I know I gave my cat, I named BUDDY, a GREAT home, toys, LOVE, and a best friend, ME, in this last year, BUT..

Question

I took in a stray cat, BUDDY, a year ago. She was always running to me, happy, healthy, affectionate, etc. I do have another cat that sometimes liked her but mostly was (understandably) jealous. They never fought. I've nursed Buddy back to health several times. A couple of months ago, she hurt her hip somehow. She gradually became better on her own. For months, she was still eating a lot, coming to me EVERY DAY and NIGHT. All of a sudden, for the past week, her bowls of food have remained full. I have not seen her and I am very heartbroken. Can an oppossum kill a cat? Would her hip injury cause her to become sick? She still had her sight, her hearing and her appetite so I really don't think it was old age. Cars don't drive fast enough around my neighborhood for her to have been hit. Maybe she had 2 homes like some answers I have seen before joining this forum.My landlord told me that Buddy never had a home and has been around for many years. At least for the last year I gave her A LOT

Answer 1

Your a very beautiful person to have given that little stray a year packed with love ... don't give up on her yet she may still come home ..then again she may have gone somewhere to make her journey over the rainbow bridge ... cats are such funny creatures to want to hide when they are ill... Kudos to you for your love of animals .....
I wish you all the best .. and hope she returns to your side ...but if she doesn't ..I am sure there will be another who needs the love that you have to give


Ugly The Cat

Everyone in the apartment complex I lived in knew who Ugly was. Ugly was the resident tomcat. Ugly loved three things in this world: fighting, eating garbage, and, shall we say, love.

The combination of these things combined with a life spent outside had their effect on Ugly. To start with, he had only one eye and where the other should have been was a hole. He was also missing his ear on the same side, his left foot appeared to have been badly broken at one time, and had healed at an unnatural angle, making him look like he was always turning the corner.

Ugly would have been a dark gray tabby, striped type, except for the sores covering his head, neck, and even his shoulders

Every time someone saw Ugly there was the same reaction. "That's one UGLY cat!!!"

All the children were warned not to touch him, the adults threw rocks at him, hosed him down, squirted him when he tried to come in their homes, or shut his paws in the door when he would not leave. Ugly always had the same reaction.

If you turned the hose on him, he would stand there, getting soaked until you gave up and quit. If you threw things at him, he would curl his lanky body around your feet in forgiveness.

Whenever he spied children, he would come running, meowing frantically and bump his head against their hands, begging for their love.




If you ever picked him up he would immediately begin suckling on your shirt, earrings, whatever he could find.

One day Ugly shared his love with the neighbor's dogs. They did not respond kindly, and Ugly was badly mauled. I tried to rush to his aid. By the time I got to where he was laying, it was apparent Ugly's sad life was almost at an end.


As I picked him up and tried to carry him home, I could hear him wheezing and gasping, and could feel him struggling. It must be hurting him terribly, I thought.

Then I felt a familiar tugging, sucking sensation on my ear. Ugly, in so much pain, suffering and obviously dying, was trying to suckle my ear. I pulled him closer to me, and he bumped the palm of my hand with his head, then he turned his one golden eye towards me, and I could hear the distinct sound of purring.

Even in the greatest pain, that ugly battled scarred cat was asking only for a little affection, perhaps some compassion.

At that moment I thought Ugly was the most beautiful, loving creature I had ever seen. Never once did he try to bite or scratch me, try to get away from me, or struggle in any way. Ugly just looked up at me completely trusting in me to relieve his pain.

Ugly died in my arms before I could get inside, but I sat and held him for a long time afterwards, thinking about how one scarred, deformed little stray could so alter my opinion about what it means to have true pureness of spirit,
to love so totally and truly.

Ugly taught me more about giving and compassion than a thousand books, lectures, or talk show specials ever could, and for that I will always be thankful. He had been scarred on the outside, but I was scarred on the inside, and it was time for me to move on and learn to love truly and deeply. To give my total to those I cared for.

Many people want to be richer, more successful, well liked, beautiful, but for me...
I will always try to be Ugly.

Author Unknown

Answer 2

I am really sorry about your cat. You did a wonderful thing by taking her in a loooking after her

Most people don't realize that the average age of an INDOOR cat is 13 years; the average age of an OUTDOOR cat is less than 2 years. Cars and other cats are the likely culprit

It is possible also that she knew it was her time, especially if she's been around for many years. You did the best you could! Who knows, she may return and possibly has several families on the go! Don't give up hope

Answer 3

To cats, 'All the world's a toy'. They will play with just about anything and everything. A favorite homemade toy is rolling up foil into a ball. It's light enough for them to bat around and pick up in their paws and toss. Just about anything that dangles on the end of a string or just plain string. Most of my cats, when they were kittens, loved playing with the cardboard role from toilet paper. Another suggestion is taking an old soft sock and stuffing it with cotton or whatever. Tie the end with a bell if you have one handy. If you have catnip around that you can stuff inside, even better. My cats love wrestling it.

Answer 4

I'm so sorry to hear about your cat! I hope you find him and it is worrying when they do go AWOL but...
Lots of cats do just leave. Unfortunately my cat back at my mum's went missing when she took in some strays and the house started to get "too busy" for her liking. She was always a very friendly but independent cat and visited neighbours, especially the grannies where she knew she could get an extra feed.Sadly we found out that she had passed away(due to old age) but that she had in fact adopted another owner before that.
Just keep in mind that you did help him out in his time of need and no matter how much we form an attachment, in general cats are CATS! Good luck.

Answer 5

If Buddy is an un-neutered male, then he may have gone to see a girlfreind in the neighborhood... unfixed males go off and disappear for days at a time when they smell a female in heat. Before my cat was neutered, he disappeared for 10 days - I was convinced he was dead or that someone had stolen him... but he came back, all dirty and hurt. Nursed him back to health and had him neutered pronto. I do hope that this is what's happening to your Buddy; i.e., that he's just gone romancing a female in heat.
I'll say a little prayer for Buddy

Answer 6

I'm really sorry to hear Buddy has gone missing. My first cat, Stripey Tail, went missing one night after a dog came in our back yard and barked really loudly at her and scared her. I haven't seen Stripey Tail since, and I am still sad and worried when I think of her. A year past and I got two puss cats, they don't stop me being sad for Stripey Tail, but I do appreciate and love them just a much as I lvoed Stripey Tail.

All you can do is look for Buddy as best you can. Try not to worry, although I'm sure you will.

I hope Buddy comes home soon.

Answer 7

There are a lot of things that can happen to stray cats out there. It sounds like she may have had a mishap. The only thing you can do is be happy for the time that you had with her and wish her well. If something did happen to her - at least she had that time with you where she recieved love. And you never know, she may just have wandered too far and will wander back into your life.

Answer 8

While reading this i feel so sorry for you and it has brought back a lot of memories, like yourself i gave shelter to a stray cat almost a feral, i was unable to bring him into my home as i have dogs but we took out a window in the shed put a step ladder there so he could climb in
he slept in a toy boy we took out the bottom two drawers put a quilt in it and he was as snug as a bug in a rug in the winter we put hot water bottles around him.
We had to have him put to sleep as he got a kidney problem and other ailments.
The reason i am telling you this is think of what you did for buddy maybe her hip problem was causing her pain, i know you are hurting inside as you don't know where she is or what has happened to her but please keep positive,
Don't give up on her yet but i admire you, you gave this cat maybe the best year of her life.
Take care and if she returns PLEASE LET US KNOW

Answer 9

Sorry to hear that Buddy is missing.

Did Buddy have a collar and tag? Was Buddy microchipped? These are very helpful things to do if your cat may become lost.

Please check with your local SPCA to see if Buddy was turned in. You can also post a LOST ad in the paper and on www.Craigslist.org. I would also post flyers around your area,

Purrs and prayers for you and Buddy.

Answer 10

Poor Buddy

Answer 11

Many stray cats like to roam, escpecially ifnot altered. yes possums can kill a cat, but there are lots of thing sout there that can injur/kill a cat, escpeccilly i that cat has bad hip. She might just have gotten what she nedded from you and decided to wander on. This is why cats are best as inside animals.