My mothers cat has been missing for nearly a week, what are the chances of him coming back now?

Question

Obviously if he is not dead.

Answer 1

Not good. But not impossible. Keep looking for him.

Good luck!

Answer 2

we got lost a cat and got him back 3-4 weeks later - somebody found him and called RSPCA. We'd already called them in the first week to enquire if anyone had found a cat and they contacted us 3 weeks later and told us a cat of the same description had been handed in. He was found about 3 miles from where we live. Call local vets, call RSPCA, call Cats Protection and put a card on classified/advert boards in all local supermarkets - loads of people read them, you'd be surprised.

Chances of him returning depend on sex and age of the cat and whether the animal has been neutered or not. Un-neutered males will travel miles looking for a mate. If the cat is young, then it is possible that they have gone 'exploring'. The weather also may cause a cat not to come home for days particularly when it gets really hot. In hot weather a cat will behave and do exactly the same things as it would if it were a cold day. This leaves the cat not only hot but sometimes too dehydrated to come home straight away. The cat will then wait until recovery is complete before returning. Another cat we had was very old and on her last legs. She went missing in the Summer and because of her age and ill-health we assumed the worst. 2 weeks later she reappeared in the kitchen.

Finally, knock on the doors of all neighbours or post leaflets asking people if they could check sheds/garages just in case the animal ends up accidental shut in (it happens, ours did) - if there's an allotment site near to your house, go over and speak to the plot owners.

My friend had a cat that disappeared for 2 years and then showed up as if nothing had happened !

Hope you find him again.

Answer 3

Don't dispair; the cat may be visiting somewhere nearby. Our neighbour's cat visits once a week for a meal, and I know he makes the round every so often throughout our area. He leaves for a week at a time; like a travelling salesman! But you should put up posters, put an ad in the newspaper, and canvas neighbours who have garages, garden sheds and tool sheds; any place he could have gotten trapped inside. One of my neigh -bours on the next street lost his cat and found it up a very tall tree. When it couldn't get down, it kept going up. Even the fire department couldn't get him with the ladder truck, he was so high. The humane society finally rescued him, by scaring him by banging the tree, so that he fell, and caught him in a net. The cat had been there for a week and was unable or unwilling to mew to call out for help. The only reason it was rescued was because it was visible against the green of the fur tree; the cat is white. Call the rescue shelters over and over again; their staff are shift workers, so you probably won't speak to the same person all the time, and someone there might know something. You can also post notices(with pictures) at the shelters. That might help keep your pet from being adopted to someone else. If the staff don't put two and two together; the photos can stick in their minds, and also someone seeing the poster might remember seeing the cat somewhere. Don't give up. Cats have been found months later living close by. Someone might just have taken it in thinking it is a stray,

Answer 4

Honestly, this is going to be based on how much your mother took to make sure her cat was protected if he/she was lost. A good example is, if the cat has a chip (AVID or other brand) and the cat is found by a shelter there is a very good chance the cat will be returned.

However, knowing cats the way I do (since I right now have 6) there is also the posibility the cat has found someone to feed it and the person(s) are not aware the cat had an owner, because cats have a way for getting out of their collars (this seems to be a cat thing of which I cannot explain how they do it). This is why I have chosen to micro chip my cats, because even if someone takes the cat in and start taking care of it, when they take the cat to the vet for any reason, the vet by procedure will check to see if the cat is micro chipped and the chip will tell the vet the cat belongs to someone.

Given all of these things, believe it or not. Cats will usually come home sooner or later. As crazy as it sounds, it would help if food and water was placed outside for the cat when it returns home, just incase it has not been fed by someone else. All be it that you may find yourself feeding all of the stray cats in the neighborhood,which could be caught and turned over to a no kill shelter to find homes for them.

Answer 5

The chances are actually quite good! But it depends what she has done to find him. Is he microchipped becasue that really helps
She needs to call all the vets in the area and have him recorded as missing, they all keep a log book so anyone bringing in a lost cat, or finding one, can be put in touch with you.
Then she should get a recent photo, but it on a flyer and put it up all round the area, and through peoples letter boxes. On the flyer ask people to check their garages, etc as they often get locked in those
Also put an add in the local papers, it doesn't cost much but thats where people would look if they found a cat
I've found a cat last week and thats where i have been looking to get him back to his owners,
Don't give up!

Answer 6

I have worked in a vet hospital for over 5 years now. If we haven't come back yet - either someone else has taken the cat into their home and is making no attempt to find the owners, or we are dead. Indoor cats don't do well outside if they haven't been out much. Check local clinics, shelters, and if you have a city animal control officer (check with local police depts on this) to see if they have found the cat. Good Luck!

Answer 7

If it is a Tom there is every chance they tend to wander off for a few days up to a few weeks
However it may be that it is stuck in a neighbours shed or garage it is worth asking around to get them to check, I have had one of my cats go missing for 3 weeks only to find out later he had been purving over a new female that had moved in some new home buyers
So do ask about, DON'T give give up I am sure it will come home ( when it's good and ready )

R

Answer 8

Fairly good, if its male. I certainly wouldn't give up hope. A lot of mating and fighting is going on now, so that could be the reason.

Still a week is a long time, usually they are gone for 3 days, and its rare that they're gone for much longer than that, but i have known them to stray for longer periods, depending on their living situations at their home- like whether they're an inside or outside cat who receives little care. and depending on the weather, to some extent. If it doesn't come home in the next few days, though, then that would be very unusual and i would no longer expect him back.

Answer 9

I had a cat that went missing for three months and came back. It may not make your mother feel any better but, some cats just find new homes just yards away. Ask all the neighbours in the area to check garages and sheds etc.

Answer 10

Scotty M is right, hope for the best, prepare for the worst.

Your best chance is to call vets and shelters. If you never see the cat again, your best bet is assume he found a new home. It does happen that hungry indoor cats in strange territory sidle up to a nice looking human looking in hopes of getting a meal and get taken in for good.

Talk to your Mom about whether she wants to get an "heir to the throne" and how long y'all would like to wait before doing so. I'd suggest a kitten from the shelter. If you handle a kitten a lot they tend to be easy-going and affectionate and if the mature cat comes back, a kitten is less of a threat.

Answer 11

There is a great chance that he will come home....cats are strange animals.....my mom's cat left one day and she didnt see him for almost a year......he still comes around but he is kind of antisocial now......we think someone grabbed him and took him inside and kept him as an inside pet. She thought he was dead....she checked the shelter almost every day for a year.....he was special to her. cats do that though.....they come and go....they always find their way home though. Call the local shelters to see if someone took him in there....put up posters and keep calling there or leave your number at the shelter incase he gets brought in. If he was super old and dumb then I would worry......but just keep looking. He proably got a good whiff of something and went to check it out. Could be hunting too......anyway good luck I hope you find him!