Hello Again,

Just to recap.... We had 2 cats: Jake & Elwood. Jake died 4 weeks ago from Feline Aids.

I posted a thread here a week ago 'cos Elwood had since started peeing all over the flat and 'talking' constantly. General consensus was that the cat was bored/lonely and we should fit a cat flap.

Job was done at the weekend, he immediately got the hang of it, was in and out for the next 36 hours. It definitely perked him up -he seemed much, much happier.

Unfortunately he went out on Monday morning and hasn't come back.

We live in Amsterdam, but it's a pretty leafy area where we are, we're also alongside a canal with a couple of bridges around.

I guess what I'm asking is - is it common for cats (especially 'first timers') to go feral for this length of time (5 days so far) and still come home?

Any similar experiences to share?

thanks
ian and deb

 

I hope your cat does return, but in my experience (3 cats owned)
it may not be good, unless the cats found another "home" for a bit.

When any of mine went AWOL for more than 2 days, they didn't come back without assistance or had been run over.

I hope yours does return, as I know what it feels like

 

Had the cat been neutered? If not then yes, it is perfectly normal for them to disappear for that length of time, longer sometimes. If it has, i'm afraid he may have found another home or something worse (lets hope not). Good luck in finding him....... Especially now you have gone to the expense of fitting a cat flap!!

 

not really what I wanted to hear, but thanks for being honest Medders.
Just absolutely gutting to lose one, let alone two.
Both very cool cats too.

 

yep - he was chopped

 

sorry m8. We had 3. All got run over. Found out they were after chickens in a coup the other side of a main road. One had been run over before and I found him. Carried him round etc whilst he was getting better, then he did it again and wasn't so lucky.

Wife cried for a week on each occasion.

We haven't had anymore. Although we've got a baby now

cheers

paul

 

Oh, I'm sorry. Well, cats are funny creatures and he will probably walk back in soon, wonder what all the fuss is about and mieow for his dinner!!

 

Ours went missing for a few days, turned out they'd gone for a warm kip in a garage or summat which someone had then locked.

They came back a bit thinner.

 

my mum's cat went missing for 4 days a while back. we all assumed the worst but it turned out that it had got into the neighbour's house and then got scared. spent 4 days hiding under a bed until eventually the cleaner found it.
so dont despair. it could still come back!!!

steve

 

One of my semi-males went missing for a week once. Was put out on the Monday morning as usual and didn't come home till the following Tuesday. He'd just gone off exploring. (Ratbag [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]) The next day I had all 4 of them down the vets to be chipped - just as well as he did it again a couple of weeks later - this time for 2 weeks. Unfortunately he had tried to cross the A1 and been hit, which had disorientated him. Eventually he became so hungry as he had fractured his leg, causing him to be unable to hunt, that a woman managed to pick him up and took him to the nearest vets where they scanned him in and I got him back.

Yes, it is usual for cats to disappear but he may have just got lost. If he'd had no introduction to the outside world, to suddenly be presented with it must have been like Christmas. Chances are he started chasing something or a loud noise scared him or he found something intensely interesting and now cannot find his own scent to bring him home.

Fingers crossed that he comes home safely...I know how it must feel at the moment.

 

Good luck getting him back - 5 days is a long time but he could be either enjoying his new found freedom or locked in somewhere and will re-appear shortly.

We've got 2 tom cats, both neutered. one of them has been missing for days on end before (often 5 or 6 days so don't give up hope). keep leaving his favourite food down - we sometimes think ours is missing but he's busy elsewhere and pops in and out when we're asleep.

good luck
G

 

Any over friendly old ladies live near you? They have a hbit of adopting cats....

 

Thanks for all the comments - not given up yet.

Nic - funny you should say this, but I'm harbouring suspicions about the old lady on the ground floor

Will go out this evening with a powerful torch...
Time to print out a few flyers with a piccie on maybe.

He's micro-chipped and he's not been picked up by any vets or council as we found out today. There's actually an organisation in Amsterdam where people are out looking for cats on a 'hotlist' - and he's on it.

all appendages crossed

 

I have known cats to be missing for a couple of days and return but 5 days is a long time, you never know tho, hope it returns.
We once had a cat that returned to our previous home which was about 6 miles away.

 

My wife's sister lives in Amsterdam on a houseboat, her cat was missing for 1 week and she'd almost given up hope. She fly-posted the area and then someone phoned up saying that they had taken the cat in as a stray, so hopefully your cat will turn up.

 

A further update...

A very much thinner Elwood reappeared at 7.30 this morning - spent exactly a week 'away'!

Has been eating like a trencherman and sleeping since.

Of course we'd spent yesteday making and putting up 'wanted' posters...

Thanks for all the helpful replies!

Ian & Deb

 

Excellent news!!

 

glad to hear mate

 

Maybe he saw one and felt guilty?

 

wicked.

 

Edited due to rather pathetic content

[Edited by Diablo - 11/26/2002 1:57:16 PM]

 

That's nasty.

I told you he would probably come back and wonder what all the fuss is about!!! Give him a lot of fuss and attention. He probably won't do it again!!!

 

Good news! Sorry for being a downer

Must be more positive must be more positive

 

Typical cat...

My sister's cat will bugger off if she ever goes on holiday. He's been gone for 4, 5 and 7 days at a time before he's trundled back home, for a big scoff and a big sleep on her bed. He's totally devoted to her and basically refuses to come in the house unless she's about.

 

great result - he's probably been shut in somewhere when being nosey, hence he's thin.

Gordo