foot in the door" and faking him out by opening the door and shutting it quickly! LOL

Keep the faith, keep looking and good luck.

[consciousobjector]

12. One year...no kidding!

Of course, Red was a stray who took up residence in our garage and started a homeless shelter for other strays there. When we got him neutered, he disappeared for a year (almost to the day), came back fat and never left again. He's 15 now and lives indoors.

If it's been rainy, the rain probably washed away his "scent trail" and he's having a hard time finding his way back. Putting up some flyers in the neighborhood with a photo (if you have one) iis a good idea.

Also, I know this sounds crazy, but if there are strays that frequent your yard, talk to them and ask them to find him and help him find his way back home...really, when our Wendy got out (she being a spoiled house cat), my husband told a local yellow cat about her and the cat went and found Wendy and brought her home the next day.

Keep the faith...I'll pray for your cat to come home safe.

[TexasBushwhacker]

15. Thanks for the answers everybody

Well, I feel a little more hopeful. I will be putting out flyers, and yes, I'd thought about chipping them (I have 3 total) but I'm unemployed right now and just couldn't afford it. Getting them microchipped is on my "To do" list though.

Of course, I just hope he's okay, but I really hope he comes back and hasn't just found another "home". His best buddy, my female Stella, misses him!

[elfin]

14. Seventeen days for a cat of my neighbor's

Came back skinny. Another friend told of one in her neighborhood that was missing over a week. Finally someone heard it meowing inside the garage of another neighbor who had gone on vacation. They apparently left and didn't see it in the garage. They had to call them to get permission to go in and get it out.

So - check the garages in your neighborhood and good luck.

[Rhiannon12866]

16. My cats have all been strictly indoor. There are just too many dangers

outdoors, especially where I live. I feel the need to keep them safe, and you should consider this. Even my kitty that I rescued from outdoors became an indoor cat and she was perfectly happy, though she liked to look out of the window.:loveya:

I wouldn't let any time go by before you call shelters, animal hospitals and your local radio stations. Mine broadcasts about lost animals. You can also post your flyers at animal hospitals, since lost cats are often brought there. Keep checking with the shelters. They are busy and you don't want your request to slip through the cracks. I wish you luck with this. Don't ever give up and keep on looking and posting flyers.

My vet's office told me about a cat, a patient of theirs, that they were able to reunite with his owner after over a year after he went missing. He escaped on his way to the car from a vet visit, and showed up on the other side of the mountain. A family took him in, but brought him in to be euthanized, because they were moving.:grr: But my vet recognized him and contacted the original owner who had searched for weeks for her cat. She came immediately and they were reunited.:-)

[Robeson]

17. I'm with you...

...our two cats are indoor cats, and will remain so. I found one when I was working on a house, and she was half ferel. She still is half ferel, but loves being indoors, and has no desire to go back outside. As you said, there's to many dangers outside, and its just not safe for them.

[Rhiannon12866]

23. My kitty was half-feral, as well, because of her terrible experiences

outside, on her own. I began feeding her outside, thinking that she'd come around, but ended up having to borrow a have-a-heart trap from the animal hospital to finally bring her in before the weather got too bad. Poor kitty had been abandoned. She totally came around after good veterinary care, mainly having her teeth taken care of, and her behavior may have been partially due to her having been in pain. I later learned from my neighbor, who walks his dogs all over creation (and also has an indoor cat), and had seen her, some of what she'd been through and know she was lucky to have survived. I just wish that I'd known about her sooner, since she spent far too long on her own.;(

Kudos to you for also taking in a half-feral kitty. She is so lucky to have found you. I know people who care for and rescue ferals and think that those who take this toughest path in animal rescue are truly angels.O8)

[noonwitch]

24. My cat is an indoor cat-she got out last week for a few minutes

I panicked, when I realized it. She never has gotten out, in the 8 years I've had her.

She didn't go far, she just hung around the front porch-it was cold, and she likes warmth.

[Rhiannon12866]

26. I know how frightening this can be

My beloved Rhiannon, one of my uncle's two cats who I adopted when he died, and were strictly indoor, got out the one time I stupidly opened the window. I missed her immediately, and, also, found her crouching on the porch. I was very lucky, since this cat was fearless, but also declawed. And it was January in NY. I held her on my lap for the longest time, making sure that she was warm and okay. That was a close call for both of us and I was more careful, ever since. I know what you went through. I was scared witless.
:scared:

[barackmyworld]

18. the rain might have something to do with it

maybe he found cover for a while? They always know how to find the way back. We had a lot of ourdoor cats that would leave for weeks and come back.

[Champ]

21. My mom told me a story

When she was younger my grandpa had this one cat who would wait on the fence post while he was at work and everytime on his way home he would stop by the fence post and the cat would jump in. This went on for quite sometime, then they moved about 10-15 miles away. It wasn't long before the cat took off, they had no idea where he went and they didn't see him in the area. In a little under a week later, my grandpa took a drive and showed up in front of the fence post at the usual time and the cat walks toward the car, he opens the passenger door and he leaps in. They kept the cat inside for about 3-4 weeks til he got accustomed to his surroundings.

[Rhiannon12866]

27. That's a really lovely story. Thanks for sharing.

And it tells a lot about cats, or any pet, for that matter. I've had both cats and dogs, and they love, and expect, routine.:-)

[2cents]

19. About a week and a half..

...we hung pictures and asked around - nothing...then one day she showed up.

We later found out what she was doing out there and eventually had her fixed.

Good luck, I hope all turns out well.

[Champ]

20. 4-5 days are usually the longest

My last cat occasionally would go a couple weeks without coming home. My current cat only stays outside overnight, guess the sun is too harsh for his thick furry coat.

on edit: I don't often worry about cats, of course I feed them, change their litter box, etc. but cats are more then able to take care of themselves, they are very clever, have strong instincts, amazing balance, sharp claws, and leaping ability. They are truly unique creatures that show a level of intelligence even most Bush supporters don't have. :) Of course you have people who act like future serial killers and decide to fuck with them(I haven't seen too much of that around) but many cats run off when anyone comes remotely close heading their direction.

[laheina]

22. When I was younger,

one of our family cats disappeared for over a week. We think that what happened is that he was shut in a vacant house that was nearby. The people were moving out about the time that he disappeared. A door prolly got left open.

When he showed back up he was a little thinner and quite clingy.

I'm sending you my good thoughts and lucky vibes :hug:

[arwalden]

25. Three Years (For My Sister's Cat)

When she lost her cat, she was devastated, and swore that she would never ever have another one. Until one day she decided that it was time to adopt another one, so she went to the shelter and THERE WAS HER cat. He had been brought in just a few days earlier.

Nobody knows exactly what happened, but because of his good health it was pretty obvious that someone "adopted" him off the streets after assuming that he was abandoned (instead of just roaming). My sister imagines that they had managed to keep him penned up pretty well but that he still longed to go home to her, so he "escaped" to return home.

I can't imagine that Oliver would actually plan an escape with the intent to return home to my sister's house, but oh well...

To continue: apparently some kind soul found Oliver and brought him in to the shelter just days before my sister went there. She was overwhelmed to see her Oliver behind the glass and just started weeping uncontrollably.

I'm not sure if she had to prove that Oliver was hers, or if they just took her word for it, but she ended up taking her long-lost cat back home.

[meow2u3]

28. Funny story

When my cats were alive, my calico, Tweety, had gotten out not once, but twice, and had stayed out all day into the middle of the night. She didn't come home because she got lost and couldn't find her way back home!
Sylvester, the Maine Coon, was--I swear to God--a search-and-rescue cat. We had sent him out to look for Tweety so he could bring her home. One hour later, we heard cats meowing at the door. Lo and behold, there they were--the both of them: Sylvester with the look of a hero, and Tweety, scared but relieved to have finally made it home!

[MadHound]

29. Well, twenty years ago I had a cat that stayed away for six months

Fat cat was very much a loner kitty, didn't like other cats, didn't like dogs. Well, having already adapted another cat, Fat cat most certainly didn't like the fact that I brought home a Great Dane one day. Well, this food loving homebody of a cat had enough, and took off in September into the great wilds of Missouri(living in rural SW Mo at the time, nearest neighbor was a mile away). Looked, shouted, hunted etc etc for that cat for weeks, and she never showed. Along about March the following year, coming up the gravel road, I see a flash of a cat going across the road. I stop, get out and start calling. Sure enough, here comes a much thinner version of the Fat cat, meowing and purring. Took her home, and she walked right past the rest of the animals(including said Dane) to the food bowl, and didn't come up for air for fifteen minutes. Never had any problems after that, she got along well with the other animals. Guess she just needed some time and space.