Me and our family live in a rural neighborhood with alot of land and a stream nearby. Our cats get in and out of our house as they please via a crawlspace in the basement. They go up our basement stairs to get to our main house, where their food and water is.
We went on a trip to VA five days ago, and came back to find the basement door shut, to our horror. This means they had access to litter, but not their food or water. We called them and tried tons of searching in the immediate area outside, but they're not responding.
We are very concerned with our cats, we don't know what we'd do if they left us. My questions are:
-Do our cats think we abandoned them, and are they gone for good if they think so?
-With our natural abundance of mice and insects along with a freshwater stream nearby, would they be able to survive this long?
-What can we do to try to get them back?
Thanks a million, from all of us.
2007-07-15 10:22:32 · 14 answers · asked by gamer92 2 in Pets ➔ Cats
The kitties Will probably come back because your food offering is their main source of survival. However you may not get them all back because some have moved on. Don't expect them to all show up at once. After all they were accustom to being fed by you and that was taken away from them for over 5 days.
Good luck!
2007-07-15 10:34:20 · answer #1 · answered by chicki 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Don't know why you would leave your cats totally unattended for 5 days in the first place..outdoors or not. You could have had someone coming to check on them a couple times so something like this would not happen. It sounds like your cats still had access to water...you did say there was a stream nearby, and that would be the main concern..cats cannot live without water but they can live for some time without food. They are probably around somewhere, they may have decided to do some hunting on their own if they were locked out the whole 5 days. Just keep calling them and put some food out for them and hopefully they will be back soon. If you let your cats outdoors you MUST prepare yourself for the fact that they may not come back someday, that is the risk you take with your cats lives by letting them roam freely outdoors. If you do not want to be in this situation again..then keep your cats indoors or hire someone to care for them the next time you go out of town.
2007-07-15 11:39:51 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Well, your cats may think that you left them to fend for themselves. When you get them back try to figure out a way to keep them from getting outside so you don't have to worry where they go.
They might not be gone for good. They probably went wandering to try to find some food & water. They could probably survive ok. They might end up being a bit hungry but should be fine as long as they didn't get hurt by anything/anyone.
To get them back: do you have colored pics of them? If so, make a poster(s) and hang up everywhere possible. Include the cats' names, maybe when last seen and around what area, and special little quirks they may have, and your name & number. Hang on trees, phone posts, coffee shops, stores, and wherever else you can think of. Try knocking on neighbors' doors to see if they noticed them recently. Put food and water (soft food too) on your porch and wherever they go in & out of. Put articles of clothing you guys wear that obviously has your scent so your cat may recognize it and come back, maybe even curl up & take a nap in.
Good luck and I'll be prayin for your kitties!!
2007-07-15 10:33:36 · answer #3 · answered by Malia 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Check with your neighbors and the local animal control. They may have been picked up or maybe a neighbor is watching out for them. If they have access to mice and water they can survive. Leave their favorite food out for them at the access to your home, where they can smell it. If they are in the area they should return. Cats are wanderers and usually come back home. Are there outbuildings in the area? Check them. good luck finding your cats, I don't know what I would do if mine went missing.
2007-07-15 10:32:08 · answer #4 · answered by corgiesrule 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Tame cats aren't meant to survive in the wild any more, true, but they last longer than most tamed pets if left to fend for themselves. Put out strong-smelling treats, i.e. fish and the like, and call them, as you go about your chores, and such. I'm sure they won't roam far from home territory, even should they believe you left them there alone, for good. cats are territorial, remember, and would stay on their home turf, which is why I believe they shall return...skinny, no doubt, but more or less healthy. Next time, though, please make sure they're fed very last thing before you leave. And some people will flame you for leaving them alone, ignore these city idjits, who wouldn't know farm animals, or how they are happiest, to save their lives, but are too happy to judge someone doing right by their pets.
2007-07-15 10:30:57 · answer #5 · answered by ihatepenndot 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Cats can survive out in the wild. And if they really want to come back then they will. If u have any neighbors near by u can go door to door and ask them if they have seen any cats witin the last couple of days. You never kno, they could have found one of them thought it was stray and kept it. So just chill out you could even try putting up flyers! I hope they come back b/c i kon how u feel! Good Luck!
2007-07-15 10:40:07 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well there is not a lot for you to do other than to look for them and wait. They might of left in search of food, but if they had been inside most of their life, then that might not be too successful for them. Because they got so used to you just providing food for them. But hopefully they are ok and will come back soon. Good Luck!
2007-07-15 10:36:15 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Im curently going for the period of the comparable element, I havent seen her for with regards to the comparable ammount of time. yet she has executed this as quickly as before. the two my cats wander off in specific situations and it concerns me because of the fact my mom and dad stay out on a lake. I even have wish nevertheless because of the fact final time she did it became into for 2 weeks and seems she became into merely exploring. yet dont think of the worst. I dont think of you're able to take heed to to the comments approximately it getting eaten with the aid of different wild animals. he will wander back whilst he's waiting, yet I completely be attentive to the form you sense. Its heartbreaking. He knows the place house is merely keep in mind that
2016-10-19 04:57:10 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
leave some food out and watch it , hopefully your cats will come and eat it
i have a signal for my cats i shake the buiscuits or tap a metal fork on the plate for them so use a signal you have or calll them
have a look around for them im sure they arent gone for good just licking their wounds and waiting to be called in
2007-07-15 10:33:13 · answer #9 · answered by Karl 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They mioght come back some small person may of took one home but jut wait and look and stuff . get some cat nip grass and plant it in your grass and cats will come it a bit have like waches over the cat nip and find you cats. dont ever let them out ever agane
well till there are old and dont run a way
2007-07-15 10:27:52 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋